What Are The Hallmarks of A Great Leader?

Joshua, son of Nun, and all the people were camped at Acacia. Joshua sent out two spies. No one knew that Joshua sent out these men. Joshua said to them, “Go and look at the land, especially the city of Jericho.”

So the men went to the city of Jericho and stayed at the house of a prostitute named Rahab.

(Joshua 2:1 ERV)

When Joshua was leading the Children of Israel into the promised land, the first city they had to conquer was Jericho. Joshua, the new leader decided to send out two spies to go and assess the land, to see how best they could capture the city.

Joshua did not broadcast the news to the people that he was sending out the spies. No one knew that he had sent out these men. From this story we can learn several hallmarks about a great leader:

1. A Great Leader Knows When to Speak

There is a time and a season for everything, including a time to speak and a time to be silent (Ecclesiastes 3:7). When an injustice is taking place a great leader knows that they must speak to defend the poor and the needy:

Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Help people who are in trouble. Stand up for what you know is right, and judge all people fairly. Protect the rights of the poor and those who need help.

(Proverbs 31:8-9 ERV)

2. A Great Leader Knows When Not to Speak

A great leader knows that there is a time to be silent. This is especially true when your enemies are mocking you, you don’t always have to defend yourself; a great leader will leave it to God to defend them.

When the Assyrians invaded Judah and Senneacherib king of Assyria sent his commander to go and talk to the three officials from Jerusalem, the commander was mocking the God of Israel and told the people of Judah not to believe Hezekiah when he said that God would deliver them.

But King Hezekiah instructed his officials and the people to be silent and not to say anything, instead they took their troubles to the Lord:

But the people were silent. They did not say a word to the commander, because King Hezekiah had commanded them, “Don’t say anything to him.”

Isaiah 36:21 (ERV)

3. A Great Leader Knows That You Have to Study

A great leader knows that even though God may give you an assignment, you don’t just jump into it straightaway. Like Joshua and Moses before him, you have to spy out the land, or in our modern day parlance, carry out a thorough research. Research will ensure that you know what you are going into so that you can be better prepared to carry out whatever assignment is ahead of you. God tells us to study to increase our skill:

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth

(2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)

So What Are the Hallmarks of a Great Leader?

1. A great leader knows when to speak.
2. A great leader knows when not to speak.
3. A great leader knows that you have to study.

There are other hallmarks of a great leader so watch out for Part 2 as we continue our study in the Book of Joshua.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, please help me to be a great leader. Help me to know when to speak and when to be silent. Please help me to know when to study and when to act in Jesus name, amen.

Listen to Message

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBGqB6a8iSU

Do you know God’s purpose for your life? If not, please download your free book: How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

What does every new leader need to know?

What does a new leader who has been commissioned by God to become the leader of a new nation need to know after the death of its great leader?

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5 NKJV)

Joshua was commissioned by God to take over the leadership of Israel after the death of Moses, Israel’s first great leader. To understand the impact that Moses had made, please take a look at how the Bible describes him:

“Israel never had another prophet like Moses: The Lord knew Moses face to face. The Lord sent Moses to do powerful miracles in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh, all his officers, and all the people in Egypt saw those miracles. No other prophet ever did as many powerful and amazing things as Moses did for the Israelites to see. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12 ERV)

The Lord knew that Joshua had every reason to be intimidated by his new position as a leader following the death of Moses, therefore the Lord gave him an assurance which He is still giving leaders today who have assumed new positions of leadership, whether at Church, in business, in your career, or at home etc.

The Lord wants all new leaders to know the following:

1. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.

The Lord knew that men would try to rise up against Joshua as the new leader, to stop him from doing what God has called him to do, therefore He reassured him that no man will be able to stand against him.

Every new leader also needs to know that, when God calls you, there will be the naysayers also known as ‘Sanballat’ and ‘Tobiah’ (Nehemiah 2:19) – who will try to stop you, however just remember that the same God who has called and commissioned you will not allow any man to stop you from what He has called you to do:

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6)

2. As God was with Moses, so He will be with you.

As we can see from the above scripture, Moses was so intimate with God that the Lord knew him face to face. The Lord used him to perform many powerful miracles in Egypt, and the Lord used him to deliver the children of Israel from their slavery in Egypt. That same God also reassured Joshua that He will be with him just like He was with Moses. He did not want Joshua to be intimidated or to think that he had to do the same things that Moses did.

That same God is telling you and I that He will also be with us. Whether He has called you to lead in a ministry, at work, in your business, youth group, in your home etc. that same God who was with Moses is telling you that He will be with you.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

3. God will not leave you.

The Lord told Joshua that He will not leave him and He is assuring you of this same fact that He will not leave you. Even though God may not be physically here on earth for you to see Him, Jesus told us when He rose again that He was going to be with the Father, but He will not leave us comfortless. He said that He will send His Holy Spirit to be with us and to comfort us:

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:16-18)

4. God will not forsake you.

God told Joshua that He will not forsake or fail him. To forsake or to fail is to neglect or let someone down. As human beings we sometimes let each other down when we are not able to do what the other person expect of us, however God told Joshua that unlike human beings who fail and forsake you, He will do what He promised He will do.

Likewise, God is telling each of us that He will not forsake or fail us. What He said He will do, He will do:

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19)

So, what does every new leader need to know?

1. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.
2. As God was with Moses, so He will be with you.
3. God will not leave you.
4. God will not forsake you.

You can also listen to this message on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKaoYOpNkuw

Do you know God’s purpose for your life? If not, please download your free book: How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

God bless,

Blessing