Tag: leader

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What hubris leader ignores warnings?

Reading Time: 4 minutes

So Jeremiah sent for Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated all the prophecies that the Lord had given him, Baruch wrote them on a scroll. Then Jeremiah said to Baruch, “I am a prisoner here and unable to go to the Temple. So you go to the Temple on the next day of fasting, and read the messages from the Lord that I have had you write on this scroll. Read them so the people who are there from all over Judah will hear them. Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the Lord’s forgiveness before it is too late. For the Lord has threatened them with his terrible anger.” Baruch did as Jeremiah told him and read these messages from the Lord to the people at the Temple. ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭36‬:‭4‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What kind of leader, king, president or ruler ignores a clear warning from God? One that believes they are untouchable, too powerful to be affected by truth. Zedekiah was told exactly what was going to happen, what God was going to do. And yet, his kingly power had gone to his head, infecting him from common sense.

Gotquestions.org writes, “Zedekiah was the last king of Judah and was king when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by Babylon in 586 BC and the majority of the people were carried into exile. Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king, meaning he would have only been about 10 when his father, Josiah, died and his brother Jehoahaz became king. Zedekiah ruled for 11 years but continued on all the evil of his brothers and nephew Jehoiachin. Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, and, as a result, Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Zedekiah was confident of Egypt’s help, which never materialized. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign, the city fell to Babylon.” As we can clearly see from Zed’s inflated ego, he thought he was savvy at playing political games, gambling with the lives of the people of Judah.

What is interesting is how Jeremiah’s prophetic word actually made it to the king. It seems like it was a very circuitous journey, gingerly making its way to Zedekiah, the king. Jeremiah’s scroll, given to Baruch to present at the temple did get the attention of the temple priests. Micaiah heard the messages from the Lord (36‬:‭11‬). Micaiah got the message to Elishama the secretary and other officials. When Micaiah told them about the messages Baruch was reading to the people, the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah to ask Baruch to come and read the messages to them, too. So Baruch took the scroll and went to them. “Sit down and read the scroll to us,” the officials said, and Baruch did as they requested” (36‬:‭12‬-‭15‬).

Obviously, the officials serving king Zedekiah took it seriously. It was so serious, they investigated who the message actually came from, “When they heard all the messages, they looked at one another in alarm. “We must tell the king what we have heard,” they said to Baruch. “But first, tell us how you got these messages. Did they come directly from Jeremiah?” So Baruch explained, “Jeremiah dictated them, and I wrote them down in ink, word for word, on this scroll.” “You and Jeremiah should both hide,” the officials told Baruch. “Don’t tell anyone where you are!” Then the officials left the scroll for safekeeping in the room of Elishama the secretary and went to tell the king what had happened” (36‬:‭16‬-‭20‬). It was looking like Jeremiah’s message and the chance for mercy if the king listened to God ‭would resolve the whole situation.

But Zedekiah’s response was shockingly hubris! As the scroll makes its way to the king, Jeremiah records the environment and mood of Zedekiah. He was chill, comfortably sitting by the fire seemingly worry-free. “The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama’s room and read it to the king as all his officials stood by. It was late autumn, and the king was in a winterized part of the palace, sitting in front of a fire to keep warm. Each time Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king took a knife and cut off that section of the scroll. He then threw it into the fire, section by section, until the whole scroll was burned up. Neither the king nor his attendants showed any signs of fear or repentance at what they heard. Even when Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, he wouldn’t listen” (36‬:‭21‬-‭25‬). Section by section he cut it up as it was read and threw it into the fire! Understandably, he then ordered the arrest of Baruch and Jeremiah, but the Lord had hidden them. Every word of Jeremiah’s words, promises from God came true. Israel and Judah were put into a 70 year timeout by God, captives in Babylon.

How did it end for the hubris king? During the siege, Zedekiah fled the city by night but was captured. Zedekiah’s sons were killed before him, and then Zedekiah was blinded and taken to Babylon in chains. Even still, in God’s mercy, Zedekiah died a peaceful death, as God promised in Babylon years later.

We think, “if we were just clearly warned of what’s ahead, what are the results of our arrogance and sin – we would turn and repent.” Zed’s heart like many of our human hearts are far more complicated, far more stubborn, far more determined to have our own way even when we know it will end badly. James says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). It was true then and still true today!

Prayer

​Dad,
I don’t want myself or anyone I know to be a Zed! Wow. I know it’s in our human hearts to have the propensity to self serving and selfishness. But to be told, to be warned that judgement is coming AND miss the opportunity to repent – is just sad. Even with what little power I have, I want to maintain a soft, pliable heart before you. I am not perfect, but I certainly know how to repent and ask for forgiveness and mercy.

