SPIRITUALITY IN LEADERSHIP
[p. 264] SPIRITUALITY IN LEADERSHIP
1 Corinthians 2: 15; Judges 6: 19 - 24; Judges 9:7,8; Judges 9:21; Judges 15: 15 - 17
I Have in mind to speak about spirituality, particularly to show how that in the Old Testament it was seen in relation to leadership amongst the people of God. It was early lost sight of in the history of the assembly, but the Lord took great pains to leave a spiritual state behind when He ascended up to heaven, the forty days were to that end. He could have gone up to heaven immediately He rose from the dead, but He remained here for forty days. Those days were occupied in spiritual movements by Him, intended to be educative, intended to impress His own spiritually, and particularly those who were to serve, and all the saints, of course, for He appeared to five hundred brethren at one time, but particularly those who were to serve and lead the saints.
So, in Mark, which evangelist stresses the thought of service more than the others, we are told He appeared to two, and “in another form”, we are not told what that form was, but it was another — as if to suggest that what form He may take at any time is left open. Mark is the only one that mentions this and no doubt he has in mind those who were to serve, and in serving, if acceptable to God and profitable to the saints, this will put them in the place of leadership in some sense. The idea of a leader is not simply that one can answer questions in a Bible reading, but one who goes on in service and suffering, whom others can emulate; a leader is one who goes before in a spiritual way, acceptable to God and profitable to men; such give a lead.
The Lord would give such servants to understand that He may show Himself according to His wisdom,
[p. 265] for they will need such support. To the greatest of His servants (the apostle Paul) the Lord indicated that He would appear to him from time to time, and He did, and when the apostle needed it, too. When he was greatly pressed at Jerusalem, the Lord appeared to him. Those of us who serve may in some measure count on such advantages, nor should we continue in any freshness in leadership save as we avail ourselves of them.
We are told in 1 Corinthians 15 that after His resurrection the Lord appeared unto Cephas, as if the apostle would impress the Corinthians with spirituality. He had already told them he could not speak to them as unto spiritual. The Lord had first appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, then to five hundred brethren at once, then to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all to Paul. The Lord took occasion to impress them with His own movements as risen from the dead. No people previously ever had such an experience — a Man risen from the dead moving as entirely unrestricted by material conditions. Peter said, “Us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead”, Acts 11: 41. The Lord took pains to tell them that “a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have”, Luke 24: 39.
In Judges we see men educated spiritually, and we see how they took in the divine thought: Gideon, Jotham, and Samson. Gideon was well employed and an angel appears to him and instructs him; and some of us may be well employed and yet need spiritual instruction. Apollos is an example of this (Acts 18: 24 - 26). Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress, and doing it well, no doubt, using the flail as well as anyone in limited circumstances, always a wholesome experience for young servants. One may be well employed and serving in difficult circumstances, but nevertheless stand in need of education, so as to serve in a spiritual way. Gideon is honoured [p. 266] in that the angel came and sat over against where he was working, and we may be sure that in any little service pleasing to God that is what happens. Heaven is taking account of this and when that thought comes into the soul of a young servant it has a lasting effect upon him.
Most interesting things follow, and in them we can see that Jehovah was intent that this young servant should become spiritual; the conversation took that turn. God would give the servant to understand that He is taking account of him, also giving him an opportunity to express himself as to his antecedents and circumstances generally. This brought out the state of Gideon’s mind, and what followed afforded remarkable spiritual instruction, which would affect Gideon henceforth. Spirituality is not merely having the Spirit, but in being formed by Him according to what God is as presented objectively in Christ. God being thus apprehended, the Spirit works in the believer and there is a subjective effect marked by spirituality. The Lord’s statement that God is a spirit enters into this great feature of the truth; also His statement as to the new birth, that that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John has in mind to build up a constitution for the last days, and only these great basic facts received by faith will suffice. God is a spirit, and what is effected in us by the Spirit is ‘spirit’; it is not the Spirit, but the character or kind of result, and through redemption known in the believer and the Holy Spirit received, spirituality is developed. All this is in mind in the manner in which God comes before Gideon, with the result that he is set up in liberty with God; every word that passed was to this end. Gideon says to Jehovah, “Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee”. It is now God and Gideon. That is how individuality — free, holy relations with God — develops [p. 267] in a christian; he comes to understand it is God and he. In a similar way in Genesis 17 Jehovah says to Abraham, “It is I”, the time had come for Abraham to come into such dignified and yet reverential terms with God. It was now Jehovah and Abraham, so that he was said to be the “Friend of God”. This thought of individual relationship began early; it appears in Enoch as his first son was born, and it says he walked with God. His example should be borne in mind in thinking of our eldest sons. Similarly Abraham and Isaac went together. Abraham was not going to seek university honours for his son; he was going to offer him up; morally it was the finest walk conceivable as Abraham and Isaac walked together to mount Moriah. As regards Enoch, we find Cain’s world had that name, too. The world borrows from christians. It is as much as to say, we have what you have. ‘Enoch’ implies one taught or disciplined, and the world can say, We have such, too. Thus the world carries on and makes itself attractive.
