How God Chooses Leaders – and How We Should Too

Leadership conversations usually begin with the wrong question.

We ask:

Who is capable?
Who is experienced at this kind of thing?
Who has the right skills we need?

They have their place – but not FIRST place. In Scripture the first question begins somewhere deeper because leadership in the Bible often begins with what we might overlook.

Not position, personality, popularity or even proven competence.

Leadership begins with spirit.

When Moses reached the end of his leadership journey, God told him to appoint a successor. The instruction is striking:

“So the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him.’” (NIV)

• Numbers 27:18

That phrase “spirit of leadership” is actually an interpretive translation there.

The Hebrew text reads:

אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־רוּחַ בּוֹ
ish asher-ruach bo

Literally:

“a man in whom is spirit.”

The key word is רוּחַ (ruach) – a rich Hebrew word meaning spirit, breath, wind, or life-force. It is the same word used throughout the Old Testament for the Spirit of God.

Joshua was not chosen primarily because of ability, personality, or experience.

He was chosen because he had the right spirit in him.

Leadership in Scripture is an inside job before any outside tasks.

Everything’s An Interview

I often say when looking for leaders, ‘Everything’s an interview’ – it’s right to assess and wise to observe people over time (and asking others to do the same) before making a decision to appoint to a leadership. I’m still haunted by one time I didn’t do that where the negative results were soon apparent and long term disastrous.

Joshua’s appointment by the LORD and Moses in Numbers 27 was not sudden. It was the culmination of years of formation and observation.

Long before he became Israel’s leader, Joshua had already demonstrated something deeper than ability.

WORSHIPPER: He lingered in God’s presence

One small verse reveals something significant about Joshua’s heart:

“But his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.”

• Numbers 11:28

The Tent of Meeting was where Moses met with God. Moses would enter, speak with the Lord, and then return to the people. But Joshua lingered. He stayed. He passionately, intimately, loved the Lord.

Before Joshua ever led the people of God, he learned to remain in the presence of God.

SERVANT: He served before he led

Joshua first appears in Scripture not as a leader but as Moses’ assistant.

“Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide.”

• Exodus 24:13

For years he served the vision of another leader quietly and faithfully. He observed. He learned to carry responsibility without seeking recognition.

This pattern appears repeatedly in Scripture:

• Joshua served Moses
• Elisha served Elijah
• Timothy served Paul
• The apostles and disciples walked for years with Jesus before leading the church – with women literally supplying his needs too as they learned from him.

Leadership in God’s kingdom is usually formed through hidden service before public responsibility.

FAITH: He trusted God when others didn’t

Joshua was also one of the twelve spies sent to explore the Promised Land.

Ten spies returned trembling with fear and a bad report that discouraged the people. Only Joshua and Caleb believed God could do what he promised and spoke out in faith to encourage others. They didn’t just see the obvious problems, they saw the opportunities. Why?

Scripture says Caleb had “a different spirit” (Numbers 14:24). So did Joshua.

When others saw giants, Joshua saw God’s promise.

By Numbers 27, Joshua’s character had already been observed, tried and tested. Moses wasn’t taking a punt on Joshua hoping it would work out, he was observing and God was recognising what had already been formed in him.

What the Rabbis Noticed

Jewish teachers later reflected on that phrase “a man in whom is ruach.”

Rabbinic commentary suggested the phrase meant that Joshua had the ability to deal with each person according to their spirit.

In other words, Joshua had what we might call today ’emotional intelligence’ or even more; what the New Testament calls the ‘discerning of spirits,’ by the Holy Spirit. This vital Spirit-EQ involves a leader having,

• discernment about people
• emotional and relational wisdom
• the capacity to carry different personalities within the community

Leadership was a combination of spiritual insight and relational intelligence.

That’s why Moses had prayed just before this:

“May the Lord… appoint someone over this community so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

• Numbers 27:17

God’s answer was Joshua. A leader with ruach.

