Recently, I heard someone say that Christian leaders often “appear out of nowhere.” Like a magician waving a wand, repeating the magic word, “abracadabra,” and pulling rabbits out of a hat, God pulls Christian leaders out of the air, magically equips them, and then places them.

The speaker’s point of reference was Joshua and his selection as leader of Israel after its failed attempt to enter the Promised Land – failed in that their deliverance from slavery in Egypt had not ended in their delivery into sonship: they preferred life in the desert of limbo, living neither here nor there.

You know the story. Moses sends twelve leaders over the Jordan River to explore the Promised Land, and then report back on how best to possess it. Ten of the twelve leaders overstep their call and authority: they say “no” to the spoken will of God. They say Israel should not enter the Promised Land because Israel could not possess the Promised Land.

So What Went Wrong?

Ten leaders focused on the little “g” god of self and forgot the big “G” God, Yahweh – God’s promise, God’s presence, God’s power, God’s protection, even God Himself.

But two leaders did not misfocus. And they did not forget. These two remained strong and courageous before enemy armies and in-the-ranks opposition because they stood strong and courageous in the presence of the Personal God of Power, Provision and Protection.

The names of those two leaders were Joshua and Caleb.

And no, Joshua and Caleb did not appear out of nowhere that day, and Moses did not magically pull them out of a hat. The Scriptures make it clear that all of their lives, Joshua and Caleb had been preparing for this day when they would step into leadership.

Consider the story of one of them. Consider the story of Joshua.

The Journey From Slavery to Sonship

Joshua knew what it was to be a slave. He had been born a Jewish slave to parents who were slaves born to slaves for four hundred years in Egypt. Throughout his youth and early adulthood, Joshua knew nothing but slavery: how to be a slave and do what slaves do. He thought like a slave, acted like a slave and believed like a slave. Joshua knew what it was to be a slave: he had been one.

But more important, Joshua also knew what it was to be a slave of Egypt set free.

Even more important, he knew what it was to be a son of Yahweh.

Why?

Joshua knew what it was to be a son of Yahweh because he had been there when Moses appeared as God’s chosen leader of God’s chosen people. He had been there when Moses called on Pharaoh to set God’s people free. He had been there when God rained down plagues of judgment to demonstrate His sovereignty.

Joshua knew what it was to be a son of Yahweh because he had shared in the first Passover. He was there when the angel of death came, but spared the households that smeared the blood of the lamb over their doors. He saw, and he experienced, the deliverance of God.

Joshua knew what it was to be a son of Yahweh because he was witness to the Personal God when He presented Himself to Israel. He was witness to the God of Presence as He set the pillar of fire over and around His people. He was witness to the God of Power as He parted the Red Sea. He was witness to the God of Provision as He provided water and manna every day. He was witness to the God of Protection as He defended His people against enemies.

Joshua knew what it was to be a son of Yahweh because he was there to see God transform a mob of slaves into a covenant community. He was there when God came down in fire on Sinai and called His people to consecrate themselves to Him. He was there when God established His covenant with Israel. He was there when God kept His promise to lead Israel to the Promised Land.

The Journey From Sonship to Leadership

This we all know. But, there is a critical factor in Joshua’s preparation and selection for his leadership role that is too rarely focused on and all too often forgotten: Joshua processed all of these things with a godly and wise mentor – Moses.

Not only did Joshua watch God at work, but he watched Moses at work – not from afar, but at Moses’ side. Day in and day out Joshua processed life and leadership with Moses. He saw Moses’ walk with God, his call, his worship, his questions, his challenges, his solutions, his relationships, his commitment to the mission, his love for God’s people, and his obedience.

Joshua’s journey from slavery to sonship was under the mentorship of Moses.

Joshua’s journey from sonship to leadership was under the mentorship of Moses.

We are not told precisely how their relationship began, but we do know God was in that beginning. A single sentence in Exodus 17.14 gives us a significant clue to their walk together:

“The Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua.”

Overtaken by an enemy army, Israel depends on the God of power and wins a great victory. God tells Moses that he is to record the battle and victory in a book for the nation to possess as their history.

