Competence – Joshua

Competence rarely emerges overnight. Joshua too had to prepare over many years for the enormous task that lay ahead of him. How did God prepare Joshua step by step?

1. God established Joshua as a leader across two generations.
2. God entrusted Joshua with leading the military campaigns on the way through the wilderness to Canaan.
3. God sent Joshua out with eleven other tribal leaders to explore the promised land.
4. God allowed Joshua to accompany Moses up Mount Sinai.
5. God replaced Moses with Joshua when it was time to lead the people into Canaan.

It is truly fascinating to observe how God invested in this young leader to develop his competence and prepare him for the highest office:

• He was a warrior. Joshua was born to be a warrior. His first opportunity for leadership came as a military commander. But God was preparing him for a much greater role — and it all began here. (Exodus 17:9-11)

Exodus 17:9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

• He was a spokesman. Joshua received a prophetic word from the Lord concerning the wars against Amalek. Then he became the bearer of that word to others. (Exodus 17:14)

Exodus 17:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

• He was a servant. Joshua was first known as "the servant of Moses." No one called him a servant of the LORD until the time of the conquest of Canaan. He proved his readiness to serve before he ever asked anyone to serve him. (Exodus 24:13)

Exodus 24:13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.

• He was a faithful associate. Moses took Joshua with him up Mount Sinai to meet with God. But when he was commanded to stop, Joshua stopped partway up. He experienced no glory, no cloud, no voice, and no presence, but he remained faithful to the bigger picture. (Exodus 32:15-17)

Exodus 32:15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.

• He was an apprentice of Moses and God. For 40 years Joshua served as second-in-command under Moses. His competence grew through Moses and through his own observations. He did not want to leave Moses' tent, because he wanted to learn everything from his mentor. (Exodus 33:11)

Exodus 33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

• He was zealous. One day, when the presence of God came down upon the camp and two men began to prophesy, Joshua took notice. He forbade them to continue, but Moses said to him, "Would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!" Joshua's passion and initiative later became an advantage, once it was joined with his experience. (Numbers 11:29)

Numbers 11:29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

• He was a transformed leader. Moses gave the young man, who had formerly been named Hoshea, the name Joshua. With this change of name came a change of identity and character. Joshua became a man ready to organize and lead the people of Israel. (Numbers 13:16)

Numbers 13:16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.

All of this was necessary so that Joshua could ultimately lead the people of Israel into the promised land — a task that required, alongside great trust in God, genuine leadership competence.

Joshua 11:16-23
The Land Conquered
16 So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;
17 Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.
18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.
20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.
21 And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.
22 There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.