Transitioning Well

Numbers 24-27; 1 Corinthians 13 

“Moses said to the Lord, ‘May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.’ So the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take Joshua, son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him…commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority…’”

Numbers 27:15-20

It was Moses who asked the Lord to appoint a man to replace himself. Moses understood that all people have a living spirit that comes from God and will return to God. We belong to the Lord, whether we worship God or not. Moses asked God for his replacement to have the heart of a shepherd. God made sure Moses’ replacement was someone “in whom is the Spirit” (Numbers 27:18), not just a spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who can lead through us, and give us the heart of the Shepherd. Moses laid his hand on Joshua and commissioned him with authority to lead. This transition honored God and gave the people confidence in God’s selection of Joshua to replace Moses. This was a leadership transition that was clear, God-honoring, and effective.

What can we learn for our own leadership transitions?

“Lord God, thank you for this example of releasing positional authority and transitioning well, for your glory.”