Lessons in Leadership, Part 1
God-Chosen Leaders are Filled with God’s Spirit to Conquer Mightily
This is the 1st in a short series focusing some of the lessons that Israel’s
earliest leaders, the judges, have to teach us. Today’s leadership lesson
comes from one of the early judges, Caleb’s nephew Othniel, the son of Kenaz,
. . .
“But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer,
Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them. The Spirit of
the LORD came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war.
The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who
overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of
Kenaz died.” (Jdg 3:9-11)
It hadn’t been very long since the death of Joshua when Israel slipped up.
The sad story is recounted in the second chapter of Judges: “After that
whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew
up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. Then the
Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. They
forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of
Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them.
They provoked the LORD to anger because they forsook him and served Baal and
the Ashtoreths. In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to
raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom
they were no longer able to resist.” (Judges 2:10-14)
But God is merciful, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts
a lifetime.”(Ps. 30:5). The very second the people turned from their wicked
ways and cried out to the Lord, He was right there, waiting to raise up a
deliverer for them. And He didn’t have to look far to find Othniel, the
nephew and son-in-law of the steadfast Caleb.
We are told perhaps more about Othniel than about many of the judges of
Israel. We know that prior to being appointed a judge by God, he attacked
and captured Kiriath Sepher (Jos 15:16); he married Caleb’s daughter, Acsah
(Jos. 15:17); and he judged Israel for 40 years (Jdg 3:11). Two last
important points are recorded about Othniel: He was filled with God’s
Spirit, and God placed Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram, into his hands (Jdg
3:10).
Interesting to note, the Bible records that Othniel was filled with God’s
Spirit BEFORE he went out and conquered Cushan-Rishathaim. This is, of
course, because we, humanly, cannot do the impossible without the Spirit of
God working through us. But once Othniel had been given the outpouring of
God’s Spirit, he went forth and did the impossible. He conquered mightily!
A great leader must be filled with God’s Spirit. Otherwise that leader is
doomed for failure. And once filled with God’s Spirit, he or she, like
Othniel, will go forth and conquer mightily! Nothing is impossible when one
is filled with the Holy Spirit and is working according to His will!
Strongholds tumble, addictions fall away, the sick are healed, fear
disappears, and the list goes on.
Yes, to be a great leader, you must first be filled with God’s Spirit. Then
you will go forward and conquer mightily!
Please see next Saturday’s edition of The Nugget for the next lesson in
leadership, taught to us by a little known judge of Israel, Abdon, son of
Hillel.
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Moderator, The Nugget, Scriptural Nuggets (www.sermonillustrator.org/minisermons/ ), Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org ,