LEADER AND SAVIOUR
[p. 431] LEADER AND SAVIOUR
Acts 5:31,32; Judges 5:1-3; Judges 5:9
These scriptures, as you will observe, link the thoughts of leader and saviour together; they present them in Christ personally and also in others who participated in His Spirit in Old Testament times. It is the divine thought, that whether in those who participated in His Spirit before His incarnation, or in those who receive the Spirit from Him, redemption being accomplished, there should be in all services a correspondence to Christ. This is the divine standard, and where the Spirit has His place this will be attained.
We find that both Peter and Paul, assuming that the epistle to the Hebrews was written by the latter, laid stress on these two thoughts. It will be noticed that the word “leader” comes first in Acts 5; the word “prince” being properly “leader”. This word is used four times in the New Testament, and only by Peter and Paul. Both Peter and Paul use the word twice. Peter uses it in Acts 5 and also in chapter 3 of this book; Paul uses it once in Hebrews 2 and once in chapter 12. In each of these cases, save the one in the passage read, the use is specific. The first mention of the word in the New Testament is in Acts 3:15, where it stands in relation to life. In that passage the New Translation renders it “originator”; that is to say, Christ is the Originator of life, but then, the word means more than is ordinarily understood by that term. It means that He set the thing out, exemplified it; a most important matter, especially in leadership, that one should be the thing. The word, as seen in these passages, could apply to Christ only. So that we have, as I said, in the first reference, the Originator, or Leader of life. Life according to God is seen in Christ; in Him was life, we are told, and He has expressed it; and thus we understand it from Him.
[p. 432] In Hebrews 2 Christ is said to be the Leader of salvation. No one could be that but He. In chapter 12, He is the Leader of faith, and the Completer of it too; but in Acts 5 He is Leader and Saviour. He is introduced as Leader and Saviour in connection with repentance and remission of sins, so that we have a combination here that is peculiarly needed at the present time; that is, an apprehension of the leadership and saviourship of Christ. His leadership is more of a general thought here, although the effect of it, through Him as Saviour, is repentance and remission of sins.
In this passage, Israel is in view, but of course repentance and remission have a universal bearing. What a need there is for them! The idea of repentance must be kept before us, for we are apt to think of it as a historical matter only, once effected, with a result that is final, but Scripture regards repentance as continuous, and the need for the Leader and Saviour to give it, continues. The need of this combined service to unconverted people is obvious, but it is necessary for Christians, too, since in our case also there can be no remission without repentance; hence the necessity of the combined service of Christ for repentance and remission of sins.
The Spirit of God tells us that Peter and the apostles said these things, showing that the ground is very firm testimonially. God is pleased at times to furnish an excess of testimony in order to enforce what is in His mind. Then Peter adds that the apostles were witnesses — qualified persons, who were not only called upon to testify as to the truth, but were called upon by the Lord to “be my witnesses”, as He said (Acts 1:8). Earlier He had said, “ye are witnesses”,(Luke 24:48). To be a valid witness, one has to be a witness by experience or observation, and that was so of the apostles; these men were qualified witnesses, because of having seen or heard the things they testified to. They were qualified as trustworthy witnesses. Witnesses may fail [p. 433] us; our minds, too, are treacherous and we may fail to witness correctly, but these men were competent as witnesses. One of the most important things to learn is how to keep divine things in our minds; to have the ability to recall them as learnt; and so the Lord said to the apostles that the Holy Spirit whom the Father would send in His name, would bring to their remembrance all things whatever Christ had said to them. It lies in the power of the Spirit to do this, so that there should be accurate testimony; so that what we say is accurate, and we know it to be so. In truth, we speak so lightly and so superficially, that it is necessary that we be reminded that to witness really and truly we need the Spirit of God.
So the apostle says, “we are his witnesses ... and the Holy Spirit also”. And then, so as to make the position clear, he says, “which God has given to those that obey him”. We may say no testimony is reliable, save in those who are obedient, who obey God. If I have something selfish to establish through my testimony, I cannot be relied upon. In the very nature of things I am not reliable. It is the Spirit given to those who obey Him — that is, those who obey God. The Spirit is here thus; not in any theoretic way, but in persons, in those who obey God. It is in that sense that the Spirit is here in testimony; He has obedient persons, available persons, who can testify. God gives Him to those who obey Him. Let no one speak of having the Spirit aside from the element of obedience. So that Peter says, God has exalted Jesus “as leader and saviour, to give repentance ... and remission of sins. And we are his witnesses ... and the Holy Spirit also, which God has given to those that obey him”. What a witness to Christ in heaven! Thus we see the testimony coming through vessels that are qualified, first by appointment and then by possession of the Spirit whom God gives to those who obey Him. That is the position in this passage.
