Transitions: Transitions for Leaders and Followers

Last week we went behind the scenes of a mess of a family–Jacob and his two wives, Leah and Rachel. We saw that when we worship God even in our messes, He will meet us there. When we feel like we are at the end of our rope, He can take our messes and create a masterpiece. This week, we’ll look at the transitions followers go through when there is a change in leadership, using the nation of Israel as our example. You can consult many resources for what makes for a godly leader. There are not as many that help followers honor God during leadership transitions. Meeting the challenges inherent in such transitions can bring us closer to God and His purposes–whether we are in the role of the leader or the follower. 

How to Use This Guide 

Thank you for taking the time to do this Bible study. When we dig deeper into God’s word, He promises to bless us. We follow in the footsteps of King David, who wrote in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

This guide will provide a weekly framework for spiritual conversations with friends or family. We encourage you to reach out to a friend or two, pick a time to get together each week, and work through this guide together. This Bible study can also be a good tool for families, perhaps coordinated with mealtimes.

What does the Bible say?

Before Moses came on the scene, the Israelites did not have a human leader. They originally came to Egypt because of a famine in the land of Canaan. At that point, the family was comprised of Jacob (who was renamed Israel by God) and eleven of his sons. His favorite son, Joseph, had been sold into slavery by his brothers, and Jacob believed him to be dead. Jacob and Joseph’s brothers would be surprised by a reunion with Joseph in Egypt as they realized God had protected them and meant to keep them alive during famine through their hated brother. Read Joseph’s story in Genesis 39-50.

The family then settled in Egypt and grew in numbers. They grew so fast and became formidable enough that the Egyptians were intimidated and fearful of them. They enslaved the Israelites and treated them harshly. Pharoah even charged the midwives with killing all the sons of the Israelite women to keep their numbers down. But, God noticed the plight of His people and sent them a leader–Moses. Moses’ origin story can be found in Exodus 1-3.

God had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would give them the land of Canaan as their inheritance, and through them, He was going to bless the entire world. This promise undergirded the grit and perseverance of the people. God listened to their cry as they were mistreated and enslaved by the Egyptians. He called Moses from the burning bush and named him the one who would lead His people out of bondage and into their Promised Land. God then did miraculous signs through Moses and sent many plagues. God performed His greatest miracle by parting the Red Sea as Israel exited Egypt. The people, over a million of them, crossed over on dry land. See Exodus 4-15:1-21.

The people had to go through the desert to get to Canaan, the land God promised was theirs. God went with them, guiding them by a pillar of fire at night and with a cloud by day. Moses was their main leader throughout this time. He presented the ten commandments to them, written by the finger of God. But, as the people waited for Moses to come down off of Mt. Sinai, they pressured Moses’ brother, Aaron, to make them a god to worship. Out of their offerings, a golden calf was created. When Moses heard and saw the people worshiping the calf, Moses was so angry that he threw the rock with the commandments on the ground and destroyed the tablets. As they traveled through the wilderness, there were many times that the people floundered in unbelief. They even wished to go back to their slavery in Egypt! They complained and grumbled about God's manna for them and resented Moses. Moses had a hard time putting up with them, so much so that he misrepresented God to them as he struck the rock for water. This mistake meant that Moses was not qualified to take Israel into the Promised Land. This job would fall to his successor, Joshua. Not only this, but when Israel balked at entering and taking the land God promised them, God led them back out into the desert, and they wandered for forty years. Only two survived this time, Joshua and Caleb. Joshua would lead the next generation of Israelites to take and conquer their land. 

It’s easy for us to observe how Israel acted toward God and Moses and judge them for it. After all that God had done for them, how could they stray and complain and harden their hearts? Why would they question God? Why were they afraid? Why didn’t they believe Him? Indeed. If we are honest, we recognize ourselves in this story. Even though most of us haven’t had to cross a desert on foot, we know how susceptible we are to complaining, grumbling, unbelief, and hard hearts. It’s humbling to realize we are frail human beings and no better than the children of Israel. This is when we should repent, turn back to God, and depend upon Him. Even though Israel went through many difficult experiences, God never left them and never stopped loving them. God’s love is steady even when our love for Him is not. 

Read Deuteronomy 31:19-32:1-47

This passage contains the words of a song that God commanded Moses to write. Why did God want Moses to write this song (see Deuteronomy 31:19-29)? Write down the details that would be important to remember from the Song of Moses. Which of these things do you need to memorize? What do you learn about God in this song? What do you learn about yourself? Are there any songs that you sing to remind you of who God is and what He has done? What truths are in your favorite songs? What is Moses’ desire for Israel in Deuteronomy 32:44:-47? How can you apply verse 47 to yourself and your family?

Upon entering the Promised Land, Israel had to transfer their allegiance to Joshua, Moses’ successor. Joshua had been Moses’ assistant since his youth (Numbers 11:28), so he had experienced the mountain top and the valleys of Israel under Moses’ leadership. But, he and Moses were very different men. Moses grew up in Pharoah’s home in Egypt. This would have provided him with the finest education of the times. It would fall to Moses to write the first five books of our Bible, which we know as the Pentateuch. These are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It is amazing to think of the intellect of the person who wrote about how the world began. Moses was trained and ready to do this. Joshua, on the other hand, became a skilled battle commander. He was the right person to lead Israel into the land and conquer it. You probably couldn’t find two different leaders than Moses and Joshua. But, the people thrived under both of them. Why? Because they followed the Lord and taught the people to do so as well. God did amazing things in both of their eras.

Many of you who do this Bible study attend Northland Church. It will not be lost on you that Northland has had various leaders over her 50 years. They have loved our church and led us well. Most recently, Dr. Joel C. Hunter led Northland for 32 years. We did not have a succession plan for a new lead pastor when Pastor Hunter left. Vernon Rainwater and Matt Heard filled in the gap, as well as Gus Davies, who has been our interim pastor for the last two years as we have searched for a new lead pastor. Now, Dr. Josh Laxton has been appointed and commissioned to lead us into a new chapter. 

It might be helpful to think of Northland’s journey as a story. Each chapter has had its twists and turns. There have been victories and times when you might have been tempted to say, “the plot thickens!” We are now in a transition where we are receiving a new leader. What an honor to be here during this transition. Even though transitions can be vulnerable times, we can learn what to do and what not to do from Israel. First, it is important to acknowledge our past and respect these men who have given their lives for our church during the time they were with us. It is also important that we remember that God is the true leader of our church and that our human leaders are just that - human. This means they are not perfect. May God help us not to put our leaders on a pedestal and expect from them what only God can give. We can also take our cue from Israel. Their transition into the Promised Land was successful because of the tough times they had endured. Their time in the desert made them mighty warriors who developed physical, emotional, and spiritual stamina to take the land. Those of us who have endured the transitions of leadership at Northland have also learned stamina as we have prayed and trusted God. 

God is not finished with Northland. There is more for us to do in this world for God’s kingdom. We will all need to become physically, emotionally, and spiritually fit for the battles we will face going into the future. We have our own Joshua now in Pastor Josh. May God help us be strong and capable followers of God who rally to the leadership of His appointed leaders. Amen.