Moses’ Last Journey – Numbers 27:12-23; Deut. 34
1. Aim: To lead the people to understand how to choose leaders who are both goal-oriented and people oriented.
Illustration:In The Christian Leader, Don Ratzlaff retells a story Vernon Grounds came across in Ernest Gordon’s Miracle on the River Kwai. The Scottish soldiers, forced by their Japanese captors to labor on a jungle railroad, had degenerated to barbarous behavior, but one afternoon something happened.
"A shovel was missing. The officer in charge became enraged. He demanded that the missing shovel be produced, or else. When nobody in the squadron budged, the officer got his gun and threatened to kill them all on the spot . . . It was obvious the officer meant what he had said. Then, finally, one man stepped forward. The officer put away his gun, picked up a shovel, and beat the man to death. When it was over, the survivors picked up the bloody corpse and carried it with them to the second tool check. This time, no shovel was missing. Indeed, there had been a miscount at the first check point.
"The word spread like wildfire through the whole camp. An innocent man had been willing to die to save the others! . . . The incident had a profound effect. . . The men began to treat each other like brothers.
"When the victorious Allies swept in, the survivors, human skeletons, lined up in front of their captors . . (and instead of attacking their captors) insisted: ’No more hatred. No more killing. Now what we need is forgiveness.’"
Don Ratzlaff, The Christian Leader.
2. Explanation of the Aim: Moses asked God to appoint a leader who could shepherd the people and guide them to accomplish His purposes.
In our lesson we learn how the Lord led Moses in selecting Joshua as a man who could manage both the internal and external affairs of the Israelites. Joshua was a great successor since he had both people skills and task proficiencies in being able to administrate the affairs of the more than two million Jews.
God gives godly people like Moses the wisdom to select successors who will be able to lead men into battle for the accomplishing of His purposes.
God appoints people for leadership and mentors equip them for work of service.
The Lord will give wisdom to us in choosing leaders who will both care for peoples’ needs and help them to reach their goals.
3. The Bible Story: Our lesson teaches us how the Lord guided Moses to select a suitable successor as one who would lead the Israelites into the promised land. It all begins with Moses prayer where he said, “O Lord, the God of the spirits of all living things, please appoint a new leader for the community. Give them someone who will lead them into battle, so the people of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” (Numb. 27:16,17)
When you consider selecting a leader be sure that you begin by trusting the Lord in prayer for His guidance, wisdom and supernatural working in the process.
4. The INTRODUCTION helps the people think about how leaders are chosen? What are some of the wrong ways that leaders obtain their offices? What are some of best ways that leaders are chosen using Biblical criteria? Why does God ultimately have the right to appoint the best leaders to position of responsibility?
Why is it true that the Bible says, “Promotion does not come from the east, the west or the south, but God is one who sets up one and puts down another.”
5. The BIBLE STORY helps us learn some of the insights into selecting new leaders. The final journey of Moses also teaches us that every ministry has cycles that includes a beginning, a middle and an ending. God used Moses for specific ministries and now it was time for another leader to lead the Israelites into the promised land. Let us not become jealous, envious or bitter when it may be our time to hand leadership over to another.
6. The MEANING FOR OUR LIVES gives the people an opportunity to make applications from the lesson.
What are some of the ways that Moses gave us a model for how to select, train and commission a new leader? Ask the people if they know of people who are like Moses? Find out if the people know of any people like Joshua? What are some of the reasons that God used Moses for certain ministries and Joshua for other tasks? How does God give people different gifts and talents that are suitable to accomplish His will for their life?
6. Help the people think about how leaders are chosen? What are some of the wrong ways that leaders obtain their offices? What are some of best ways that leaders are chosen using Biblical criteria? Why does God ultimately have the right to appoint the best leaders to position of responsibility? Why is it true that the Bible says, “Promotion does not come from the east, the west or the south, but God is one who sets up one and puts down another.”
