Exodus 32:30-32
The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
You have probably heard the phrase, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” Whereas to use the word ‘everything’ would be an overstretch, the spirit of the statement remains true – leadership matters, a lot. Thus, the kind of leader that a people have determines the trajectory that their lives take, for good or for bad. But we are also leaders in our own individual capacities in the different spaces that we are in. Whether at home as a husband or as a parent or even as an older sibling; at work with the people that you supervise; etc. Each of us is a leader in one way or another. The only question is, what kind of leaders are we?
Moses was a unique kind of a leader. Appointed by God to lead the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt to the promised land, his leadership was marked and marred by grumbling and complaints from the people. The Israelites were indeed a difficult lot to lead. However, when they greatly blundered and aroused God’s wrath by making and worshipping the golden calf, this same Moses stands in the gap between them and God. Rather than say good riddance, he pleads with God to forgive them. In fact, he puts his own life and eternity at stake when he tells God that if He doesn’t forgive the people then He should blot out his name from His book. He cared enough for the people to make this kind of intercession. Oh, how we need leaders like Moses
Reflections
1. Do you consider yourself a leader? What kind of a leader are you?
2. If you were in Moses’ shoes, would you have done the same? Why or why not?
3. What do you need to do in order to exercise this kind of leadership in whatever sphere of influence you are in?
