Judges 12, Proverbs 20, Hebrews 5

Leaders Without Influence. Japhthah was a great warrior and the Lord used him to tame the cranky Ephraimites. But afterward, he only judged Israel six years before his death. Jephthah was followed by a series of three men who each judged Israel less than ten years. No comment is made about any of them other than the incredible number of children they had. We can infer, then, that these men each had more than one wife and several concubines besides. They must also have had great wealth in order to provide for so many. And immediately after the death of the third one, Israel "did evil in the sight of the Lord." (13:1) Again, we can infer that their spiritual influence was minimal. Physical desires and prowess kept them from being who God needed for Israel's benefit. It seems that these "judges" were more interested in personal glory than God's glory.

Leadership Qualities. A real leader is a wise man or woman who trusts the Lord for direction and understanding. One who speaks less and listens more, who works hard and is honest in business dealings. This person has good relationships with family and is known as a peace-maker. This is the type God can use for His glory.

Real Leaders are Called by God. Human priests also needed to offer sacrifices for their own sins. But Jesus Christ, the supreme example of leadership, and called by God as our great High Priest, (v.10) never sinned. However, He did "learn obedience by the things which He suffered." (v.8) By this we learn that real leadership includes suffering. If we never go through difficult times, others cannot relate to us and will not follow.

Jesus Christ, the One We Need. However, the larger point of Hebrews 5 is that Jesus Christ is not simply the best, but the only, High Priest we need. He is the Son of God, but He also suffered and by His death brings us salvation. That's what Israel needed, but human leaders could not deliver. Israel needed God, but they kept substituting men.

We need God as the Leader of our lives. But we keep substituting ourselves.