This week's scriptures: Numbers 16:1-18:32; 1 Samuel 11:14-12:22; Romans 13:1-7.

A humbling thing about God's Sovereign leadership is that through the ages, He has so often chosen to work it out through human beings.

Our awesome Creator God, King of the Universe, who has no need of man's help to accomplish anything, and who desires so ardently to lead His people personally, has condescended to institute human forms of leadership on the earth, for our benefit and to the praise of His glory.

When submitted to God's ultimate Kingship and filled with humility and the power of His Holy Spirit, these leadership roles and relations become beautiful reflections of God's relationship with His people. However, without this overarching Heavenly structure, relationships between leaders and led are vulnerable to corruption, from both sides.

This week's Torah passage focuses particularly on the attitudes of those who are led, rather than on the attitudes of leaders. However, it is applicable to all – since at the heart of every human being, even those naturally blessed with leadership skills, is a God-given need to be led. We are all designed to be shepherded by the Good Shepherd – even the human shepherds amongst us. And it is our refusal to acknowledge this need – indeed – our rebellion against the humility and vulnerability it demands of us – is where Numbers 16 picks up.

Political Upheaval

In Numbers 16-18 Moses and Aaron face a large-scale coup d'etat, not long after the Israelite community had been sentenced to a lifetime of wandering in the desert for refusing to trust in God's leadership into the Promised Land. Led by Moses' and Aaron's first cousin Korah and a number of Reubenites, 250 "well-known community leaders" (Num 16:2) came against God's chosen leaders of the nation, united in rebellion.

This was not an uprising from the people, but from prominent Israelites, who had already been given positions of influence because of their leadership skills. It was the ultimate vote of no confidence: overnight Moses and Aaron faced a complete collapse of their council. With the people feeling keenly the denial of the rest and prosperity of the Promised Land, and suffering ignominious defeat from the Amalekites and Canaanites into the bargain (Num 14), there seemed to be a real risk of a descent into national turmoil.

From Coup to Plague

The attempted coup was couched in fine-sounding theological arguments about the whole community being equal before God, chosen and made holy by Him. Why should Moses and Aaron be set above the rest, Korah and his followers asked?

But underneath this deceptive, persuasive talk were prideful agendas. Korah had his own self-advancement in mind (Num 16:8-11). Dathan and Abiram (the Reubenites) simply claimed that Moses and Aaron had not delivered on the promise of a land flowing in milk and honey.

In a terrifying display of God's holiness and power, the Lord defended His chosen leaders and the insurgents lost their lives. But immediately after the incident, which should have struck holy fear into the hearts of the whole community, the people turned en masse on Moses and Aaron, blaming them! As a result, a plague immediately broke out, claiming a further 14,700 people before Aaron put a stop to it by making atonement for the nation.

What a mess! And how many parallels there are here with Britain's current political turmoil!

Rejecting God's Authority

This was not an isolated incident in Israel's history. Ever since the exodus from Egypt, when the Lord personally led the Children of Israel out of slavery in order to rule them Himself, the people were prone to reject God as King over them in favour of other gods, other forms of power and other sources of security (e.g. 1 Sam 8:8).

This trajectory was still clear at the time of Samuel, when the Israelites demanded a human king to lead them, so that "we shall be like all the other nations" (1 Sam 8:20). This time, the context was their fear of Ammonite invasion (1 Sam 12:12), prompting a request for a more tangible leader to go ahead of them into battle. But the underlying premise was the same: they were rejecting God as their King (1 Sam 8:7).

Attitude to Earthly Authority

Our attitude to God's Kingship, and our attitude to human leaders, are actually very closely related. Whether within the family, the church, the workplace or the nation, our attitude to human authority ultimately reflects our heart towards God.

Of course, there are a host of difficult questions surrounding the practical details of our submission to earthly authorities (our New Testament passage this week focuses on such questions, Romans 13:1-7). It is not my intention here to try to unravel these complexities – not least because if the foundation of our hearts is right before God, these issues will naturally begin to unravel themselves.

Instead, I would like to put out a challenge, especially in this current climate of political upheaval, to keep a close watch on your heart as you survey the myriad crises affecting our nation. As we watch, listen, pray, campaign, wonder, worry, grumble and critique, we may be able to justify ourselves with noble-sounding political or theological arguments, but let us carefully examine our hearts at the same time. Whilst there is clearly a spiritual battle going on here in which we are all called to fight, we must carefully guard ourselves against all kinds of pride and fear.

Humility Needed

Ultimately, all of us reject God's Kingship at some point or another, in favour of forms of leadership that play to our pride or our deep-seated fears, making us feel more powerful or more secure. However, there is always room for repentance – as long as our hearts are willing.

When Moses told those in rebellion to gather before the Lord for His judgment on the matter, Korah led the 250 all together as one mass, still 'in opposition' to Moses and Aaron, whilst the Reubenites refused to even meet with Moses to discuss the matter (Num 16:12). To a man,¹ they had chosen wilfully to carry through their mutiny – and paid the consequences.

I wonder what would have happened if they had come instead with repentant hearts, in fear and trembling? When Samuel stood before Israel and made known to them their sin in asking for a human king, they turned and asked for him to pray that they be spared God's wrath. He responded with kindness, grace and firm discipline, encouraging them to walk obediently in future.

Ultimately, what will lead us to turn and submit instead of wilfully continuing in our own ways is humility before God and a healthy fear of the Lord – hearts that say "yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42), hearts that "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Eph 5:21).

The Cost – and the Gain

This kind of attitude is difficult to achieve. It goes against the natural grain. Spiritually, it puts us on our knees, facedown before God, which feels a vulnerable position to hold. And outwardly, we do end up looking different 'to all the other nations'. We don't have the same outward displays of splendour or strength. We walk a narrow, difficult path of total surrender where daily - hourly even - we must keep our natural inclinations nailed down and choose instead to trust in God's capacity to lead and protect us.

But oh, the gain – what an honour and a privilege to be called the people of God, and to be led personally by the Sovereign King of the Universe! To entrust ourselves to His loving kindness and wisdom – intangible though it may sometimes seem - is the best thing we could ever do.

This is the solid ground in the midst of national instability, division and insecurity, and in the face of the prideful agendas that pollute our corridors of power. This is the only trustworthy path forward into apparent darkness – "safer than a known way".²

As difficult as this road is to walk, it is also incredibly straightforward. According to Jesus, we are simply to "give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Matt 22:21). What is God's? The love of our heart, soul, mind and strength. If this is in place – all the rest will follow.

Author: Frances Rabbitts

References

1 A certain Reubenite named On was named as part of the leadership of the rebellion, yet he was not listed as among those who were destroyed the next day. I wonder if he saw sense overnight and withdrew in repentance? In Talmudic tradition, he was saved by his wife's wisdom – see here.

2 From 'The Gate of the Year' by Minnie L Haskins.