One Verse that Explains Why Joshua Was a Great Leader

Joshua 4:14
That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.

Good News Translation
What the LORD did that day made the people of Israel consider Joshua a great man. They honored him all his life, just as they had honored Moses.

Amplified Bible
On that day the LORD magnified and exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; so they feared him [with profound awe and reverence], just as they had feared Moses all the days of his life.

New Living Translation
That day the LORD made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.

Great leaders are unforgettable. Great leaders leave marks on better lives. Great leaders are celebrated. Great leaders find peace and satisfaction in their work. But how does one become a great leader?

Lots of wealth doesn’t make one a great leader. To own properties is not the secret of a great leader. High pay doesn’t make one a great leader. Running businesses all over the place is not the secret of leadership. What is the one common thing with all great leaders?

The common thing with all great leaders is not being educated. The higher the academic qualifications are not equivalent to better leadership skills. Leaders have performed differently though they had the same qualifications. Leaders with many qualifications did not necessarily perform any better. Therefore, what is it with great leaders?

Our text today in just one verse tells it all. Joshua had started leadership after Moses died. Comparison with Moses didn’t leave him looking good. He was assessing himself and the people were assessing him. Would he perform well?

God knew that a leader with poor self-rating is a failure before he fails. God knew that a leader without a high rating from those he leads will strain from frustration to frustration. It is foolhardy to ignore how a leader is rated by those he or she leads.

God fixed the problem by making Joshua great in people’s sight. God made Joshua be loved. God made Joshua famous. God made Joshua be liked. God raised Joshua’s rating in his own eyes and most importantly in the eyes of the Israelites.

The Bible tells us that the high rating was not short-lived. It was for a lifetime. I can imagine enemies of Joshua dismissing the high rating as short-lived. I can imagine them sounding educated, informed, and in control. They waited but the rating never went down. The rating based on human machinations is short-lived. But rating engineered by God is unfathomable.

If ratings by those we lead didn’t matter, the Bible wouldn’t record it. If ratings by those we lead didn’t matter, God wouldn’t do it for Joshua. If ratings by those we lead didn’t matter, God wouldn’t do it for a lifetime for Joshua. Not just ratings by your sycophants but by everyone. If you are a leader, what is your overall rating?

May God fix our leadership and fix our ratings by all and sundry, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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