I’m reading in the book of Exodus for a while. Interesting stories. Familiar to many of us. Overall, it is the story about a leader. A leader who was reluctant to lead, but whom God convinced was the one man who had the talent and upbringing to be that leader. He grew into the role and became a great leader, the builder of a nation, and the builder of a religion.
He was Moses, of course. A great prophet in the sense that he spoke with God. He accepted God’s leadership and vision. He was to form the diverse tribes of Hebrews into one nation who worshiped the one true God.
From the text, I have to believe that the 400 years spent in Egypt, much of it as slaves, separated the majority of the people from true worship of God. Moses had to convince them in the desert that God was real. I think the detail about priests, garments, alter and so forth–remarkable that it was written and preserved–was basically a leadership method to instill the habit of worshiping God into future generations.
Moses had the vision from God, totally incorporated into his life, of leading the people into the land promised to Abraham centuries before. He overcame opposition to God from people who wanted a god they could see (the golden calf). He formed them into a structured society. He led them to the edge of the Promised Land.
But, he still could not instill in them the courage to take the land and believe that God could be trusted.
That was left to the next generation of leaders–primarily Joshua.
But think about Moses.
- He had early training in leadership as a member of Pharaoh’s household
- He served an apprenticeship under a God-fearing man
- When God talked, he listened and obeyed
- He remained focused on God and God’s vision for the people
- He built new habits within the people who had left security–albeit one as slaves
- He built a structured way for the people to remember God and to worship Him
- He persisted for the remainder of his life
He remains a great example for us no matter what we’re leading. Grounded in the right motives, firm vision of the future, building the right habits among his followers, persisting until the end.
Tags: Call, decisions, disciplines, Leadership, religion
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