“When they finished apportioning the land for inheritance by its borders, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance in their midst to Joshua the son of Nun. In accordance with the command of the LORD they gave him the city for which he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. So he built the city and settled in it” (Josh 19:49-50).
In the literary structure of this section of the book, Caleb is the first to receive his inheritance (Josh 14:6-15) and not surprisingly, Israel’s leader Joshua is the last (Josh 19:49-50). Servant leadership is the Bible’s paradigm for all truly great leaders. This principle has also been recognized in secular research as one of the most essential traits of good leaders (see for example, “Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t” by Simon Sinek).
And this was one of my most memorable, and perhaps embarrassing, lessons I had to learn as a soldier serving in the IDF. As a twenty-three year old from America, I had imbibed a fiercely competitive spirit. It was in my nature to always finish first in every race. I was absolutely convinced, therefore, that the best way to impress my commander was to be the first one standing back in formation during our horrifically grueling drills. After consistently finishing first back in formation after what felt like hours of non-stop sprints around a light pole and back, my commander finally said to me, “Postell, you’re proud of yourself for finishing first in my formation, aren’t you? Look back tell me what you see.” When I looked back, I saw the other soldiers in my platoon gasping for air and barely dragging their feet. My commander continued. “Postell, go back and help your buddies. And NEVER FINISH FIRST IN MY FORMATION AGAIN!”
This was the best “sermon” on leadership I have ever heard. As leaders we sometimes become so consumed with the vision of finishing first we fail to look back and see the people whom God has entrusted to our care, gasping for air and dragging their feet. And so our heavenly commander says to us, “Go back and care for the people on your team. And never finish first in my formation again!”
“Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, ‘You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many'” (Mark 10:42-45).
