Before we start our study on our next book, today I want to take a moment to share an article with you I wrote. This incorporates some biblical exposition and application, so I thought it was fitting for this podcast. This will be a short interlude to our study on Hebrews. As I studied leadership at seminary, one of my first tasks was to look at the life of Moses and make some observations about him as a leader. Moses is often studied as a model for leadership, both for the good reasons and the bad reasons. Looking at the life of Moses, I was asked to make 10-20 observations of timeless, relevant, practical leadership principles that I will be able to apply in my own life. Some of these principles will apply to you while others may not. The key is, what was Moses like as a leader and how can I learn from this biblical example of leadership. What can I glean from the life of Moses in the great ways he led, as well as what are things I can learn from his mistakes? As many of you know, many times are learning comes from mistakes. SO as we look at Moses through Scripture, we get to go back and look at his life as a leader. Observations such as “Moses was born a Levite,” or “Moses saw two Hebrews fighting” are indeed observations, but they are not leadership observations. In making the leadership observations, it was important to note where (book, chapter, verse) the observation is found, then state the leadership principle in a way that leaders (ministry, corporate, and lay) can implement it.
The main thing was to have a leadership observations and have it be timeless, relevant, and a practical leadership principle. After reviewing the principles, we were to select two of them on which to further comment.
Below is the result:
- Observation: Moses tells Jethro about all God had done for him and the Israelites and how it was God that saved and led them, not Moses (Exodus 18:8).
- Principle: Leaders remember how God has worked in the past, His faithfulness, and give God the glory for that work.
- Observation: Jethro gave Moses a criticism regarding his leadership (Exodus 18:17).
- Principle: Leaders take criticism well from wise people and learn from their mistakes.
- Observation: Moses hid his face from God because he was in awe and had great respect for God and thus knew that he was not worthy to look upon Him (Exodus 3:6).
- Principle: Leaders are humble and remember who is the ultimate Authority.
- Observation: Moses saw the strange sight of a bush burning but not being consumed and recognized there was something extraordinary about this sight (Exodus 3:3).
- Principle: Leaders pay attention to the details, especially when something does not make sense.
- Observation: As soon as the Lord finished speaking, Moses went back to Jethro to tell him he had to go to Egypt to check on the Israelites. Moses obeyed God’s commands without delay (Exodus 4:20).
- Principle: Leaders are obedient to do God’s commands without delay or argument.
- Observation: Moses was confident in the Lord’s deliverance and faithfulness and he shared that with the Israelites (Exodus 14:13).
- Principle: Leaders are confident in God, do not fear, and know God will bring deliverance, even when the odds are great.
- Observation: Moses knew God would keep His promises and fight for His people even though he was not sure how exactly it would happen (Exodus 14:14).
- Principle: Leaders confidently trust in God, submit to Him, and let Him work.
- Observation: Moses followed and obeyed the commands of the Lord, resulting in Israel’s deliverance from the Egyptians and further persecution. Because Moses followed God’s commands, the Israelites not only trusted God but also trusted Moses (Exodus 14:31).
- Principle: Leaders who exemplify obedience to God builds confidence in their subordinates of God’s faithfulness and their leadership.
- Observation: The Israelites were worried and complaining to Moses about their perceived impending doom (Exodus 14:12).
- Principle: Leaders are respectful and listen to the complaints and situations of their subordinates.
- Observation: Moses knew that all the education he had received did not compare to the education of learning from God. He turned to God to continue to seek and learn from Him (Exodus 33:13).
- Principle: Leaders seek God to continue learning and growing in knowledge of Him.
- Observation: Moses knew that if God did not go with them, they were doomed. The only way these people would make it is if God was with them (Exodus 33:15).
- Principle: Leaders will not go anywhere unless God is with them.
- Observation: Moses listened to Jethro’s advice about the delegation of duties to help ease the strain of leadership (Exodus 18:25).
- Principle: Leaders delegate authority and responsibilities to capable individuals.
- Observation: Moses had been mentoring Joshua and he brought Joshua before the people to present him as the new leader with his blessing. Moses encouraged Joshua and gave him final instructions (Deuteronomy 31:7).
