CHARACTER PRECEDED THE GIFT OF LEADERSHIP

Genesis chapter 1




Today we are walking in: Character Preceded the Gift of Leadership







Habakkuk 2:2




And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, ​ and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
















VISION
















Today we look to the word​ VISION- H2377 chazown- vision(in ecstatic state)​, vision​s​ (in night)​, oracle, prophecy (divine communication)​, vision (as title of book of prophecy)​ ​from H2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:—vision. to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide​, ​to see, behold​, to see as a seer in the ecstatic state​, to see, perceive with the intelligence​, to see (by experience)​, to provide



















The Torah testifies........




Numbers 24:4




He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw ​ the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:




Numbers 24:16




He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw ​the vision H2377 of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:



















The prophets proclaim.........

1​ ​Samuel 3:1




And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days;there was no open vision H2377. ​







Jeremiah 14:14




Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision H2377 ​ and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
















The writings bear witness.........




1​ ​Chronicles 17:15




According to all these words, and according to all this vision H2377, ​so did Nathan speak unto David.







Psalm 89:19




Then thou spakest in vision ​H2377 to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.









Character Preceded the Gift of Leadership




Let’s return to the passage in the first book written by Moses that describes the creation of human beings, as we continue to explore the principles the Creator has established for us to live by. “Then Yah said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness....’” Note that the first thing on the Creator’s mind regarding humanity was to give men and women character, or the essence of His nature. Clearly, character is His priority. And, as we have seen, it must be our priority, too, if we are to become the leaders we were meant to be.




The Creator’s next statement was, “And let them rule....” Another way of translating “rule” is “have dominion.”17 In other words, He was saying, “Let them have leadership—authority and power—over the earth.” Since character was Yah’s priority, He gave the gift of His image and likeness before He gave the ability to rule. Significantly, He didn’t consider it wise to entrust human beings with power until He had given them character.




We often do the opposite with our leaders—give people power and then hope they have character. If they don’t, the way they use their power will expose that fact. But, from the start, character has always been imperative for human beings. And it should be the prerequisite for leaders today.




The Creator didn’t entrust us with power until He gave us character.




Leadership Is Natural




The word “rule,” or “have dominion,” means to govern, to control, to manage, and to master. Because human beings received the gift of leadership in creation, it was natural to them. We were designed to rule and influence the earth according to Yah’s character. That is why I wrote earlier that we were all born to lead in an area of gifting. We must grow into the leaders we were meant to be, by acknowledging and refining our leadership gifts and by developing character.




Many people are frustrated because they don’t have a sense of purpose about why they are on this earth. Man’s greatest ignorance is of himself. We have often disregarded or forgotten the reality of Yah and His purposes, as well as our having been created in His image and what it signifies. And, as we’ve seen, what we believe about ourselves creates our world. No human being can live beyond the limits of his beliefs. Having a knowledge of the Creator and what He designed us to be will give us a renewed sense of purpose.




Leadership Is a Cooperative Endeavor




Note that the Creator specifically stated, “Let them rule....” He didn’t say, “Let some of them rule,” or “Let the elite rule.” Instead, He said, in effect, “Let all human beings rule.” Dominion, or leadership, was established by Yah as a cooperative endeavor—and having character is essential for cooperating effectively with others.




The unique gifts we possess relate to the general human mandate to rule and to our individual fulfillment of that mandate alike. A community of leaders, each contributing his gifts and skills, is necessary to accomplish the overall leadership commission. Yah did not create the human race as a community that would have a leader or some leaders—He created a community of leaders. The idea that some people are superior and others are inferior doesn’t exist in His plan.




Leadership Does Not Mean Dominating Other People




Yah said, “And let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”18 This list of areas over which human beings are to rule is especially instructive with respect to what’s not included on it—other human beings. You and I were not meant to dominate other people, nor were we designed to be dominated by them. We were intended to exercise leadership over the earth’s environment, animals, resources, physical properties, and so forth—but never other human beings. Again, dominating other people is illegitimate under the Creator’s established purposes. That is why the human spirit naturally resists being controlled.




We Must Develop an Environment of Character




One of Yah’s first instructions to human beings was, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”19 The whole world was to be filled with men, women, and children who manifested the nature of Yah. Accordingly, we should develop an environment conducive to demonstrating Yah’s character. Internally, we should develop the mind-set and qualities of character. Externally, we should create a community environment that promotes and upholds ethical standards, such as integrity and justice.