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David’s moral wishlist.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs. I will be careful to live a blameless life— when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them. I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride. ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭101‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It is believed that Psalm 101 was inserted toward the end of David’s life, but it’s obvious that he wrote it when he was young, likely before becoming king. I like what one commentator used as the word that described David’s intentions to rule his country well, DETERMINATION.

David was determined to do right. David was anointed king three times. Samuel anointed David in his youth, (1 Samuel 16:13). After Saul’s death he was anointed king over the tribe of Judah at Hebron (2 Samuel 2:4). Seven years later he was anointed king over all the tribes of Israel (2 Samuel 5:3). But as life unfolded in David’s life, he lost sight of his original passion for God and justice. What was it that cooled or shifted his focus of being this righteous standard he had set for himself. David had a front row seat to observe what power, authority and wealth had done to his predecessor. He watched Saul’s spiritual life unravel right in front of him, throwing a spear at David because of the king’s spiritual torment. Is seeing a bad example of leadership helpful to guide one’s own idea of a good leader? I think it is. Yet, it is clearly not enough to be different. A great leader has to grow beyond just doing better than the person before them.

David’s own words in this Psalm must have haunted him as he looked back, he wrote, “I refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar!” Or, “I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.” These are evidence of a young man’s battle to control his own thoughts, disorder desires and overcome temptations that come his way. Job declared that he had made a covenant with his own eyes, “not to look with lust at a young woman,” (Job 31:1). When David was coming into his years of being a king at 30 years old, his intention, his determination was to NOT put up with conceit or pride. As it turned out, David’s moral wishlist ended up becoming his downfall. What he hated at thirty, he succumbed to at fifty. What do you think caused such a shift from passion to do right to passion to do whatever he wanted? Twenty years of battle victories led to kingdom wide peace and wealth. David no longer needed to go to lead his army against his enemies. He was too valuable, too important, too busy? In the spring when kings go off to war, David stayed home, (2 Samuel 11:1). Everything had been conquered in David’s life, except the desires within his own soul!

I get why this Psalm was inserted into the songs of praise at the end of David’s life, it is a reminder to guard our hearts and stoke the righteous passions of our youth even when we’ve made it, especially if we’ve won.

Prayer

Dad,
There are so many lessons to be learned from great men and women in the Bible. The heroic stories, the rags to riches stories, the famous “such a time as this” stories, all of them are so inspiring. Yet, David’s extraordinary life is one example of how quickly things can turn when I lose sight of the most important thing, the number one priority relationship in my life – you! I had wild and crazy expectations of changing my world and Your Church when I was young. Now, I just want to fulfill my calling and tend to my most precious relationships. I need your grace and mercy to finish strong and end well.

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Happy King, happy kingdom?

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! He shouts with joy because you give him victory. For you have given him his heart’s desire; you have withheld nothing he requested.” Psalms‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is a common phrase and understanding in many households, especially back in the day, “If momma ain’t happy, no one is happy.” If you go further back in time, way back, you’ll find the original concept, “if the king ain’t happy, no one is happy.”

Psalm 21 is a song of thanksgiving. It focuses on King David at a time in his life when things were going well. The interesting point to this imagery of a king is this, the king is often credited with being an example of the moral state of a kingdom in the Old Testament.

The Psalms were all written to be a foreshadowing of the coming messiah. And in the messiah’s arrival would come a final season of peace, prosperity and justice for all the wrongs done to Israel. The messiah was definitely projected to be the inevitable, invincible conqueror! So when Jesus showed up as a baby and did everything contrary to any Jewish leader before him, the Jews were naturally suspicious. What kind of conqueror lays down his life, seemingly ending his rule and reign. And Jesus had no heirs! What kind of leader was this?

I wonder if this Psalm 21 characteristic turns out to be true in leaders today? When a leader is happy, the followers are happy. When a leader ain’t happy… well we’ve all seen plenty examples of this on a global and local stage. My take away isn’t exactly about a king or a momma. As a leader, a shepherd, a servant I see the absolute necessity in guarding and protecting my own heart to more or less stay in a place of calm, you could call it a “guarded gratefulness.” There is a lot of chatter and situations that can cause a perpetual state of unhappiness and I end up seething AND seeding a whole batch of angry, frustrated and divided crops of unfruitful and unfulfilled trees! A king, a momma or a leader needs to find a place of perspective and peace to not perpetuate the “ain’t no one happy” culture in their kingdom, home or organization.

Prayer

Dad,
I try and try and try to remember these concepts and work hard to not take the bait to become bitter. It is so very hard. My mind triggers my emotions and they just ramp up faster than I can coral them back into place. I need to seek and ask far more questions before flying off into unrealistic scenarios that end with poor behavior or words that can not easily be retracted or rescinded. Help me seek you first before I fire up the whole emergency response mechanism in my head. Thank you for your grace and mercy when I blow it.