Deuteronomy 3:28 But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.
Most of us envision a leader as someone who is leading the charge, someone who is guiding the way, someone who is out and in front. But, the truest test of a leader is when a leader is not out in front at all, but when he is gone. That is something you see in the story of Moses in Deuteronomy 3.
Moses is addressing a people who are about to enter the land of Canaan. He had been leading them for many years. He had led them out of Egypt. God had used him to provide that leadership. And now Moses is about to die.
Moses asks God to let him go over and see the land beyond Jordan, and God said, “No.” God said, “Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.” God said, “You can go up on the mountain. I want you to go and look at the land that my people will inherit, but you yourself will not go there.”
This is a pretty good illustration of vision. Vision is seeing the land from afar. The kind of leader that people need is someone who can see the land from afar, seeing the land that others will inherit. Verse 28 says, “But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.” So they would inherit it, but Moses would see it. Vision is seeing the land from afar, but leadership is equipping others to inherit that land after you are gone.
That is where Joshua came in. Moses didn’t lead Israel into Canaan, but he guided Joshua who in turn led Israel into Canaan. God said, “Look, you’ve got this young man Joshua. Encourage and strengthen him.” That is exactly what Moses did.
None of us knows how much time we will have. So, there are two things that are necessary today in order for those who come behind us to be where they should be tomorrow. One is to have vision and the other is to give leadership. Vision is seeing the land from afar. Leadership is equipping other people to inherit it after you are gone.