Solemn are the responsibilities resting upon those who are called to act as leaders in the church of God on earth. In the days of the theocracy, when Moses was endeavoring to carry alone burdens so heavy that he would soon have 93 worn away under them, he was counseled by Jethro to plan for a wise distribution of responsibilities. "Be thou for the people to Godward," Jethro advised, "that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: and thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do." Jethro further advised that men be appointed to act as "rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens." These were to be "able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness." They were to "judge the people at all seasons," thus relieving Moses of the wearing responsibility of giving consideration to many minor matters that could be dealt with wisely by consecrated helpers.

Det er et alvorligt ansvar, der påhviler dem, der er kaldede til at være de ledende indenfor Guds kirke på jorden. I teokratiets dage, da Moses forsøgte alene at bære byrder, der var så tunge, at han snart ville være segnet under dem, fik han af Jetro det råd at planlægge en klog fordeling af ansvaret. "Du skal selv træde frem for Gud på folkets vegne og forelægge Gud de forefaldende sager; og du skal indskærpe dem anordningerne og lovene og lære dem den vej, de skal vandre, og hvad de har at gøre." Desuden rådede Jetro til, at der skulle udvælges mænd til at sættes som forstandere, "nogle over tusinde, andre over hundrede, andre over halvtredsindstyve, andre over ti." Disse skulle være "dygtige mænd, som frygter Gud, mænd, som er til at lide på og hader uretfærdig vinding." De skulle "til stadighed holde ret for folket," og på den måde befri Moses for det trættende ansvar ved at skulle tage sig af mange småanliggender, som de udvalgte hjælpere med klogskab ville kunne overtage. 2Mos.18,19-22.