Abstract
The Bible outlines positive leadership styles and models that should be practiced by Christians. Moses and David are two examples of great leaders in the Bible who demonstrated positive leadership approaches and models that can be emulated by Christians in various positions of authority and day-to-day engagements. The paper analyzes the stories of Moses and David, comparing and contrasting their leadership styles and qualities such as courage, humility, faith and forgiveness, and service leadership. In addition, the research exposes their failings, such as vain conceit, high temper, and self-ambition, and how the weaknesses played out and undermined their leadership and successes. The paper then looks at the limitations preventing Christians from practicing faith in the workplace, such as religious discrimination and unfavorable employment policies.
Introduction
Leadership is not just about being in the position of authority or management, but how one approaches and deals with problems they encounter. Even though leadership styles can vary, the ability of a person in authority to make proper decisions and overcome the obstacles they come across in their various courses is critical. Not every individual in a position of authority can be a good leader. Philippians 2:3 and Jeremiah 29:11 provide leadership values and approaches for those in positions of authority. The values include courage, good decision-making, communication skills, humility, decisiveness, loyalty, forgiveness and compassion, faith, service leadership, and sharing of responsibilities.
The Bible provides various examples of leaders who performed well in their various positions and duties. However, despite their successes, they still had some failings. Moses and David are examples of two leaders who demonstrated positive leadership approaches and attributes during their times that should be emulated by Christians; even so, they had some failings that provided lessons to those in leadership.
Moses Background
Moses is one of the most important prophets among the Abrahamic religions, including Christianity, Islam, Baha Faith, and Druze Faith. He rescued the Israelites from captivity in Egypt as well as delivered the Ten Commandments, which play a critical role in Christianity and religious faith in general. Moses led the Israelites from Egyptian captivity into the Promised Land as a God-chosen leader. He is one of the biblical leaders who are being looked upon by most Christians for his leadership style and successes. To understand Moses’ leadership, revisiting his history and background is important.
Moses was born when the Israelites were in captivity in Egypt. Despite the oppression and slavery, the Hebrew population was ever-rising. As a result, the Egyptians became worried by the ever-rising number of their slaves as they feared the Jews could ally and collaborate with their enemies to threaten their kingdom. To counter the rising population, the Egyptian Pharaoh ordered the killing of all male Hebrew children.
At the time of the killing, Jochebed, a Jewish woman who would become the mother of Moses, gave birth. To protect her son from the mass killing, the woman hid her newly born child on the bank of the River Nile at Pharaoh’s daughter’s regular site of the bath. When the princess came for her regular bath, she picked up the baby and adopted her.
Moses would then take care of Moses as a foster mother, teaching him his culture and ancestral roots. As a result, Moses was brought up in the palace as a member of the royal family under the protection of Pharaoh’s daughter. As a youth, he helped to kill an Egyptian slave master who was assaulting a Hebrew slave, a confirmation that he understood his roots and culture.
After killing the Egyptian slave master, Moses fled Egypt into Midian across the Red Sea. In his fugitive journey, Moses encountered the spirit of God in the form of a burning bush on Mount Horeb. It was from the scene that Moses’ authority was developed. God sent him back to Egypt to deliver his people from captivity. Since Moses was not an eloquent speaker due to his stammering weakness, God assigned him his brother Aron to speak on his behalf. Moses’s great leadership journey would start there and grow higher as he achieved greater things.
Moses’s Achievements
To understand Moses’s leadership styles and values, reviewing his achievements and successes during his course of authority is important. He is considered one of the most important Hebrew leaders due to his achievements and significant contributions to the history of not only the Israelites but to the whole followers of the Abrahamic religions. Some of the achievements were challenging, and it took him great leadership to successfully attain them.
Freeing the Israelites from the Egyptian Bondage
Through the hell of his God, Moses freed the Hebrews from Egyptian oppression and slavery. After having fled Egypt to escape Pharaoh’s death penalty for murdering the Egyptian slave master, God ordered Moses back to Egypt to demand the release of his people from captivity. Even though Pharaoh was adamant about releasing the Hebrews, a source of free labor, Moses was brave enough to challenge and compel him to free the Israelites. To convince the tough-headed Pharaoh, Moses performed miracles, including turning his rod into snakes and the ten plagues that wrecked Egypt.
