ICS Daily devotions
The Chosen Ones

Exodus 17:10-13 (NKJV) So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Moses was chosen to lead the people of Israel. God had given Aaron, Hur, Joshua and the people to support Moses as he carried out the instructions of God. Two months after the Israelites left Egypt, they had one common enemy who were the Amalekites. They had to work together as a team to fight them off. Every one of them had a role to play.
Joshua was tasked by Moses to lead the army in the attack against the Amalekites. He had to be willing to take the lead and be in the frontline to confront the Amalekites. He must have shown certain talents and giftings in order to be asked to lead the army. Joshua trusted Moses’ instruction. He trusted that Moses had heard from the Lord to attack and had the bigger picture in mind. He could have refused to take the lead and demanded that Moses lead them into battle since God has chosen him to be the leader of the people. Who would want to be at the frontline when it had the highest chance of dying in the battlefield? God knew Joshua had the right attitude. Therefore, what we are able to learn from Joshua is to submit to the instruction of our leader despite the fact that it might seem as though we are being exploited. We might not have the full picture of what the leader is facing and the instructions that he/she has received. Sometimes, it is an experience that the Lord wants us to have before taking a position of significance in the future. It could be a test of our character from God. If Joshua had not accepted the role of leading the people, then they would not have had the chance to see him in action or prove to them his leadership ability. Joshua didn’t refuse to take responsibility and therefore, it was much easier in the latter part of history for him to lead a new generation into the Promised Land. The army had to trust his leadership. He wasn’t in a rush for the top leadership position. Joshua was known to be an assistant to Moses. He was very faithful in his role and was a great blessing to Moses. He had the chance to observe how Moses led the people of Israel and how Moses walked with God. Joshua might have known that He had the gifting and calling but he took time to learn and observe Moses’ life. We all have a role to play. There are no insignificant roles in the eyes of God because every person is playing a critical role for the moment.

Sermon Series: Life Lessons