While there is no such thing as an “ethical community,” there is such a thing as a community of ethical people. Corporately, the people agree on the values by which they are going to live. That agreement is what creates a culture of morality. And that moral culture becomes the source of ethics for the community. As we have seen, an ethical culture always begins with individuals’ personal commitment to live according to strong values.




A Human Priority




The order the Creator set for leadership is character before power. That is why an emphasis on character must become a human priority again. When we return to character, we return to the natural state in which we were meant to function.




You may be a manager, a supervisor, an entrepreneur, a politician, a clergyperson, an educational director, the chairperson of a community group, or the president of a nation. Whatever form of leadership you exercise, I urge you to make the following lifelong commitment: to help bring back character as the priority among leaders. Otherwise, our world will continue to spiral apart, morally and ethically. Across the globe, societies are deteriorating, and they will crumble if we don’t make character our first concern.




The whole world was to be filled with men, women, and children who manifested the nature of Yah.




How Human Beings Lost Character




As we have discussed, a basic quality of the Creator’s nature is that it doesn’t change. The questions we must therefore ask are: “How did human beings as a race—made in Yah’s image and likeness—lose the continual manifestation of His character?” “When did we stop being always consistent, always predictable, always trustworthy, always just, always merciful and compassionate, and so forth, as the Creator is?” “Why did we start to demonstrate unethical characteristics, so that our world has veered so far away from being an expression of His nature?”




Ironically, human beings lost their ability to consistently manifest the Creator’s nature because the first man and woman heeded the false accusation that Yah wasn’t treating them with true character—that He was not being just. When His trustworthiness was called into question, the first humans made a decision to doubt His authenticity. Then, for the sake of gaining power for themselves, they broke a key principle He had established for them. You can read about these incidents in the first book of Moses.20




The principle that the first human beings violated had been designed to protect them, so that they would not suffer the consequences of living outside of Yah’s nature. In breaking this principle, they went against the very means that would have safeguarded them. Because they chose to live outside of Yah’s nature, their character became warped. This indicates that, in some way, their character did not depend on nature alone—it also required an ongoing decision to remain in that nature. Today, we face the same type of decision: Will we live by our established principles, beliefs, values, moral standards, and ethical code? This is a choice we make on a daily basis.




The first humans’ tragic decision caused humanity to suffer the consequences of a loss of Yah’s true nature—including the onset of strife, sickness, and physical death. The fundamental source of all of humanity’s deficiencies and problems was—and is—its rejection of the Creator’s principles. This rejection is what the Scriptures call “sin.” It is why human nature is described by spiritual leaders as being “fallen.” It once existed on a high ethical plane, but it descended into a place where it often manifests only a fraction of its former state.




Results of the Loss of True Character




Let’s explore several results of humanity’s rejection of the principles and character of Yah.




1. Distortion of the Creator’s Image




Because humanity lost Yah’s true nature, it now has only a distorted image of that nature. The principal traits of fallen human beings are the opposite of genuine character: inconsistency, unpredictability, unfaithfulness, compromise, unjustness, prejudice, untrustworthiness, domination, vindictiveness, unforgiveness, cruelty, and so forth. All societies of the world suffer the symptoms of humanity’s loss of character.




For example, there are people who connive to discredit their colleagues and other people in the workplace in order to get the promotions that these other individuals deserve. There are university students who cheat on tests in order to “achieve” a higher academic standing, with the result that they sometimes receive unfair advantages over others, such as higher-paying jobs. We wonder how these things can happen. (Some people aren’t sure themselves why they commit some of these acts.) Moreover, humanity’s warped character can cause the consciences of some people to be off-balance—they may lack a natural sense of guilt when doing wrong; or, they may have an overactive conscience, in which they continually feel guilty about things for which they are not responsible.




So, all human corruption stems from our loss of Yah’s character as an intrinsic element of our own nature. Human beings are still capable of exercising moral conduct, but it involves making the continual decision to embrace strong convictions and values. And we are all inconsistent in this endeavor, because sound character is no longer natural to us.




