Title: Wisdom Leadership / Joshua 17:14~18
Contents Wisdom Leadership / Joshua 17:14~18
Key Verse: “Joshua said to them, “If the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you, because you are becoming a great nation, go up to the forests of the land of the Phelishites and the Rephaimites, and work for yourself” (verse 15).
Word: Among mammals, there is an animal called a lemming that is smaller than a mouse. Lemmings go east when the leader goes east and follow west when the leader goes west. It is a lemming's habit to follow the leader when he drowns.
A leader who has to make the right choice in a situation of “difficulty” can either save or kill the group he belongs to. The content of this text is the scene where the descendants of Joseph, who received the inheritance in the land of Canaan, west of the Jordan, demanded more from Joshua.
They were dissatisfied with the fact that Levi was excluded from corporate distribution and that their tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh were recognized as the two tribes of Israel, but a lot was drawn for one share in the distribution of the inheritance, and they demanded more from Joshua (verse 14). Joshua wisely solved the problem. What kind of leadership did he display as a leader?
First, Joshua displayed faithfulness and fair leadership (verse 15). Considering that Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim (Numbers 13:8), it is possible that Joshua took measures to allow his tribe to claim more land.
However, Joshua acted in accordance with the cause of building the kingdom of God rather than being bound by blood and ties, and worked for the good of the entire Israeli community rather than satisfying the selfish desires of one tribe. I hope that God's justice will be realized through faithfulness and fairness rather than being bound by blood and ties.
Second, in response to the demands of the descendants of Joseph, Joshua recommended that the unexplored land be cleared by himself (verse 15). Instead of blaming only their environment and circumstances, they should overcome difficulties on their own and explore an unknown world. 586 B.C.E. Southern Judah was destroyed by Babylon. After that, after 70 years of captivity, the captives were returned to the destroyed city of Jerusalem through Cyrus, king of Persia, three times.
The Jews who returned to the city of Jerusalem worked with one hand to rebuild the destroyed temple and walls, and held the weapon with the other (Nehemiah 4:16-17). A barren frontier The city of Jerusalem, in spite of the Samaritan sabotage, they began to pioneer and cultivate the barren frontier. In the end, it did not yield to the great Arab gap, but rather developed into a powerful power that even led to victory in the Six-Day War.
At the very least, the saints must overcome tribulation and trials and pioneer themselves, and leaders must set the direction and guide them so that they can do so. A leader's wise leadership can ultimately accomplish God's work.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to be a leader that combines faithfulness and fairness. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Lord's Prayer