- Principle: Leaders mentor, train, and develop individuals to step into various roles.
- Observation: Moses was addressing the people for the last time and offered them words of encouragement and hope (Deuteronomy 31:3).
- Principle: Leaders encourage their teams and ensure their needs are met.
- Observation: Moses was bold enough to ask to see the glory of God (Exodus 33:18).
- Principle: Leaders boldly and humbly pray to God their biggest prayers.
- Observation: Moses had to go before Pharaoh multiple times, yet he had the boldness, confidence, and trust in God that what God said was true and God would protect him (Exodus 10:1).
- Principle: Leaders perform the difficult responsibilities and trust God for the results.
- Observation: Moses was faithful to God’s commands but the Israelites were still not free. Moses believed there to be a greater plan at work that we cannot always see (Exodus 11:9).
- Principle: Leaders trust in God’s greater plan rather than what they currently see or know.
- Observation: Moses obeyed God’s command and had the leaders select the best lambs for slaughter. Moses knew this was a sacrifice but obedience to God was a greater motivator (Exodus 12:21).
- Principle: Leaders set the standard by living sacrificial lives.
- Observation: Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets and reflected the radiance of God (Exodus 34:29).
- Principle: Leaders regularly communicate with God thereby reflecting the Lord to others.
- Observation: Whenever Moses talked with God, he would communicate to the people all that God had commanded (Exodus 34:34).
- Principle: Leaders provide prompt and thorough communication to their teams.
Further comment on two specific principles:
- Principle: Leaders will not go anywhere unless God is with them.
- This principle challenges me because recently I have looked at various decisions and trials and tried to do things in my own power and resources. Instead of looking to God as my resource and provider and guide, I have tried to force my will upon His. I have realized that many times I leave God at home while I go to work or wherever. How do I change this? Like Moses and Nehemiah, I need to pray about it. I make a stand that unless God is with me or leading me, I will not go. I need to stop relying on my own resources and humbly look to God for His. I will need to start a journal to track and reflect on these decisions to see if I did or am doing something in my own resources. Finally, I think it is a conversation with my wife to ensure that we are following God’s will instead of our desires.
- Principle: Leaders trust in God’s greater plan than what they currently see or know.
- Evaluating my recent past, I have realized that I struggle greatly with focusing on the present circumstances instead of God’s greater plan. Recently, I have been bogged down by all the troubles instead of God being my hope and vision. How do I change this? First, I need to constantly be praying that God and His will are my focus. Second, I need to take the applications and lessons that He has taught me about focusing on Him and apply them instead of repeating my mistakes over. I need to be aware of my heart and where my hope is and make sure that I do not allow circumstances to steal my joy. Finally, I need to daily focus on the future hope in heaven and have faith and trust in God and who He says He is.
So, let’s try to briefly summarize this. Moses was a fantastic leader who had many faults. At times he showed great trust in God and at other times he did not. There are times when he forgot what God could do through him (i.e. Moses asking God to have Aaron join him). There are far more observations from Moses’ life that we could make. We could make two hundred more positive observations about him as a leader and communicator and how that applies to us as leaders, whether we lead a ministry, a company, a team of people, or we are leaders to our kids or those around us. We could also spend a great deal of time making observations about Moses being a poor leader at times. In fact, if we step back and are honest with ourselves if someone was to look at our lives and make observations, we probably would not want to hear about the many times we failed as a leader or parent, or employee. In applying this to our lives, it does take prayer and it takes dependence. It takes us reflecting on the life of Moses or other leaders we admire and learning from them, both the good and the bad. We also must be willing to be humble and ask God to work in us. That working in us may be really tough and it may be a hard season of life. As we deal with our ego being shredded and our confidence being lost, we remember our identity is not found in title or relationship or status or money, but in being a child of God. So, as God works in us, may we move out of His way, let Him sit on the throne of our lives, and change us from the inside out. Moses was not a great leader from the start. In reality, he was a murderer and a coward. But God used him and had a plan for him. God can use you and has a plan for you. Ask God to work in you and mold you and shape you and form you into that leader. And let Him work and be open to what He is teaching you.