2. Confusion About Self-image and Self-worth




Another result of human beings’ rejection of Yah’s image is that they lost their own essence. They became confused about who they were, what they were born to be, and how they were to live. They no longer had a clear sense of purpose and meaning in the world. And they forfeited the feeling of acceptance and worth that comes from being in unbroken relationship with their Creator.




3. Instability




Without character, human beings also became unstable. This is why it is often hard for us to depend on others. Many people neglect to keep their promises. For example, on their wedding day, a couple gets dressed up, stands in front of a clergyperson or a justice of the peace, and makes promises such as, “I will love and cherish you until I die!” Then, at some point after the honeymoon, the husband or wife may lose interest and leave— sometimes to run off with someone else. If your spouse has left you, you understand what I mean. You had a beautiful wedding in which everything was picture-perfect: the preacher, the gorgeous bridal gown and tailored tuxedo, the flowers, the rings, and more. It was an ideal day. And now you are wondering what happened to the marriage. Such heartbreak occurs because many people are unstable and inconsistent. They haven’t made the conscious decision to establish strong values and truly commit to them.




If someone is unstable, it doesn’t matter what he promises; you can’t trust it. As the biblical writer James said, “Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”21 If the source hasn’t changed, the result will be the same. James also wrote, “He who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind....He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”22 An unstable person is like the waves of the sea—unpredictable, changeable.




That is why, when we meet people who have strong character, we admire and love them. It is because they are a picture of our original self. A person of character gives us a glimpse of what all human beings used to be like and what most of us, deep down, desire to be like. It is my hope that this book will reintroduce us to ourselves, will reconnect us to the image in which we were created. We were made for character, but we’ve been living outside of it. Let us become inspired to return to our true self—the image of Yah.




A person of character gives us a glimpse of what all human beings used to be like and what most of us, deep down, desire to be like.




The Restoration of Character




Because the Creator has genuine character, His plans for human beings did not include allowing them to languish in a state in which they lacked His nature—and experienced all the resulting consequences. In His faithfulness and trustworthiness, He initiated a plan to restore humanity to Himself. This plan involved giving us a renewed nature, one by which we would again be able to share His character and consistently follow His life-giving principles.




He accomplished this plan through Yahusha of Nazareth, also called Yahusha the Hamachiach. Yah testified about Him, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”23 Yahusha said, “I and the Father are one.”24 Yahusha was Yah’s Son because He came from Yah, He was one with Yah, and He fully manifested Yah’s character on earth. One of Yahusha’ disciples wrote about Him:




In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Yah, and the Word was Yah. He was with Yah in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men....The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.25




And Paul of Tarsus wrote, “For in Hamachiach all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”26 Yahusha had the same nature and Spirit as Yah. And His purpose for coming to the earth was to restore the image of Yah in us. The Scriptures are very clear that we need a new nature. “No one can enter the kingdom of Yah unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”27




Therefore, Yahusha came to give us back our character. No one can be restored to the Creator’s nature except through Him.28 Yahusha the Hamachiach, as the Son of Yah, was the only One who could represent both the Creator and His created beings in order to fix the breach between the two and bring about full reconciliation and restoration.




When Yahusha Hamachiach died on the cross, He paid the price for our fallen human nature. He also paid the price for all the times when we ourselves have acted contrary to the character and principles of our Creator. When we acknowledge and accept what He did for us, we are restored to Yah and receive His nature within us once again. This enables us to experience a lasting transformation by which we can manifest His image and develop genuine character according to His principles. In this life, we can expect to experience a process of ongoing growth and maturation in the way we manifest the Creator’s nature.




Restoring a Culture of Character on Earth Yah’s “Kingdom”




When Yahusha Hamachiach was on earth, He emphasized the topic of the “kingdom of Yah” as He taught His disciples and the crowds who gathered to hear Him. I wrote earlier that the kingdom of Yah—the influence of heaven on earth— was Yahusha’ greatest value and priority. Let’s look briefly at what the kingdom of Yah signifies.




Yah exists in a heavenly “country.” He created earth to be like a colony of heaven, an extension of His kingdom. Such a culture could be produced only through beings who were like Him. As we have seen, He gave men and women the gift of leadership, or dominion, on the basis of their manifestation of His character. Yet when humanity rejected Yah’s nature and principles, the full manifestation of His character on earth was lost.




