By Victor Umaru
Lecturer, Baptist College of Theology
Obinze, Owerri
Department of Theology, Baptist College of Theology
Obinze, Owerri, Imo State
honagombi@gmail.com
JETHRO’S METHODS OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN EXODUS 18:17-23: LESSONS
FOR DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE IN AFRICA
Abstract
Despite enjoying official freedom for over 60 years, Africa’s
expectations and aspirations are still primarily unfulfilled. Leadership
has been a recurring theme in the conversation around the African
initiative. In order to rebuild a long-lasting atmosphere of peace and
tranquility that will encourage growth and affect the leaders and the led
in the continent, this paper analyses why the African system of
governance has a awed process for developing leadership and
interpersonal relationships. The paper employs an eclectic exegetical
approach of both diachronic and synchronic, which allows the exegete to
be flexible in data presentation to purposefully achieve the studies and
draw lessons for sustainable governance in Africa. The latter aspect of
the approach allows the exegesis to accept Exodus 18:17-23 text as the
final matured text accepted by the Israelite religious community. The
paper reveals that sustainable governance in Africa is possible if the
principles shared in this paper are followed. The principles were taken
and extracted from Jethro’s advice to Moses as recorded in the passage.
These include; the principle of electing mature leaders, which must be
traced through their track records; the principle of representative
leadership, which allows an inclusive system, not nepotism; last but not
least, the principle of shared leadership, which gives room for other to
participate in the governance not one person becoming a monopoly of
knowledge and power.
Introduction
As claimed by Princess Diana, the princess of Wales, “Intolerant
behaviour is currently the biggest issue on the planet. Everyone
is very unkind to one another.” This statement made by Diana
seems to perfectly reflect the fundamental causes of the ongoing
issues and misunderstandings that have plagued Africans for
the past few decades. It appears from the researcher’s discovery
that the once highly esteemed and prestigious Africa is now, as it
were, living in past glories in her present-day realities, and much
of this is because of the numerous misunderstandings and
intolerance that have predominated in the lives of several of her
governing system and leadership on top of the global economic
meltdown that has affected the economy of several nations and
organizations.
Leadership is one of the most studied phenomena and is the least
well-understood. Given the worldwide push toward political
and economic freedom, a call for a focus on governance and
leadership is topical, significant, and unquestionably current.
Many people and governments worldwide urgently wanted
unification, justice, peace, and stability. The resurgence of this
desire can be attributed to not just their political initiatives but
also their social and economic ones. Most African countries are
experiencing a severe and worsening political and economic
crisis. African political, social, and economic instability and
frequent ethnic, communal, and religious crises have led to
concerns with leadership and governance. In other words, the
staggering surge of violence, insecurity, rising crime wave,
economic downturn, and the breakdown in law and order are
characteristics of Africa’s leadership and governance issues.
Therefore, sound government and sustained development
depend on good leadership.
In order to rebuild a long-lasting atmosphere of peace and
tranquility that will encourage growth and affect the leaders and
the led in the continent and their various nations, this paper
analyses why the African system of governance has a awed
process for developing leadership and interpersonal
relationships. The paper employs an eclectic exegetical approach
of both diachronic and synchronic, which would allow the
exegete to be flexible in data presentation to purposefully
achieve the studies and draw lessons for sustainable governance
in Africa. The latter aspect of the approach would allow the
exegesis to accept Exodus 18:17-23 text as the nal matured text
accepted by the Israelite religious community. At the same time,
the former approach would allow the exegete to dig into the
wealth of the text’s historical background. The researcher’s goal
is to examine the issue critically, analyze why things appear to
have broken down, and suggest potential ideas and approaches
that the researcher may have discovered as lasting approaches
and solutions to these silent challenges in the continent that have
hampered growth and adversely affected the continent in
various ways.
This paper will act as a catalyst for reorienting the general way of
life of the leaders and the led as it relates to their interactions
across the continent. Once more, this study aims to reorganize
African leaders’ priorities by demonstrating to them where they
have come from, how long they have fallen, and the physical,
spiritual, and psychological ramifications of their state of bad
relationships and performances have brought about.
Africa and the Challenge of Sustainable Governance
Despite enjoying official freedom for over 60 years, Africa’s
expectations and aspirations are still primarily unfulfilled.
Leadership has been a recurring theme in the conversation
around the African initiative. Seteolu remarked that the ruling
class had been the target of slander, vilification, condemnation,
and contempt because of the pervasive and ongoing
socioeconomic and political catastrophe. In addition to an
excessively devalued national currency and unpopular,
restrictive, and alienating economic policies, he continued, the
economic sphere has been characterized by a significant external
debt overhang, net capital right, disinvestments, the collapse of
social infrastructure, a food crisis, and widespread insecurity.
Most scholars agreed that Africa’s problems were primarily
brought on by, among other things, the continent’s growing
estrangement from the general public and the leadership’s
inadequate training for the duty of managing their country.