[p. 434] Now I want to enlarge on this as reflected in the Old Testament, and I have selected the book of Judges; a peculiar book in the sense that it was written by the Spirit of God to depict conditions at a time of departure from God; but of great energy on God’s part to meet the departure, and to save all possible. It is a salvaging book in a sense, and it shows that the greater the effort of the enemy in turning souls away from God, the greater the energy of God to recover and preserve all possible. As the apostle Paul says, “if by any means I ... might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). We cannot afford to lose one of the saints, and the leadership and saviourship of Christ is available and effective through repentance and remission of sins to this end, and there is no other way. If sin is at work in departure from God, the enemy has scope, which he uses to lead the saints captive. Think of being thus affected — one once regarded as a lover of Christ now against Christ! Why? Because Satan has captivated him for his will. And so this book shows the power of God, that by His operation, through chosen vessels, the tide of evil might be stemmed, as the apostle said, “that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).
Well now, I wish to dwell first on leadership, and the gist of what I have in mind is that leaders led. A saviour is raised up, too; and he saves. He is not a mere titled man, but one that does the thing. So Deborah says the leaders led; and then in chapter 3, a saviour saved. That is a principle set forth in this book. No one has a right to any title of this kind, save as he can produce the result. It is the result that tells, and so it was with Othniel — he saved Israel. God raised up a saviour to the children of Israel, who saved them.
Now in regard of leadership, we have in chapter 5, which is one of the finest sections of the book, that the thing done is celebrated with a song. I have thought lately, that we do not sing enough; that singing in assembly service is curtailed amongst us to our loss, and that God loses through it, too. Indeed, it is my [p. 435] feeling that the service of God is largely in song. And so this chapter stands out prominently in the book as consolidating what was achieved in chapter 4. The word consolidated is a good one, and I believe the spiritual singing is very important as tending to consolidate the things that we have received or acquired. The apostle Paul in referring to the truth of the gospel, says to the Corinthians, “which also ye received” (1 Corinthians 15:1), but they failed to consolidate it. He says, “which I announced to you, which also ye received” (1 Corinthians 15:1), but then adds, “unless indeed ye have believed in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:2). What is received in the way of testimony from God in our minds must be consolidated, and that is very largely through singing. I do not overlook other things, of course, but I stress this thought, dear brethren, that we may look into it and see if we are neglecting the thought of singing, and disregarding its value in the service of God. I am not now thinking of singing as a pastime, but “speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and chanting with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). The soul thus becomes filled and carried along as with a current; under those conditions Christianity becomes a reality to us, Christ being our theme.
Now Deborah, who speaks of herself very soberly and humbly in chapter 4, refuses to take the lead, but puts Barak forward — a fine example for sisters. She did all she could to make a poor leader a good one, and she succeeded. It is within the province of the sisters to do this, to so compass the brothers, to so move, as to convey to them the place which is theirs as head and to take up that place. “I will by all means go with thee” (Judges 4:9), she said, but he was to take the lead. She put him forward and he went forward. “Up”, she says, and Barak went forward, and there went up at his feet ten thousand men. And Deborah went with him. She had said to Barak, “I will by all means go with thee, only that it will not be to thine honour upon the way which thou goest” (Judges 4:9). Hundreds of years afterwards he [p. 436] gets credit, for it says in Hebrews 11 that Barak had faith. But Deborah said, “Jehovah will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman” (Judges 4:9). Barak later pursues Sisera, and is shown into the tent of Jael. She says, “Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest, ... and behold, Sisera lay dead, and the pin was in his temples” (Judges 4:22). Spiritually it is one of the finest of exploits, but it was Jael’s, not Barak’s. Sisera, the enemy’s great leader, is nailed through his head to the ground, for it is a question of evil headship, and hence the way is now cleared for the opening up of headship and leadership according to God. We can thus understand how fitting it was that this remarkable saint, Deborah, should lead in song.
Can we not picture this triumphant scene? There is Barak, Deborah, possibly Jael, and others, devoted servants of God, joining in this collective singing. Deborah and Barak sang; not that they merely composed a song, but they sang it. It was a singing matter. No doubt they composed it, the hymn or the song, or Deborah did; but the point is that they sang it, and the first thing they mention in the song is that leaders led. The Authorised Version is at fault in verse 2 of Judges 5. The thought is that leaders led, that is to say, there is a class called leaders, and the book of Judges emphasises that if one is a leader in name, he is to be one in reality. “For that leaders led in Israel”, sings Deborah, “Bless Jehovah!” It is a beautiful tribute to God. The theme of the song is to show that divine power enables the people of God to come through conflict to victory, and what fills the mind of the singers at the outset is that leaders led. It was a triumphant thought to Deborah; not that she considered herself to be the leader, and yet she was. But there was Barak; through her skill, grace, influence, and prophetic power, she had put him forward; showing that the saints can under God accomplish such things. It is within our province to encourage those who are leaders, that they might truly lead. There is thus in these verses an [p. 437] exemplification beforehand of the great thought of leadership, of which Peter speaks to the council, saying that God has exalted Jesus “as leader and saviour”, in view of doing something; to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins.