Enoch would have intimate relations with God as his son was born, the finest desire that could come into his heart. Enoch walked with God. Abraham was directed to walk before God and what follows is a conversation between God and Abraham; and “God went up from Abraham”. He left Abraham here and He went up. But Jehovah came back, according to the next chapter, and Abraham entertained Him. No doubt Gideon had this in mind — that similar holy intimacy had been enjoyed earlier, and hence he desired the heavenly Visitor to stay while he fetched refreshment. He was, so to say, on easy terms — not irreverent — but free, holy terms with God. He was making acquaintance with the One he was to meet later, and it is most important to do this at the start and to call upon God. He will never fail you in a critical time — in an address or any such service, for perfect love casts out fear.
Jehovah answered Gideon saying, “I will tarry till thou come again”. Think of God, the Creator, the upholder of all things, waiting thus on His creature God is there, setting His prospective servant at such ease in His presence. What Gideon brought must have taken some time to make ready. He had to find the kid and kill it and prepare it, also the unleavened cakes. Yet he had such liberty with God that he could ask Him to stay, and God said He would stay. Many of us are legal and fail in confidence in God when we need His help. Gideon would never forget this occasion. The lesson learnt would enable him to call upon God in the crisis he later experienced. This was a spiritual matter implying his secret relations with God and would ever be a source of strength to Gideon. What follows is that the angel comes in mediatorially (verse 20), as if he said, I have waited for you, now I want to teach you how to be spiritual. He directed Gideon as to what he was presenting, and then the rock was introduced. It is most important that in our service we should be on solid ground. We are told elsewhere that the Rock is Christ, what Christ is as Man before God. The angel says, “lay them upon this rock”. Everything is where it should be. This is the school of God and the young servant is learning. Then it says of Gideon, that he did as he was directed without question. The believer is to be on a sure basis in what he is doing. And so it follows that fire came out of the Rock; power to consume the sacrifice is a further thought. What will Gideon now do? Has he taken in the great thoughts presented to him in such a gracious way? He says, “Alas, Lord Jehovah!” He has dropped from the sense of confidence seen in verse 20, and this is very common. But Jehovah says, “Peace be unto thee: fear not; thou shalt not die”. Gideon, assured, builds an altar to Jehovah, calling it Jehovah-shalom. That represents what came into the man’s soul; it [p. 269] marks definite progress. He has reached a point he had not reached before. He is restful and confident in the knowledge of Jehovah of Peace.
Referring to chapter 9, what I have read is all we get of Jotham’s service. What we are told is enough to indicate that he must have been with God. He was a remnant of a family, just one left, but he knows just what to say, and he says it, and evidently said it to be heard. He chose his position, delivered his message and fled (verse 21). Where did he flee to? We may have to perform such a service, but it must be in the right place and expressed in the right terms, then you can leave as he did. Jotham was evidently spiritual, he went to Beer and continued to dwell there. A great service was rendered, but was he fully equal to it? It was a remarkable address, full of spiritual matter, and evidently delivered with feeling, for he “cried”. Then he went to Beer, which would allude to a well — figuratively the Spirit. Thus recognising the Spirit, Jotham would be sustained spiritually and equal for further service. A principle in spiritual ministry is that it is followed up and made effective by God: here it is said that on the men of Shechem came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal (verse 57). It is said of Samuel that none of his words fell to the ground. Words that fall in honest and good hearts do not fall to the ground. The real depositary for spiritual words is the heart of the saints, and so God saw to it that Jotham’s message did not fail. God rendered back the wickedness of Abimelech which he did to his father in slaying his seventy brethren.
Turning to chapter 15, it says of Samson, that he found a new jawbone of an ass. This was at a very critical moment. What Samson had been doing on the top of the rock Etam we cannot definitely say, but no doubt he was gathering up strength from God. He was in the presence of mighty foes and they were [p. 270] shouting against him to overwhelm him, but Samson found what he needed, something fresh, the word ‘new’ is fresh or moist, meaning that the ass had been recently slain. It refers to the death of Christ, always fresh in testimony, never old or stale. In a truly spiritual man the things of Christ are never old or stale. God never fails those who trust Him, and here we have an example of what God is to His servants. Spiritual education enables the servant to draw upon God in a crisis. So he supplied Samson with this weapon, and with it he slew one thousand men. This was a fresh matter and really every service should have that touch. It is freshness as much as the words in ministry which touches us. What Samson says of the jawbone is also fresh. These lines, verse 16, which he composed were not premeditated — he speaks in poetic language. He is speaking of what he had done, and how ready he is with his language: all indicating freshness and power — so essential and effective in the service of God. And then when he has made an end of speaking he casts away the jawbone. Well, I think if some of us had that jawbone, we might take it home and put it in a glass case — that is, something to point to at any time, but having spoken about it in freshness he threw it away, as if to suggest that he would not use it again. Nor would he put it among the antiques of his family! He had done with it. But he called the place Ramath-lehi, for a testimony, to be taken account of by faith, entered into it.
Then the passage says that Samson became thirsty “and called on Jehovah ... . And God clave the hollow rock which was in Lehi, and water came out of it. And he drank, and his spirit came again, and he revived. Therefore its name was called En-hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day”. It is all a question of freshness; Samson had secured a great victory, but in the next service he will want something else.
[p. 271] The incident affords a striking spiritual example, especially for those engaged in the service of God; also an example as to how divine help is immediately available as called upon by faith. As we call upon God in a crisis He will not fail us.