On pages 88-89 Laniak talks about Moses' identification with God's people. He mentions the similarities between Moses and the people of Israel. Moses escapes Egypt. He spends 40 years in the wilderness. In addition, he encounters God on Mt. Sinai. Although the people of Israel don't spend 40 years in the wilderness prior to encountering God, their stories are similar in nature. I had not picked up on this before.
On page 89 Laniak writes, "YHWH had thus succeeded in merging the concerns of his own heart with those of his servant. The plight of the people, for better or worse, was now inextricably tied to Moses' own destiny."
Moses becomes the picture perfect example of what it is like to truly be "with" and "one of" the people one is leading. There is no distinction between the leader and the people the leader is leading. It is simply one.
Strikingly similar is how Paul describes marriage in Ephesians 5, especially verse 28. The thought is that husbands and wives can no longer think of just themselves. They are inextricably part of the pair. The husbands destiny is tied to the marriage's destiny, and likewise for the wife.
Do I, as a pastor, feel this way about the congregation that I lead? Is their plight my plight? Can I have a plight apart from them? If we are inextricably tied together, what does this mean for how I pastor?
This takes the idea of "being with" the people to a new level.
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