Wednesday, July 8, 2015

The Priest-King Type of Leadership

UV 1464/10,000 Triune Leadership
And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
Nehemiah 8 v 2

Ezra was the priest who taught what God wants and Nehemiah was the executive leader, a representative of the king who could get things done. While Ezra’s focus was building the faith and knowledge of God in people, the focus of Nehemiah was the physical re-building of the walls and ruins of Jerusalem. Today, the offices of priest and executive or king are combined in each believer. Each of us is meant to be a blend of priestly grace and humility as well as executive firmness and power. Ezra taught the law to the people. They heard him with understanding, implying they heard to obey, to comply with God’s commands and to apply. Like Ezra, we have an internal work and like Nehemiah, an external work. Ezra had an inward vision while Nehemiah had an outward vision. We are called and challenged to be mighty and gracious in word and deed.


Ezra was the symbol of fear of God, holiness, reverence and wisdom. Each of us is expected to hear the Word with understanding the first thing every day of our lives and to apply it in all areas of our lives. Only when we become doers of the Word do we show that we have truly understood and respected the Word. Or else we would be like the son in one of Jesus’s parables who heard his father’s instructions and went ahead and did none of it. The people heard the Word read by Ezra with attentiveness. It moved them to tears as they were convicted of their falling short of the standards of God.

People of this world believe in good times and bad times, good signs and bad omens. But for the believer, every day is precious, every month is significant, every moment is valuable. We need to pay attention to the promptings of the Holy Spirit every moment of our lives. We need to be reminded of the Word, of both the commands and the promises of God. As priest-kings of Jesus on earth, we are to read the Word and make it understood by the people we are influencing for the kingdom of God. The purpose of the uni-verse concept is an Ezra-like ministry that touches all parts of the globe. We are given a double anointing : first, as priests and second, as kings. As priests, we are expected to be gentle, compassionate and humble like Jesus. This is the velvet glove that should appear to all. As kings, we are expected to have an iron hand of firmness, determination and authority. It is our divine calling to be a priest-king. This identity colours and is overlaid over our earthly vocation or professions. If one is a doctor, his or her Triune calling is priest-king-doctor. If one is a police officer, he is a priest-king-police officer. If one is a HR manager, his Triune calling is priest-king-HR manager. If one is a house wife, she is a priest-king-housewife. This is the manner in which the promise of God of leadership or headship for the faithful and obedient is fulfilled: “ I will make you the head and not the tail. I will make you above and not below.” We are not the tail, nobody can wag us or shake us or cause us to act to their whims and fancies like a puppet. We are the head and we should use it to think clearly, think ahead and think like Jesus.

Prateep V Philip

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