Moses was assigned the duty to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. While Moses was looking after his father’s sheep, the LORD manifested himself to him through a bush that was burning but not getting consumed (Exod 3: 1-6) and instructed him to go and free-up his people out of Egypt, where Pharaoh had enslaved them. Before leaving Egyptian land, Moses and the Israelites were ordered to sacrifice a healthy one-year-old lamb and take a drop of blood and smear them on their forehead and their two doorposts; this was to let the destroying angel pass the Israelite houses while destroying the Egyptians. God instructed them to make a celebration of unleavened bread, which was supposed to last for seven days following the Passover feasts. After the Passover feasts, Moses guided the children of Israel out of Egypt across the red sea towards the Canaan; the land that they had been promised. During their journey, they were guided by a cloud during the day and a column of fire during the dusk. During their trip to the Promised Land, Moses and the children of Israel were faced with several issues as discussed (Hays, 2012). The Israelites were faced with shortages of food and water, and that is the point they started to grumble instead of singing and praising their God.
Issues faced by Moses during Exodus
First, Moses was faced with the issue of food shortage during their journey to the Promised Land. Exodus 16 provides an elaboration for this problem. The problem of food shortages made the Israelites complain to Moses and Aaron while they were in the desert. They complained that it would have been better if their lord had just killed them in Egypt rather than exposing them to severe food shortages. Also, Moses stammered, and he could not pass the information fluently to the Israelite whom he was leading. Moses walked along with Joshua so that Joshua could help him give the information to the Israelites.
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Besides, Moses and the Israelites were faced with the issue of water shortages. During their journey in the desert, there was no potable water, which is more essential for the sustenance of life than food. The question of water shortages was addressed by God when he instructed Mosses to hit the rock, and there was clean water for them. More so, there instances when bitter water was changed by their God to become sweet.
Security was another challenge which faced Moses during the journey to the Promised Land. As soon as they crossed the red sea, the Israelites were followed by a large group of a mighty army. At that particular time, the Israelites were just unarmed peasant slaves, and they had nothing to defend themselves. Also, the Israelites received several threads from their immediate neighbors.
Besides, the change of clothing was another issue which faced Israelites during the exodus. Moses, being a leader, received several complains from the Israelites on change of clothing. They stayed in the wilderness for forty years before they could settle in their promised land.
Furthermore, while handling the Israelites, Moses and Israelites were faced with several instances of monotony, the popular one being on the diet that they consumed in the wilderness. Even the manna which sustained them was a miraculous food; it reached a point when it became monotonous one. You can't imagine taking the same meal for forty years; the Israelites complained a lot to their leader but with no consequences. In Numbers 11:5, Israelites says that while in Egypt, they could choose any fish of their need, and it could cost them nothing. They claimed that their strength is gone since they can’t access the fruits and vegetables that they have been eating.
Alongside the issues faced by Moses was the Wrath of Yahweh. There were many judgments of Yahweh as brought about by the different violations sent by him. These infringements include fire, plagues, snakes, and sinkholes posted by him for their many trespasses. The Yahweh’s wrath made a significant number of Israelites to lack trust of their God, and this gave Moses a hard time in convincing them that they should not disobey him.
Handling the Issues faced by Israelites
Moses as the leader has to intervene by praying to God so that he could lead the Israelites out of the problems. God of the Israelites miraculously provided food to them; they survived in manna and Quills that fell from heaven. Their God, Yahweh waited until the number of their food supplies were almost exhausted before enlightening himself as their Yahweh. When Moses prayed; God told Moses that he would make food to fall from the sky (Hauerwas, 2012). Every morning the Israelites should go to the field to collect enough food for the day. Israelites were instructed to gather only the amount that was enough for that day.
God gave Moses words to say to the Israelites to calm them down and tools to use such as the stick he held over the Red Sea. Their God gathered for their security by the red sea experience whereby the mighty chariots were made to draw into the sea, even though other challenges confronted them after this. There were threats from their neighboring communities that were concerned about availability. God acted adequately to provide them with security. Throughout forty years, they could have had challenges in acquiring, but their God acted in a miraculous way to maintain both their shoes and clothing from wearing out. In Deuteronomy 29:5, Moses tells them that “for forty years the LORD led you through the desert and your clothes and shoes never wore out.
Consequences on Choices Made
Moses almost lost faith in God and the Israelites due to the leadership temptations he faced. While the Israelites were in the desert, they developed the fear, which resulted in lack of trust in their God. As a result of the lack of confidence, they rebelled against God's plans to enter the Promised Land. When God sent spies to go and survey the land, the Israelites took advantage of the pre-visit period to disobey their God. As a result of this disobedience, God decides to bare the Israelites from entering the Promised Land. God became angry and decided that none of the present generation will see the Promised Land, but he will give it to their ancestors. Moses is among those who were barred from getting the Promised Land as a result of various means of disobedience.
The Israelites ended up losing God’s blessing as they did not follow the leader God had chosen for them. The lack of God’s trust makes the Israelites miss the blessing that God had bestowed on them. For instance, when they decided to go and fight the Amorites, God declared to them that they should not go up, and they fight for he is no longer in their midst; otherwise, they will be defeated by their enemies(Deuteronomy 1:42). Lack of trust by Moses and the Israelites resulted in severe consequences in their life, and the only way they could be redeemed as though God’s grace (D, 2017).
Conclusion
There is no doubt that most Christians and Jews love to consider Moses as one of the potential leaders in their regime. Moses has been described as a great and holistic leader who represented and possessed desirable leadership qualities that are mention in the Bible. Moses had outstanding leadership qualities that are emulated by other leaders in the Bible. Moses obtained his leadership qualities and faith from his parents, and his leadership principles are traced back to his father-in-law, Jethro. He could learn and grow up with essential leadership qualities that enabled him to lead the Israelites.
References
D, A., (2017). Paul Donning Mosaic Garb? The use of Deuteronomy 32 in Israelites. Europen Journal of Theology 26, 12-18.
Hauerwas, S., (2012). Can We Handle The Truth? Learning from the Good Shepherd about leading the sheep and telling the truth. New York: Divinity. Duke.
Hays, R., (2012). Learning Leadership from Moses. A Biblical Model for the Church Today. New York: Divinity.Duke.edu.