Afegbua and Adejuwon claim that African politicians usually
entered the office without professional experience. Even though
most of them have persisted in the face of significant obstacles to
growth and nation-building, sometimes unprepared and
unsupported, their efforts have, at best, produced inconsistent
results. There are no organizations in Africa that focus on
producing future leaders with a global outlook, leaders able to
collaborate within and outside institutional, regional, and
national boundaries. Finding up-to-date information on the
great majority of national, regional, and worldwide matters is
exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, in many African
countries.
The problem that Africans are most concerned about is the
absence of competent political leadership. There are, of course,
failures in other areas, but they are all, in the perceptions of the
public, connected to ineffective political leadership. According
to Seteolu’s description of the problem from a Nigerian
viewpoint, the political elites are not a producing class but rather
depend on controlling state processes to obtain economic
gains. It is easier to see how over-politicized the African
republics have become when one considers the context of the
unfettered struggle for influence, patronage, and power. Due to
the nature of the political rivalry, a local ruling class devoid of
ideological commitments evolved. Instead of engaging in
political conflict inside intellectual frameworks, politics has
evolved into a contested field for immediate, selfish political
benefits.
Due to the de-ideologization of African politics, aspiring
political leaders do not feel a pressing need to express their
macro-vision for the continent. There is no precise specification
of any system values. A predatory political elite interested in
power struggles, consolidation, alignment, and realignment
related to hegemonic rule emerged due to the characteristics of
the African states. The lack of ideology in politics, the
commercialization of politics, the expansion of the bases of
political participation, and the promotion of alternative policy
agendas are all factors in this.
Because of the individualized nature of rule in so many African
countries, governance structures are essentially informal and
subject to arbitrary change, in addition to missing the logic and
empirical content that typically characterize such activity in
order circumstances. Most African leaders assumed their
positions without thoroughly understanding the art and science
of administering a current state’s operations. African leaders
must therefore have the skills necessary to strike a balance
between the goals of African communities and the principles of
government to which their nations must adhere. However,
rather than seeing the two as mutually exclusive, the emphasis
must be on merging them.
Eventually, one political party and its leader held all of Africa’s
political power. The ofce of the President has expanded to
become the absolute authority over all government departments
as a result of the majority of African Presidents being reelected
without any opposition. In addition, Kamuntu points out that
more severe violations of human rights were employed to
brutally suppress opposition to the President’s attempt to
consolidate power, which resulted in massacres, the emigration
of millions of Africans, and the search for personal security in
employment of many capable Africans in other countries. The
ongoing African crisis presents a tremendous challenge for the
region and its leaders.
Sadly, African political leadership aspirants do not feel forced to
describe their long-term goals for the continent. There is no exact
formulation of systematic values. African political leadership is
local, employing national resources for its corrupt goal of
primitive accumulation instead of being national.
According to the assertion above, the African leadership and its
allies have privatized the state to benefit themselves. African
leadership traits include clientelism, privatized state
apparatuses, ethnic rivalries and cleavages, political brigandage,
and parochial, individualistic, selfish inclinations. Renowned,
visionary figures must lead the nations of the continent with a
solid reputation for honesty; these figures of the people must
possess both vision and mission. He should be able to keep his
word to the people and be a living example of every virtue his
party supports. Some claim that Africa’s leadership, or lack
thereof, is its worst challenge. The lack of competent leadership
in Africa is the fundamental problem preventing progress,
making it a vital issue even during democratization. According
to Adeola, great nations have a history of having creative and
intentional leadership, whether in the developed industrialized
nations or the developing ones. Such leaders have significantly
contributed to their countries political and social development.
Leadership and ideology are intimately intertwined. A nation
will continue to lack commitment and direction without a
visionary leader who can articulate a unique philosophy. As a
result, the leadership has not used people’s creativity and
resources for the country’s growth.
An apparent lack of leadership is Africa’s issue. The African
spirit and the functional political structure are both inherently
good things. Most political leaders had character issues because
they lacked control or demonstrated ineffective leadership. As a
result, state resources were split up and juggled to fulfill various
needs.
Exegetical Analysis of Exodus 18: 17-23
According to Gary North, the book of Exodus is about a daring
escape, which is reflected in the name “Exodus,” which implies
“a quick exit.” North noted that God’s grace and mercies
delivered the Israelites’ Egyptian bondage. Nevertheless, the
book is also about Israel’s newly established alliance with God
237 after their departure and rescue from Egypt. It continues the
patriarchal narrative introduced in Genesis. The Egyptian city of
Goshen was home to the people of God when the curtain closed
on Genesis, but by the time the Exodus got underway, they had
grown to the size of a nation and were being cruelly oppressed by
Pharaoh and the Egyptian taskmasters.
Exodus’ author is not identified directly, but tradition, Jewish
Hellenistic, Rabbinic, and early Christian writers all credited
Moses with writing Exodus and the entire Pentateuch, despite
current researchers’ differing opinions. Exodus was written
down historically to preserve the stories of how the Israelites
became enslaved in Egypt, their liberation, and their
preservation in the Sinai desert. Theologically, the book’s
primary goal is divine self-disclosure because God has revealed
Himself to Israel as Yahweh (Ex. 6:2-3), a name that means that
Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, will take Israel for His people
and will be their God. God has not only remembered His
Exodus outlines the events that led to Israel’s enslavement in
Egypt and how they were ultimately freed from Egyptian rule by
the intervention of Yahweh. The book also discloses the identity
of the Yahweh-named God and describes how His people, the
Israelites, first encountered his heavenly presence. Exodus
contains a variety of literary genres, such as law, poetry, and
storytelling. The book of Exodus is generally categorized as
prophetic or theological history. The book aims to educate
readers about God’s extraordinary past deeds.
