A leader equips…
“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.”
Exodus 13:17-18 ESV
From the description of their journey as chronologically recounted in Numbers 33 , setting off from Rameses to Succoth. The journey begins with God’s first intent seeking to equip His people, this marks the first mandate given to a leader; equipping!
Equip means to provide a person or place with the physical tools they need, or to give someone the mental skills required for a specific task.
To back track a little, the entirety of the task committed into the hand of Moses, was laid down in Exodus 3:7-10. The task was to be a vessel through whom the Lord would deliver His people. However, it did not end there. Moses was also to lead them to the promised land. In our scripture today, the Bible says they were led around by way of the wilderness not through the shortest way which would have been through the land of the Philistines. For the people needed to be equipped!
So then throughout the journey, the final destination was not the end goal, but the character, capacity, and mentality of the people needed to be formed. As we journey further on this study we shall discover the many other qualities that were seen in the life of Moses and the resultant impact on the people of Israel. For today, let’s note this God calls every leader first unto Himself and then to His people. When one is sent, it is for the purpose of equipping others(Ephesians 4:11-14).
Beloved it is not enough to merely desire to be a leader. The question is have you been equipped with the tools needed to build others up? Merely being of service is not enough, but can you be a builder? Can you equip others the same way you have been? Moses was not only leading, but through the journey had to develop a people fit for the purpose of God. The issue of many leaders is that the desire to lead surpasses their actual capacity to build and equip because they themselves have not been diligent enough to be trained and equipped by God. The danger of society and the church of God, is a people who have refused to be taught by the one who sends them forth!
At every point where a challenge was unveiled, Moses knew first to seek God, to encourage, empower and inspire with the Word He had received of God. In Exodus 14:13 by the Red Sea, after consulting with God, he shared with the people these words we constantly resound;
“And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.””
Exodus 14:13-14 ESV
These words may seem like merely the words of a motivational speaker. But to decode the depths thereof, Moses spoke of facing a challenge with boldness and courage, a steadfast and unwavering faith in God, unveiling the nature and character of God as a defender and a dependable fortress. And that truly, with these tools, one can never fail in the face of adversity. These were not merely because Moses knew what to say, but he had tasted this redeeming power of God when he once fled from Pharaoh after murdering an Egyptian and also how God through him, rescued the Israelites from oppression with a strong hand, by signs and wonders (Deuteronomy 7:19). Leaders are not perfect people, but with their own experiences they are made strong and can speak life into others burdened with the same affliction (2 Corinthians 1:4).
So as you endeavor to lead the people of God, search within the depths of your being, can you be such a vessel,able to not just lead but to comfort others, to help build them up to become a people destined for the fulfillment of a promise?