Yahusha made declarations such as, “The kingdom of Yah is near. Repent and believe the good news!”29 He was referring to the return of Yah’s culture to earth, which was inaugurated with His arrival and would be accomplished when He made provision for people to be restored to their Creator and receive the fullness of His nature once again.




The manifestation of Yah’s nature on earth is called a “kingdom” because it is the realm over which He governs. It includes the community of all who have been infused with His nature as a result of their restoration to Him, so they can reflect His attributes. The renewal of Yah’s culture on earth is the continuation of His original plan in creation—that the whole world would be filled with His character.




A Clash of Cultures




The word “repent,” which Yahusha used in announcing that the kingdom of Yah was near, has become a religious term, but it essentially means to change one’s manner of thinking. For what reason did Yahusha say people needed to alter their thinking? Because He was bringing back a different culture to the earth, and to be a part of that different culture required a different mind-set and different values.




This re-arrival of the kingdom of Yah on earth immediately brought about a clash of ideas and cultures. One reason is that the concepts of life that were advanced by the Roman Empire, including the idea that some races were superior to other races, dominated the world in which Yahusha lived. And what Yahusha taught was the opposite of the Roman outlook.




A Different Type of Leader




One of Yahusha’ most powerful statements about leadership is one in which He gave a commentary about Caesar and the Roman Empire:




You know that the rulers of the Gentiles [the Roman leaders] lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.30




The standard behavior for leaders at that time was to control and manipulate other people, to throw around power and authority, and to tell others what to do. (Not much has changed, has it?) But Yahusha told His disciples, in effect, “That’s not the way it will be among you in Yah’s kingdom. Your leadership will be different.” What a distinction between the leadership perspectives of each culture! The first says, “To be great, you have to order other people around and show them who’s the boss.” The second says, “If you want to be great, if you want to be first, then you must serve other people.” Yahusha told His disciples, in effect, “Look at Me—I didn’t come to be served. I came to give Myself.” This point is crucial. What did Yahusha give? Himself. True leadership means finding something within yourself to give.




The culture of the kingdom of Yah changes our conception of what it means to be a leader. Sometimes, we think that leadership is measured by how many people serve us, how many followers we have, or how many people are in our “entourage.” I’m usually suspicious of people who have big entourages, because it suggests that they have an ego problem or a self-image issue. Leadership is not measured by how many people serve you. It’s measured by whether you are serving other people.




And when you’re serving other people, you’re thinking about their value— that is what motivates and governs your relationship with them. When the Creator made us in His image, He established the value of all human beings. Sadly, wherever there is an absence of character, people find it easy to devalue others. But those who don’t want to honor and serve people cannot be true leaders.




Leadership is not measured by how many people serve you. It’s measured by whether you are serving other people.




Higher Standards




Wherever the kingdom of Yah manifests on earth, therefore, it inevitably comes into ethical conflict with the prevailing culture. “Colonization” will lead to such dissonance, because one culture is entering another culture to replace it, not coexist with it. The culture of Yah’s nature does not correspond with the destructive ideas that have developed from fallen human nature, and such ideas are dominating our nations today. It will take principled leaders to bring about transformation—and not merely become absorbed into the existing system.




We can no longer function according to the false patterns of leadership we see exhibited in our culture. I know that many of us were trained according to traditional concepts of leadership, such as the Roman Empire promoted; many of us received our degrees from schools that taught these ideas. Yet our standards must be higher.




Although you may experience “cultural clashes” as you begin to live by the Creator’s principles, don’t let those encounters cause you to respond in anger toward other people. True leaders serve; they don’t push other people around.




For example, in the last chapter, we talked about how unspoken negative values can dominate a corporate entity. People may tell a new employee such things as, “Look, if you’re going to be a part of this company, you have to do what everyone else is doing. Otherwise, you have to leave.” What they’re insinuating is, “We’ve got a certain culture in this organization, and everybody’s on the take. So, if you don’t try to get your piece of the pie, then you are going to be a problem for us because you will expose us. Either you become part of the group, or you won’t survive.”




In such a situation, a leader must remain steady—dedicated to the values, principles, and ethics by which he has committed to live. Cultures will be transformed as we follow our moral conscience, consistently manifest the qualities of Yah’s nature, and seek to serve others.