CHAPTER TWO
GUIDANCE FOR LEADERS
Logic tells us, that if God promotes and exalts, then He guides also. Surely the Almighty will not place you in a position and leave you to your own devices especially if His honour and glory are at stake?
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. (1Cor.1:9)
…..for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Heb. 13:5)
This is not a once off promise, but something that God has repeated over thousands of years. The promise was first made to Jacob when he ran from his father’s house, afraid his brother Esau was about to kill him in retaliation for the theft of the firstborn rights, even though God had chosen Jacob before his birth (Gen.28:15), then again to Joshua just before he led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the promised land (Deut.31:6, Jos.1:5) and, through David, also to Solomon when he was instructed to build the temple in Jerusalem (1Chron.28:20). In each case the promise was dependent on the work God had given the recipients to do, whether patriarch, soldier or builder. While they were doing His will they were assured of His guidance and support.
All through the formative years of Israel as a nation God spoke directly to His appointed leaders. Abraham’s journey from Haran to Canaan was undertaken at the prompting of God, and then again when he went on to Egypt and returned to Canaan, God’s voice and guidance were his motivation and reason. Throughout his life Abraham sought assurances from the Lord that he was doing the right thing, heading in the right direction and God without fail would help him. This faith in God was attributed to Abraham as righteousness and he would become known as the father of faith.
Moses, too, was always seeking God’s guidance. Whenever the Israelites stopped, Moses would call on the Lord. Whenever problems arose, Moses would ask, ‘What must I do now?’, and God, true to His word, would answer. Guidance is all about believing, believing that God cares, believing that He desires only the best for you and believing that He will answer when you call on Him.
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (1John5:14-15)
As for the nature of that guidance, God used and uses various methods, most importantly, His word, whether spoken or written. Joshua’s success followed on the instructions he received at the outset of his leadership, when he was commissioned to lead the people in the conquest of the Promised Land –
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Josh.1:8)
Joshua’s guidance came directly from the word of God, he had to read it, think on it and speak it and live it. That was to be the secret of his success.
Josiah, when he became king of Judah, also took his guidance from the Word of God, rebuilding the temple, re-introducing services and restoring the Passover. He is remembered for doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. His epitaph in scripture reads:
And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.
Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law of the LORD,
And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
(2Chron. 35:25-27)
Another way God guides us is through godly people. In the Old Testament God spoke through the prophets and divinely appointed spokesmen such as Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Elijah and Daniel, and when the Word they brought was accepted and believed, taken to heart and acted upon, success followed. A good example of this occurred when Joseph was asked to interpret the pagan Pharaoh’s dream. With the interpretation came godly advice:
Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. (Gen.41:33, 37)
Acting upon that advice, Pharaoh appointed Joseph over Egypt and the country prospered while all the surrounding nations experienced famine.
And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands. (Gen.41:57)
On the other hand, however, for those who chose to ignore the prophets and spokesmen of God, the consequences were dire.
It was not only the ungodly or worldly that chose to ignore God’s guidance. Paul, returning to Jerusalem from his third missionary journey, was warned by Agabus in Caesarea:
And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. (Acts 21:10-11)
Paul, however, chose to disregard the warning and continued to the holy city where he was subsequently arrested, sent to Rome where he was to die at the hands of Nero.
The worldly sons-in-law of Lot chose to think that their wives father was joking when he warned them of impending doom. The result was their death alongside the other Sodomites.
David, King of Israel, ‘the man after God’s own heart’ spoke often and at length with the Lord either directly or through prophets, holy men such as Nathan and Gad. What made David stand out above his contemporaries was his willingness to listen and do what God commanded even when the message was not good. This is testament to David’s character as a leader that even if the experience was humiliating he would abide by the direction and guidance he received. When God speaks we must listen. We are cautioned in the book Revelations:
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; (Rev. 2:7)
God also guides through dreams. Joseph, the future husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was guided to marry the pregnant Mary, to flee to Egypt, to return to Israel and avoid Bethlehem in four dreams. Paul was led to Macedonia as a result of a dream, and also urged to preach in Corinth through a night vision. Joel prophesied that:
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. (Joel. 2:28)
God also sent His angels to guide people. Firstly, to Hagar the slave girl of Abraham, to tell her to return to Sarah and to do Sarah’s bidding. Angels were sent to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Balaam, Gideon, the parents of Samson and many others. They are the messengers of God. In New Testament times, it was an angel that told Mary of her coming pregnancy with the Son of God, it was an angel that guided Peter out of the prison where he was being held and it was an angel who told Paul that he would survive the storm and shipwreck at sea.
