January 27- The Reluctant Leader

January 27, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Exodus 4:1-5:21; Matthew 18:1-20;
Psalm 22; Proverbs 5:15-21

You must do the thing you think you cannot do. 
~Eleanor Roosevelt

Exodus 4:1-5:21

It's pretty much a running joke in volunteer organizations that if you miss the meeting where the officers are being elected, you will become the president of the organization.  Leadership is a tough assignment. A leader must have vision, patience, determination, the will to face obstacles, and the ability to shepherd people.

Today God asks Moses to become a leader. Moses is not thrilled. As a matter of fact, Moses protests persistently.  Here are his objections:

• They won't believe me.
• They won't do what I tell them.
• I'm not a good speaker, never have been.
• Please send someone else.

Moses seems to understand people. He is hesitant to put himself in the difficult position of leadership.

God's response to Moses' objections are:

• He turns Moses' shepherd's staff into a snake.
• He makes Moses' hand leprous and then heals it immediately.
• He turns water from the Nile into blood.
• He says to Moses, "Who makes mouths? I will help you speak, and I will tell you what to say."
• He says, "Your brother, Aaron, is a good speaker.  He can speak for you."

God was not in the mood for Moses' protests and was intent on Moses being his chosen servant for this task. After these miracles, Moses agrees to the task. He asks Jethro for permission to take his family and return to Egypt. Moses makes sure to take God's staff.  He no longer considers it his shepherd staff.

God reminds Moses that He (God) is going to harden Pharaoh's heart so that he will not let the people go. God calls the nation of Israel his firstborn son. Note: Remember this picture about Israel being God's first born son. God then tells Moses to tell Pharaoh that God will kill Pharaoh's first born son because of his stubborn refusal to let the Israelites go free. Does God's sovereign intervention in hardening Pharaoh's heart surprise you? How do you grapple with God's sovereign hand in history?  Do you have the humility to accept it? God is in control. This does not always seem easy or good, initially. It takes faith to accept this.

Later on the journey to Egypt, God approaches Moses to kill him because he has not circumcised his son. Does God's anger offend you? Remember that circumcision was the outward sign that one believed in the promised Messiah and also believed that God would fulfill His promises about the giving the Israelites the Promised Land. Moses had neglected this very important ritual. We can only guess as to why Moses had neglected to circumcise his son. Perhaps he did not want to stir up controversy with his wife over circumcising his child. Remember that Moses was a foreigner in the land of Midian. He was a Hebrew and just as in Egypt, his culture and worship of God was different than the people with whom he lived.

The practice of circumcision was and continues to be very controversial in many cultures. Some cultures see circumcision as a repugnant mutilation of the male genitalia. It could also be considered a humiliation.  Zipporah, Moses' wife, circumcises her son in order to prevent the death of her husband. Her words reveal that she is not happy about this. Being a Midianite, circumcision was not part of her culture. She is not pleased with the necessity of this ritual and calls Moses a "blood smeared bridegroom." Bad day in the marriage. This statement by Zippora represents what many cultures do not accept about Jesus Christ. Jesus is a blood stained bridegroom. The humiliation of Christ's death on the cross is a hindrance to some people accepting Jesus' deity.

Does God's anger against Moses surprise you? Does God seem overly harsh to you? We see that Moses is being held to a high standard. As a leader of the chosen people who will bring the Messiah into the world, obedience to God is huge. Moses is learning an important lesson here. God is also showing us that Moses is not a perfect man. But Moses is a humble and teachable man and this is what all good leaders need to be, humble and teachable before God.

Again, God uses regular sinful people to do His work on earth, but they must be willing to learn God's ways in humility. Moses must learn obedience. You and I must learn obedience.

Moses and Aaron present the situation to the Israelite leaders and they are on board.  Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and request that all Jews be allowed to go into the wilderness for a three day festival to the Lord. Pharaoh's response is, "I don't know the Lord and I will not let Israel go." No surprise here! God hardened his heart like He said He would.

This situation angers Pharaoh and he withdraws straw from the Hebrews, but still requires that they make the same number of bricks each day. Straw was a necessary ingredient in brick making. With their lives getting harder because of what Moses had done, the Israelite foreman says that God will judge Moses and Aaron for causing this situation. Proof that being a leader is tough! The complaining and conflicts have started. People are presuming that God is not leading Moses, but that Moses is making these decisions on his own.

Lessons:  God is sovereign. God expects obedience. God is strong when we are weak. God has the ability to harden a heart. God does miracles to convince people of His existence. Being a leader is tough. God's ways are above our ways.  Sometimes we don't understand the "why" in a situation, but we must trust God anyway.

Can you accept God's sovereignty?  This is God's story.  Do you like it?  Do you like Him?  What do you think of Moses?

Matthew 18: 1-20


I love the disciples.  They are so human.  As part of a small group, they have a very honest and typical question. They wonder, "Who among us is going to be the greatest in heaven?"  Power plays are the norm in any organization. These men are vying for leadership positions. Jesus is aware of this and yet he loves them. Jesus is aware of our sinful tendencies, too.  Here is how Jesus answers their question. "If you want to be great in heaven, do this":

• Be humble (teachable) like a child.
• Don't hinder a child or a teachable person from coming to belief in me.
• Don't be a person who tempts other people or children to do evil.
• There is a hell, so avoid evil and tempting others to evil.
• If a person sins against you, go talk to them.  If they won't listen, take witnesses to testify about the problem. Avoid the person if they refuse to listen.
• Gather with other people to pray.  I, Jesus, am present when you do this.

There, in a nutshell, is how to be great in heaven. This is how to be a leader. This is what Moses will learn as he steps into a leadership position for Israel. It is about humility and obedience. This, of course, is diametrically opposed to our natural tendencies to get ahead and step on the heads of others to rise to the top of the pile.

Psalm 22

I like verse 27: "The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him. Every nation will bow down before him." Jesus will be the perfect, earthly leader one day. He will be the greatest example of how humility makes a person eligible for leadership.

Proverbs 5:15-21

Drink water from your own well!!  Share your love only with your wife.  We could say, share your love only with your spouse. The Lord sees clearly what every person does and examines our lives.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton