“你要勉励他(约书亚)，因为他要使以色列人承受那地为业。” - 申 1:38
如果你已经成为你所从事的工作这一领域中的专家，假如要选择一个比较年轻、经验较少的人接替你的角色，你会有什么感受？
摩西曾带领神的百姓离开埃及并过了红海（出 1-15章）。他领受了神的律法并将其颁布给百姓（出 20-50章），靠着神的恩典，他将百姓带到了应许之地的边界。但百姓悖逆了，于是神使他们返回，在旷野中漂泊了四十年（民 13-14章）。如今，他们又要进入应许之地了，但摩西不会带领他们进去。神拣选了约书亚来代替他。
在申命记中，摩西发表了他的告别演说，在这里他说，神告诉他要“勉励”约书亚。更确切地说，这意味着他要去“坚固”约书亚的信心。但是神难道不能供应约书亚他所需的一切力量吗？这是不是有点像在摩西的伤口上撒盐？
乍看这似乎有悖常理，但实际上，由摩西来坚固或勉励约书亚，对摩西来说是一个很大的礼物。当摩西在众人面前激励约书亚时，约书亚就接续了摩西的成功，而不仅仅是成为替代他的人。约书亚的成功成了摩西所留遗产的一部份。
你可以怎样勉励和坚固那些接替你角色的人呢？
祷告
主啊，请在你愿意我们服事的岗位赐予我们成功，并帮助我们培养新人，在我们之后继续完成你托付的工作。阿们。
申命记 1:34-40
34“耶和华听见你们这话，就发怒，起誓说：
35‘这恶世代的人，连一个也不得见我起誓应许赐给你们列祖的美地。
36唯有耶孚尼的儿子迦勒必得看见，并且我要将他所踏过的地赐给他和他的子孙，因为他专心跟从我。’
37耶和华为你的缘故也向我发怒，说：‘你必不得进入那地。
38伺候你，嫩的儿子约书亚，他必得进入那地。你要勉励他，因为他要使以色列人承受那地为业。
39并且你们的妇人孩子，就是你们所说必被掳掠的，和今日不知善恶的儿女，必进入那地。我要将那地赐给他们，他们必得为业。
40至于你们，要转回，从红海的路往旷野去。’
Encouragement
"Encourage [Joshua], because he will lead Israel to inherit [the land]." - Deuteronomy 1:38
If you have become an expert in your work, how you would feel if someone younger and less experienced were chosen to take up your role?
Moses had led God’s people out of Egypt and across the Red Sea (Exodus 1-15). He had received God’s law and taught it to the people (Exodus 20-50), and by God’s grace he had brought them to the edge of the promised land. But the people had rebelled, and God had turned them back to wander in the wilderness for forty years (Numbers 13-14). Now they were about to enter the promised land again, but Moses would not be leading them in. God had chosen Joshua to do that instead.
In Deuteronomy, Moses gives his farewell address, and here he says God told him to “encourage” Joshua. More literally, this means “strengthen.” But couldn’t God have given Joshua all the strength he needed? Was that a bit like rubbing salt in Moses’ wounds?
This seems counterintuitive at first, but it is actually a great gift to Moses to be the one to strengthen or encourage Joshua. As Moses empowers Joshua in front of everyone, Joshua steps in to continue Moses’ success rather than just being his replacement. Joshua’s success becomes part of Moses’ legacy.
How might you encourage and strengthen someone taking up the role you have had?
Prayer
Lord, grant us success where you want us to serve, and help us to raise up people to continue your work after us. Amen.
