Exodus 17:1-7 Commentary

Leadership Called into Question

In recent years, scandals have unmasked and dethroned many charismatic (personality temperament, not denomination) leaders in the church.  My brain quickly recalled these stories as I read Moses’ reply to God’s people who are—yet again–complaining about conditions in the wilderness.  In verse 2, Moses dresses the people down for questioning him. “Why are you arguing with me? Why are you testing the Lord?” 

If you, like me, have followed these recent stories, you’ll know this is often a tactic church leaders will use to keep God’s people in check.  To question a human leader who is also called and ordained by the church is equated with questioning God directly. Yet, all human leaders are fallible, even Moses. In fact, it is another water-from-a-rock story that demonstrates Moses’ own failures as a leader. You can read that story in Numbers 20 but, it is important to say, this story is not that story.

In fact, for others who share my disillusionment with the church and its leaders (keeping in mind I love the church and I am one of her leaders), this story offers us some correctives and some grace.

Take the Elders with You

God responds to Moses’ prayer for wisdom and a path forward by, first of all, reiterating where a pastor is meant to be — out in front of God’s people. This is a place of authority, easily mishandled. But it is also a place of vulnerability—all your sinful failures and basic human foibles on display. To this exact point, God does not simply tell Moses to get out ahead of the people but to walk past them on his way to the front. Robert Alter notes that prominent Jewish scholars have suggested “this might well be a direct response to Moses’s expression of fear that the people will kill him: passing before the enraged people would be rather like running the gauntlet.” 

But Moses is also commanded to bring two things with him. The first is that Moses is supposed to bring some of the elders with him. He is not meant to go it alone. Here is wisdom to counteract some of our skepticism. We have to share the spotlight and, when we do, the heat and pressure of that position can be shared as well.  Leader, don’t go alone.

But also, bring the “the shepherd’s rod that you used to strike the Nile River.” In other words, take this physical reminder of God’s provision with you.  Remember the God who acted to deliver and liberate you in the past so that, whatever happens now, you will know it is God providing for you again.

Bring the community with you and bring your awareness of God’s faithful provisions in the past.  The CEB Study Bible points to these same features of the story.  “God reminded Moses not to go alone but to take other leaders with him…God tells Moses to pick up the same shepherd’s rod that Moses had earlier used to turn the Nile River into blood, thus robbing the Egyptians of water.  This time Moses’ rod will be used not to take away water but rather to provide life-giving nourishment to the Israelites.” In other words, whereas the people are afraid Moses will do great harm with his privileged position as, indeed, they saw him do in Egypt, Alter reminds us, now the people “will see that it can also be an instrument of benefaction.” 

Looking Forward

We can see, as early as the next chapter of Exodus, that God’s command to Moses to share the burden of leadership continues and deepens as God’s people journey toward the Promised Land.  This is not to say shared leadership solves every problem. In fact, while Moses is up on Mt. Sinai receiving the law for God’s people, they are being led in the wrong direction by Aaron who kowtows to the people’s impatience and longing to be like everyone else.  But, returning to chapter 17, we have the beautiful story of Aaron and Joshua standing vigil with Moses who is overseeing a battle with his arms raised, as a sign of God’s power to deliver the people from their enemies.  Eventually, Moses grows weary and Joshua and Aaron prop up his arms so the people never lose this sign of God’s presence and protection with them. In summary, while nothing can make human leadership flawless or impenetrable, one of God’s good gifts to leaders is shared leadership.

Another important lesson from reading this Lectionary text in harmony with other similar stories is found in Numbers 20, in which the people again grumble. They’ve run out of water and are convinced their problem stems from Moses’ faulty leadership.  In response, both Moses and Aaron go to the tabernacle and pray for God’s wisdom.  Again God commands Moses not to go alone and to take the staff, to stand with the community. Only, in this case, God commands Moses to speak to the rock, commanding it to provide water. But, instead, this time Moses’ frustration as a leader gets the best of him and he talks to the people rather than to the rock.  He doesn’t just talk. He reprimands, scolds and even calls names.  “Listen, you rebels!”  And instead of doing what God commands this time, Moses reverts to what God commanded the last time.  God provides water for the people anyway but Moses pays a sharp price for obeying what God said last time instead of what God was telling him to do this time.  

Illustration

Here is where I need to make a confession that I think will set me apart from many in our Center for Excellence in Preaching family. I haven’t read The Lord of the Rings trilogy but I did watch the movies.  I acknowledge this as a personal moral and intellectual failure on my part.

That said, even I know that the overarching story of The Lord of the Rings depends on a community of leaders. Sure, Frodo is the one who has to carry the ring to Mordor but his friends carry him there, mostly metaphorically until that beautiful scene of Sam carrying Frodo to the mountain itself. It is also the case that they must carry an artifact, a symbol with a story—basically a life—of its own. Known for great power and destruction in the wrong hands, it is a point of contrast, rather than comparison with Moses’ staff, which demonstrates the power of God. The fellowship has to continually learn and adapt throughout their journey in a way that Moses, seemingly, does not when he attempts the same thing a second time rather than understanding God’s specific instruction for the second water-from-a-rock moment. 

I suspect those of you who know the books and the movie better than myself can draw these parallels and contrasts out better. I do think the illustration works but I could be wrong. I only saw the movies once.