Moses is seen as a shepherding leader of the Children of Israel. (Exodus 18:13-23) The children of Israel are mentioned as a congregation, called out people of God.
God is the leader: God is the leader of the Nation of Israel. In the New Testament, the Church is the Body of Christ and Lord Jesus is the Head. (Ephesians 5:23) The Nation of Israel was called the Firstborn among the Nations. The Church of the Firstborn is the term given to the Church. (Hebrews 12:23)
Need to represent: Moses had to do double representation. He had to intercede, pray, and plead for the people of God. His intercession prayer is amazing. Loving his people, he was willing to have his name removed from the Book of Life. (Exodus 32:32) Pastors as shepherds of the congregation should intercede as Moses did. Moses also represented God, His Law, Promise, requirements, and expectations from Israel. God revealed His Law through Moses. A pastor must teach the Word of God as intended in the Great Commission. (Matthew 28: 18-20)
Not a lonely leader: Moses initially functioned as a lonely leader. Though he had other leaders like Aaron, Miriam, Hur, and Joshua, he tended to do all the work. People trusted him and waited for the whole day to get an audience. Patiently, Moses listened to them and gave the verdict. Jethro observed this and advised him to recruit leaders, train, and delegate authority. In the same way, pastors should make a team of leaders who could help them and later exceed them.
Recruit and train: Moses had to choose leaders who feared God, were trustworthy, and hated bribes. They should be trained in the Law of the Lord. They should be deployed to lead in their context. Paul gives a similar command to Timothy to recruit reliable and trustworthy men, who, in turn, will faithfully teach others. (II Timothy 2:2)
Delegate authority: Those who are trained should be allowed to serve. They should be deployed to small groups, and then grow to take more responsibility. Instead of controlling, we should empower leaders.
Am I a pastoral leader in my context?