Today’s Devotion
Topic: Decentralized Leadership (Self Assessment)
Welcome to our weekly bible discussion. Kindly meditate on the passage below and share your thoughts with us.
Text: Exodus 18: 13- 23
13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”
17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.
20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fearGod, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” Amen
Questions
i. In general, what do you think are some factors that make it difficult for some leaders to share responsibility with other capable subordinates?
ii. Why do you think Moses felt it was his sole responsibility to sit and judge Israel from dawn to dusk? (verses 15 & 16)
iii. According to verses 17 & 18, what were Jethro’s reasons for condemning Moses’ leadership style? Do you agree with Jethro? If yes, why? If no, why?
iv. Jethro outlined two very important principles in decentralized leadership:
a. Appointing leaders over the people was not going to change Moses’ fundamental role as the people’s representative before God. (verse 19)
b. Moses had to teach all Israel the decrees of God and show them the way to live and behave before appointing leaders over them. (verse. 20).
WHY ARE THESE 2 PRINCIPLES NECESSARY TO ENSURING EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP?
v. According to verse 21, what was to be the criteria for selecting leaders from among the people? Kindly explain why each criteria is necessary.
vi. How practical was Jethro’s approach and how was it going to simplify the workload on Moses? (verses 22 & 23)
vii. How does Jethro’s visit suggest that every leader could use some advice from a superior, mentor or a more experienced person?
viii. What have you leant from today’s discussion?
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