Prideful Leadership


Before you begin this, I encourage you to go read Exodus 9-10 to understand what I'm about to talk about.

God is calling Moses to go before Pharaoh in Egypt and ask for him to let His people go. As we arrive in chapter 9 this isn't Moses and Pharaohs first interaction with one another. So Moses does what God told him to do. Moses tells Pharaoh that if he doesn't let the Children of Israel go that God would send severe pestilence upon the horses, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep of the Egyptians. Pharaoh refused to listen to the Words of God. So on the next day God struck down all of the Egyptians horses, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep. Just as God said He would. That then lead to boils being upon the Egyptians, then hail. Once again Moses goes to speak to Pharaoh and tells him that God will send hail if he doesn't release the Children of Israel. So that is what happens.

After this has occurred in scripture, two verses stand out to me, verses 31-32. "Now the flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the head and the flax was in bud. But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they are late crops." So Moses goes back to Pharaoh and he still refuses to let the Children of Israel go, so God sends locust upon the land and they devour what the hail didn't destroy.

I am in a place of Leadership so I look at others who are in leadership to learn from them. Sometimes I learn from their success and sometimes I learn from their failures. With that being said, I look Pharaoh in this story when it comes to leadership. Pharaoh is an example of a bad leader. As I read through out this story I see a common denominator in Pharaoh's life. Pride. This sticks out to me because it is something I have dealt with in the past, and if I don't keep it in check with humility could creep up in my life again. But Pharaoh is extremely prideful and we can all learn from him.

At any moment Pharaoh could of turned God's people, the Children of Israel, over to freedom and everything would of been ok. But because he was Pharaoh and the ruler of Egypt he would never do so. I believe this because of how God used the plagues on Egypt. As I mentioned above when God sent the hail, He only destroyed the the flax and barley, but left the wheat and spelt alone. Flax is use for linen which the Egyptians used a lot of but could go without. Same is with the barley. It was used by the Egyptians but wasn't as important as the wheat! This shows me that God was giving Pharaoh every chance to release the Children of Israel and preserve the life and well-being of his people.

Because of Pharaoh's pride he caused his people to suffer from something he could of prevented! How many times do we let pride stand between us and the well-being of those under us for the sake of being right. Pharaoh was so dead set on ousting Moses and God, so blinded by pride that he allowed those under him to suffer and eventually the lost of his son. Pride usually starts off by taking something smaller like animals, but the longer it festers it turns to boils, to flax, to linen, to barley, to wheat, then eventually your firstborn, it takes something from you that you cherish most. For Pharaoh his son, for you a marriage, your money, relationships, credibility, your house, etc.

Pride not only took his son, it took his credibility from his people as being someone who could lead them! In chapter 9 verse 20 we see that there were servants of Pharaoh listening to Moses! Then in chapter 10 verse 7 Pharaoh's servants began to question his leadership! They got to a point where they didn't believe he could handle and take care of the situation at hand. And even though he listened to them in chapter 10, the moment Moses said who all was going, his pride took center stage and refused once again leading to locust taking their wheat and their food. People don't like leaders who say they listen to the people then refuses to do what they say.

So I encourage you to learn from Pharaohs mistakes. Don't fall victim to Prideful Leadership. 

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