Exodus 24:13(NKJV) 13So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.
In our discussion of spiritual accountability we have come to some important conclusions. If we are going to be in authority we must first be under authority. Many of the leaders that we have seen fall in the church over the last 20 or so years could have been saved if they had been in accountability relationships. When I say this, it must be understood that if you will not submit to those you claim accountability to, you are not really accountable.
We have also seen that authority in the body of Christ cannot be exerted over those under it. Authority in the church must be submitted to by those who are following. The way this is encouraged is by servant leadership. We do not lead for our own benefit but for the benefit of those we lead. Leaders in the body of Christ are leaders in servant hood above all else.
Finally we have discovered that the most common and best earthly example of servant leadership is the family. The father and mother in a home lead so that their children can be nurtured, protected and brought full productive adulthood. Any parent who is a real parent would lay down his or her life for this.
In the church, we certainly treat our physical children this way. However, I believe that we also need to understand that we have spiritual children as well. Those younger in the lord than we are should be our collective spiritual children. Every level of leadership should understand that the family model should be seen throughout the leadership structure of the Church. The 5 fold ministry from Ephesians 4:11 exists to release the rest of the church into their place in the body. We are all fathers and mothers of someone.
Let us examine a scriptural relationship that highlights how this works. We will look today at an Old Testament example. Tomorrow we will see this at work in the New Testament. First, look at the relationship between Moses and Joshua.
Joshua is a young man at the beginning of the exodus. We first see him in the Exodus 17, some time after the incident at the Red Sea. Moses picks him to lead a battle with the Amalekites. In the 13th verse it says that Joshua won a great victory, however he only won it because Moses, aided by Aaron and Hur, was able hold his hands up throughout the battle. Joshua won, but we see it was only because of Moses’ anointing. In this we see how Joshua’s accountability and Moses authority worked together to win a victory for Israel.
It seems to me that Moses would not have picked Joshua to lead the attack on the Amalekites if he had not seen something in this young man. In today’s scripture he is called Moses’ assistant or minister. The Hebrew word here means “menial servant or worshipper.”
The picture here is not of someone who is in a position of authority with Moses. It is rather of someone who is a personal assistant to Moses. He takes care of Moses personal needs and stays with him, learning and observing what Moses does and how he leads Israel.
We know that when Moses goes up Mount Sinai to receive the commandments from the Lord, Joshua is halfway up the mountain waiting for Moses. Moses was there 40 days and nights, sustained by the presence of God. Joshua was not in God’s presence, however he stayed just as long as Moses. When they were on the way down the mountain we see an incident of how Moses trained Joshua.
Exodus 32:17-18(NKJV) 17And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18But he said: “It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, But the sound of singing I hear.”
Joshua had experience as a warrior. He heard the noise coming from the Israelite camp through his experience. In his relationship to Moses he was being prepared for a larger role. He would always be a warrior, but Moses is instructing him in the art of leading the people. That will be his role in the future.
As the story of Joshua and Moses unfolds we can see the servant accountability relationship of a spiritual father and son being played out. Joshua submits himself to Moses as a servant. He does not get the kind of position one might expect from his victory in Exodus 17. Instead he is called to Moses side with no real authority. He does, however, partake of Moses experience. He walks in relationship with him for many years, learning his heart as he submits to his leadership.
He observes Moses as he continually serves his people, giving his time and energy for them even when they rebel against him. He see’s Moses, who God calls the “meekest man on the earth” handle the rebellion of his own brother and sister as well as many others. Finally he is sent out as one of the spies to the promised land. We can see how the influence of Moses life affects Joshua by his response to what he sees. He is one of only two who know that the promise of God is true no matter what. The final act between them is when Moses lays his hands upon Joshua to anoint him to take his own place as leader of the people. (Deut. 34:9)
In this we can see the father son accountability relationship at work. Joshua becomes one of the great stories of the bible. Unlike most of the great characters in the history of Israel we do not see a major flaw in Joshua. He makes some mistakes, but there is no major sin like we see in David. We do not see any major character issues that cause him to fall. He is much like Moses in that respect.
I believe we need to see this kind of relationship in the church today. Whatever your place in the body, you need to look for spiritual sons or daughters that you can impart to. You need to ask God to knit you to spiritual fathers and mothers who can help you grow. In this context we do not have to be afraid of accountability. It can work as it was intended to work. It can produce a generation that will go farther than the church has ever gone because we can build upon what others have done instead of starting new every generation.
Tomorrow we will look at one of the greatest men in the New Testament that you may never have considered.
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