EXODUS REFLECTION - Week 5

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will face stricter judgment. For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is mature, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle.  If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. – James 3:1-5 (NRSV)

A reflection today on the importance of good leadership and the perils of bad leadership.

Before we start, I’ll state my bias in writing this as a church leader. I don’t say these things lightly and by no means am I claiming to be perfect or without flaws! Even if I did claim that, I know no one would believe me…

The story that stood out to me in this week’s readings was Exodus 32. This, for me, is one of the more memorable scenes from the Exodus narrative. Whilst it is often taken as an exemplar of the tendency of humanity towards idolatry, I read it this time around as a warning around bad leadership.

This time of year is sports-filled for me, with the Six Nations (Rugby) and Superbowl (American Football) taking place this weekend, so I’ll use a sports based illustration to start my point.

In team sports, more often than not, you have a captain. They might not necessarily be your most skilled individual, but they carry leadership qualities like communication and motivation which shapes the culture and behaviours of the team. On successful teams, there are also other leaders around the captain who support them and help in the dissemination of information and upholding of standards. Some sports even have a vice-captain. They are second in command and step in as and when the captain isn’t available. Maybe you can see where I’m going with this now…

There is a pre-cursor to this Exodus 32 passage. When God leads the people out of Egypt and they head for the wilderness, they quickly begin to grumble and complain, even wishing that they could be back in Egypt as slaves or even dead! Then, Moses and Aaron relay to the people an assurance from God, that there will be a provision of food. Effective leadership was quick to quell any anxiety and uncertainty felt by the people.

Then we come to this week’s readings.

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took these from them, formed them in a mold, and cast an image of a calf, and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” – Exodus 32:1-5

Aaron, who stood alongside Moses for all the miracles and declarations of God, who walked between the parted seas, who saw the provision of Manna and Quail, he was meant to be responsible for the people when Moses was on the mountain with God. The captain was off having a meeting with the head coach, and Aaron was serving as vice-captain and stepped in to take the reins for a while. Aaron was a leader, confronted with a leadership dilemma. The people were getting restless in Moses’ absence and wanted Aaron to ‘make gods’ for them. Aaron, for some reason, agrees.

Now, I’ve re-read this a few times this week and on occasion, I interpret Aaron’s actions as rooted in misunderstanding. It’s possible that he thought, given the absence of God (as mentioned, busy with Moses), they could create something to remember God by and to symbolise God. I’m sure they were still trying to get their heads around the various commandments – and there were lots of them – but appear to have forgotten one from right at the start of the list.

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God”

I began this reflection with the passage from James 3, as this is one of the places in the Bible where we see the potential ramifications of being a leader. Those who teach, or perhaps we could understand that more broadly as instruct or lead, will face stricter judgement, according to James.

Thinking back on this story, I tended previously to have judged the people – they were so impatient, or lacked faith, or were easily distracted, or had hearts in the wrong place. But this week I think maybe I can forgive them that. After generation after generation of enslavement and apparent abandonment by God, I don’t think we should hold it against them that they naturally resorted to old habits, even in light of God’s miracles.

But Aaron, I think should have known better. He was called by God to help lead the people, to be one of two intercessors between God and the people. He had responsibility, and the people were, in essence, in his care. And if we don’t read it as a misunderstanding, if we take it as it first appears, then Aaron fails in his leadership responsibilities, at the cost of himself and all the people. They inspire God’s anger for either the state of their hearts, or their actions, or both.

Moses, then, has to implore on behalf of the people before God, who had half a mind to inflict disaster upon them (Fun side note, some translations of Exodus 32:14 say ‘God repented of the evil he thought to do unto his people’ - lots to unpack in that one sentence!).

Do you think that golden calf would have been built if Moses was about??

In this instance, this is strike one for the people. Their first serious warning. A yellow card and a trip to the sin bin in amusingly apt rugby terminology. But I can’t help but feel that Aaron has to be held accountable for this.

Leaders have the privilege of gaining the trust and respect of those they lead, but shoulder the responsibility of caring for them and leading them well and in the right way.

Good leadership can take a disparate group like the Israelites and take them to the promise land.

Bad leadership can take something great and put it at great risk.

One more thing, I think it’s interesting that we don’t hear much more about Aaron in this Exodus story, but in the next chapter, we get a mention of a someone who is growing into a leadership role and who’s priorities seem to be good from the outset;

“Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then he would return to the camp, but his young assistant, Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the tent.” -Exodus 33:11