This passage raises two important questions: what does it mean to be a good leader? And what does it mean to be a good follower? All of us play both roles in different parts of our lives, and this passage gives us a look at both sides of the equation.
At this point in the story of the Exodus, the Israelites are in the desert, the wilderness of Paran in what is now Saudi Arabia, dependent on manna for food.
They have come out of slavery, but have forgotten the bad parts of that life and now only remember the food. They have received miraculous sustenance but now it has become mundane and they are tired of it. They complain to Moses and Moses in turn complains to God. He is in over his head and wants to give up entirely.
The Bible is an honest book. It does not present “10 Easy Rules for Being a Leader” or even a follower. Instead, we get this story of a bunch of sinful people flailing around in the desert. But even then, there are important lessons we can take.
All of us are leaders in one form or another, whether in our family, work, community or other circumstance. All of it comes with similar challenges that can make our leadership ineffective.
First, the temptation of power is always present, and even the smallest amount of power can be abused.
Second, the responsibility of leadership can feel overwhelming, and it is easy to feel inadequate just like Moses did.
Third, sin can disrupt your leadership. We have seen this all too often in the Christian ministry world. All leaders sin, but there are sins that can entirely undermine your leadership, if they strike at the very foundation of what made you a leader in the first place.
There are also things that can make bring a follower difficult. If we have a lack of trust in our leaders, if we are in the midst of a transition, these and more can make life as a follower difficult.
Fortunately, we have the perfect leader as our example in Christ. First, we are to be servant leaders, willing to do the lowliest task. We are to maintain the highest moral and ethical standards.
We can also learn from Christ how to be a follower. First, we must not follow blindly, but be discerning in who we follow and how we follow. The scriptures are an authority over any Christian leader. Second, we must keep perspective and not lose context the way the Israelites did. And third, we must pray for our leaders, whether in the church, in the workplace, in the government or wherever we find them.
One thing to be careful about as either a leader or a follower is seeing our goal, our Promised Land, as the necessary step before we can really be with God. “Once we get to this point, then we can finally know God.” But in reality, God is with us all throughout the journey.
– Sermon Notes, Dave Lester, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, June 9, 2019
