Joshua Leadership

A biblical formation for leadership through obedience

Joshua chapter 1. Leadership installed by God

Joshua chapter 1 opens with a clear shift in Israel’s history. Joshua is installed as the leader after Moses. This was not a self-appointed role. It was a God-initiated transition. Before Joshua did anything, God spoke to him. Not a strategy. Not plans. But presence.

Joshua 1:5  “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

This is more than reassurance. It is a covenant of presence. It echoes Emmanuel – God with us. Before Joshua leads people, God establishes His presence with him.

Strength and courage. Repeated because leadership is costly

God tells Joshua three times to be strong and courageous in Joshua 1:6, 7, and 9.

This repetition matters. Joshua had moved from being Moses’ aide to being the leader of an entire nation. People would question his legitimacy. They would compare him to Moses. They would test his authority.

God knew this. That is why the encouragement is repeated and intensified.

In verse 7, God says, “Be strong and very courageous.” Immediately, this encouragement is followed by instruction. Joshua was commanded to obey the law given through Moses without compromise. This was not optional. It was the foundation of his leadership.

Joshua was not only leading people to the land. He was leading them into obedience.

Obedience before leadership

God makes the order clear. Joshua must obey God first, then lead the people to obey the same God.

A leader who does not obey God is no different from a worldly leader. They lead from their own understanding. But a leader governed by God becomes effective because they are led before they lead.

This is the only flow for lasting leadership. Connection to God first. Impact flows from that connection.

Romans 8:6  “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Joshua had to set his mind on God. Obedience anchored his leadership. His life became a witness that God’s wisdom surpasses human wisdom.

Abiding produces fruit in leadership

This principle aligns with Jesus’ teaching in John 15.

John 15:4–5  “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches.”

Leadership without abiding produces activity without fruit. Leadership that abides produces lasting impact.

God ensured that the leader of Israel carried His heart.

Not ambition.

Not fear.

Not control.

Encouragement becomes a command

Joshua 1:7–8 shows a clear pattern. Encouragement comes first, followed by instruction, and then a promise. God promises prosperity and success, but never apart from obedience.

Then in Joshua 1:9, God repeats the encouragement. This time, it is framed as a command.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua had to obey even the encouragement. Courage was not optional. Fear was not permitted.

Confirmation through the people

God did not stop with speaking directly to Joshua. In Joshua 1:17–18, the officials of Israel echo the same words.

“Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. Only be strong and courageous.”

This is divine confirmation. God speaks encouragement directly, then reinforces it through people.

Joshua. A leader formed by observation and obedience

Joshua was not new to God. He had watched Moses. He followed him closely. He stayed near the mountain when Moses went up. Joshua learnt obedience before he ever led.

Now it was his time. But because he had never carried that role before, God strengthened him repeatedly.

The people Joshua led still carried the mindset of Egypt. They needed visible proof. They were accustomed to seeing before believing. Leadership in such spaces requires divine backing.

Leadership and human qualification

This speaks powerfully to leadership today. Many leaders face people who demand proof before trust. They ask for qualifications, experience, and portfolios.

Sometimes leaders are less qualified on paper than the people they lead. But leadership is not first about qualification. It is about calling.

Not everyone with qualifications can lead. And not every leader has formal qualifications. God chooses leaders based on purpose, not human criteria.

Among Israel, there were experienced warriors, capable men, and seasoned individuals. Yet God chose Joshua. Not because he met human standards, but because he fit God’s purpose.

Obedience is the core of leadership

God emphasised obedience at the very beginning of Joshua’s leadership. That was not accidental.

The call for every leader God appoints is this.

• Relationship with God

• Obedience to God

• Abiding in Christ

• Christ abiding in the leader

This produces lasting fruit.

A leader who leads without God is dangerous. They lead towards destruction.

A leader who leads without God is dangerous. They lead towards destruction.

1 Corinthians 3:19–20  “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.”

Even Solomon understood this. In 1 Kings 3, Solomon asked God for wisdom to lead. God was pleased and granted it. But Solomon later failed to fully obey God. That disobedience led to decline and ultimately to the breakdown of leadership in Israel. Obedience is not optional. It sustains leadership.

What true leadership is

True leadership is obedience to God. 

• It is servant-hearted and kingly

• It is loving God and loving people. Where love exists, endurance becomes possible.

• True leadership leads by example.

• It invites wholehearted following.

What true leadership is not

• True leadership is not control. 

• It is not a dictatorship. 

• It is not domination. Where control exists, freedom disappears. 2 Corinthians 3:17  “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

• True leadership is not perfection. It is a responsibility. David failed, but when confronted, he took responsibility. What matters is how a leader responds when they realise they are wrong.

• True leadership is not isolation. It is a delegation. Moses learnt this in Exodus 18. Jesus modelled this with the twelve. Delegation prevents burnout and multiplies impact.

  
  

Final grounding truth

Joshua’s leadership shows us that leadership is not about who you are spiritually. It is about who you listen to consistently.

Joshua obeyed God. Through that obedience, he led people into promise.

That is leadership.