Following Pharaoh’s eventual freeing of the Hebrews, the Israelites encountered another challenge of crossing the Red Sea. After their departure from Egypt, Pharaoh regretted and rescinded his decision to free the slaves and began to pursue them. As a result, the Hebrews found themselves in a tough situation with Egyptians at their back and the Red Sea ahead of them. They then began to condemn Moses for taking them out of Egypt and wished they had remained in captivity instead of dying in the Red Sea. Moses, who loved his people and had faith in his God, showed great leadership by asking for God’s intervention and leading across the Red Sea.
Defeating the Amalekites
After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites found themselves at the mercy of the Amalekites, who were the land’s inhabitants around the Red Sea. The Amalekites were not ready to welcome the Hebrews or allow them a peaceful passage through their land. Moses was thus forced to challenge the new enemies, leading the Hebrews in their first battle after their freedom in Egypt. Even though the Amalekites had the upper hand against the exhausted Israelites, through Moses’ strategic leadership and courage, the Hebrews defeated the Amalekites, allowing them to pass through the land.
Delivering the Ten Commandments
Moses is credited for delivering the Ten Commandments for the basic laws of the Hebrews and the Abrahamic religions such as Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, among others. Following the crossing of the Red Sea and the defeat of the Amalekites, God ordered Moses and the Hebrews to the foot of Mount Sinai, where he would give them his laws to guide them. Moses then left the Israelites at the foot of the mountain and climbed the top to receive the laws written on the stone tablets. However, while on top of the mountain, Moses delayed returning to the Hebrews, who were eagerly waiting for him. After some long wait, some Israelites became impatient and worried about his life, thinking he might have died. As a result, they collected jewelry from their women, melted it, and made a golden calf which they began to worship and praise for delivering them from Egypt.
When Moses returned from the mountain and saw how the Israelites had turned to idolatry, he got angry and broke the stone tablets that carried the Ten Commandments. After that, he ordered the golden calf statue to be melted down and the fluid to be fed to those who took part in idolatry worship. Moses then picked new stone tablets and copied the Ten Commandments.
Initiating the Covenant
Moses oversaw the Sinai Covenant between the Hebrews and God, where the Israelites swore to become the people of Yahweh. They would practice monotheism and serve Yahweh as their only God. Moses then oversaw the priesthood institution under his brother Aron’s custody. To enhance the covenant, Moses eliminated the Hebrews who had rebelled against the worship of God. In his last act at the mountain, Moses received the instruction for the institution of the Tabernacle, which would represent the presence of Yahweh. The Israelites were under instruction to carry it to the Promised Land and everywhere they would go to symbolize their covenant with Yahweh.
The Promised Land
Moses is credited for taking the Israelites to the Promised Land. Even though he did not personally reach Canaan, he set the stage by leading the Hebrews across the wilderness, defeating the enemies they encountered, and instilling faith in the people. When he realized he was becoming old and thus could not reach Canaan with the people, he nurtured Joshua and Caleb, who ensured the Israelites reached the Promised Land.
Leadership Approaches and Model
Consultative and Listening
Being in a position of authority does not mean one knows everything. Therefore, a good leader should be ready to listen to others, new ideas, and opinions (Zenger & Folkman, 2019). In addition, good leadership is when the authority can consult and improve on decision-making. Moses demonstrated the ability to listen to others when he took the advice of his father-in-law, Jethro, to appoint judges to oversee legal matters, which eased his leadership role and enhanced the management of the people. Before that, Moses handled legal matters with other responsibilities, making his work difficult and overwhelming. However, his father-in-law’s advice helped him improve his leadership and management of his people. Christian leaders should be prepared to consult when faced with difficult decisions and listen to the counsel of others, irrespective of their status or level.
Sharing Responsibility
Most leaders prefer to take full charge of all responsibilities under their management. While that is good for control and supervision, it is important to share responsibilities (Weike et al., 2019). Sharing responsibilities enhances effective leadership and successful management. Moses, as a leader, demonstrated his ability to share responsibilities when he was ready to appoint judges to help him handle legal matters. The decision helped to enhance the leadership and management of the Israelites, whose population had overgrown.
In addition, Moses was ready to pick his brother Aron to speak for him when he confronted Pharaoh. Since he knew he was not a good speaker due to his stammering problem, so he picked his brother Aron to accompany him to the headstrong Pharaoh. The sharing of responsibility helped him convince and convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Christians in various leadership positions should be ready to share their responsibilities with others and always seek help from their fellows.
