Moses & Leadership

By Amitabh Singh

Let me start by asking an interesting question:

If Moses took 40 years to get to the promised land from Egypt, what does that say about his leadership skills?

Imagine that you are part of “Team Moses:”

First meeting is about the vision: Where are we going?
- Vision statement is nicely framed and hanging on the wall.
- It states, “across the Jordan River into the land God is giving you.”

Second meeting is about the mission: Purpose?
- Mission statement is also hanging on the wall, and it states, “Time to lead the people.”

Third meeting is about goals and objectives. This is divided into two parts:

1. Strategies - How?

Parting of the Red Sea.

As a side note, in the 1956 movie, The Ten Commandments, with Charlton Heston acting as Moses, the illusion of the Red Sea parting was created with the help of “dump tanks” that were flooded. Gelatin was added to the tanks to give water sea-water-like consistency. Finally, the film was shown in reverse to depict the parting of the red sea on the large screen.

2. Tactics - Individual plans aligned to your overall strategic plan.

And this is where it falls apart. You have to read Exodus 13:17 NLT.

“When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, ‘If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’”

For all of us who have been journeying through some difficult times in the last 18 months, this serves as a beautiful reminder to us.

1. God desires to be the central character in our life’s story.
2. God desires to bestow covenantal blessing.
3. God desires our unconditional trust.

May we all find strength from the words of wisdom found in Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT:

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Don’t give up. Keep on trusting in Jesus. He is the author and the finisher of our faith.