(a) State the instructions God gave to Joshua on Joshua's assumption of leadership over Israel. (b) Briefly explain the various lessons political leaders ca...

(a) The instructions God gave to Joshua on his assumption of leadership over Israel (Joshua 1:1-9).

After the death of Moses, God spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, and charged him with the following instructions:

1. God told him that Moses His servant was dead and that Joshua should now arise and cross over the Jordan, he and all the people, into the land which God was giving to the children of Israel.
2. God assured him that every place the sole of his foot would tread upon had been given to them, as He had promised Moses.
3. He defined the boundaries of the land: from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun.
4. God promised that no man would be able to stand before Joshua all the days of his life, and that as He was with Moses, so He would be with him; He would not fail him nor forsake him.
5. He commanded him to be strong and of good courage, for he would divide the land among the people as an inheritance.
6. He charged him to observe carefully to do according to all the law which Moses commanded him, not turning from it to the right hand or to the left, that he might prosper wherever he went.
7. He told him that the Book of the Law should not depart from his mouth, but that he should meditate on it day and night, so as to do all that was written in it, for then he would make his way prosperous and have good success.
8. God repeated the charge to be strong and of good courage, and not to be afraid nor dismayed, for the Lord his God was with him wherever he went.

(b) Lessons political leaders can learn from Joshua's experience.

1. Leadership is a divine appointment and a call to service. Joshua rose to lead because God appointed him; leaders should therefore see their office as a trust to be discharged faithfully, not as a personal possession.
2. Courage is indispensable in leadership. Political leaders must be strong and courageous in the face of challenges and opposition, rather than being timid or fearful.
3. Leaders must be guided by law and principle. Just as Joshua was told not to turn from the law to the right or left, leaders should govern by the constitution and rule of law, and must not be partial.
4. Meditation on and obedience to God's word brings success. Leaders who reverence God and obey His commands are more likely to prosper and lead their people rightly.
5. Leaders should draw confidence from God's presence. The assurance that God would not forsake Joshua teaches leaders to depend on God rather than on their own strength.
6. Continuity of vision. Joshua took over Moses' unfinished task; leaders should carry forward good policies and complete projects begun by their predecessors.
7. A leader must work with and for the people. Joshua was to lead the whole nation into the inheritance, teaching leaders to seek the welfare of all citizens.