Leaders – Praying Pint

13.r. “But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all. “

Zachariah 10:3 “My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord Almighty will care for his flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle. From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.

Isaiah 56:9-10    The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all.  “Come,” they say, “let me get wine; let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.”

Jeremiah 10:21    For the shepherds are stupid and do not inquire of the LORD; therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered.

Jeremiah 50:6    “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold.

Ezekiel 34:2   “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?

Ezekiel 34:7-10    “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:  As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep,  therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:  Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

The shepherds pretend to be guides of the people. They lead them astray. They do not feed them with the Word of God. They feed them idols. They feed them lies. They lead them on paths away from God. We can look at the shepherds being the religious leaders or the civil government leaders. Both will be held to account for how they led the people God had placed under their responsibility. These shepherds do not speak the truth but rather speak what the people want to hear. How is a person to be able to recognize false teaching leaders? How are people to know lies from the truth from the craftily worded teachings of their leaders? Too often preaching has turned into nothing more than saying what makes people comfortable, being afraid they might offend someone. Too often leaders say what people want to hear without giving a second thought about trying to fulfill what they promised. Without knowledge, understanding, and wisdom through God’s Word and Holy Spirit leading there is no way to see how blind we are to things of God. Complacency and neglect of God’s Word will always lead to confusion between right and wrong. In this confusion, people are easily led astray. in this confusion, people turn toward their shepherds/leaders and away from seeking Jesus Christ. In this confusion, people believe in everything other than what God’s Word proclaims. In this confusion, people place their hope and trust in worldly shepherds/leaders. There is no substitute for God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ. There is no substitute that will fill the longing of our heart apart from God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ. There is no Substitute that can take away the confusion, worry, and fear apart from God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ. Do not look for answers to today’s problems, trials, and troubles apart from God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ.

1.n. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

1 Chronicles 29:6 Then the leaders of fathers’ houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officers over the king’s work. They gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze and 100,000 talents of iron. And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

2 Corinthians 9:7-8   Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

1 Kings 8:61    Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

Exodus 25:2     “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.

Luke 12:48    Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Exodus 35:5    Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;

Proverbs 22:9    Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

Acts 20:35    In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

For they had given willingly and with a whole heart they offered freely. This must have been a great day to be part of and witness the hearts of all men freely giving and rejoicing. This was not a tax by the King but an offer to the people to freely give toward the work that was to begin. Gold, refined sliver, iron, bronze, precious jewels were all given freely for the work that for the house of the Lord.

Presently giving is something that appears to be an afterthought rather than a forethought or something predetermined and purposed in and from the heart. That is where giving takes root, is in the heart. Out of the heart will a person freely give. Out of the heart will a person greedily withhold.

Scripture is full of examples of being greedy to the detriment of the person. To those who freely give they will have an abundance and to those who greedily hoard will never be satisfied. They will be forever trying to satisfy the craving for more. They will have no joy from it and it will become a burden to them. Withholding from fellow man is one thing but withholding from God is totally another level of neglect. A cheerful and generous giver has reason to rejoice and give thanks because they have shared what God has given to them. This is the point we all need to take to heart – we own nothing – we deserve nothing – what we have has been given and entrusted to us by God – It is not ours but we have been given free will to choose what we do with it. We can choose to be greedy and hoard or to be generous and freely give. Spending all we have so that we have nothing to give is robbing God. Be mindful of what He has entrusted with you.

74. Ah, stubborn children,” declares the LORD, “who carry out a plan, but not mine

Joshua 9:3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14     So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance.  He did not seek guidance from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

Isaiah 30:1-2    “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the LORD, “who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin;

Proverbs 3:5-6     Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

James 1:5     If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

The passage from Joshua would give us some insight into how critical it is in all things to seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit. When reading this it all seems like the Israelites did what was right. They listened to these people and looked at the physical evidence to collaborate what they were saying and came to a conclusion. It all seemed to add up and make sense. But sometimes lies are spoken and the truth is far from what is being told to us and clouds what we are able to perceive. We think we are making the right decision and following our heart in line with our understanding of God’s word. We should understand our need, in all things great and small, to seek Holy Spirit wisdom, understanding, knowledge, awareness, and perception. Seeking God is never wrong but not seeking Him almost always is.

Examples we can learn from

but did not ask counsel from the Lord

but they mixed with the nations
and learned to do as they did.

Joshua 9:3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn- out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn- out and torn and mended, with worn- out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn- out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn- out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn- out and torn and mended, with worn- out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn- out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.

“We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them.

Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. This we will do to them:let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them.
So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place that he should choose.

Psalms 106:36
They did not destroy the peoples,
as the Lord commanded them,
but they mixed with the nations
and learned to do as they did.
They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons;
they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was polluted with blood.
Thus they became unclean by their acts,
and played the whore in their deeds

The story related in Joshua has to do with Joshua and the leaders being caught up in the moment. What they saw and heard was a lie. But what they saw and heard made them believe they were doing the right thing. Having compassion on a nation who spoke well of their God and acknowledged what God had done. The problem that the Israelites had was not seeking God before they made the decision. This is a very good point to remember. In Psalms the people willing disobeyed God. They did not do what He said to do and in fact they went even further and doing the opposite. We face both of these scenarios in our lives every day and we would do well to take careful read of these scriptures. There are times when we are lulled into making decision(s) when it would benefit our walk with God to pause and seek His guidance. There are other times we follow the culture rather than spend time knowing what Gods plan is for our lives. We need to know what is right, pure, and pleasing to God. For this to happen we need to spend time with Him through His word and in prayer. Do you seem to be experiencing satisfaction with this world and not feeling the senselessness that people are spending time on. Imagine what your life would be like if it was fully and totally committed to serving God and living to bring honor and glory to Him. What does a life like this look like? I imagine that every day this life would strive to make a difference in lives it comes into contact with. I imagine it would be filled with holy sorrow in what it sees. I imagine it would feel convicted by the Holy Spirit. I imagine it would find hope when there seems to be none. I imagine it would show love when there is no earthly reason to show it. I imagine it would be willing to speak of God’s grace in their life. I imagine it would live on a growing faith day by day. What do you imagine????????????