Its God's Job to Establish the Leaders

Joshua's appearance in the exodus story seems to be as a tag-along-youth. Sticking with Moses he got to go up the mountain (Exodus 24), experiencing the presence of God. Even at that young age he became a key military leader, and was in the initial spy unit.

Decades later God instructs Moses to commission him for leadership beyond Moses' own time (Numbers 27). He gets plenty of encouragement to 'be strong and courageous', to take the Israelites forward into the promised land.

Yet God has an even greater thing in store - in Joshua 3:7 the Lords says he will begin to 'exalt' Joshua in the eyes of the people. This will truly confirm him as the successor to Moses (which would have been a hard act to follow!).

The commissioning and the establishment thus come from God. Its the job of the other leaders and the people in general to recognise that and affirm it.

So lets keep an eye out for those who are having a go at getting involved, and who are seeking with us God's presence. In time, God will affirm, establish, and show who He has invested with the 'spirit of leadership' (Numbers 27:18). Our job is to then go with that. From there it will be further works of God that confirms the thinking, enabling everyone to see and be confident in what God is doing through the emergent leader.