Assuming that the tyranny started soon after the eighteenth
dynasty came to power (about 1350 BCE) and that the admission
to Canaan began a few years before Ramasses reign ended, most
researchers choose to date the (main or final) Exodus in the early
reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II (ca. 1290 BCE) (ca. 1230 BCE).
Another theory holds that the Hebrews arrived in Egypt from
Canaan when Hyskos was in power, just as the eighteenth
dynasty rose to power (about 1580 BCE), and that the Exodus
must have taken place when Thutmose III reigned (ca. 1450
BCE). This is consistent with the claim made in I Kings 6:1 that
Solomon’s temple was built around 970, 480 years after the
Exodus.
a. Background of Exodus 18:17–23.
The context focuses on two of the children of Israel’s wilderness
trek experiences (Exodus 17:1-16). The first experience centres on
what Israel went through in Rephidim right after leaving the
Wilderness of Sin. The children of Israel fought against Moses in
Rephidim. Rephidim, the historic location of Mount Sinai, is
considered the modern Wadi Refayld close to Jebel Musa.
When the Israelites reached Rephidim and saw there was no
water in the oasis, they once more muttered about Moses and
berated him for rescuing them from Egypt (cf. Ex. 16:3). They
complained about Moses and Yahweh in Rephidim, which was
even worse than their mutterings at Marah (Ex. 15:24) or in the
Desert of Sin (Ex. 16:2) since, according to Ex. 17:2, they even
wanted to stone Moses (v. 4). When the people complained to
God, He instructed Moses to take the staff he had used to strike
the Nile River and hit a rock near Horeb (Ex. 7:20; Ex. 17:6). As
Moses obeyed and stroked the rock, the Lord miraculously
provided water to quench His people’s thirst. However, Moses
gave the area two names: Massah (testing) and Meribah because
the people in Rephidim tested the Lord (quarreling).
The Israelites’ military triumph over the Amalekites, which
Yahweh granted to His people, is the second experience in the
immediate setting. The Amalekites, who descended from Esau
through Eliphaz (Gen. 36:12), were nomads in the southern
Canaanite wilderness at the time of Israel’s entry at Rephidim (cf.
1 Sam 15:7; 27:8). The Amalekites were nomads who made an
effort to drive out the Israelites and defend their lands from
Israel’s incursion. Joshua was finally acknowledged in the scene
as Moses called out to him. Joshua enthusiastically engaged in
combat with the Amalekites after receiving orders from God
through Moses. However, the way the Amalekites were defeated
was extraordinary and showed the strength of God. The Bible
Knowledge Commentary states that Israel’s complete reliance on
God’s strength is shown by the staff of God that Moses is holding
firmly above his head with both hands (cf. Ex 4:20). The
Amalekites started to gain the upper hand over Israel as Moses’
hands grew tired and lowered, which symbolizes a lack of
dependence on Yahweh. The assistance of Aaron and Hur, who
lifted Moses’ hands, allowed him to score a great victory over the
Amalekites. Moses constructed the LORD as my Banner altar in
honour of Yahweh’s triumph over the Amalekites in his lifetime.
Although Moses must have kept some journal during the trip, it
is significant that the passage’s records contain the earliest
reference to official written records by Moses in the Bible (Num.
247 33:2).
