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Biblical Sources:The following passages tell about Moses and the way he related to the Children of Israel. As you study these passages, consider the following question: How does Moses see his role as leader in daily life, and how well does he perform in this role?The passages:
Exodus 5:20-23; 16 18 32:30-32. Numbers 11:1-3 11:11-15 14:1-5 17:1-15 20:1-11 21:4-9 Jeremiah15:1 Psalms 106:23 We see Moses' tremendous efforts on behalf of the people mainly in the following passages:
Exodus 16:6-10 Providing food for the people 17:4-7 Providing water for the people 18:23-14 Judging the people (Jethro's advice) Teacher FocusComprehension: How does Moses care for the needs of the people in each of the above sources? Analysis: Is it a leader's responsibility to supply food and water? What is your opinion? In Depth: Is the leader the one who is DIRECTLY responsible for supplying food and water? Irrespective of your answer to the previous question, give five reasons for a positive answer and five reasons for a negative answer. Sources and Role:The following sources show the difficulty of Moses' dual role as G-d's representative to the people and the people's representative to G-d:
Exodus 32:11-14 (the golden calf -- Moses comes to the people's defense) Numbers 11:1-3 (Taverah) 14:1-3; 11-19 (the spies) 17:1-15 (Korah) 20:1-11 21:4-9 (the plague of snakes) Jeremiah15:1 (Moses as advocate for the people) Psalms 106:23 (Moses holding off God’s anger) Please note: Sources and Personality:The following passages reveal Moses' human reactions -- moments of weakness and despair of a leader, who, after all, was only human:
Exodus 5:23-20 (despair over the people's complaints) Numbers 11:11-15 (Moses' responsibilities are too much to bear alone) 14:1-5 (disappointment with the people over the spy incident) 20:1-11 (Mei Merivah) Teacher Focus:Comprehension: How does Moses react in each of these episodes? Analysis: In your opinion, is it proper for a leader to express his emotions openly? In Depth: Irrespective of your answer to the previous question, give five reasons for a positive answer and five reasons for a negative answer. Summary:The most outstanding and decisive element of Moses' leadership is his identification with the people, his efforts on behalf of the people, and his role as the people’s advocate before G-d. His leadership includes supplying food and water, organization, mediating internal and personal conflicts, and supplying the people's needs. |