What Made Moses a Great Leader (Term Paper Sample)

Moses: The Future Leader of the Past Student’s Name Class Date Leadership is regarded as the most compelling aspect of any group or organization because a leader determines the orderliness of their followers. Moses was among the most outstanding leaders of the Old Testament as God chose for the task of delivering Israelites from slavery in Egypt and taking them to Canaan. Moses demonstrated leadership skills that made him worthy of God's call. Moses was raised in Egypt as Pharaoh's daughter's s son, but when he grew up, he refused to be called her son. Instead, he chose to suffer alongside the Israelites whom Pharaoh held captive. When he witnessed an Egyptian beating up an Egyptian, he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. While murder is wrong, Moses did it to protect the powerless. This essay discusses the qualities that made Moses a good leader. Throughout his life, as Moses traveled through the villages and towns, he obeyed God's voice, carried out his commands and maintained peace even with those who despised him, and demonstrated impeccable leadership skills necessary to complete the mission that God had given him. Moses became a more excellent leader by following God's commands after witnessing his miracles, defending the commands before Pharaoh, and maintaining peace as God had commanded, including the people who despised him. Moses' first witness of God's miracles that led to his belief was through the burning bush. As Moses was tending to his father-in-law's sheep in the Midian wilderness, he saw a burning bush. Being the wilderness, Moses did not see it as uncommon. However, as he got closer, he realized the bush was not being consumed, and a voice in the fire called his name. When his name was called the second time, he answered, "here I am." God warned him about coming closer and asked him to remove his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. Moses was terrified and covered his face when the voice told him it was of the God of his father, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because he knew that no one could see God and live. Moses fell and worshipped Him. Moses was skeptical when God told him to return to Egypt and free his people because he felt he was not worthy to be a leader. However, God told him he would be with him and give him a miraculous sign to prove He had sent him. When Moses complained he was slow in speech, God asked him to take Aaron along. Moses displayed excellent leadership skills by heeding God's command and returning to Egypt.[Poorthuis, Marcel. "Literature as a Burning Bush." Levinas and Literature (2020): 117.] Secondly, Moses was a great leader because of his courage, which led him to face Pharaoh and debate about letting the Israelites go. When Moses told Pharaoh that God had said to let His people go, Pharaoh asked who God is that he should listen to him. Moses and Aaron did not give up when the Pharaoh denied their request, and he decided to show God’s power. He performed miracles such as turning his staff into a snake and making his hand leprous, but the Pharaoh remained adamant. Finally, Moses put his staff in the water, which turned to blood, beginning the ten plagues. Moses demonstrated resilience as a leader, focusing on his mission to free the Israelites from slavery. Eventually, Moses succeeded in convincing Pharaoh to let the Israelites go.[Alahmari, Abdulwahab. "Radiology Role in Archaeology: Moses’ Pharaoh as a Case." j Fore Res, 2 (4), 80 88 (2021).] After freeing the Israelites from bondage, Moses experienced leadership challenges as he tried to maintain peace among them. Likewise, leaders experience challenges managing their followers because some cannot follow instructions while others are rude. However, leaders can bring order to the group through wisdom and strategy. The case was similar to Moses because they complained and despised him in many instances while he delivered the Israelites from Egypt. For example, the Israelites complained that his attempt to free them only led Pharaoh to make things worse for them. They told Moses to let them be. When they arrived at the sea, they gave up because the Egyptian army was after them, and complained that Moses had set the free to perish. However, Moses put his staff on the water, separating the sea, and allowing them to go through. In the wilderness, the Israelites despised Moses and complained about being hungry and thirsty and that God had taken them from Egypt, where they ate and drank, only to kill them in the wilderness. The Israelites angered God with their complaining and wanted to wipe them out, but Moses interceded for them, and He gave them food, water, and shelter from the sun. However, regardless of Moses' intercession to God, the Israelites started a movement to reject him and choose a leader who would take them back to Egypt. When Joshua and Caleb disagreed with the Israelites' decisions, they wanted to stone them. Leaders endure negativity in their path to ensure their followers are on the right path and maintain order. Moses took away the Israelites’ doubts by praying and asking God to provide for them to promote peace. When the Israelites believed in God through Moses, they were peaceful because God told them that God was with them and he would provide for them. Leaders encourage their employees during difficult times to ensure they do not give up.