For a while succession planning was all the rage in the corporate world. Companies often asked their current leadership to identify and target current employees as their successors. Even more important was replacement planning for the CEO. The selected candidate would follow the current CEO around, sometimes for years, to get ready to take over.

Imagine a replacement planning that took forty years. It’s inconceivable in our day, but it’s exactly how long Joshua was in training to take over for Moses. Joshua was with Moses on Mount Sinai right after the covenant was sealed (Exodus 24:13). A year later he was one of the twelve spies sent out to see how to attack the inhabitants of the Promised Land. Of the twelve only he and Caleb had the faith to say it could be done (Numbers 14:6-9). Thirty nine years later he was chosen by God to take over from Moses and lead Israel into the Promised Land (Numbers 27:15-23).

Joshua was also a foreshadowing of Jesus. Numbers 27:17 noted Joshua would be the shepherd for Israel. Jesus is our Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). No corporate succession comes close to the planning God did for Joshua to lead Israel. And that doesn’t touch his planning needed to prepare Jesus to lead us into heaven.