SOLUTIONS TO THE FAULT FOUND IN MOSES' LEADERSHIP STYLE 1
SOLUTIONS TO THE FAULT FOUND IN MOSES' LEADERSHIP STYLE 1
19 LISTEN NOW TO MY VOICE; I [Jethro] WILL GIVE YOU COUNSEL, AND GOD WILL BE WITH YOU: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.
20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.
21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
22 AND LET THEM JUDGE THE PEOPLE AT ALL TIMES. THEN IT WILL BE THAT EVERY GREAT MATTER THEY SHALL BRING TO YOU, BUT EVERY SMALL MATTER THEY THEMSELVES SHALL JUDGE. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.
23 IF YOU DO THIS THING, AND GOD SO COMMANDS YOU, THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENDURE, AND ALL THIS PEOPLE WILL ALSO GO TO THEIR PLACE IN PEACE," "
Exodus 18:19-23 (NKJV)
The counsel given to Moses is found in our text. This counsel is pivotal, vital and crucial—important and useful. In fact, the pattern or style of leadership that Jethro gave is still being practiced today, both in the churches and ministries, as well as, the secular organizations.
The counsel analysed:
I. Moses was to stand before God for the people that he could bring their difficulties to God (Exodus 18:19).
Now, this is the primary assignment of whoever is called by God to lead His people—ministry leadership.
a. You as the leader of the people of God would stand before God in prayer, presenting or tabling the problems or difficulties of the people under your leadership to God.
II. Moses was to teach the people, the Israelites, statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do—through the teachings (Exodus 18:20).
This was reiterated by Paul in the new testament, Ephesians 4:12. Those in the fivefold ministry are to equip the saints, the believers, for the work of ministry and the edification of the overall Body of Christ—the church.
a. Believers are to be taught how to walk with God, how to live or practice their Christian faith. How they could be a true light in the midst of darkness of the world (Matthew 5:14-16). But unfortunately this is not being done by any number of ministry leaders today, they are busy with other things, chasing shadows.
b. Believers are also to be taught the work they must or should do (Exodus 18:20). This includes, the ministry work that should be done by every believer as lay leaders or workers in the church or ministry. The example of this is found in the Acts of the Apostles 6:1-4, when they had issues about daily distribution of food (Acts 6:1). The Apostles had to tell the people to choose or nominate credible people who could be put over the affair of food distribution, that they, the apostles, might be able to concentrate on the ministry of the word and prayer (Acts 6:2,4).
c. Whoever would be appointed to do any work in the church or ministry, as a lay worker or leader should be trained and proved or tested and found blameless before such is given any assignment or work to do: "BUT LET THESE ALSO FIRST BE TESTED; THEN LET THEM SERVE AS DEACONS [servers], BEING FOUND BLAMELESS" (1 Timothy 3:10).
III. Moses was also to select from all the people ABLE MEN, SUCH AS FEAR GOD, MEN OF TRUTH, HATING COVETOUSNESS; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens (Exodus 18:21).
A. The qualities or attributes that must be possessed by those who would be considered for leadership, as lay workers or leaders, should be:
i. Able men (Exodus 18:21). Those with the physical ability to do the work, not frail or weak or ailing people.
ii. Such who fear or reverence God (Exodus 18:21). Someone might be able, has the physical qualities, but does not have the fear of God. The fear of God makes you not to compromise the truth, being underhanded. When one of the Jesse's sons was to be appointed and anointed as the king of Israel. Samuel who was to carry out the task, the assignment, mistakenly thought the right person was Eliab, David's elder brother, the first son of Jesse. But God told Samuel that he was not the one, he should not look at the outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:6,7).
Thus, being able is not enough, the person must have the fear of God which is the beginning of wisdom (Job28:28; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10). Being able does not make someone qualify for the work of ministry—ministry or church leadership.
iii. Men of truth (Exodus 18:21). It is a thing that calls for sombre thought, grave or serious thoughts, that when people are to be appointed to leadership in the church or ministry or parachurch we still had to look for men of truth. It means there are people in the midst of the people of God, the church, that are not truthful. If you put such people in any leadership position, they will be untruthful and mess things up.
iv. Those who hate covetousness (Exodus 18:21). In other words, there are covetous people among the people of God, even in the contemporary church—the believers in Christ Jesus.
We could see the ministry of Gehazi, Elisha's servant, in the old testament, and that of Judas, one of the disciples of Christ Jesus, who destroyed their lives and ministries through covetousness (2 Kings 5:20-27; Matthew 26:14-16; 27:3-5). Whoever is covetous would pervert justice!
IV. The people who would be selected, chosen or appointed, would be placed over the people to lead or be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens (Exodus 18:21).
This point or style is being used in the secular organizations where you have a leader with a number of lieutenants or subordinates that the work could be delegated to, and they would in turn also delegate to others and the chain would be on like that.
This same principle was told to Timothy by Paul: "AND THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE HEARD FROM ME AMONG MANY WITNESSES, COMMIT THESE TO FAITHFUL MEN WHO WILL BE ABLE TO TEACH OTHERS ALSO" (2 Timothy 2:2 NKJV).
Peace.
TO BE CONTINUED
Note:
a. I want you to follow us for more edifying content.
b. Endeavour to share this message. God bless you.