b. The Text and Translation
ֹע ֶֽשׂה׃ ַאָ֖תּה ֲא ֶ֥שׁר ַהָדּ ָ֔בר לֹא־ ֹטו ֙ב ֵאָ֑ליו ֹמ ֶ֖שׁה ֹחֵ֥תן ַו֛יֹּא ֶמר17
ֲע ֖ ֹשׂהוּ לֹא־תוַּ֥כל ַהָדּ ָ֔בר ִמ ְמּ ֙ ִֽכּי־ָכֵ֤בד ִעָ֑מּ ֲא ֶ֣שׁר ַהֶ֖זּה ַגּם־ָהָ֥עם ַגּם־ַאָ֕תּה ִתּ ֹ֔בּל ָנֹ֣בל18
ְל ַבֶֽדּ׃
ַאָ֛תּה ְו ֵה ֵבאָ֥ת ָֽהֱא ִ֔הים ֚מוּל ָלָ֗עם ַאָ֣תּה ֱהֵי֧ה ִעָ֑מּ ֱאִ֖הים ִויִ֥הי ִאיָ֣ע ְצ ֔ ְבּ ֹק ִל֙י ְשַׁ֤מע ַעָ֞תּה19
ֶאל־ָהֱאִֽהים׃ ֶאת־ַה ְדּ ָבִ֖רים
ָ֔בהּ ֵי֣ ְלכוּ ֶאת־ַהֶ֨דֶּר ֙ ָל ֶ֗הם ְו ֹהוַד ְעָ֣תּ ְוֶאת־ַה ֹתּו֑ ֹרת ֶאת־ַהֻחִ֖קּים ֶא ְת ֶ֔הם ְו ִה ְז ַהְרָ֣תּה20
ַי ֲע ֽשׂוּן׃ ֲא ֶ֥שׁר ְוֶאת־ַֽה ַמּ ֲע ֶ֖שׂה
ָשֵׂ֤רי ֲע ֵל ֶ֗הם ְו ַשׂ ְמָ֣תּ ָ֑ב ַצע ֣ ֹשְׂנֵאי ֱאֶ֖מת ַאְנֵ֥שׁי ֱאִ֛הים ִיְרֵ֧אי ַאְנ ֵשׁי־ַ֜חִיל ִמ ָכּל־ָ֠ה ָעם ֶתֱחֶז֣ה ְוַאָ֣תּה
׃21ֲ ע ָשֽׂ ֹרת ְו ָשֵׂ֥רי ֲח ִמ ִ֖שּׁים ָשֵׂ֥רי ֵמ ֹ֔אות ָשֵׂ֣רי ֲא ָל ִפי ֙ם
ַה ָקֹּ֖טן ְו ָכל־ַהָדָּ֥בר ֵאֶ֔לי ָיִ֣ביאוּ ַהָגּ ֹד ֙ל ָכּל־ַהָדָּ֤בר ְו ָהָ֞יה ְבּ ָכל־ֵע ֒ת ֶאת־ָה ָע֮ם ְו ָשׁ ְפ֣טוּ22
ִאָֽתּ׃ ְוָנ ְשׂ֖אוּ ֵֽמ ָעֶ֔לי ְו ָה ֵק ֙ל ִי ְשׁ ְפּטוּ־ֵ֑הם
ָי֥בֹא ַעל־ ְמ ֹקֹ֖מו ַהֶ֔זּה ָכּל־ָהָ֣עם ְוַג ֙ם ֲעֹ֑מד ְוָֽי ָכ ְלָ֖תּ ֱא ִ֔הים ְו ִצְוּ ֣ ַתּ ֲע ֶ֔שׂה ַהֶזּ ֙ה ֶאת־ַהָדָּ֤בר ִ֣אם23
ְב ָשׁ ֽום׃
17Moses’s father-in-law said to him, “Not good is the thing you are
18 doing. For sure you will wear yourself out, yourself and also this
people with you, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do
19 it alone. Now listen to me. I will advise you, and may God be with you.
You be to the people in front of God, and it is you who shall bring
20
concerns to God. You shall enjoin upon them the statutes and
teachings, and you shall make known to them the way in which they
21 should go and the practices that they are to do. As for you, seek out
from all the people competent men, God-fearers, truthful men, haters of
ill-gotten gain, and place them as chiefs of thousands, chiefs of
22 hundreds, chiefs of fties, and chiefs of tens. They shall judge the
people continually. Every major concern they will bring to you, but
every minor concern they themselves shall judge. Ease up on yourself,
23 and they will carry the burden with you. If you do this thing, and God
so commands you, you will be able to stand, and also each one of these
people will go to his place in peace.”
Structural Analysis
- Good Intention Versus Wrong Process. Vv. 17,18.
Verse 13 presents the scenario of the passage, “Moses took his
seat to serve as a judge for the people . . . they stood around him
from morning till evening” (Exod. 18:13). It was perhaps the
world’s rst case of judicial backlog. Moses had no
do. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, was surprised to see the extreme
expectations made of God’s messenger. According to the Bible,
he responded:
ֹע ֶשׂ ֙ה ַאָ֤תּה ֲא ֶ֨שׁר ַהֶזּ ֙ה ָֽמה־ַהָדָּ֤בר ַו֗יֹּא ֶמר ָלָ֑עם ֹע ֶ֖שׂה ָכּל־ֲא ֶשׁר־֥הוּא ֵ֛את ֹמ ֶ֔שׁה ֹחֵ֣תן ַוַיְּר ֙א
ַעד־ָֽעֶרב ִמן־ֹ֥בּ ֶקר ָעֶ֖לי ִנָ֥צּב ְו ָכל־ָהָ֛עם ְל ַב ֶ֔דּ ֹיו ֵשׁ֙ב ַאָ֤תּה ַמ֗דּוּ ַע ָל ָ֔עם
“What is this you are doing for the people? Why do all these
people surround you from daylight to night while you sit
alone in your role as judge? (v. 14).