Courage
As a person in authority, courage is important because people look up to their leader. When they encounter problems, people always look up to their leader to gain strength and courage (Yu et al., 2022). It is, therefore, critical for every religious leader to remain strong and courageous during challenging situations.
Moses demonstrated courage when confronting the ferocious Pharaoh and delivering the Israelites from their long bondage. Even though he knew going back to Egypt and challenging the Egyptian King was difficult, he did not relent or decline the responsibility but faced the hardliner King with courage. In addition, Moses showed great courage during crossing the Red Sea. When the Israelites began losing faith in their God at the crossroads between the Red Sea and the Egyptian armies in pursuit, Moses became the beacon of hope by displaying unwavering faith and courage, thereby leading them across the Red Sea. Moses understood God had good plans for his people, as promised in Jeremiah 29:11. He refused to be discouraged by the hopeless spies.
Furthermore, Moses showed great courage when the spies he had sent to survey the Promised Land came with discouraging messages, instilling fear among the Israelites. He was not frightened by the negative and hopeless feedback of the spies. Instead, he remained determined and courageous to face the purported Canaanite giants, even though most had developed fear (Yu et al., 2022). His courage inspired the young Joshua and Caleb to lead the remaining Hebrews to their Promised Land; even most of his confidants had become pessimistic and cowardly. Like Moses, Christians going for leadership should be courageous enough to face the challenges they overcome and not despair.
Ability to Inspire, Groom, and Develop Others
A good leader should understand that they would require some people to pick from them and thus nurture upcoming individuals. He should play a role model and inspire the people they manage (Vasanthakumari, 2019). Even though he was chosen by God to lead the people of Israel, he tagged along with his brother Aron and prepared for priesthood leadership.
In addition, Moses appointed judges he assigned to preside over legal matters, setting the stage for the judges in Israel. Since he knew his time would end and his people would need another leader, Moses chose Joshua, nurtured them, and blessed them to take over the leadership. As a result, the duo led the Hebrews to the Promised Land even after Moses had died. Christian leaders should understand the importance of inspiring and nurturing others to take over from them when they exit the stage.
Forgiveness, Compassion, and Value of the People
The Bible in Philippians 2:3 requires leaders to avoid selfish ambitions and vain conceit, but those in authority value and have the people at heart. When they face difficulties and problems, a leader should empathize, show compassion, share the problem with them, and not hide away (Van Wart, 2011). In addition, a leader should be ready to forgive and correct their subjects. Moses showed compassion and empathy for the Israelites facing oppression in Egypt. On one occasion, he defended his fellow Hebrews by killing an Egyptian slave master who assaulted him.
Similarly, the suffering of his people in Egypt inspired him to deliver them from the ferocious Pharaoh, even though it was difficult. When the Israelites faced hunger and thirst in the wilderness, Moses empathized with them and intervened with God to provide manna and water. Furthermore, Moses forgave the Israelites when they backslid from Yahweh worship and turned to the golden calf idol. Even though their God had sworn to destroy them due to anger, Moses intervened for their forgiveness. Like Moses, Christians in leadership should show compassion to their subjects and be ready to forgive those who commit mistakes.
Failings as a Leader
High Temper
Even though he was a good leader and had great achievements, Moses had temper problems, which affected his management style. When he had gone up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments and was delayed, the impatient Israelites lost hope and turned to idolatry by making a golden calf on seeing that on his return, Moses could not control his temper, leading him to break the stone tablets carrying the laws. While a good leader, he demonstrated that he could not control his emotions (Strand & Emstad, 2020). Christian leaders should learn how to control their emotions in any situation and not let anger overcome them and rush decision-making.
Vain Conceit
A good Christian leader should be humble and always associate his achievements with God. The leader should understand that God facilitates whatever they do, not through their own power. While they take credit for their achievements, they should not forget to honor and acknowledge God (Moldoveanu & Narayandas, 2019). In Philippians 2:3, the scripture warns of self-ambition and vain conceit but reminds leaders to practice humility.
