Moses Didn’t Do It Alone, Part 8

Scripture — Exodus 18:17-24

Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases before God; teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they are to do. You should also look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain; set such men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Let them sit as judges for the people at all times; let them bring every important case to you, but decide every minor case themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their home in peace.” So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

Devotion

Recently I have been reflecting on the fascinating encounter in Exodus 18 between Moses and Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law. I’ve noted that, at first, Moses did try to “do it alone” when governing and judging the people of Israel. But this approach was not working for him. The job was unmanageable. So Jethro told Moses that what he was doing was “not good” (Exodus 17:17). Rather, Jethro advised, Moses should focus on teaching and higher-order leadership, delegating lesser tasks to others. Moses was humble enough to receive this advice and follow it. As Exodus reads, “So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said” (17:24).

Today I want to focus on one further aspect of this story. It’s quite obvious but still worth our attention. I want to think with you about delegation. If we’re going to “not do it alone,” at times we will need to practice wise delegation.

Seeing the impossible workload Moses was attempting to carry alone, Jethro encouraged him to delegate a substantial part of his work to others. But this was not a simple matter of Moses telling others to take on tasks Moses had been doing. Wise delegation involves more than giving assignments to others.

What else does wise delegation involve? Notice that Jethro urges Moses, first of all, to teach the people “the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they are to do” (Exodus 18:20). Not only would this instruction guide the people in general, but also it would prepare those who were about to take on additional responsibility so they could do good work.

Second, Moses was not to delegate his work to just anybody. Rather, Jethro says, “Look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain” (Exodus 18:21). From Jethro’s cultural perspective it was best for Moses to delegate to men, but only men who were spiritually and ethically commendable. Wise delegation always requires discernment concerning who can do the work faithfully and effectively.

Third, Jethro told Moses to delegate to others only “every minor case” while bringing the most important matters to Moses (Exodus 18:22). This is an essential element of responsible delegation and leadership. In the De Pree Center where I work, for example, Michaela (our “Moses”) has given us considerable freedom to make most of the decisions related to our work, but she has asked us to bring certain items to her attention, things that have major implications for program, budget, relationships, etc.

Fourth, though Jethro was quite clear concerning his criticism of Moses and the advice he proffered, he recognized that his wisdom was insufficient. “If you do this,” he said, “and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their home in peace” (Exodus 18:23, italics added). What Jethro said here harkens back to the first devotion in the “Moses Didn’t Do It Alone” collection. There, as you may recall, when Moses wondered “Who am I to lead the Israelites out of Egypt?” God responded by saying, “I will be with you.” Moses’s success as a leader depends on his sharing leadership with other people. Yes, indeed. But most importantly of all, his success depends on God’s presence and guidance in Moses’s life. Even after Moses led the people out of Egypt, his ongoing effectiveness as a leader depended on his intimate relationship with God. He would be able to teach the people how to live only with God’s help. He would be able to delegate wisely only with God’s help. He would be able to oversee his judicial appointees and handle major issues himself only with God’s help. Only with God’s help would he be able to “endure” as a leader. Only with God’s help with the people be able to live in peace.

Exodus 18 reminds us that wise delegation is essential if we’re not going to “do it alone.” We must delegate appropriately if our work is going to be both successful and sustainable. But even the very best delegation doesn’t eliminate the need for God’s presence and guidance. Only with God’s help will we be able to delegate and manage in a way that leads to productivity and peace.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: The First Step to Avoiding Burnout.

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