It’s like saying “Moses, what on earth do you think you are
doing?” Moses believed himself to be an expert. He was stating
God’s will for the people of God. He then attempted to defend
himself by saying:
ֵאַ֔לי ָ֣בּא ָדּ ָב ֙ר ָלֶ֤הם ֱאִֽהים׃ ִֽכּי־ִי ְהֶ֨יה ִל ְד֥ ֹרשׁ ָהָ֖עם ֵאַ֛לי ִֽכּי־ָי֥בֹא ְל ֹח ְתֹ֑נו ֹמ ֶ֖שׁה ַו֥יֹּא ֶמר
ְוֶאת־ ֹתּו ֹרָֽתיו׃ ָהֱאִ֖הים ֶאת־ֻחֵ֥קּי ְו ֹהוַד ְעִ֛תּי ֵרֵ֑עהוּ וֵּ֣בין ִ֖אישׁ ֵ֥בּין ְו ָ֣שַׁפ ְט ִ֔תּי
“The people come to me to seek God’s will. Every time they
disagree, they bring it to me, and I decide between the parties
and let them know about God’s laws and judgments (Vv. 15,
16).
Moses had essential duties to complete. The prophet was aiding
Israel in finding solutions to their issues. They sought to
understand God’s will, as do most of humanity. They also
desired assistance in settling their conflicts. So, to get advice from
Moses, they brought all of their problems to him. Moses assisted
them by teaching them God’s word and discerning God’s will.
They had a judge and a counselor in the prophet. He has an
educational component to his work. He imparted the message of
God to the people so they would understand what God
demanded. He also assisted them in using the truth of God’s
word in actual circumstances.
Moses was carrying out a responsibility that was so crucial—the
expository and practical teaching of God’s word—that it was
reasonable to assume his in-laws would be impressed. After all,
Jethro had only ever observed him tending sheep until now.
Moses was now Israel’s most signicant individual and the
nation’s prophet. All day long, he had people begging for
attention. Jethro, though, was unimpressed. Instead, he
understood that what Moses was doing would ultimately be
harmful, both to himself and others:
ַהֶ֖זּה ַגּם־ָהָ֥עם ַגּם־ַאָ֕תּה ִתּ ֹ֔בּל ֹע ֶֽשׂה׃ָנֹ֣בל ַאָ֖תּה ֲא ֶ֥שׁר ַהָדּ ָ֔בר לֹא־ ֹטו ֙ב ֵאָ֑ליו ֹמ ֶ֖שׁה ֹחֵ֥תן ַו֛יֹּא ֶמר
ְל ַבֶֽדּ׃ ֲע ֖ ֹשׂהוּ לֹא־תוַּ֥כל ַהָדּ ָ֔בר ִמ ְמּ ֙ ִֽכּי־ָכֵ֤בד ִעָ֑מּ ֲא ֶ֣שׁר
Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “Not good is the thing you are
doing. For sure you will wear yourself out, yourself and also this
people with you, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not
able to do it alone.(Vv. 17, 18).
There was no skepticism regarding Moses’ sincerity. The
prophet was merely making an effort to follow through on his
duty. He was kindly trying to address the spiritual needs of the
people. Moses was willing to help, but it was obvious that he had
been given a weight too heavy to carry by himself. Jethro had the
insight to realize that Moses could not keep up at this speed.
Moses will soon be worn out due to the excessive workload. He
was on the verge of burnout. Jethro was, therefore, adamant that
what Moses was doing was ב ֙טו ֹא־ֹל” not good.” These words in
Hebrew convey a strong dislike. Moses made a grave error by
taking on more work than he could handle. - Adapting New Insights. Vv. 19-23
Jethro presented a brand-new system of government in his
capacity as Israel’s management consultant. With Moses
functioning as the chief justice, it included elements of a judicial
system and a procedure for making legal decisions. It also
included an act of leadership care strategy for God’s followers.
Jethro began by maintaining the prophet’s position:
ַאָ֛תּה ְו ֵה ֵבאָ֥ת ָֽהֱא ִ֔הים ֚מוּל ָלָ֗עם ַאָ֣תּה ֱהֵי֧ה ִעָ֑מּ ֱאִ֖הים ִויִ֥הי ִאיָ֣ע ְצ ֔ ְבּ ֹק ִל֙י ְשַׁ֤מע ַעָ֞תּה
ֶאל־ָהֱאִֽהים׃ ֶאת־ַה ְדּ ָבִ֖רים
ָ֔בהּ ֵי֣ ְלכוּ ֶאת־ַהֶ֨דֶּר ֙ ָל ֶ֗הם ְו ֹהוַד ְעָ֣תּ ְוֶאת־ַה ֹתּו֑ ֹרת ֶאת־ַהֻחִ֖קּים ֶא ְת ֶ֔הם ְו ִה ְז ַהְרָ֣תּה
ַי ֲע ֽשׂוּן ֲא ֶ֥שׁר ְוֶאת־ַֽה ַמּ ֲע ֶ֖שׂה
Now listen to me. I will advise you, and may God be with you.
You be to the people in front of God, and it is you who shall bring
concerns to God. You shall enjoin upon them the stat
teachings, and you shall make known to them the way in which
they should go and the practices that they are to do. (Exod.
18:19, 20).
Jethro did not intend to divert his son-in-law from his vocation.
