…Fighting one battle from two fronts: Lessons learnt from the leadership of Moses
By Rev Clifford Chisha
Key Scripture: Exodus 17:8-13
Two groups were in two different battle fields, they fought one battle which took place in one place and celebrated victory together.
Joshua and the men he chose fought the Amalekites physically while Moses, Hur and Aaron went up to the top of the mountain to fight the same battle, though not physically.
Moses caused Israel to fight from two fronts.
Moses, Aaron and Hur fought from the mountain, and Joshua and his team fought from the physical battle field.
The decision of Choosing
One of the critical things a leader is faced with almost every day, is the issue of decision making.
√Decision making involves choosing among two or more options or among many people.
√You cannot employ the entire world; you need to choose the best.
√You cannot do everything at once, you need to prioritise or choose from many with respect to the most important task or what needs to come first and then what can wait.
√Choosing is not easy.
A great leader has the ability to choose ‘a winning team’ without compromising (no nepotism, tribalism or favouritism).
Some leaders’ failure did not come when they failed; it came when they failed to choose the right people for a particular task.
√The two teams from our key portion of scripture were chosen by leaders.
#Joshua was instructed by his leader Moses to choose men who could fight for Israel.
(Exodus 17:9)
√He did not involve all the men of Israel in the battle.
A leader who always wants to involve everyone in all the assignments is a successful failure.
So Moses said to Joshua, ‘choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek [and his people]. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.’ ”
(Exodus 17:9)
#Moses went to the top of the mountain with Aaron and Hur.
√He did not go with all the men. Aaron and Hur were chosen for that particular task.
Most likely, Moses considered their abilities.
The Lord Jesus Christ did not disciple the entire world.
He chose twelve disciples and through them, the world turned upside down.
- Know Where to fight (work) from
A good leader knows where to fight from and who to fight along with.
#Moses went with his team to the top of the mountain to fight the same battle Joshua and his men were fighting.
√Each time Moses lifted up his hands, Israel prevailed and when his hands grew tired, Amalek begun to prevail.
√Aaron and Hur helped Moses with a stone to sit on and help his hands when they grew tired.
Great teamwork, great support.
(Exodus 17:11-12)
To fight from two fronts, teamwork is important and team members should be picked on merit.
#Joshua and his warriors were in the battle field fighting against the Amalekites.
#Moses knew where to be.
As a leader, you are not supposed to work like a football referee, being always found close to the action spot or scene.
#Know where to be and the people to be with.
Treasure team work and know where your presence is needed most.
√Moses’s presence was needed most in the presence of God.
Be where your presence is needed most.
#When you fight from two fronts, the chances of emerging victorious are very high.
Come up with a team and when need arise, strategically divide the team to fight from the two fronts.
√Learn to combine well the spiritual front and the physical front.