Throughout scripture we see God sending His angels, His messengers to guide and warn, to help and refresh His people. Many a time we do not even see them:
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Heb.13:2)
We so often look in the wrong place for guidance, like pharaoh, who looked to his magicians, or we listen to the wrong people, as Rehoboam, who listened to the young men of the court rather than the wise:
And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?
And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.
But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.
And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?
And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
(2Chron.10:6-11)
The consequences of this –
Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. (2Chron.10:18-19)
We sometimes expect direction from signs and events and we grasp at anything that might show us what to do, take Elijah, for example, after he escaped from Jezebel and hid in a cave on Horeb, the mountain of God:
And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. (1Kings.19:9-18)
Not in the wind, nor the earthquake nor the fire, but a still small voice that spoke to his heart. We tend to look to the big things for answers when God’s power is most visible in the small, when His guidance is short confident steps rather than enormous leaps of faith into the unknown.
With guidance we need discernment. We need to know and understand the signs and words, and we need to be sure that they are from God. The evil one is an imitator and loves to impersonate the godly. He will do anything to mislead or misdirect the children of the faith even usurping the word for his own purpose. Looking at Elijah in the cave on Mount Horeb for example: How did he know it was God who spoke to him and not the evil one trying to destroy the country by turning the people against each other?
The evil one in his arrogance would never admit that 7 000 people refused to bend their knee to him. A warning of this is given by John:
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1John.4:1-3)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
(John1:1, 14)
Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God, He is our example. When receiving advice ask yourself: Does this please Jesus? Would He find it acceptable? How does it compare with the Word of God? Test it and let the Word be your confirmation.
But what of those who do not believe? They achieve success and seem to prosper in their unrighteousness without guidance from God. This is true, yes, but there is a reason for their success. Those who do not listen to God or read the Word of God have this to ponder:
….For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit. (Eccl.2:26)
Their purpose, even if they do not know it, even if they do not acknowledge it, even if they refuse to believe it, is to serve God and His people. All their efforts are for one purpose only, the glory of His kingdom. Unknowingly they are being guided by the hand of the Almighty and sooner or later they will have to hand it over as the Egyptians did at the start of the exodus.
And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians. (Exod.12:35-36)
And what about those who hear and then choose to ignore God’s advice, what of them?
Pharaoh was king of the greatest empire on earth but he lost his battle of wits with the Lord and agreed to let the Israelites go, but then he had a change of heart and decided to bring them back. It was a decision totally contrary to what he had agreed to and he and his army drowned ignominiously without laying a finger on a single Israelite, and a rag tag group of unarmed slaves sang songs of victory.
Balthazar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, too, became king of a great empire and held a magnificent feast to celebrate his coronation. Imagine his ego as he paraded all his wealth and all the captured loot before the dignitaries that had come to pay their respects to him, all the gold and silver taken from the temple in Jerusalem. But then imagine his pain when Daniel interpreted the writing on the wall that his death was imminent. Rather than make amends he chose to try and buy off the man of God with purple garments and gold. That very night he was slain and his kingdom given to Darius the Mede who would honour God and prosper.
There is honour and glory for those who listen and follow God’s guidance, who do according to His direction, but those who choose not to listen to God’s advice who ignore His help, His Word or godly men appointed by Him, tend to be used not as they wish for their own splendour, but for the glory of the kingdom even if they do not realize it, and often, once their usefulness is past, they die ingloriously, leaving a legacy of mistrust, hate, death and sadness.
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
(Prov.8:15-17)