1: 9-13- At that time I said to you, "You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. The Lord your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as many as the stars in the sky.1 May the Lord, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised! But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself? Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you."

Moses begins this recollection by the recognition of his own difficulty, "You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone." This admission, we must remember, was made not to GenB but to GenA some forty years previously.

The way this recognition is composed is instructive for those of us involved in Christian leadership. Moses did three things:

1. He Admitted the Problem —

"You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone" (v9) & "how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself?" (v12).

Far too many churches lie stagnant because leaders are misconceived that the admission that a problem exist is a declaration of their failure. But no pastoral transformation can take place until and unless we are prepared to admit that a problem exists. All of us need to learn this lesson; even if our admission displays glaringly for all to see the fact that we are human, let it serve as laying down our life for the sake of the congregation's growth.

2. He Defined the Problem —

"The Lord your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as many as the stars in the sky. May the Lord, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised! But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself?" (vv10-11)

We can begin to understand how a need can be met only if we can define what the need or problem is. In this case the problem arose from the people's multitude; they had become "as many as the stars in the sky." The source of the problem is interesting; it has to do with Yahweh's goodness and faithfulness. The problem was a source of difficulty but it was also a cause for praise. Defining and understanding the nature or source of the problem enables us, therefore, to recognize what are appropriate responses. Yes, here, Moses could also bless God!

3. He Proposed a Workable Solution —

"Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you" (13).

Moses's counsel reflects two characteristics of good decisions-making:

1) they are broad enough to solve the problem without locking out the openness to additional proposals. Moses' solution is "choose some men and I will set them over you." This leaves open, e.g., such question as how many, how many from each tribe, can some tribes have more men representing them, and so on. Moses does not micro-manage.

2) they are specific enough to act upon immediately. By specifying the basic qualities the men must possess (wise, understanding and respected/reputable") and insisting that all tribes are to be represented, Moses narrows down the task enough so that it can be acted on immediately, avoiding the contentious chaos of nominations of incompetent men and ensuring sound and godly leadership.

The citation of the requisite qualities for leadership in Exo.18:21 required them to be "capable, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest gain." These qualities are here simply summarized as "wise, perceptive, and respected" (v.13). 'Wise' (chakam) and 'perceptive' (bin ) are synonyms and refer to those qualities and attitudes in a person that encompass understanding and discernment of what is important, practical and prudent, whether this concerns specific fields of expertise (such as the skills needed in the construction of the tabernacle and its paraphernalia, Exo.28:3; 31:6; 35:25) or the more general concerns of life, such as illustrated in the teachings of Proverbs or Solomon's shrewdness in deciding the case between the two mothers (1 Ki.3:16ff.). In the OT, these qualities find their ultimate grounding in the fear of Yhwh (Prov.1:7). 'Respected' (NIV) implies a person who has been tested in the furnace of life and found credible. 'Experienced' (RSV, NASB, NJB) is an alternative translation, though one that requires a slight re-vocalization of the Hebrew text. The need for these qualities in those who lead do not change. Centuries later, the apostles would require the same qualities to be found in the early church (see, e.g., Acts 6:2ff.). Imagine what would have happened if only our churches (and governments) have leaders such as designated here!

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