PATTERN OF GODLY LEADERSHIP
Towards the end of his life, Moses was asked by God to appoint Joshua as the leader of the Israelites, and in His command, describes the pattern of godly leadership (Numbers 27:18-21).
- Qualification:
So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him.”
Godly leadership is not possible unless a person has the spirit of God in him. While in the Old Testament era, the spirit was given as per the discretion of God; after the coming of Christ, the Holy Spirit is given to one who believes in the saving work of Christ on the cross and accepts him as his Savior and Lord. The Spirit of God continues to remain and work in the life of one who perseveres in obeying God and living for Him. Worldliness, licentiousness, legalism, pride are some of the things that cause a believer to dissuade the Holy Spirit from continuing to indwell within, providing the necessary foundation for leadership.
2. Authority
“Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.”
Moses was given the authority to lead the Israelites during the exodus. Joshua was given some of that authority to become their leader. Authority can be defined as the presence of God within accomplishing certain tasks through certain people using the power of God. In the New Testament era, this equates to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. While the Spirit can indwell many, specific gifts are given to only a few and it is important to recognize that gift and use it. While Caleb had as much of the spirit in him as Joshua, it is was Joshua who was given the authority or the gift to lead the nation.
3. Enquiry
“He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord.”
Having the authority did not equate to a blanket permission to do whatever Joshua wanted. He still needed to seek God’s will for his people. While for Moses, God spoke to him ‘face to face’, for Joshua and for those who followed, the voice and will of God came through the priests. So it is with godly leaders- there needs to be much time spent in prayer to seek the will of God, without which success will elude. A person who has the gift of preaching still needs to ask God’s counsel as to when to preach and what to preach.
4. Execution
“At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”
The last step is execution, which naturally and easily comes forth when the other requirements have been met. It is no mean feat when one man can command an entire nation. And that is what Joshua did for the duration of his lifetime. And as long as he lived, not only did he remain faithful, but he was also able to induce the entire nation to obey God and remain true to him.
When a person remains true to the pattern of godly leadership, the impact is awesome.
