Idolatry & Human Leadership Part 1 of 6
by David Orton
An excerpt from Chapter 9 in David Orton's book,
"Snakes in the Temple: Unmasking Idolatry in Today's Church"
Part 1 of 6
“They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval.
With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction”
Hos 8:4 NIV
“A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way…”
Jer 5:30-31 NIV
I was sitting in a restaurant with several other pastors. Over lunch, our conversation focussed on the issue of revival as a particular perspective surfaced. One of them said that, “We can’t sit around praying for revival - we know what we have to do - all we have to do is - DO IT!” Explaining, this leader continued, “Our job as pastors is to run our own churches and to reach our own neighbourhood.” Apart from a strong flavour of independence, it almost sounded right, and, in our present system, is no doubt, what most pastors are paid to do. But our continuing discussion revealed behind these statements, a larger view. Revivals come and go – we have no influence over them – and, so all we are meant to do is, to “do church”.
Consequently, we shut our eyes to spiritual dynamics and hang onto the wheel driving the church like any other human organisation. We might even pray and ask God to bless our plans and programs. But they are our plans and programs, not his – they didn’t come from his Spirit, but from our own skill and training. We may even pay lip service to unity and revival, but in practice lost any faith-expectation of the kingdom being advanced through sudden, powerful, or extensive outpourings of the Spirit. This is not to say that planning and programs cannot play a subservient role in facilitating a measure of the grace of God, but they have become the head rather than the tail. We prefer to move ahead in our own strength than to wait for God.
THE CHURCH’S DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
How did this attitude enter the church? And, what are its roots? To find the answer we must go back to the day when the Old Testament church cried out, as a declaration of their independence from God:
“Give us a king!”
Samuel had grown old, his sons abused their privileges, the ark of God’s presence was gone, and the nation was ravaged by civil and moral anarchy.161 Not only had the glory of God departed, they faced a significant leadership crisis. Threatened by their enemies, the people lusted for a king like the other nations. “So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel … They said to him, ‘You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.’” (1 Sam.8: 4-5 - NIV).
Human Leadership
The single greatest change, in the life of God’s people, was signalled. Profound and far reaching consequences were triggered from this event, determining the spiritual direction of Israel for generations. Their rejection of Samuel for a king was, in effect, the rejection of God as king. They were opting, instead, for human leadership. However, rather than giving them victory over their enemies, it opened the doors to an inrush of idolatry and demonic power, ending in their own defeat and captivity.
Foreshadowed by the Old Testament Church
In this chapter we will uncover the significance, for today’s church, of what was, in reality, Israel’s declaration of independence. As a “type”162, it holds lessons for our day, which, if heeded, will save God’s people from further spiritual abuse, on one hand, and on the other, accelerate his design for the transformation of the world through an end-time outpouring of the Spirit. It prophetically foreshadowed a miss-development in the church, dating from the second century, which quickly established religious strongholds and led the church into Babylonian captivity.
A prophetic generation
While the Reformation touched this miss-development, it remains for a prophetic generation to lay the axe to the root. Like John the Baptist,163 it will prepare the way of the Lord by uprooting and confronting the idolatries that led the church into captivity. Centuries old bondages will be shattered as they receive the Father’s heart and a zeal for his house. Through them the house of the Lord will be rebuilt as a house of prayer for all nations. They will deal with root causes – with the issues of the heart. Emerging from their wilderness preparations, they will prophetically confront the historic idolatries of the church. Through brokenness and humility they will pull down the religious strongholds of pride, that have held her captive to the “elemental spirits of this world” 164. They will call her back to intimacy with the Bridegroom, and refuse to be motivated by their own need for significance – they will not pursue their own glory. They will see that the church has rejected Christ as king for human control. And, like the prophet Hosea, confront the idolatry of human power structures. They too will declare in the white-hot holiness of God’s anger, “Where is your king, that he may save you? Where are your rulers in all your towns, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’? So in my anger I gave you a king, and
in my wrath I took him away” (Hos 13:10-11 NIV). They will see that it was God who satisfied Israel’s lust for a king, but also God who would take him away.
But before we look at the consequences of Israel’s newfound independence we will consider its causes.
Leadership by expedience – a crisis of continuity & authority
They faced both a crisis of continuity and authority.
Their request for a king was pressured by expedience - by the tyranny of the urgent – by crisis management. Prior to Samuel’s leadership Israel had been without a king with “everyone doing what was right in their own eyes”.165 This situation not only marked the whole period of the Judges, preceding Samuel’s call as a prophet, but the fear of its reoccurrence ultimately precipitated his rejection, in preference for a king. With Samuel’s advancing age and imminent death, Israel teetered again on the brink of anarchy – a crisis of authority.
