Will the leaders lead, and the people willingly follow?

Leaders who lead

Judges 5:2 NIV
[2] “When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves---praise the Lord!
Judges 5:6-9 NIV
[6] “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths. [7] Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel. [8] God chose new leaders when war came to the city gates, but not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. [9] My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the Lord!

There is a  matter which needs comment here and that is the position of Shamgar. He was the third Judge of Israel mentioned in the book of Judges.

Judges 3:31 NIV
[31] After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

The standard formula in Judges includes a reference to the number of years of oppression and the number of years of peace after the Judge “saves” Israel. That is not the case here. In fact in the song of Deborah we find out that there was no peace after Shamgar.

Judges 5:6-8 NIV
[6] “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths. [7] Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel. [8] God chose new leaders when war came to the city gates, but not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.

After Othniel the land had peace for 40 years. After Ehud the land had peace for 80 years. But after Shamgar there was no peace. Deborah’s experience suggests that the tribes had become complacent after Ehud. Shamgar’s only call to fame was the killing of 600 Philistines. It is probable that the people would have congratulated Shamgar but not followed him into war like his predecessors. Comfort and security had taken over and they progressively became enslaved to the Philistines ending with King  Jabin of Canaan. Jael’s killing of Jabin’s General, Sisera,  marks the end of a 60 year period of enslavement of Israel.

Deborah’s victory over the army of Jabin would not have been needed if the people and nobles had taken action back in Shamgar’s time, 60 years earlier.

What are we meant to learn from this for our situation today?

At first sight the lesson is that problems increase when problems are ignored. If the nobles and people had followed up after Shamgar then they would have avoided two generations of oppression.

I see this in my own life, decades ago, when I failed to take decisive action for the sake of peace. All that happened was that I had to deal with the issue later on when it was more difficult to do so. I have since learned how to confront, even though that is against my normal nature. Psychologists could have a field day with much of this, but the main point is clear. DEAL WITH IT.

This same attitude of dealing lightly with issues that need decisive action can be seem at all levels of leadership, right up to our national government. Decisive action is not taken when politicians eyes are on the next election. So we are dominated by a three or four year election cycle when what is need is a long vision well outside the election cycle. But will we ever find such a government outside of a national emergency?

What about in the Church? Where is the decisive leadership promoting the cause of Christ and the Kingdom of God decisively and without apology. Have we become so entrenched in the affairs of this world that we have forgotten whom we are serving? Jesus spoke forthrightly to the evil in high places as well as in all people. He knew the result of staying silent.

There were  times when He could have trod a safer path; the temptation in the wilderness and in the Garden of Gethsemane to name just two. He chose the harder route knowing that it was the only path that would enable Jim to fulfil the role His Father had given Him. There was no thought for Himself. He only wanted to do the Father’s will and free us from the evil that holds us in bondage.

Where are the leaders who LEAD? Where are the people who serve WILLINGLY?

The Father’s will will be done. Jesus ensured that by His sacrificial life, His atoning death, and His glorious resurrection. The only question for us is “will we willingly follow our leader, Jesus”? If you have been entrusted with leadership in the Kingdom of God, will you take the lead?

The future of our society depends on this.