In this passage Joshua is selected by God as Moses' successor. Moses said that the qualifications for his successor should be someone "
who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd." For Moses the qualifications for leadership over Israel were (1) to guide Israel wherever they may go; (2) to lead by example, and (3) to have a plan to accomplish God's will for Israel. God wanted His leader to be filled with the Holy Spirit: "S
o the Lord said to Moses, 'Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit...'" (vs. 18). When Joshua was selected to succeed Moses, these qualifications invested Joshua with the authority to lead Israel so that upon Joshua's command or word the people of Israel would move forward, stop, or come back (vs. 21).