However, Moses failed when he was overtaken by conceit when God facilitated him to provide water from the rock. Even though it was by God’s miraculous power, Moses developed pride and failed to credit Yahweh for the provision. The desire to take pride made him forget God’s power. Christians in leadership should always remember to acknowledge God in all their achievements and not seek personal glory.
David’s Background
David was one of the greatest leaders in the Old Testament, whose greater leadership enabled him to achieve great things. David was the lastborn son of Jesse, who was known for herding his father’s sheep, as was the norm of many lastborns at the time. At a very young, God, through Prophet Samuel, anointed him to lead the people of Israel and took over from then King Saul. At the time of his anointing, the Israelites were suffering at the hands of the Philistines, who constantly defeated them in battle under the leadership of their great warrior, Goliath. Through the help of God, David managed to kill Goliath using a stone and sling, setting the stage for his leadership. Years later, David would take over the kingship of Israel and have an everlasting impact on the kingdom, making great achievements.
Achievements of David
To understand the leadership style of David, it is necessary to analyze his achievements and values. Considered the greatest King in the history of Israel, David’s great achievements are credited to his leadership style and management of the kingdom and his people. Even though he had some personal weaknesses, he rose above his failings to attain unmatched success. His leadership saw the kingdom of Israel reaching great religious, economic, and military prosperity.
Conquering Jerusalem
As a king, David united the 12 tribes of Israel, which had differences during the reign of King Saul. After uniting the tribes of Israel and bringing the southern and northern kingdoms together, he led the united army against Jerusalem, where he conquered the city and made it the kingdom’s capital. He defeated the city’s original inhabitants and occupied it, making it the center of his administration. Jerusalem would remain the capital of Israel for a very long time.
Defeating the Philistines
At the time of King Saul, the Philistines were the greatest enemies of Israel who constantly engaged and defeated them in battle. The Philistines used to attack and plunder Israel and sometimes force the King to pay them. King Saul was defeated and killed by the same Philistines. The Philistine threat remained even after David had become King following Saul’s death. King David would unite and lead the Israelite army against the Philistine Army, defeating and attaining a decisive victory.
Reclaiming the Ark of Covenant
The Ark of Covenant was an important tool among the Israelites that symbolized their covenant with Yahweh and was used in worship. It was taken by the Philistines during the reign of King Saul when they besieged Israel and defeated their King. In his first battle as a king, David mobilized united Israel against the Philistines, defeated them, reclaimed the Ark of Covenant, and took it to Jerusalem, where it was stored. The reclaiming of the Ark was significant for the worship of Yahweh.
David’s Leadership Approaches
Courage
A good leader must have the courage to face the enemy and the challenging situations they face. Since people always turn to the top for inspiration when faced with problems, the person in authority must have the courage to restore hope and motivate the subjects, failure to which the people will despair (Manning, 2017). Like Moses, David demonstrated courage and determination when he faced and defeated the invincible Goliath (Benmira & Agboola, 2021). Even though everyone had feared the enemy, including King Saul, David believed in God and knew he would make him proper against his enemy, Goliath, as promised in Jeremiah 29:1. As a result, he challenged and killed Goliath, setting the stage for Israelite victory against the stubborn Philistines.
After taking over as King, the Philistine threat remained as they besieged Israel. However, in his great leadership, David mobilized the 12 tribes of Hebrews against the Philistines, securing a decisive victory and reclaiming the Ark of Covenant, which had been taken by the enemies. In addition, the courageous leadership of David was demonstrated when he defeated the other Hebrew enemies and expanded his kingdom. Christian leaders should be courageous in the face of temptation and challenges and trust God.
Compassionate and Forgiving
The virtue of forgiveness is important for leadership and management. In addition, a leader should show compassion and mercy to the people they manage and their enemies (Ibrahim & Daniel, 2019). Like Moses, David demonstrated forgiveness and compassion when he spared the life of Saul when he ambushed him and his army at night. Even though Saul had attempted to kill him, he did not take revenge but forgave him and preserved his life.
Similarly, David showed compassion to the house of Saul when he spared the life of his son Ish-bosheth, despite his father constantly attempting to kill him. In addition, David showed compassion to the Israelites who had rebelled against them, sparing their life and welcoming them to his army. Christians in leadership should always be ready to forgive and reconcile with their supposed enemies. In addition, Christians should show compassion to those they lead and share their problems.
