阅读经文 

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。（参出 1-15）他领受了神的律法并将其颁布给百姓，（参出 20-50）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。（参民 13-14）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分。

你可以怎样勉励和坚固那些接替你角色的人呢？

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?