He's approaching the end of his life, and God is telling him it's time to name a successor. But it’s not as simple as just picking someone from his own family.
As we read in Legends of the Jews, God tells Moses, "He that watcheth the fig tree shall eat of its fruits, and he that waiteth upon his master will be promoted to honor, and thy sons shall not inherit the leadership because they concerned themselves little with the Torah [the teachings and laws]." Ouch. That’s a pretty direct assessment, isn’t it? The implication is clear: leadership isn't a birthright. It's earned through dedication and service.
So, who gets the nod? Joshua. Why? Because, as God explains, Joshua "served thee with devotion and showed thee great veneration, for at morn and eve he put up the benches in thy house of teaching and spread the carpets over them; he served thee as far as he was able." Think about that for a moment. It wasn’t just about intellectual prowess or charisma. It was about the humble acts of service, the consistent dedication to learning and helping.
God instructs Moses to "take then Joshua, a man such as thou didst wish as a successor, whom thou hast proven, and who knows how to deal with people of every tendency, 'and lay thy hand upon him.'" This laying on of hands wasn’t just a symbolic gesture. It was about transferring authority, empowering Joshua to lead.
But here’s a crucial detail: God tells Moses to give Joshua "an opportunity, while thou art still alive, to speak in public and to pronounce the law, so that Israel may not after thy death contemptuously say of thy successor, 'As long as his teacher was alive, he dared not pronounce judgement, and now he wishes to do so!'" In other words, Moses needs to actively prepare Joshua, give him a platform, and allow him to find his own voice before the full weight of leadership falls upon him.
Even though Joshua wasn't a member of Moses’ family, God still honors the principle that "no inheritance shall remove from one tribe to another tribe." How does that work? Well, the text tells us that Joshua "shall stand even before Eleazar the priest, thy brother's son, who shall ask counsel for him according to the judgement of the Urim." The Urim were oracular objects used by the priests to discern God's will. So, while Joshua takes on the mantle of leadership, the priestly line maintains a role in guiding and advising him.
What can we take away from this story? It's a nuanced picture of leadership transition. It's not just about power, but about service, mentorship, and respecting tradition while embracing change. It acknowledges the importance of both competence and character, and it reminds us that true leaders aren't just born; they are cultivated, mentored, and given the opportunity to grow. And perhaps most importantly, it reminds us that even the greatest leaders, like Moses, need to make way for the next generation. What kind of leaders are we preparing for tomorrow?