The succession from Moses to Joshua is a glimpse into how the changing of the guard should operate. Moses had poured all of himself as mentor, teacher, coach and friend into Joshua. Moses had watched his development, evaluated his growth, given Joshua task after task and seen his maturity on every front. Moses understood his role and embraced it to give God all the glory and for the people to see and know it is God doing the work through him.

Mentorship, Discipling & Modeling
Look at Joshua

By Pamela J. Hudson

"Moses prepared Joshua, his minister, servant & vice-president to take over the helm of leadership. Moses offered his tool box of life skills to prepare Joshua for the task of
leading, managing, facilitating, developing, coordinating the people of Israel/organization into the next phase of their journey.
A journey that would net them newness in prosperity, possession, personal fulfillment, and the promises of God.
With strategic step that would place the nation into the mainstream of life.

We see in Deuteronomy 31 where Moses before all the people made it known that Joshua would become their new leader with all the faith and power of God behind this decision. Moses had carefully and fully exposed Joshua to all aspect of leadership. Moses had taken the youth of that day and demonstrated how to lead this great people through the wilderness (inflation, downsizing, foreign invasion, time) to the place where prosperity, wholeness, restoration and renewal was on the horizon.
Moses without jealousy or strife offered himself to educate, train and model before Joshua & Caleb (two who took to heart his teaching) how to listen to God, learn to humbly accept responsibility and lovingly lead a stiff-necked and complaining people.
Just like Moses, Joshua had to trust in God completely to handle this task.

When the mantle of power was transferred to Joshua, the encouraging words of Moses is where Joshua laid his foundation upon and that which propelled him forward to take the land, lead the people and learn the ways of God more intimately."

Be strong and of good courage: for thou must o with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them: and thoug shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.
Deuteronomy 31:6-7.

copyright 2004 PJH
Excerpt from book, Mentoring, Discipling & Modeling: A Study of Joshua