[Adebomi, Joseph Adegbenga, and Olabode John Omotosho. "Implications of Moses’ quality leadership in promoting good governance in the church." Available at SSRN (2022).] [Byrd, James P. "The Book of Exodus: A Biography. By Joel S. Baden. Lives of Great Religious Books. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2019. xv+ 237 pp. $26.95 hardcover." Church History 90, no. 1 (2021): 223–225.] Moses' ability to lead the Israelites from bondage demonstrated leadership skills such as empathy, patience, wisdom, humility, and charisma. Moses showed patience and wisdom when sharing God's commands with the Israelites in the wilderness. The Israelites complained to Moses throughout because of their challenges and eventually angered God with their complaining. Moses demonstrated patience in leadership because it was not his preference to go to Egypt to set the Israelites free initially. God promised him that he would provide him with the power and miracles to succeed in his endeavor. However, in the wilderness, the Israelites complained, sometimes directly to Moses, blaming him for being the cause of the problems they were experiencing. God was not as patient as Moses was because when they turned against God after claiming he had abandoned them, God threatened to wipe them out and create a new nation through Moses. Moses was wise in convincing God that wiping them out would lower their trust in trust in Him. Moses’ patience demonstrated his wisdom and humility because he was willing to help the Israelites reach the promised land regardless of their complaints.[Ganz, Marshall. "Leading change: Leadership, organization, and social movements." Handbook of leadership theory and practice 19 (2010): 1–10.] Moses shared God’s commands with the Israelites to keep them orderly and on the path of faith. However, due to the Israelites' complaining against God and engaging in displeasing behavior that angered him, God wrote the Ten Commandments that Moses would deliver to the Israelites for guidance. Also, God sent Moses to the Israelites, asking them to raise contributions for Him, including gold, silver, skins, wood, and oil. The materials would help build Him a sanctuary, allowing him to dwell among them. God also commanded them to work for six days and rest on the seventh. They would be killed if any of them worked on the seventh day. Moses delivered the messages as God had commanded because he was determined to show them that God wanted a close relationship with them. An essential aspect of leadership is communication. Regardless of whether the message is good or bad, leaders must convey it to their followers to ensure they determine a way forward. When the Israelites failed to heed God’s command, Moses informed them that they would be stoned to death. This kept the Israelites in order to avoid death.[Oswald, Wolfgang. "Lawgiving at the Mountain of God (Exodus 19–24)." In The book of Exodus, pp. 169–192. Brill, 2014.] [Friedman, Hershey H., and Linda Weiser Friedman. "Even great leaders make mistakes: Learning leadership from Moses." Friedman, HH and Friedman, LW (2018). Even great leaders make mistakes: Learning leadership from Moses. Journal of Leadership and Management 13, no. 3 (2018).] As a good leader, Moses respected authority, and he completed all the missions God had given. During his encounter with God at the burning bush, God gave him his first instruction to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, which he achieved. Moses obeyed during the ten plagues by asking the Israelites to smear blood on their doors to help the angel of death identify between them and the Egyptians’ homes. In the wilderness, God guided Moses through the wilderness, asking him to take them through the desert instead of the shorter route. This kept them from facing war immediately to avoid changing their minds and wanting to return to Egypt. When God instructed Moses to raise his shepherd's staff, leading the waters to part, the Israelites crossed on dry ground. Also, after the Israelites turned against Moses, God made their water bitter. God showed Moses a branch he would put in the water. Moses obeyed God's commands, and the water became good to drink. When the Israelites complained they had no drinking water, God commanded Moses to strike a rock, and it produced water. Obeying God's command favored the Israelites every time. If Moses had disobeyed God, their journey would have been filled with war, hunger, and thirst. Leaders are required to set a good example by following authority. Following God'sGod's instructions allowed the I...