Simon Sinek once said about the title of his book, Leaders Eat Last, “It means I will give the very essence of life – food and water – to the person I love first, so that they may live even if it means I eat less.” As we come to the end of Joshua 19, we see that Joshua ate last.
While many leaders today try to grab as much wealth as possible, Joshua did not claim any land inheritance for himself. His immediate leadership team, Eleazar, and the leaders of each tribe followed Joshua’s example, and they too did not claim any land inheritance. While all the other families relaxed in their homes and deepened their roots, Joshua and the top leaders’ families are unsettled. They remain nomadic until all the families under their care have received their inheritance.
Sadly, we rarely see such leaders today. But in John 13:14, Jesus tells us to follow Joshua’s model, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” I pray that we will listen and obey our Lord’s command and eat last, just like Joshua.
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