7. Moses made his final journey into bringing the people of Israel to the borders of Canaan. At this point the Lord called him to heaven. We can learn that in similar ways the law makes no one perfect since it only convicts people of sin, but Joshua, (a foreshadow of Christ) is the one who brought the people to the promised land of rest, peace and security. Only through Jesus Christ are we able to find perfect spiritual rest in our conscience and soul.
8. God used Moses to deliver the Hebrew people out of cruel bondage. Moses led them to the brink of the promise land after successfully conquering their enemies. Yet, God sometimes allows successors like Joshua to lead them to the place of their liberty, happiness and security. God has special jobs and ministries for each of us depending upon His leading in our life.
Never grow envious about how the Lord may lead another. His plans for you are perfect and all His ways bring blessed peace.
Only God is able to effectively evaluate and judge the degree with which we have completed God’s will for our individual life. God alone knows the secret motives of men’s hearts and will reward or punish accordingly. You do not have to fear handing over to another person when you are following the will of God in Christ Jesus.
8. Moses did not struggle with envy when it came time to hand over the reigns of leadership to a successor. Great people realize that God gives us everything we have.
Our main concern should be in how the Lord can use us to multiply His kingdom in its qualities as well as in quantitative measures. This is why Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well.” (Matt. 6:33)
Everyone, including people, should pray that the Lord would use them to lead others to the Savior. Each individual is given great gifts to find faithful people who will teach others also. (2 Tim. 2:2)
9. Moses did not want to leave His work without making sure a suitable leader was ready to replace him. He began by asking God for wisdom and help in selecting a successor.
10. Second, when Joshua was selected he gave him numerous tasks to help him find his way during the time of transition.
11. Third, Moses instructed the people that God had given Joshua all the authority, skill and love to lead the people into the promised land.
12. Fourth, Moses showed great confidence in Joshua to enhance His credibility among the people.
13. Fifth, Moses trained others who could carry out the duties so there would not exist any gaps left in the leadership roles.
We can learn a great deal about how to successfully carry out a transition in leadership from the model left by Moses and Joshua.
14. God appointed a successor in Joshua who had distinguished himself by his courage in fighting Amalek and in his humility in ministering to Moses. The Lord had seen in Joshua a man of faith who joined Caleb in confidently reporting that the Lord could be conquered with God’s help. God promotes people who embody the characteristics of men like Joshua.
Ask the Lord to lead you to find men like him who you can delegate ministry responsibilities for the multiplication of Christ’s kingdom. Joshua was a good man who feared God, did not covert and acted out of principle.
God selects people who have the right attitude of service in management. He is hard working, faithfully carries out his duties and preaches God’s word with Holy boldness. Look for people who possess these qualities and associate with them.
You will tend to become like the people you most associate yourself with. Trust the Lord to help you find people who have a good balance of task and people orientation since they make the best leaders.
Memory Verse: The things that you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, the same commit to other faithful people who will teach others also. (2 Tim. 2:2)
The Meaning for Our Lives
Give the people an opportunity to make applications from the lesson. Ask the people if they can summarize what are some of the principles of having a good transition from one leader to another? What are some of the ways that Moses gave us a model for how to select, train and commission a new leader?
Ask the people if they know of people who are like Moses? Find out if the people know of any people like Joshua? What are some of the reasons that God used Moses for certain ministries and Joshua for other tasks?
How does God give people different gifts and talents that are suitable to accomplish His will for their life?
Response:
Song: I will make you fishers of men.
Prayer: Ask the Lord to help you find other faithful people who you can teach, train and disciple with His enabling power.
At Home: Ask your family and friends how they disciple, train and select successors for the ministry responsibilities God has given them?
Conclusion:If a man loves a woman for her beauty, does he love her? No; for the small-pox, which destroys her beauty without killing her, causes his love to cease. And if any one loves me for my judgment or my memory, does he really love me? No; for I can lose these qualities without ceasing to be.
Pascal.
Leadership sees as Jesus would view issues, people and problems.
