October 31, 2006 - Jeremiah 22-23 and Titus 1
Leadership is important. The leaders of our country make a difference in how the people act and in their moral lives. The leaders in a church are very important, too. It is so vital that they give a good testimony by their actions and decisions. These two passages focus in on the leaders of the people and the effect they have on the entire group. I urge all of us to read it carefully and realize the need to be righteous leaders and to have righteous leaders.
In Jeremiah 22 and 23 Jeremiah shows how the kings, the priests, and the prophets had turned from God, and they were doing evil instead of good. The kings were not practicing justice and looking out for the needs of the people. (22:3-5) The priests were not caring for the people, but they were taking advantage of them. (23:1) The prophets were not delivering God's Word, they were simply saying what they thought was right and thus leading people astray. (23:16) The entire nation was being led astray by the disobedient leaders. The same is true today as we look around us. We can see many similarities between Jeremiah's time and our day. I know that it is very upsetting to God, because He knows the impact leaders have on the whole culture.
Titus 1 focuses in on the leaders of the church. The church is God's people in the New Covenant. The apostle Paul was a leader, and he appointed elders in each church he established. (v.5) He was telling Titus to do the same thing and to make sure they were men of blameless character. (v.6) He gives a list of qualities for which to look before appointing a man to be an elder. However, the bottom line is that a leader's life must line up with his beliefs. (v.16) They can't profess to know God and then have actions that deny Him. This disqualifies them from being a leader. Therefore, we see that God feels the same way now as He did in the Old Testament time. He is looking for righteous leaders, whose lives show the validity of their beliefs. If a church does not have good leaders, it can't progress to fulfill God's will. In fact, immoral and unethical leaders will lead the church away from God.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Jeremiah 24-26 and Titus 2.
In Jeremiah 22 and 23 Jeremiah shows how the kings, the priests, and the prophets had turned from God, and they were doing evil instead of good. The kings were not practicing justice and looking out for the needs of the people. (22:3-5) The priests were not caring for the people, but they were taking advantage of them. (23:1) The prophets were not delivering God's Word, they were simply saying what they thought was right and thus leading people astray. (23:16) The entire nation was being led astray by the disobedient leaders. The same is true today as we look around us. We can see many similarities between Jeremiah's time and our day. I know that it is very upsetting to God, because He knows the impact leaders have on the whole culture.
Titus 1 focuses in on the leaders of the church. The church is God's people in the New Covenant. The apostle Paul was a leader, and he appointed elders in each church he established. (v.5) He was telling Titus to do the same thing and to make sure they were men of blameless character. (v.6) He gives a list of qualities for which to look before appointing a man to be an elder. However, the bottom line is that a leader's life must line up with his beliefs. (v.16) They can't profess to know God and then have actions that deny Him. This disqualifies them from being a leader. Therefore, we see that God feels the same way now as He did in the Old Testament time. He is looking for righteous leaders, whose lives show the validity of their beliefs. If a church does not have good leaders, it can't progress to fulfill God's will. In fact, immoral and unethical leaders will lead the church away from God.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Jeremiah 24-26 and Titus 2.