The prophet would still be Moses. He would continue to act as
Israel’s representative and the covenant mediator, standing
between God and his people. He continued to impart the
practical application of God’s law. He would demonstrate to the
populace “the way to walk” or “how to live.” Moses would
continue to guide the Israelites on their journey by explaining
God’s word and by setting an excellent example with his own
life. Nothing would alter that. However, Jethro also understood
that Moses needed assistance, so he proposed an elder-led
system of government for Israel. Here was his suggestion:
ְוֶאת־ַֽה ַמּ ֲע ֶ֖שׂה ָ֔בהּ ֵי֣ ְלכוּ ֶאת־ַהֶ֨דֶּר ֙ ָל ֶ֗הם ְו ֹהוַד ְעָ֣תּ ְוֶאת־ַה ֹתּו֑ ֹרת ֶאת־ַהֻחִ֖קּים ֶא ְת ֶ֔הם ְו ִה ְז ַהְרָ֣תּה
ַי ֲע ֽשׂוּן׃ ֲא ֶ֥שׁר
ְו ַשׂ ְמָ֣תּ ָ֑ב ַצע ֣ ֹשְׂנֵאי ֱאֶ֖מת ַאְנֵ֥שׁי ֱאִ֛הים ִיְרֵ֧אי ַאְנ ֵשׁי־ַ֜חִיל ִמ ָכּל־ָ֠ה ָעם ֶתֱחֶז֣ה ְוַאָ֣תּה
ֲע ָשֽׂ ֹרת ְו ָשֵׂ֥רי ֲח ִמ ִ֖שּׁים ָשֵׂ֥רי ֵמ ֹ֔אות ָשֵׂ֣רי ֲא ָל ִפי ֙ם ָשֵׂ֤רי ֲע ֵל ֶ֗הם
As for you, seek out from all the people competent men, Godfearers, truthful men, haters of ill-gotten gain, and place them as
chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fties, and
chiefs of tens. They shall judge the people continually. Every
major concern they will bring to you, but every minor concern
they themselves shall judge. Ease up on yourself, and they will
carry the burden with you. If you do this thing, and God so
commands you, you will be able to stand, and also each one of
these people will go to his place in peace.” (Vv. 21-23).
Jethro had a sound strategy. It required the choice of
knowledgeable spiritual figures who would assist Moses in
ruling the people. These men would resolve regular
interpersonal conflicts and respond to common spiritual queries.
However, Moses was available for advice anytime the elders
required it and would take on all the challenging issues. This
would enable him to continue leading God’s lock while
protecting his prophetic authority. As said by Maxie Dunnam
“It was not a matter of taking leadership from Moses; it was a
matter of reordering and dispensing leadership in such a way
that other people would share the load.”
The secret is to compare human understanding to God’s Word’s
excellent standard. Jethro, for his part, was cautious not to issue
the prophet of God directives that would go against God’s
command. Instead, he urged Moses to ensure his counsel
reflected God’s will. “Listen to me now, and I will give you some
counsel. May God be with you,” he added (v. 19). Jethro asked
God to bless his advice. “If you do this and God so commands,”
he continued (v. 23). Some academicians view this assertion as a
directive. They quote the verse: “If you do this — God
249 commands you.” Jethro, however, was not in a position to
command God’s prophet. Instead, he subordinated his wise
counsel to God’s perfect will.
God must have approved Jethro’s advice because the Bible states:
ָאָֽמר׃ ֲא ֶ֥שׁר ֹ֖כּל ַוַ֕יּ ַעשׂ ֹח ְתֹ֑נו ְלֹ֣קול ֹמ ֶ֖שׁה ַוִיּ ְשַׁ֥מע
ֵמ ֹ֔אות ָשֵׂ֣רי ֲא ָל ִפי ֙ם ָשֵׂ֤רי ַעל־ָהָ֑עם ָרא ִ֖שׁים ֹאָ֛תם ַוִיֵּ֥תּן ִמ ָכּל־ִי ְשָׂר ֵ֔אל ַאְנ ֵשׁי־ַ֨חִי ֙ל ֹמ ֶ֤שׁה ַוִיּ ְבַ֨חר
ֲע ָשֽׂ ֹרת׃ ְו ָשֵׂ֥רי ֲח ִמ ִ֖שּׁים ָשֵׂ֥רי
ִי ְשׁפּוּ֥טוּ ַה ָקֹּ֖טן ְו ָכל־ַהָדָּ֥בר ֶאל־ ֹמ ֶ֔שׁה ְי ִבי֣אוּן ַה ָקּ ֶשׁ ֙ה ֶאת־ַהָדָּ֤בר ְבּ ָכל־ֵ֑עת ֶאת־ָהָ֖עם ְו ָשׁ ְפ֥טוּ
ֵֽהם׃
“Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
He chose capable men from all of Israel and made them leaders of
the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, the fifties, and
tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The
difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they
decided themselves” (Vv. 24-26).
Moses was teachable, as seen by this. He was ready to receive
sound counsel for his ministry as a part of his obedience to God.
“Moses sent his father-in-law on his way after receiving it, and
Jethro went back to his own country,” states the Bible (v. 27).
Moses undoubtedly held this decent man in high regard and was
eternally grateful to him for his strategy, which allowed him to
carry out his ministry’s demands while also appeasing God’s
people.
