TAKING ON THE TO-DO LIST

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” —Deuteronomy 31:7, 8

The poignancy of Moses’ last words, witnessed by all the people of Israel, was made more urgent by the task being entrusted to Joshua.

And like so many of our roles in life, Joshua’s task was not one but multiple responsibilities to different people or groups with different expectations and demands.

Not only was he to take over from Moses as leader of the people, but it would be his task to lead them in conquering the new land, increasing the difficulty of this already difficult leadership task. Then, it would be Joshua’s role to divide up the land “as their inheritance,” meaning that the division of the land would set up the new nation for generations.

This would inevitably be a thankless undertaking with much potential for conflict and resentment. In all of this, Joshua was charged with fulfilling the promises received and carried by the people from centuries earlier, adding a weight of history and destiny to his burdens.

There seemed to be so many ways in which Joshua could fail, so many reasons for him to undertake such a role with reluctance and fear.

But Moses’ command to lead with strength and courage came with the weight of Moses’ own leadership experience. He could testify to the difference that the presence and prescience of God make to such a weighty role. So, his words were a gift to Joshua, offering the ultimate qualification for taking on such a complicated and contested list of assignments.