This dilemma was compounded by a crisis of second generation leadership – a crisis of continuity. Samuel’s sons “did not walk in his ways” and “turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice” (1 Sam 8:3 NIV). Under these pressures, to ensure continuity, Israel’s elders demanded a king.
The nation needed leadership and only a king would provide it. In addition, invasion was imminent. With the Ammonites moving against them they desperately needing military leadership. 166 And, who better than a strong authoritative king to provide it. But, as the unfolding story shows, decisions made by expedience are not usually wise.
Fulfilled in the New Testament Church
This miss-development is directly parallelled in the life of the new covenant church. By the turn of the second century the first generation leaders – the apostles, the Samuels of their day who led the church as men of the Spirit, had all passed from the scene, hastening a crisis of apostolic continuity and authority – a crisis of leadership. While the apostolic writings were in circulation, so were a lot of others. Heresy and confusion prevailed. The canonical Scriptures of the New Testament had not yet fully formed and would not for another century or more. Without the authority of both the Scriptures and the charismatic leadership of the first apostles, the second century church found itself facing the twin dilemma of escalating heresy – a crisis of continuity, and division – a crisis of authority. What where they to do? Trust God to raise up a new generation of “Samuels” - anointed apostolic and prophetic leaders, or ask for a king?
…to be continued.
161 See Judges 18-21 & 1 Sam.4-8. The books of 1 & 2 Samuel flow chronologically from the time of the Judges, Samuel being the last of the judges and the first of the prophets. The theme of Samuel is the rejection of the “theocracy” (the rule of God) and establishment of the “monarchy” (the rule of man). The theme of 1& 2 Kings is its failure.
162 See 1 Cor.10: 6, 11 - the history of the old covenant (OC) church, Israel, occurred as “examples” (NIV) or as “types” (Gr. tupos) for our warning in the new covenant (NC) church. The word tupos denotes an impression or mark made by a stamp or die. The OC church, in essence, is a “type” - an impression or mark made by the die or stamp of the future NC church, which is called the “antitype”. As such a “type” is a prefiguring - a prophetic foreshadowing of a future reality. The Epistle to the Hebrews shows that OC institutions are a “shadow” of future spiritual realities (8:5; 10:1). Just as a shadow has no substance of itself and points to the actual object causing it, the OC order pointed to the reality of the NC - Christ and his church. Therefore, significant events, people, and institutions of the OC prophetically foreshadow spiritual realities and warnings for the NC church.
163 Mt 3:10
164 Gal 4:3, 9; Col 2:8, 20 (RSV)
165 See Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25. The moral and spiritual anarchy of the period of the judges overlaps the story of Samuel and the establishment of the monarchy.
166 1 Sam 12:12
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Thank you.
Copyright © David Orton 2007
www.lifemessenger.org
August 10th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Thanks David!
You write: “Revivals come and go – we have no influence over them – and, so all we are meant to do is, to “do church”… Consequently, we shut our eyes to spiritual dynamics and hang onto the wheel driving the church like any other human organisation. We might even pray and ask God to bless our plans and programs. But they are our plans and programs, not his – they didn’t come from his Spirit, but from our own skill and training.”
It seems to me that just about no other error more permeates the traditional Church environment more than this one. I’m glad you are confronting it!
When the authority in Jesus’ Church shifted from Jesus to strong charismatic leaders, who developed their own agenda, so also was seeded into the Church the notion that man, apart from intimate spiritual connection with the Head, could actually build the Church and not lead it away from Jesus. Such foolishness has taken its twists and turns throughout the centuries, but if we are to see it restored and beyond restored, then we must be a people who ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to move forward apart from a clear revived connection with Christ and His prophetic guidance through His body.
We simply cannot “do” the work of the ministry, apart from solid connections to Him. If the only way that worked for Jesus, was to see the Father and act on that basis, then nothing short of this will work for us.
If the current reformation devolves into just another “House Church Denomination,” it will be because men got a revelation from Christ, and ran with it on their own. Our only hope for this not happening is to refuse to move forward apart from continuous revelation, and a revelation confirmed in the mouths and hearts of many spiritual witnesses who have a similar passion for prayer and Spirit led activity.
If we don’t learn to “see Jesus,” as Jesus “saw the Father,” then we are doomed to repeat Church history’s failures. True leadership cannot be based on intellect, writing skills, and charismatic personalities, alone. They must be based on deep lives of connected prayer. I have no trust for men whose knees have no callouses, whose hands evidence no wringing from agonizing in His presence, and whose shoes are not worn out from pacing before Him. When I look for developing leaders these days, to walk closely with in the things of God, I look first and foremost for men who cannot live without intimacy with Him. Evidence passion for Jesus alone or I’m afraid of you.
Take us further on this theme brother…we look forward to your next installment!
Blessings!
Tom