Lessons For Developing Sustainable Governance In Africa
Jethro’s suggestion was based on six crucial ideas for
establishing effective governance for Moses and the Israelites,
which, if learned and applied in the African context, would bring
about sustainable governance in Africa. These principles include
but are not limited to the following:
The Principle of Maturity
Jethro advised Moses to be selective: “Select capable
individuals” Israel needed men who could perform the task (v.
21). The word “select” in this context has the meaning of
discernment or insight. African leaders must be intelligently
picked, selected, or elected since the continent has sensible ones.
What specific qualifications were required? Jethro stated nothing
concerning these men’s employment history, educational
background, or monetary earnings. He listed moral and spiritual
qualities rather than material or intellectual qualifications. “Men
who fear God, trustworthy men who detest dishonest gain” were
to be chosen by Moses (v. 21).
The first requirement is related to a man’s relationship with God.
A good leader reveres, fears, and wants to glorify God in
whatever they do. Such a man is holy and zealous for the name of
God. His main objective is to further the glory of God, not his
agenda or his fear of what others may think. This indicates that
he is prepared to make decisions that people disagree with and to
offer advice they do not want to hear when it is essential. A man
who fears God is required to do it. The key to all wisdom is
known by a man who fears God. The Bible states that “the
250 The Book of Church Order of the Presbyterian Church in America, 5th ed.
(Atlanta: Committee for Christian Education and Publications, 1990).
beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD” (Ps. 111:10a).
Therefore, looking for a man who fears God is essential to
discover an intelligent leader. The second requirement is related
to a man’s interpersonal interactions. A capable leader may be
trusted. He can be trusted. He fulfills his promises. Honesty and
integrity are qualities that define him. In particular, he lacks a
desire for selfish gain. This has an apparent cause. One of Israel’s
leaders would attempt to persuade him to rule in their favour as
he attempted to settle numerous disagreements. Others could
even turn to bribes, while some would attempt to impress him.
Only a man who abhorred dishonest gain could be relied upon to
keep justice from being tainted. This marks the start of the
solution to Africa’s problem of weak sustainable governance.
The qualities of good governance that Africa should promote
include accountability, transparency, predictability, respect for
human rights, etc. The principles that must underpin their
government, which must be built on cooperation, tolerance, and
adherence to constitutional rules and procedures, can be
acquired by African societies. As a result, the quality of Africa’s
future leadership will decide the long-term recovery of the
continent. To ensure capable future leadership, the current
African leader has a special responsibility to develop a new
generation of leaders who are tried and true in our time and to
raise the standard of education. Africa’s peaceful and prosperous
future depends on African leaders passing this new test.
The Principle of Representative Leadership
Put another way; leaders must come from all over the country.
Jethro instructed Moses to choose “competent men from all the
people” (Exod. 18:21). He should pick leaders from all around
the country, not only from his cronies or from one particular
group of Israelites. Moses was instructed to “appoint them as
officials over thousands, hundreds, the fties, and tens” once
these individuals were selected (v. 21). The entire country will be
set up for sustainable governance in this helpful way.
The word “man” is used here and elsewhere in this paper generically to all genders.
Deuteronomy contains more information on this selection
procedure. The leaders were not chosen until after God handed
the Israelites the Ten Commandments, and they were about to
leave Mount Horeb. “Choose some respectful, understanding,
and knowledgeable men from each of your tribes, and I will
choose them to lead you,” Moses instructed the people from the
outset (Deut. 1:13). The populace effectively had the power to
choose their leaders. However, speaking on God’s behalf, the
prophet gave them the authority to lead spiritually. As he
subsequently said, “I took the leading leaders of your tribes,
intelligent and respected men, and appointed them to have
control over you,” Moses held the last say (Deut. 1:15a).
Africans get a great degree of independence for living and
progressing. Many choices they must make involve pragmatic
factors that are not explicitly covered in the Bible. God
occasionally guides people to the right action by using others,
even their constitutions. They occasionally receive sound advice
from other sister continents, such as Jethro, or even those they
view as adversaries.
It is upsetting to observe that, directly or indirectly, Africa’s
leadership election processes follow the imposition pattern.
Because of Africa’s long history of tribe grouping and ethnic
aggregations, visionary leaders are frequently overlooked in
favour of mediocre leaders who are frequently chosen or
imposed on the populace.
The immediate duty of African leadership is to restore optimism.
To deliver their people from their plight and the precipice they
are currently in. to free the people from the military and the
ruling class tyranny. There are enormous, severe, urgent, and
significant challenges facing African leadership. A leader in
Africa has work to do. He will need leadership skills, planning
skills, intelligence, and more.
Leadership in Africa is pursuing social justice, which inherently
lessens social injustice. The justice principle has two
components: requiring contributions based on equal treatment
and paying each person or group what is due. Africans need to
learn to interact honestly and sincerely to end the problem of
mistrust and suspicion among the different ethnic groups on the
continent. Any qualified African could be elected into leadership
positions after that, regardless of race or religion.
