There are numerous movies, books, and plays about people attempting to atone for past sins through philanthropy. Spike Lee directed Inside Man and Atom Egoyan directed Remember. Both are complex narratives along those lines. Several thousands of years before Lee and Egoyan’s stories went to the big screen, Israel’s history unveiled a much deeper and darker story through the pages of Scripture.
According to Genesis 49:10, Judah was the tribe of the anticipated Shiloh, i.e. Messiah. According to Samuel, the Messiah would come through the line of David. After Solomon’s death, the kingdom split in two. The northern kingdom, Israel, found its origins in rebellion. The southern kingdom, Judah, God’s tribe of Messianic and universal blessing, had a history of horrible kings and sordid leadership.
Jehoshaphat was one of a few good kings. Scriptures states, “He walked in the way of Asa his father; he did not turn away from it but did what was right in the LORD’s sight.” Jehoram was Jehoshaphat’s firstborn of seven brothers and was given the kingdom by his father. Chronicles tells us, “When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened his position by killing all his brothers with the sword; as well as some of the princes of Israel.”
God instructed Elijah the prophet to rebuke Jehoram. Elijah pointed out that his ways were evil in the LORD’s sight for “walking in the way of the kings of Israel” and causing “Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves…”
God’s punishment was to strike Jehoram’s people, wives, sons, and possessions “with a horrible affliction” … “including a disease of the intestines until your intestines come out day after day because of the disease.” That sounds pretty bad.
Jehoram’s intestines were afflicted and popping out the last two years of his life. Then, Jehoram died. As Scripture states, it was to “no one’s regret.” I guess not. I can’t even imagine the number of fart jokes. It was probably tough to take him seriously when every fifth word was drowned beneath a "FRRRRPPPTTT...pssshtt” sound.
G. Alan Bernard said, “The respect that leadership must have requires that one’s ethics be without question. A leader not only stays above the line between right and wrong, he stays well clear of the ‘gray areas.’” The foundation of leadership is character rooted in faith. Deciding we’ll rediscover integrity after we’ve decimated the competition by any means necessary to reach the pinnacle is a nonsensical delusion.
God established Judah as the ruling tribe. God established an eternal kingship covenant with David’s line. Jehoshaphat was a good king. Jehoram was the rightful ruler. Everyone knew and respected it. There was no contention or competition. There are no stories of brothers vying for position or plotting against him. Ultimately, Jehoram’s flawed character manifest as insecurity. It trumped any budding faith that might have been. God Almighty firmly established Jehoram’s position as the rightful king of Judah. Instead, Jehoram “strengthened his position by killing his brothers with the sword…”
God sent Jehoram a prophet as he’d done when David committed adultery and murder. The difference? David repented. Contrastingly, Jehoram remained stiff-necked (and gassy) ‘til the day he died, “to no one’s regret.”
Today, God doesn’t send us prophets with personal or direct divine revelation. No. He doesn’t. He has given us revelation in creation. He has given us revelation in Scripture. He has given us revelation in the person of Jesus Christ. His instructions regarding relationships and leadership are not cryptic in the least:
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Galatians 5:14
...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.
-Matthew 20:26b
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
-Philippians 2:3
God has issued no promises regarding the extent of our territory or material blessings. If you think that’s what the Prayer of Jabez is about - you’ve completely missed the point and context. On the contrary, He promised we’d have opposition, struggles, suffering, trials, and loss. Faith doesn’t exist in some dreamy snow globe of cushy life insulated from problems. Faith exists through and because of them. Untested faith is as untempered steel. It looks good until you need or test it. Then it fails catastrophically.
Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
-Romans 5:4-5
God has already established you in Christ Jesus. If you’ve never called out to Him in humility and repentance, do it now. There’s no magical formula or particular prayer. Just be honest about your failings and desire for redemption in Christ. That’s the point of Romans 10:9. If you’ve strayed from His love in seeking to strengthen your own position and going your own way, call out to Him now and repent.
Logic and reason tell us security and safety are primary and essential. God knows we’re flawed and broken, but that never prevented Him from loving us. It never will. God tells us that faith must trump everything - even logic, reason, safety and security. We, like Jehoram, can jettison our integrity for the sake of personal gain. God’s desires for us to hope, trust and have faith within the storms of life - not despite them. Storms are when we truly witness His power, love, and eternal faithfulness.
Secular leadership attempts to glean bits of profit from the goldmine of Scripture without ever recognizing or upholding its supreme authority. Principles of humility, servant-ship, integrity, and respect only exist and function because of creation’s Author, Jesus Christ. Without affirming the Creator, tapping into the order, precision, and functionality of His cosmos is ultimately an exercise in futility - like building on a foundation of sand.
Leadership for the purpose of accolades, success, or security is idolatry. Jesus was NOT a great leader who happened to serve. He is the perfect Servant who led - and continues to lead. Unlike Jehoram, when Jesus died - it was to everyone’s regret. When he arose - it was to everyone’s joy.
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
-Matthew 7:25-27
Will the legacy of your character and leadership endure or will it be consumed when the struggles, sufferings, and storms of life come crashing in? Will your departure, ultimately, be to no one’s regret?
Blessings,
-Kevin M. Kelley
aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com
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