moses

You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron. (Ps 77.20)

Reading Psalm 78 the other morning, I realized that Moses is a good example of a leader who stayed focused on the "one thing." A good model for fatherhood, in my opinion. He remains always a prophet, a servant of God, never to be confused with any other type of worldly leader. His call is to listen to God and trust him and help the people do so as well.

And there was no illusion that Moses was leading or providing for these people. God was the leader and provider. Moses merely listened and spoke what he heard from God. Of course, the people complained to him, and held him responsible (something I dread as a parent), but he knew that he was merely mediating the relationship between the people and God:

And the whole congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you..." So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, "At evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your murmurings against the LORD. For what are we, that you murmur against us? ...Your murmurings are not against us but against the LORD." (Ex 16.2-8)

That's something I can see myself doing. Helping others (friends, wife, children) understand what God is doing and encourage them to trust and obey that, and also intercede for them before God. Passing along all that I'm given, material and spiritual. And never pretending that I am Father.

I also like how Moses was helping the people on their great pilgrimage...