Jethro counseled Moses to appoint capable men to lead the
people in groups of thousands, hundreds, the fifties, and tens
while also instructing Moses to continue teaching the people the
decrees and instructions of God and to demonstrate to them how
they were to live and behave (Ex. 18:20–21). Therefore,
attracting the professional, intellectual, business, and industrial
elite to run for political office without prejudice is based on
leadership development. The cost of political power will
undoubtedly decrease due to this process, and issue-based
politics will be encouraged as well as improved campaigning
standards and the recruitment of new political class members
with some level of personal integrity and ancestry. The
intentional developmental leadership process is more likely to
be a good fit for all levels of government where loyalty to the
community, honour, and honesty, rather than party influence or
dominance, determine the political choice.
The Principle of Shared Leadership
Jethro’s primary goal was to achieve this. The amount of work
was far too tremendous for one man to handle alone, but once the
leaders were chosen, they could assist Moses in carrying the
load. They would assess the populace collectively. In actuality,
the leaders would undertake most of the labour themselves
because they were knowledgeable and holy men, which would
resolve the initial issue. Jethro remarked, “That will make your
load lighter since they will share it with you” (Exod. 18:22b).
Clearly, Jethro gave Moses wise counsel on how to conduct his
ministry more successfully and effectively.
He who divides and shares always takes the better part, says
Chile’s adage. Shared responsibilities with incompetent hands
will result in incorrect execution or trial-and-error work.
However, giving responsibility to capable hands results in a
division of labour, the rapid achievement of goals, a significant
reduction in the weight of leading, and peace of mind for the
leader who gave such responsibility to the capable leader (s).
Since no one can successfully develop a nation alone, sharing
leadership responsibilities must be warmly welcomed by
African leaders. Even with all of His superhuman prowess, Jesus
Christ involved people. It is important to note that Jethro’s
recommendations for associate judges to Moses were men with
spiritual qualities, such as the fear of the Lord, dependability,
and a dislike of bribery, rather than men with educational
credentials or societal relevance. Although these things may not
be wrong because they have their uses and benefits, spiritual
virtues were exalted above human abilities, societal relevance, or
educational qualifications.
Almost any leadership circumstance can be used for this
premise. People will always have wants, so when fulfilling those
needs, one will have as much work as one can handle. The issue
arises when leaders attempt to bear weights greater than God has
ordered them to bear. God never intended for leaders to carry
out every task on their own. For this reason, he has entrusted
them to the care of the other citizens of the nation. It is utter folly
for leaders to think they can do it all alone. This is bad for them
and will eventually be bad for the led. This was a significant
source of worry for Jethro. Not only was Moses growing weary,
but the populace as a whole was as well. Jethro said you and
these visitors would exhaust yourselves (Exod. 18:18a). The
people had to wait all day for Moses because he was the only
judge. People would wait in line for hours to see him.
In order to advance the material and cultural aspirations of the
majority of its population, Africa needs political leadership with
the “mental magnitude” to comprehend the problem and the
moral fortitude to act. The main barrier to a violent overthrow of
African leadership that possesses courage, tenacity, tolerance,
and honesty are the challenges they must overcome, as well as
the creation and promotion of a procedure to grant political
institutions the necessary legitimacy. Africa cannot continue to
have unprepared and unsupported leaders. Future leaders must
be well aware of the obligations, duties, and responsibilities
imposed upon them. They must be exposed to the issues ahead,
and leadership preparation must be vital. One option is to
routinely host the “African Leadership Forum,” as the African
Leadership Forum recommended. The scope of this series may
be national, sub-regional, regional, or global, and its duration
may vary. With a focus on diagnosing past failures that seemed
to have failed, as well as their comprehension of the many facets
and complex relationships among local, national, regional, and
global issues, and looking for potential approaches to offering
solutions, the objective is to identify the awareness of young,
potential African leaders.
Conclusion
The paper reveals that sustainable governance in Africa is
possible if the principles shared in this paper are followed. The
principles were taken and extracted from Jethro’s advice to
Moses as recorded in Exodus 17:17-23. These include; the
principle of electing mature leaders, which must be traced
through their track records; the principle of representative
leadership, which allows an inclusive system, not nepotism; last
but not least, the principle of shared leadership, which gives
room for other to participate in the governance not one person
becoming a monopoly of knowledge and power. When others
are allowed to participate, it makes them own the government
and contribute to its sustenance, but when others feel
marginalized, it brings about an uproar and hullabaloo.
Therefore, the success of leader development is the key to
successful African governance. Leadership is essential because it
determines whether a government succeeds or fails. For Africa to
have a stable government, the issue of leadership development
must be treated seriously. The statement made by Henry T.
Blackaby that the grandeur of an organization is precisely
proportional to the brilliance of its leader is crucial in this
context. Great nations rarely surpass their leaders. Pygmy
leaders do not create giant organizations. Therefore, developing
leaders is essential for firms to grow. Although it requires
various skills, leadership is ultimately more about being than
doing. Personal and leadership growth go hand in hand. Leaders
become more capable of leading as they develop personally.
They expand their organization’s growth ability as they develop
their leadership skills, which should not jeopardize in Africa.
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