Spotting Leaders With the Right Spirit

This same leadership principle appears again in Acts 6, when the early church faced a leadership challenge. It looks like logistics but there are always people involved which is why that combination of people smarts and Spirit led is so important. Food distribution to widows was becoming uneven, creating division and hostility in the community. The apostles could not be distracted from their own call and could not carry this growing responsibility alone.

So they told the church:

“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.”

• Acts 6:3

Notice the order.

Not first: Who is the most impressive speaker?
Not first: Who has the most charismatic personality?
Not first: Who seems the most naturally confident?

First: Who is already known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom?

The apostles didn’t start with visible competency, natural leadership traits they thought would be needed to get the job done.

They started with spiritual character that was already evident. Worshippers, servant hearted, faithful and faith filled.

In other words, they weren’t asking, Who looks like a leader?

They were asking, Who already carries the Spirit of leadership – God’s way?

Who are the kind of people we can already see around here that God is using and shaping? Who is trusted by the community, known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom, and willing to serve in Jesus’ name – not simply take a title.

The apostles did not say, Find seven good administrators.

They said: “Choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.” (Acts 6:3)

All seven are named in Acts 6, though Scripture follows only a couple of their stories. Even so, we quickly see their calibre. Waiting on tables was not what they always did either.

One was Stephen, who in Acts 7 would become one of the boldest witnesses in the early church, preaching a powerful sermon before becoming the first Christian martyr.

Another was Philip, father of prophetic daughters, he later lead a powerful signs and wonder mission in Samaria and be supernaturally transported to go reach a new nation by sharing the gospel with the Ethiopian official in Acts 8.

So the early church wasn’t looking first for skills or status – but for servants with the Spirit. Then they let them grow and go!

Imagine if the church today tried that too?

Here’s the principle: Spirit first. Leadership second.

Spirit First – When Choosing Church Leaders

This principle matters just as much when churches appoint for leadership today.

When looking for staff it should be obvious. But when forming a church board it is easy to think first in terms of professional skills:

“We need a lawyer.”
“We need an accountant.”
“We need someone with business experience.”

Those skills can certainly be helpful. Wisdom from the workplace can benefit the church.

But Scripture reminds us that secular skills are not the primary qualification for spiritual leadership.

The first question is not: What expertise do they bring?

The first question is: What spirit do they carry?

Are they people who love God’s presence?
Are they humble servants?
Are they people of faith when others are fearful?
Are they known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom?

Practical skills can assist leadership if those gifts are offered once someone is in place. But they cannot replace the thing that matters most. RUACH.

Spirit comes first.

Raising Leaders the Biblical Way

Joshua’s story gives us a pattern for looking for and raising up leaders today – these days I am always looking out for:

1. Presence – they stay close to God
2. Service – they serve faithfully under authority
3. Testing – they prove faithful under pressure
4. Faith – they trust God when others hesitate
5. Recognition – then the community affirms and appoints them

The early church followed the same pattern. They didn’t create non-leaders artificially like the ‘Vicar factory’ system I was put through that tried to make people with personalities at the start monochrome people pleasers the denomination could fit in anywhere without rocking the leaking boat. They identified and grew people already full of the Spirit and wisdom.

The Leadership Question for Today

In the way our culture it seems we still haven’t learned the lesson that often if leadership begins with platform, visibility and personality it usually ends badly.

In Scripture leadership begins and never ends with spiritual formation.

So the first question is not ‘What role should we give someone?‘ or even worse – ‘Who can we bring in to fill this gap?’

The first question for leadership selection and recruitment is:

Who among us already carries the right spirit?

When we as leaders ourselves learn to discern and recognise that in others, we will raise up leaders the way God does.

Leaders like Joshua, Stephen and Philip who remind us that tasks, titles and positions do not create leadership spirit.

In the kingdom of God, leadership begins with Who is in you, before what is placed before you.

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