Leadership

by JOHN DRAIN | Category: The Return From Babylon | Jun 1956

It is generally accepted that where collective action of any importance is to be taken there is the necessity for leadership. The more skilful the leadership, the more effective will be the action involved. It has been said that mass cannot govern mass. We may say also that mass cannot lead mass. Men need leaders. That this need is recognized is apparent in the recorded course of human affairs. The remarkable thing is that no sooner do men assume the responsibilities of leadership than they become the targets of the criticism of those whom they lead.

In the outworking of divine purposes, and in particular in connexion with the collective response of the people of God to the revealed will of God, the necessity and importance of leadership are very clear. This fact is demonstrated in the activities of the people that returned from Babylon to build for God in their own land. In the section of Scripture before us (Ezra 7 and 8) leadership finds impressive exemplification in the godly Ezra. We propose first of all to examine some things concerning Ezra, to observe some of the qualifications which will be found in divinely equipped leaders and in divinely directed leadership. And we wish also to draw a few lessons from what is written about other leaders who accompanied Ezra.

Ezra was an outstanding man. He was a man of unimpeachable character and of conspicuous ability. At all times, for the establishment and furtherance of His work, God has thrust forward men specially fitted for His purpose. Not all are fitted to lead. A man may be very godly in life and may do most useful work for the people of God, but he may not be fitted for leadership. Such leaders are described by Paul as pillars. He refers in Galatians 2 to his visit to and consultation with those men. James, Peter and John are specifically mentioned. How important it was that unity should be preserved amongst these leaders! Disunity could lead only to disorder and disaster. Satan is ever busy. We write with a conviction that for the preservation and presentation of God's truth today there are men whom God has raised up to carry special responsibility as leaders. As was Ezra, so should these men be respected in love for their work's sake. Often the butts for criticism, they should be rather burdens of our prayers.

We draw attention to descriptions of Ezra that are given in chapter 7. "He was a ready scribe in the law of Moses" (verse 6). "Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of His statutes to Israel " (verse 11). "The scribe of the law of the God of heaven" (verse 12). Here was a man in touch with heaven and with the mind of the God of heaven. By diligent application he had acquired an intimate and reverent knowledge of the Scriptures, the holy writings in which were found the commandments and statutes of the LORD. "Ezra had set his

heart to seek the law of the LORD" (Ezra 7.10). Indispensable to true and vigorous leadership amongst God's people is the knowledge of the Scriptures. In our own day there is in particular the necessity of knowing, so as to hold, the mystery of the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ as set forth in the New Testament writings and, in principle, confirmed and illustrated in the Old Testament. This demands careful and prayerful attention. And so Paul writes to Timothy, "Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2.15).

When the Lord Jesus was on earth He said on one occasion, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not" (Matthew 23.8). This is a serious censure. "They say, and do not." Ezra was not like this. What he learned from the law of the LORD he learned with the primary purpose of doing. He "had set his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it." How important a feature of spiritual leadership is doing the will of God! If leaders are not leading by example as well as by exposition and exhortation then they are failing sadly in their responsibilities. Writing to the Philippians, Paul could say with a good conscience, "The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do" (Philippians 4.9). As a good leader Paul could not only exhort, "Do as I say," but also, "Do as I do."

Having himself learned the will of God, Ezra was deeply concerned that God's people should be instructed. God gave to the man an exercise to teach His people what He expected from them and what were His revealed requirements as to right and wrong. In the leadership of God's people there is a continual urgency to convey to the people the will of God. Leading and teaching go together. And teaching is a serious responsibility. James says, "Be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgement" (James 3. 1). In 2 John 9 we have the solemn words, "Whosoever goeth onward (or taketh the lead, R.V.M.) and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God." This is an alarming possibility. By contrast we think of the Hebrews being exhorted to "remember them that had the rule over you, which spake unto you the word of God." By the word of God leaders can guide the people.

In what we read about Ezra it is evident that he had gained the respect and confidence of king Artaxerxes and his court. Often the nations of earth have been led by men whose lives have been not merely uncommendable but positively wicked. In the leadership of God's people it is essential that the leaders enjoy a high reputation amongst those who are without. This does not at all mean that they will enjoy popularity or be men-pleasers. But it does mean that even their enemies will have no valid accusation of misdemeanour to lay against them, and it does mean that by character and conduct they will have secured the confidence of others.

The words of Ezra in chapter 7.27, 28, are instructive. There are three particulars to which we draw attention.

Ezra praised the LORD for His mercy to him. How very important it was that in all this experience Ezra should realize that he was the object of divine mercy! However high would be the heights to which he might rise in divine purposes, Ezra traced all to the mercy of God. It is well when leaders are aware that they have received mercy. This awareness will keep them lowly and grateful. It will prompt them to show mercy to others and thus fulfil the will of the Lord.