One is loath to leave this beautiful setting of Scripture in relation to the service of God, because it is so attractive; the service of God in which we have part is a growth. It is not a paper service, dear brethren, I need hardly say that to you; and yet perhaps it is needful to say it. It is a service in life, so that our Leader is the Originator of life; hence the increase of hymns, or songs. What we should look for is an increase of hymns, according to the development of the truth. It is a remarkable thing that we have only one or two hymns that directly refer to the new covenant. We have a remarkable collection of hymns and spiritual songs today — thank God for them! But as you look into them you find that there are very few which relate to the new covenant, and yet God is leading us on in that line; He is enlarging the thought of His love to us. The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians just mentions the covenant in connection with the cup — “in my blood” (chapter 11:25); but he devotes a whole chapter to it in the second letter, and it is one of the richest chapters we have, in which he unfolds, in a parenthesis particularly, the wonderful richness of the ministry of the new covenant; showing that the ministry of the Spirit subsists in glory. Well, if we take the truth of it into our souls and enjoy it, and serve God in the assembly in the power of it, we shall need suitable hymns to express our thoughts and our affections; and, as I said, there is a lack of such hymns; although there are some among the older ones that are of that character, but are much neglected. What I mean to convey is that I believe the Lord would have us make the most of what is in our [p. 438] hymn-book with the thought before us that there should be more, and as we feel the need, God will supply it.
In Judges 5 we have singers: they have just emerged from a conflict; they are now triumphant! And is not Jehovah to have His part in it? Yes, He must have His part! They become priests, they say, “Bless Jehovah!” and, as if Deborah herself were deficient in expression, she says, “Awake, awake, Deborah! ... Arise, Barak ... thou son of Abinoam!” (Judges 5:12). The principle is, she is calling upon all that is within her to serve God; she brings the result of this great victory into the service of God. In this sense there is to be the development of life amongst His people, and we are to express it in our song. Spiritual songs as sung in the Spirit are delightful to the ear of God.
The first thing Deborah has in her mind is that “leaders led”, and her song ends with the lovers of God. What are the lovers of God to be? They are to be as the rising of the sun in its might. Hence, dear brethren, what an opportunity there is for us! Who are the leaders? You may think a leader is some distinguished person; he is in a way, but a leader is one that goes before. We read of a little child leading; he is one that goes before, and if I go before the people of God at the present time, I have to be prepared for suffering. That is the way; even as the song here reproves those who remained in ships and failed to go forth in the great day of conflict, and take their part in the conflict. But she says, “leaders led”. That is to say, the great point in the chapter is what is done. If I am a leader, I lead; if a saviour, I save; if a brother, I love — for we have to love too. At the outset, this book introduces Judah and Simeon, in brotherly relationship; they loved; Judah makes room for Simeon in his territory; they are brothers who are brothers, as there are saviours who are saviours, and leaders who are leaders. That is the great idea of the book; otherwise they are only such in name and nothing more.
[p. 439] Well, that was what I had before me to present, dear brethren, and I think you will conclude that God is giving us great opportunities at the present time; in fact, I have not been more impressed in recent years than I am now, that what God is doing requires to be carried on. The book of Judges shows that we are to go on, and that what God has in mind is to go on; and if it is to go on, we must be as brothers who love, who make room for one another, just as Judah made room for Simeon. Simeon went out with his brother Judah and fought with him; the Spirit presents this to us as we open the book. If this work is to go on, we must have brothers who make room for one another; we must have saviours who save; warriors who go to war; and leaders who lead. That is the great principle and one is assured that those required are here. This song of Deborah also includes in it her thought of the governors. You will find that word governor several times; it is another word found in the divine vocabulary; so that the Scriptures are indeed a divine treasury. Zerubbabel was governor of Judah, according to Haggai, in a day of small things. How great the need today for men who can govern. I have been speaking of leaders who lead, but then governing is a question of moral influence. The governors of Israel are those who can rule in the house of God. The apostle gives the qualifications in the epistles to Timothy and Titus, and the need for it exists today, not the official thing, of course, but those who have weight and who can say what is to be done, so that what should not be done is exposed and set aside.
God will help us in all this, dear brethren. Christ is leading, giving us the example, as in everything, and the book of Judges shows how these things work out in detail, with the result that there are to be leaders who lead and saviours who save, and hence a song of praise to God, a contribution to the service of God, in which Jehovah is blessed. Then finally we have those who love Him; for, dear brethren, everything in the [p. 440] long run must lead to that. From our side it must be a question of loving God. If there are no lovers of God there are no inhabitants for heaven. Love is the life of heaven, and the song ends with that; “Let them that love him be as the rising of the sun in its might”, Judges 5:31.
May God bless the word!