After Moses led the people out of Egypt, God gave him some specific instructions for constructing a place of worship. Moses was not supposed to do the actual work, but was charged with making sure it was done correctly. He had to delegate:*
Here is what he did:
1. Moses selected capable people with good character
Successful delegation requires finding the right people; not everyone is ready or able to receive delegation. Although it was ultimately God who made the selections, it was Moses who carried it out (Exodus 35:30-33).
2. Moses provided them with the resources needed to do their job
Moses gave all of the gifts that had been received to the people he selected. Because of their character, there was no need to be concerned about them misusing these resources (Exodus 36:3).
3. Moses inspected their work
Since Moses was ultimately responsible for the results, he wisely inspected their work. Because the right people had been chosen for this task, this was an easy step and their work met expectations (Exodus 39:42).
4. Moses took responsibility for the results
The people were first esteemed for their fine work, but later Moses also received accommodation for the results. Similarly, had the work not been completed or done appropriately, Moses would have received the blame. Such is the responsibility of management (Exodus 40:33).
* This was not the first time that Moses delegated work. At his law-in-law’s advice, he set up and trained a network of judges to help guide the people. Prior to this, Moses spent each day with people lined up to see him (Exodus 18:17-26).
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
