Delegation

Delegation can be something you do or something you are. Delegation could be the act of giving a task to another to complete or it may be acting for another. If a job is delegated from my mother to me, I am doing something on her behalf. If I am a delegate, that may mean I am at a political convention or that I delegate, that is, give someone a job. In any event, we are not meant to do everything and we are not meant to do everything alone.

A lot of times at the ministry I steward, the Bill Rice Ranch, people who come to camp or are involved in some Ranch event will say, “Hey, Wil, thanks for the great food this week,” or “Thank you for the great horse rides.” I always say, “Thank you very much. I’ll pass that along.” The reason is that most everything they thank me for is something I have not done. I don’t cook or lead the trail rides. There are so many things I don’t do and I can’t do.

There is an important lesson we learn about delegation in Exodus 18, a story about the nation of Israel and the man God had chosen to steward these people through the desert. We learn that delegation is the sweet spot in the chain of command. There is a chain of command. Moses, though he was considered the leader, was in the chain. He got commands from God and gave them to the people. He was right in the middle. Everyone is somewhere in a chain of command. You are doing something or acting for another. Unless you are just living life alone and doing things that won’t matter, you’ve got to be involved in something bigger than yourself. If you are, then a lot of what you do is acting for another, most notably, acting for God.

Now, there is a principle on pride in Exodus 18. Moses’ father-in-law Jethro says in verse 11, “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they [the Egyptians] dealt proudly he [God] was above them.” We are not going to understand this if we don’t have the principle of pride down, that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. So, no matter how much authority you have or do not have, how big or small your job is, all of us, if we are doing something bigger than ourselves, are involved in delegation.

First, there is the story of Moses and Jethro. The problem was that Moses was trying to do everything alone. In verse 14 his father-in-law said to him, “What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone.” Moses was judging and making decisions for the people, and he was doing it alone because God had entrusted the task to him. Did that preclude him from including other people? No, he began that task here, but up to now he had been doing everything alone. That was not good. The reason for this is in verse 15, “And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God.” There is the delegation. They are coming to Moses, but their question is for God. That puts Moses between the people and God. There is already delegation going on here.

The content of this delegation was of God. Verse 16 says, “I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statues of God, and his laws.” Moses wasn’t making things up as he judged. He was going by an authority greater than himself. He had an authority, guidance from God, and he was stewarding that for the people. The consequence of being the only one involved in this was that he was wearing away. In verses 17-18 Jethro says, “This thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.” So, Moses was trying to do everything on his own and Jethro helped him learn delegation, acting for another and allowing others to help with the task. Delegation is the sweet spot in the chain of command.

So, what is the answer? You are not going to like it because you are modern and the word has been so abused, but the answer is a form of hierarchy. People think, “Down with the hierarchy,” but they don’t really want that. They want down with someone else’s hierarchy, so they can establish their own. Hierarchy is simply a chain of command. There has to be an authority.

It is interesting to note that Moses was a prince in charge of these people, yet when Jethro came to meet him, Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, did obeisance, kissed him, and spoke to him. He showed him respect and reverence. What say did Jethro have in the leadership of Israel? None at all, but the leader of the entire nation showed respect because his father-in-law had a place of authority in his life, at least as far as influence, and he acknowledged that.

By the way, Moses himself was delegating to Jethro already. Jethro brought Moses’ two sons and his wife who had been away from him. So, Moses was already delegating to Jethro, but now Jethro encourages him to delegate to other able people. The premise of this is this is God’s Word. Jethro recognized and Moses reported to Jethro all the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the travail that had come upon them, and how the Lord had delivered them. Moses didn’t deliver them or bring them out. Moses was a steward.  God was the authority. You have to begin with that. Even Moses recognized familial authority even as he was leading an entire nation and realized this was God’s work.

Later on, we realize that it was God’s words that Moses stewarded. Verse 19 says, “Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel.” The father-in-law was giving counsel to the guy who was giving counsel himself. He continued, “God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God.” It was God’s work and God’s words. In verse 19 God gave Moses guidance; he gave guidance to the people; and Jethro gave Moses advice.

So, what did Moses do? He looked for people able to do this. He looked for qualities, “able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness.” They were an authority because they were under authority. They were able, reverent, and submissive men. A person who is not under authority has no right to have authority. Sometimes we get that confused. At the end of the day, Moses listened. The most astonishing words are in verse 24, “So Moses hearkened to the voice of the father in law, and did all he said.” Both he and the people benefited even though Jethro did not himself benefit. Even leaders listen if they have any sense.

Today, there are people in authority over you and people for whom you give some guidance, influence, or authority. Today, delegation is the sweet spot in the chain of command.