The time had come for Moshe (Moses) to face the reality that his days of leadership were numbered. He would not be leading the people he knew and loved so well into the promised land. He knew someone would be required to replace him. But who would be his successor, one of his sons’ maybe? After all, who knew Moshe like his own sons? They would seem to be the most likely candidate in man’s eyes. I’m sure that must have been Moshe’s first thought. They did see how Moshe dealt with matters of the law, how he dealt with different personality types and what should and shouldn’t be done. But from YHVH’S point of view, none of them were the best man for the job. It seems odd that as great a man as Moshe was, that you seldom, if ever, find mention of his sons doing anything of great importance in the scriptures.

So just being the son of Moshe seems to not cut any slack with YHVH. He looks at other aspects. So who does YHVH choose, Joshua. What did Joshua have going for him that Moshe’s sons didn’t? He served Moshe his teacher wholeheartedly! He did ever little task he could find to do. He arranged all the seating for the students each time Moshe taught. If anything was needed by “any student” or by “Moshe”, Joshua was there. Not because anyone asked him to, but because he had a burning desire to do so. He wasn’t even being paid a salary from the church payroll to do so, imagine that! He wasn’t looking for “rewards.” However, the work developed within him the quality for leading a nation. He also had a passion to learn. Moshe’s successor had to be able to do more than just be able to lead the people in battle and decide matters of law.

He had to be a “teacher” of the people. So YHVH responded that Joshua merited the position as a result of his service and stewardship. Torah is not like inheriting other positions in life. One becomes a leader in Torah by working for it with toil and commitment! That position can’t be inherited as we see in the case with Moshe’s sons. If so, they would have been in the driver’s seat. Instead, they had to take a “back seat” to Joshua. Which seat do you want to be in?