But with Joshua, Moses is to take a second action. In the ears of Joshua, Moses is to recite the story of this battle and how God gave them victory. Moses is to remind Israel of God’s victory, but he is to mentor Joshua in it – the what, how and why of that victory. Moses is to personally mentor or coach Joshua in a “mentorship for leadership.”

Witnessing the Personal God of Presence, Power and Protection was the seed of Joshua’s great confidence in God. And it was this mentoring relationship that watered that seed of Joshua’s great confidence in God, convincing Joshua that he was well able to lead God’s people.

A “Mentorship for Leadership” Relationship

This “mentorship for leadership” relationship is confirmed in Exodus 24.13:

“So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.”     

While the people of God and their leaders waited at the foot of the mountain, Joshua ascended with Moses to meet with God. And as the people of God sat staring into each other’s faces, Joshua sees the glory of the presence of God shining in the face of His servant Moses. Not only does Joshua never forget that glory, but he begins to seek it for himsel

As we see in Exodus 33.10-12 where we receive further insight into the “mentorship for leadership” relationship between Moses and Joshua:

“Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting.… Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.”

Whenever Moses went to the tent of meeting, God would descend and speak with Moses fact to face. The people would stand at their own tent door and worship. All except Joshua, for he was with Moses in the presence of God. And even more, when Moses left the tent of meeting to return to his own tent, Joshua stayed, unwilling to leave the presence of God.

Because of Joshua’s unique proximity to Moses, Joshua was there to observe and talk with Moses, to listen to and learn from Moses. Theirs was a relationship reminiscent of the one shared between Jesus and The Twelve during Jesus’ life and ministry on earth.

Joshua was so close to Moses that when the time came to choose a new leader for the nation, Joshua was the natural choice. God took the authority He had rested on Moses and now sets it on Joshua. And the people saw it. Seeing Joshua as the heir apparent to Moses was not a great stretch for Israel: the people had long seen the “mentorship for leadership” relationship between Moses and Joshua, and so, it was natural that they saw Joshua as the natural successor to Moses.

Joshua 1 gives us insight into the mind of God and the “mentorship for leadership” relationship He forged between Moses and Joshua. It was a relationship so foundational to Joshua’s development as Israel’s leader that God calls upon it even after the death of Moses.

God gives the Book of the Law to the nation as a whole, but He commands just one, Joshua, to meditate on it day and night, that he might be careful to do all that was written in it. God tells Joshua, as the Word of God was rich in Moses, the Word of God was to be rich in Joshua.

The Bible makes it clear that when Joshua stepped in to lead Israel, he was ready – He had personal experience with God – and he had personal experience with Moses, the man of God who had led the people of God to that point. Joshua had learned his lessons well

Final Thought

So the next time you hear someone say a leader appeared out of nowhere, that God “magically” pulled him or her out of a hat, think again. And when you do, think of Joshua – or Caleb, Elijah, Paul, Timothy, Titus, Epaphras, Apollo, Peter, James, John, Andrew, Thomas, and, you get the picture.

To be sure, in the womb, God forms individuals with leadership qualities (Jeremiah 1.5). But those qualities require the hand of an experienced guide in a “mentorship for leadership” relationship if they are to fully form as God intends.

In his classic book, “They Smell Like Sheep,” Dr. Lynn Anderson says it this way:

“God has written the mentor concept into human nature and that is why the concept is written into the Bible.”

The next time you have opportunity to talk with a thriving Christian leader, ask him about his journey. Ask about her first encounter with God; his deliverance from the slavery of sin; her journey with the God of presence, power, provision and protection; the Jordan Rivers he had to cross in order to live and lead at the level where he is today. And be sure to ask about the Moses who has been a part of her journey.

They will tell you that, while leadership is a calling, it is not magic: God does not wave a wand and instantly make us competent leaders. God’s calling to leadership includes the process of growth – growing in knowledge, wisdom, and anointing. That calling includes a godly and wise mentor in your life.

So put down your top hat and magic wand. Stop repeating the abracadabra formulas of leadership books and find a Moses, someone who will walk with you as you learn what it really is to lead.