Joshua 4:10-18

¹⁰Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, ¹¹and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. ¹²The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. ¹³About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.
¹⁴That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.
¹⁵Then the Lord said to Joshua, ¹⁶“Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up out of the Jordan.”
¹⁷So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”
¹⁸And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.

Modern Idol

Internet is a modern idol. It’s more convenient than seeking God for answers. To learn about successful leadership, they surf the internet. Successful leadership that this temporal world offers is shortlived. The word of God prescribes successful leadership that would last a lifetime. Leaders whom God has exalted were successful.
Leadership is one of the spiritual gifts. In Romans 12:6-8, ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

While leadership is very crucial in the church, each spiritual gift is significant to the ministry success. Each believer is given an appropriate spiritual gift as the Lord deems fit. Believers are also called to lead others to Christ, though. But can we agree that the gift of leadership pertains to leading a bigger group?
What does the Bible teach of leaders who were not chosen by God? Absalom tried to establish himself as king of Israel. His brother Adonijah tried it too. In 1 King 1:5, ⁵ Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.”

Both Absalom and Adonijah were not chosen by God and subsequently, they both failed. Similarly, church leaders are established by God. We need to pray that God would enable us to choose church leaders whom He had bestowed with leadership gift.

All great leaders in the Bible and Christian leaders, men and women alike are exalted by the Lord. When God exalts His chosen leaders, He would guide and keep them safe until their mission or assignment is accomplished and completed.
When the Israelites were about to enter the promise land, Joshua succeeded Moses. In Numbers 27:18, ¹⁸So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him.

If God’s people comply and obey their leaders, are they God’s chosen leaders?

1. Comply

¹⁰Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, ¹¹and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. ¹²The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. ¹³About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.
No sweeter assurance of leadership calling than for follower to comply. Joshua could have been very nervous to assert himself as the new leader. It would have encouraged him more when he observed that the Israelites were following his commands.

Let’s flashback to Joshua 1:12-15, ¹²But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, ¹³“Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’ ¹⁴Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them ¹⁵until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

Why did Joshua remind the men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh about what Moses told them? Did he try to frighten or intimidate them? Has Joshua been anxious that the Israel might not obey him? His anxiousness is common to new leaders.
When God calls leaders, He would give them a project to do. God would also provide for helping hands if the project is huge and overwhelming. The Lord commanded Moses to make the Tabernacle. God did not tell him to do it alone. He provided for helps.

Bezalel and Oholiab

In Exodus 31:1-6, ¹Then the Lord said to Moses, ²“See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— ⁴to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ⁵to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. ⁶Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:

Bible scholars suggest that Moses was chosen as Israel’s leader because he learned how to build temples of the Egyptian gods while growing up in Pharaoh’s palace. He knew the demands of building temples. God assigned Bezalel and Oholiab to help. The wisdom, understanding and skill of Bezalel and Oholiab came from the Spirit of God.
Similarly, God chooses church leaders. Is it proper to expect church leaders to do all the work in the church? God will exalt His chosen leaders. God would also prepare the hearts and minds of His people to get involved and follow the commands of the Lord.

2. Command

¹⁴That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.
¹⁵Then the Lord said to Joshua, ¹⁶“Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up out of the Jordan.”
¹⁷So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”
¹⁸And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.

The priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant Law have experienced the best part of God’s wonders when the water stopped flowing. Imagine the Jordan River at flood stage. Raging water! Big waves! But as soon as the feet of the priests touched the raging water, the water has stopped flowing about some 15 or more kilometers up north.
As they slowly walked on to and stopped at the middle of the river, the ground dried up. It says in Joshua 3:17, ¹⁷The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground…

The river bed could still be wet after the water stopped flowing but it was dry. The Israelites crossed the Jordan River at flood stage on dry ground. For sure there were pregnant women and mothers carrying new born babies with them. They have nothing to worry about while crossing the Jordan River. Perhaps, they just picked up scattered fish.

Leadership Tested

Crossing Jordan River at flood stage was huge problem. Huge problems are instruments to measure the level of trust in God. When Goliath challenged the Israelites, King Saul saw a huge problem but David saw a huge opportunity to trust in God. It says in 1 Samuel 17:33, ³³Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

When young David told King Saul that he would fight the giant Goliath, King Saul doubted the capability of David. David was very young but he insisted that he will defeat Goliath. Saul tried to help David. In 1 Samuel 17:38, ³⁸Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.

Saul had armor and helmet yet he was scared to face Goliath. Armor and helmet are helpful but David found courage in the Lord not in the armor and helmet of Saul.
Earlier, David told King Saul in 1 Samuel 17:37, ³⁷The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Both Saul and David were anointed king in their generations. Saul trusted in his armor and helmet but David trusted in the Lord. Like Joshua, the Lord exalted David. Problems and trials are God’s instruments to build greatness and refine our faith in Him.

In 1 Peter 1:6-7, ⁶In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

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