A Man Of the People
And Moshe spoke to YHWH, saying, “Let YHWH, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation” Numbers 27:15-16
Appoint – Not many leaders display the character of Moses. There’s a reason that he was called the most humble man who ever walked the earth. If we look hard, we can see this amazing humility right here, at the end of his life. Moses’ request should instruct us about true leadership, and it has nothing to do with center stage miracles or divine displays of power.
Replay the scene. God speaks to Moses, telling him to go up to the mountain to view the Promised Land. Moses is informed that he will not enter it because years ago he was disobedient. He will die in the wilderness, never setting foot in the land that he spent his entire life waiting to possess. Imagine how we would have responded with our preoccupation with grace.
“Lord, this isn’t fair. My sins have been covered. You have forgiven me. I spent my whole life serving You. I deserve to reap the reward. Besides, these people need me.”
Moses, the man groomed to become Pharaoh, had already experienced the destruction of one dream. His vision for freeing his people as the head of Egypt died forty years ago. Now God informs him that because of a tiny error in judgment years before, Moses’ other great dream will also evaporate. Not many of us would have responded as Moses does.
And how does Moses respond. He asks nothing for himself. He doesn’t utter a word of complaint. He doesn’t make a single excuse. His answer focuses entirely on the people. He asks God to be sure to replace Him with someone trustworthy. Moses instantly accepts God’s judgment and immediately turns his attention toward the welfare of the very people who have been such a burden. Moses displays his true leadership quality. His life is not about what he wants. It’s about what is good for the people of God.
Moses asks God to appoint a new shepherd. The Hebrew root is paqad. It means a bit more than “appoint.” Some of the nuances of this verb include “to attend to, to pay attention, to seek and to assign.” The context usually determines the intended meaning, but the background contains the flavor of all these. Moses might be asking God to simply appoint someone, but it seems more likely that he is asking God to examine, seek and assign the perfect new shepherd to replace him. Not anyone will do. This has to be the right man for the job, and only God is able to determine precisely who that right man is. Here’s another characteristic of true leadership. I leave the appointment of my replacement in the hands of God.
We, of course, have the tendency to do our own succession planning. We try to put our replacement choice in the position, usually because we want someone who will carry on our marvelous legacy. Notice that this is not Moses’ concern. Moses doesn’t care who follows him as long as it is God’s choice. Once again we see that Moses isn’t thinking about himself, not even about his reputation or legacy. His only concern is that the people have God’s chosen shepherd. We have a lot to learn, don’t we?
Topical Index: Leadership
