Numbers 27:16-17. “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.”
TRANSFER OF LEADERSHIP. God is the God of all men. He is the Searcher of the spirits of all men. There is no part of a human’s life that isn’t scanned thoroughly by God. He is the “God of the spirits of all flesh.” All things are openly exposed to Him who judges, recognizes, reveals and rewards as He sees fit.
God knows who is capable, available and willing for the highest employment a man can have – that of leading God’s people. He can raise the spirits of men to be suitable for the highest and hardest work. To go before the Lord’s people and wisely lead them in war and in peace is not a matter for the novice or the uninitiated. The compound of human flesh and the spirit of a man can only properly work when the divine nature that has been imparted is functioning under the control of Divine Persons.
To feed God’s people, one must be fed himself. To guide God’s people properly, one must have experienced guidance. To be able to direct others in appropriate ways to appropriate places, one must have been directed himself. To control the actions and work of others, one must have been himself, controlled in the way that only a focused person, committed to his Lord has been in the past. To help others make wise choices that will keep the Lord’s people from following every enticement, means that his goals are defined and he is not easily swayed by popular opinion.
One who is called by God to lead, has been associated generally with those who are older and can appreciate the weight of leadership that is on the shoulders and heart of those whom God has called. His spiritual life will have an order to it that he has practiced enough to affect the decisions he makes. Those who have been leaders before him, will have found him to be a person who can be, and has been, entrusted with a work they appointed for him to carry out. His faithfulness to assigned tasks has been tried and proven in smaller things and now he is ready to take on more important things.
The one who is going to go out before the people of God to defend them, has been proven in the area of his courage. He will not boast of his exploits but will have sensed the presence of God with him and is willing to give God all the glory for any accomplishment. His fidelity is without question. Even though he has made mistakes, he has learned from them and is willing to make the necessary changes in his life so that it doesn’t happen again. When he accepts responsibility, it is with a spirit of humility and yet confidence in the God he has learned, and is learning more and more, to trust. The transfer of leadership over a period of time will be obviously divinely inspired and will be done in the presence of God’s people so that none will be taken by surprise when it happens. The consistent testimony and actions of one who will lead and feed as a shepherd, will encourage the flock to follow without a whole lot of questions. He is not leading as a conquering king, but as a shepherd over sheep that need a leader. He will know where the green pastures are and where to find the still waters for those in his care. When such a man as “Joshua” is found, commit yourself to him and engage him in the work that he may make the transition from servant to shepherd with the least amount of difficulty.
“O Father of the people of God, Lord of the flock over which Thou hast given shepherds the care: give those who lead among us, a sense of the necessity of preparing others to take their place. May they be prepared enough that if some emergency rises or if a place is permanently vacated, they are ready to lead without fear. May their own spiritual life be so intact that they will be able to smoothly assume the role Thou dost give them, and the Lord’s people will find them easy to follow. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”