Jan. 18, 2009
Background Scripture: Joshua 3
Devotional Reading: Psalms 142

I am something of an amateur historian (the emphasis should be on “amateur” rather than “historian”). One of the things that has fascinated me in my readings of history is the observation that no human leader in the long run compiles a record of 100 percent, or maybe even 75 percent.

Our greatest presidents – including Washington, Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt – were sometimes in serious error and made serious mistakes. Some of our less successful chief executives made infrequent but wise choices. Even Moses had to go up onto Sinai a second time because he let his anger move him to smash the tablets of the Ten Commandments.

Nearly a week after the publication of this column on leadership, the new president of the United States is scheduled for inauguration. Regardless of your political affiliation – which, of course, is of lesser importance and authority than your discipleship with Jesus Christ – I trust that you will acknowledge the new president will not make as many right decisions as his supporters expect, nor as many wrong decisions as his detractors fear.

Our problem all too often is that we anticipate perfection of the candidate we supported, and defection of those whom we have opposed. So, we too are not consistently either correct or in error.

The leader’s gone

The Bible reminds us that although the Israelites in the wilderness from time to time rejected and rebelled against his leadership, the Hebrews never had a more exalted leader than Moses. He is still the prophetic leader par excellence.

The downside, of course, is that when he died they must have felt that there was no one who could take his place. To be sure, Joshua had been his trusted lieutenant, his virtual right-hand man, but he was only good in second place; he could not be the leader that Moses had been.

To make things worse, although they stood just outside the Promised Land, they were now confronted with what seemed to be an insurmountable barrier: The Jordan River at springtime flood stage. They had no boats and there were no bridges. This was not a good time for Joshua to step into the gigantic sandals of Moses.
Yet, the Bible, instead of comparing and contrasting Moses and Joshua, simply demonstrates to us that Joshua was the leader they needed and God provided for the next steps.

The secret of Moses’ leadership would also be the source of Joshua’s: “And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you” (3:7).

Moses was a great leader because he himself was led by God. So it would be with Joshua.

Our enemy’s gods

The late Dr. Joseph R. Sizoo observed that, “The advance into the Land of Promise is to be made not by the military, but by the priests … Not the shock troops, but the ark of the covenant must lead.”

In time of national challenge and peril we tend to suspend our religions in favor of military power. About a half century ago, I heard Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick preach his great sermon “On Worshipping The Gods of our Enemies,” in which he said that all too often, in order to defeat their enemies, the Hebrews became like them. Obviously, he wasn’t warning the Hebrews, but us.

Joshua told his people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it, that you may know the way you shall go” (13:3,4). The real leader of Israel was neither Moses nor Joshua. They were great only because they followed the Lord.

Jesus told his disciples, “I will go before you into Galilee” (Mt. 26:32). As of old, he bids us, “Follow me!”

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Rev. Althouse may write to him in care of this publication.