Good Decision-Making
Leadership is determined by the ability to make proper decisions. Leaders must, therefore, be able to make impactful decisions (Goldenhar et al., 2019). Like Moses, David demonstrated the ability to make proper decisions in his leadership. When faced with the threat of King Saul, who wanted to eliminate him, David could draw up a plan that helped him escape. Similarly, David’s good decision was seen when he avoided confrontation with his rebellious son, Absalom, who had besieged his place and overthrew him since he understood confronting his son would lead to his death. Christians in leadership should be able to make good decisions even when under pressure or tension to find solutions to problems.
Service Leadership
A good leader should not be overtaken by their position and become proud but should instead stay humble and practice service leadership. Like Moses, David demonstrated humility through service leadership when he agreed to serve King Saul (Fernandez et al., 2021). Even though he had been anointed by Samuel to take over the kingship, he stayed humble and served King Saul while waiting for his time. David was not overtaken by the anointing but practiced humility until he was crowned King after the death of King Saul.
Similarly, David demonstrated humility when he led the praise of Yahweh following their victory against the Philistines and reclaiming the Ark of Covenant. Even though he was King, it did not deter him from praising his God for the victory. Similarly, David was always humble in crediting God for his achievements. Christians in leadership should practice humility in their leadership, regardless of their status or level.
Sharing Responsibilities
Good leaders share responsibilities with others and delegate duties. Like Moses, David exhibited the ability to share responsibilities when he delegated some duties to his close allies (DuBrin, 2022). David let his generals, such as Abner, Joab, and Asher, lead his army to battle on his behalf.
In addition, he delegated the religious duties to Prophet Samuel and other leaders, giving him enough time to focus on the kingdom’s administration. As a result, King David led Israel to economic and military prosperity. Christians in various leadership levels should learn to share responsibilities and delegate some duties to their fellows.
Failings as a Leader
Self-Ambition and Selfishness
The Bible in Philippians 2 3 warns against doing things out of self-ambition and vain conceit but to value others. Even though he was a great leader and had many achievements, David was motivated by self-ambition when he plotted the murder of Uriah to take his wife. Despite having many wives, David, out of self-ambition and selfishness, proceeded to take Uriah’s only wife and plotted his death, ignoring his dedication and loyal service. He, therefore, failed as a leader and could not resist the temptation of adultery. Christians in leadership should learn from that and avoid selfishness, the temptation that can affect their management and drag them back.
Limitations Christians Have on Bringing Faith into Our Workplace
Religious Diversity in the Workplace
Most workplaces have people of different religious faiths; Christians, therefore, find it hard to practice their faith for fear of being judged or discriminated against. For instance, a workplace with Muslims, Hindus, and other faiths would quickly judge a Christian trying to practice their faith (Vasanthakumari, 2019). Instead of appreciating the believer, they would harshly judge and discriminate against them. It even becomes hard when the management does not recognize or subscribe to the Christian faith.
Religious Discrimination in the Workplace
Some workplaces are characterized by religious discrimination, especially in countries with religious restrictions and extremism. Therefore, employees who subscribe to different religious beliefs are likely to be discriminated against (Vasanthakumari, 2019). Such a religious environment makes it hard for employees with different religious beliefs to practice their faith. For instance, Islamic states such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, among other countries with strict Islamic beliefs, are intolerant of other faiths. Christians in such workplaces cannot, therefore, easily practice their faiths.
Strict Employment Laws
Some workplaces have strict religious regulations and principles that guide the employees. The negative regulations can render faith and its practice intolerable in the workplace and its environment (Vasanthakumari, 2019). Such laws are common in countries with high atheist beliefs and less subscription to religious faiths. Christians in such workplace environments cannot practice their faith due to the fear of penalty or, worse, losing their job.
Conclusion
In summary, Moses and David are considered the greatest leaders in the Old Testament due to their high contributions and achievements. Their successes are credited to their leadership styles characterized by values such as humility, wisdom, courage, forgiveness, compassion, communication skills, and the ability to share responsibilities, which should be emulated by Christians in leadership. However, despite their great achievements, the two leaders had failings such as high temper, boastfulness, and failure to resist temptation, which almost affected their leadership and, thus, provided a good lesson for Christian leaders to avoid. Christians in various leadership positions should borrow from the skills and values of the duo to succeed in their responsibilities and duties while learning from their weaknesses and failings.
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