You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. Leviticus 26:1-2. (emphasis mine)
If you want to understand the sixteen prophetic books of the Bible, you must also come to terms with Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26. These two chapters in the Old Testament spell out the blessings of covenant obedience and curses of covenant disobedience. Chief among the warnings is the danger of idolatry. God warns his people that to give allegiance to anything other than himself is idolatry. Ultimately the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah fall prey to covenant disobedience and are taken captive and exiled by foreign nations. And leaders led them there.
These are not just Old Testament realities. We too can fall prey to idolatry in this day and age. Anything we give allegiance to over and above God himself places us in the category of idolaters. As leaders this can be things as subtle as power, status, and gain. I have argued before that leadership is always a leveraged proposition. Our choices as leaders always affect a greater number of people. Our decisions, no matter how personal, ripple with consequences towards others. When we are seduced by the idols of our age we run the risk of leading others down the same path.
The writer in Leviticus offers us a double edged solution, sabbath and sanctuary.
Sabbath is about rest.
Sanctuary is about worship.
Both are grounded in trust.
When we maintain a sabbath rest on a weekly basis we are declaring that we are not omnipotent. We require rest and refreshment. The passage tells us that we must guard, keep, and protect our sabbath rest. There is only one who is omnipotent, and he can lead just fine during our down time. He can supply what we need through sabbath that we might lead again with fresh perspective and power.
When we engage in daily personal worship and weekly corporate worship we are bending the knee to declare that we too stand under authority. We must lead from a posture of surrender and submission. Worship is royal imagery that portrays a subject kissing the hand of a supreme ruler. It is giving adoration to one who is worthy.
Rightly choosing to maintain regular sabbath will keep us from making tired, self centered decisions that might lead to self promotion and self protection.
Rightly worshipping the King of Kings will keep us from worshipping something less.
Instead of falling prey to leadership idolatry, and to leading our people toward the same, we can enjoy the holy intimacy that flows from sabbath and sanctuary. And that will keep our idols at bay.
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