So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. (Exodus 24:13, NASB)
Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. (Deuteronomy 34:9, NASB)
“No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. (Joshua 1:5, NASB)
In the setting for the first verse above, God had been telling the sons of Israel of His laws and precepts. He had just told Moses to climb up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, written in stone by the finger of God. The verse is the first mention of Joshua, and identifies him as Moses’ “servant.” The Bible doesn’t specifically say this, but Moses and Joshua had a mentor-protege relationship. I think Moses was the ultimate mentor. He’s identified in various places as “servant of God”; “man of God”; and “friend of God”. Who wouldn’t want to follow Moses and learn from him? As near as I can figure, Joshua was the ancient example of what we would consider as a military aide-de-camp to Moses.
In the second verse above, Moses had just died. God had appointed Joshua as Moses’ successor, had commissioned him, and he’s “filled with the spirit of wisdom.” Joshua’s mentor had “laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to [Joshua] and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.” The third verse is God speaking to Joshua. The Lord promises Joshua, “Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” Not bad for Moses’ protege!
Two people who are mentors to both Sue and me, both spiritually and professionally, are PK and Reta Robinson. He’s a 1962 Air Force Academy graduate, became a fighter pilot, served two tours in Vietnam, was shot down in his F-4, and spent several months as a POW. Hero!
Speaking of Mustache March . . Well, we are now. Reta Robinson sent us this picture:
I first met PK as a young captain A-10 pilot at Davis-Monthan AFB at Tucson, Arizona. He was the wing commander, and I was assigned as his instructor pilot (IP) as he checked out to be an IP. Later I interviewed to be his executive officer, and in one of the few mistakes of an otherwise stellar Air Force career, he selected me! Meanwhile, PK and Reta invited us to their church, Christ Community Church. I noticed people carrying their Bibles into church. I’d always been suspicious of people taking Bibles to church, because they were there in the pews. Not to be outdone, I brought my King James Bible that I received as a boy when I was confirmed. Reta noticed, and bought us a New American Standard Bible, and told us that we’d understand this one better. Besides, the pastor taught from this version. It was there that I learned the true meaning of salvation: It doesn’t matter how good you think you are, we all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. We all have to kneel before the cross of Christ, and ask God to forgive us. Sue went on a women’s retreat one weekend, and came back saved. We had the honor one Sunday night of watching as Reta was baptized. Reta did volunteer work at the church, and taught Bible study.
Sue and I left Tucson for Nellis AFB, where I flew the F-117. The Robinsons were assigned there sometime later. PK’s assignment was as the vice commander of the USAF Tactical Weapons Center. Sue and I got to return the favor, inviting PK and Reta to our church, the Las Vegas Bible Church. While at Nellis, I was honored to have PK and Reta attend my promotion ceremony to major, and we had the privilege to attend PK’s retirement ceremony.
The Robinsons have played a major role in Sue’s and my life. They were, and are, inspirational to us, and to many other people. I praise God and thank Him for putting Godly mentors like these into my life! We’re proud to call them “friends”!
