Pattern of Discipleship

Numbers 27:12-23 

    12 Now the LORD said to Moses: “Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13 And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. 14 For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)
    15 Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying: 16 “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”
    18 And the LORD said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. 20 And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”
    22 So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

Moses previously went against God’s command (Numbers 20:8, 11-13) and doubted Him so as to lessen the renown of His honor, holiness, and glory.  Now the promised consequence was to come to pass; Moses would soon die before the rest of the people entered the land promised to them.  But before this could happen, a successor of God’s choosing had to be put in place.  Moses asked for what He had already been preparing, one disciples by Moses to take his place and continue leading the people of the LORD.  Moses wanted them to have a shepherd so they did not wander as aimless sheep do without guidance.  God put Joshua before him who was a godly man, and set him in place as a leader by the priests.  God then commanded Moses to give him some of his authority to take on some of the role of Moses as one called alongside on the work.  This is the pattern for discipleship we see repeated with Paul and Timothy (2 Timothy 2:2) to take a willing servant whom God enables and calls to the work in order to teach all things God commands to lead and grow the sheep.  Then the sheep to lead was the nation of Israel, now it is of them and all others called together into the church of the living God.  Moses did this as God commanded, and so should we in similar manner disciple others in the faith, whether they are to lead or simply lead others in Christ.  The pattern then is God’s call, our intentional involvement in another’s life to teach and involve them in following Christ and in His work, and then to pass this on so the sheep are not unled or misled.  This is part of the gospel - the call to make disciples, immerse them into the body of Christ, teach them all things to know and obey (Matthew 28:19-20) by His authority (Matthew 28:18) in His presence as the Shepherd of all under-shepherds to glorify Him among all.  Moses and Joshua were used to initiate the pattern, and now we have the Lord’s clearer command in the inauguration and commission of the gospel.