For the work of leadership entrusted to Ezra great strength of purpose was needed. This strength Ezra found in the LORD Himself. Men endowed for leadership are exposed to the great danger of selfreliance. The powers with which they are endued, and the authority and influence which they wield, tend to promote self-confidence. This is fatal to leadership as ordained of God. Leaders must always find their strength in God Himself. Paul was a very gifted man. He had a mind which had been carefully trained and extensively furnished with knowledge. But when he refers to his appointment to divine service he writes, "I thank Him that enabled me, even Christ Jesus our Lord" (1 Timothy 1.12).

Though he was a great individual of strong personality, Ezra was not an individualist, a man acting in self-chosen independency. We read, "I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me." Himself a recognized chief man, he sought the fellowship of other chief men for the furtherance of God's work. Often the work of God has suffered through the forced actions of men acting in independence of others. Fellowship is both a strength and a safeguard. Wise leaders will not desire to act without seeking to secure the advantages of the co-operation of those who are their fellows.

Beside the river that runs to Ahava Ezra halted his company. There he viewed the people. This was no casual glance. Ezra the leader is here seen as a man of intelligent and prudent discrimination who understands what will be needed for the future accomplishment of the work of the LORD and who looks with discernment upon his men, separating them according to their possible function and usefulness. Ezra was a man of vision. This is another necessary characteristic of healthy leadership. Leaders must have vision and discernment. They must indeed be overseers.

As a result of thus viewing the people Ezra sees that they lack men of a particular kind and so he sends for them. Ezra was a man of decision. He saw the situation clearly. He knew what must be done, and he acted. In leadership the importance of making decisions cannot be over-rated. Situations inevitably arise in which quick and wise decisions are of tremendous value. Well it is for the people of God when their leaders are gifted by God so to act.

Though chosen and fitted for a very great work Ezra was a truly humble man. At the riverside he led the people into a condition of humility before God. "That we might humble ourselves before our God " (Ezra 8.21) are words which are indicative of sound leadership. It is a great mistake to attempt to model leadership of God's people upon the lines of human leadership in men's affairs. For one thing, there is little place for humility there. God's leaders must be humble. The great Leader and Example was meek and lowly in heart. The influence of humble leading men must have a strong impact upon the people in bringing them into the experience of real humility of heart and mind before God.

Humility and prayer are closely connected, and Ezra proclaimed a fast so that in humility the people might beseech God for guidance and protection. Leaders will be men who pray and who will lead the people of God into an appreciation of the necessity and value of prayer. The writings of that great leader Paul supply copious proofs of this.

God's leaders are not self-confident men, but they are confident men. Their confidence is in God. When he was in Babylon Ezra had proclaimed his confidence. To prove it he would not ask for an escort from the king for the hazardous journey to Jerusalem. The LORD honoured his confidence. The present days are days of spiritual hazard. They are perilous times. There are many adversaries. Leaders may have their fears as they lead the little flock into gathering darkness and danger. Confidence in God is needed.

"Lord God Almighty, Thou our Rock, Wilt surely save Thy little flock."

When his company was complete Ezra separated certain chief men and to them he distributed the valuables which had been given to him in Babylon. The weight of these offerings must have been considerable. What folly it would have been for Ezra to attempt to bear this burden himself! He had men to whom he could entrust responsibility, without surrendering his ultimate accountability to God and to the donors. Effective leadership will not be hampered and cluttered by responsibilities which can be allocated to those who are spiritually competent to shoulder them. There are men who under the supervision and counsel of leaders can be bearers of burdens, and this very assignment of tasks will be an indication of the foresight of leaders in preparing for the time when they will be no longer able to lead.

Of the leaders that went up with Ezra we are informed that certain of them were teachers (Ezra 8.16). We have already alluded to the importance of teaching in the leading of the people of God. It should be our prayer that God will continue to raise up leaders whose minds will be enlightened by divine truth and who will have the ability to give clear explanation of the truth of God which they have learned. Clear thinking is necessary to clear exposition; and clear exposition is necessary to the people of God being led in the way of God. Often muddled thinking expressed in vague language has been mistaken for profound teaching and it has befogged both listeners and readers.

When Ezra and his companions reached Jerusalem, the carriers of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, handed over their burdens. They had been faithful to their trust. And faithfulness ranks high in the marks of leadership.

In thus seeking to find some guidance on the matter of leadership we have perhaps been impressed that our findings are very different from what we should have reached in an examination of some treatise dealing with purely human leadership. We are assured that if what we have learned from Ezra continues to be practised then the matter of leadership will be kept on right lines and its true aim and end will be realized, "They furthered the people and the house of God" (Ezra 8.36).

JOHN DRAIN | Jun 1956
The Return From Babylon