FIVE leadership qualities from the life of Moses
February 12
Bible Reading: Numbers Chapters 10-12
FIVE leadership qualities from the life of Moses
Approximately
two years has passed since the departure of the Israelites from Egypt under the
leadership of Moses. There have been definite instances of frustration for Moses when the Israelites complained regarding lack
of food (Num 11:1), cried out in despair (v. 2) and wept in anguish (v. 10), Moses
vented his own frustration to God (v. 11-15). When God promised to provide
meat for a whole month for over 600,000+ people, Moses was doubtful and expressed it to God as well (v. 21-22). This
showed that Moses was very human, but we
can see five wonderful leadership qualities from the life of Moses that all
spiritual leaders should adopt in their lives as well.
- Moses was a man of prayer: When the
people complained and cried out to Moses, we see that Moses takes this matter
in prayer before God. “Then the people
cried out to Moses, and when Moses
prayed to the LORD, the fire was quenched” (Num 11:2). Also, when his
sister Miriam was punished by God with leprosy, we see that Moses prayed for
her. So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I
pray!” (Num 12:13).
- Moses invoked God’s presence with
every move: In Num 10:35-36, we read that whenever the ark of God
started a journey or stopped, Moses called upon God’s presence. So it was whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: "Rise up, O LORD!
Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.” And when it rested, he said: “Return, O
LORD, to the many thousands of Israel”.
- Moses was unselfish with his
anointing: Due to the tremendous burden upon Moses, God decided
to take the Spirit of anointing that was upon Moses and transfer this anointing
upon the seventy elders of Israel (Num 11:16-17; 24-25). When Joshua was upset
when two of the elders prophesied in the camp (vv. 26-28) and expressed it to
Moses, Moses replies with words that
show that he was truly unselfish with his anointing: Then Moses said to him (Joshua), “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD’s people were
prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!” (v.
29).
- Moses was a very humble man: Check out
the character report about Moses in Num 12:3: (Now the man Moses was very
humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)
- Moses was faithful in the work of God: This is what God had to testify about
Moses, which is true: “Not so with My servant Moses; He is
faithful in all My house.”
With all these wonderful leadership qualities, it is not surprising that God interacted so closely with His servant-prophet-leader Moses and made Himself known through visions, dreams and even face-to-face and even allowed Moses to see the form of God as well (Num 12:6-88). Let us adopt these five leadership qualities of Moses in our lives as well in order to have a closer encounter with God.
