Monday, December 12, 2016

Praying for Leaders: That they be Able to Delegate/Rely on Subordinates and to Pick Honest Ones

Scripture also speaks to a leader’s relationship with those working under him in government. Here are some of those verses. The quotes are from the New Jerusalem Bible, accompanied by hyperlinks to other translations.

On the following day, Moses took his seat to administer justice for the people, and the people were standing round him from morning till evening.14Seeing all he did for the people, Moses' father-in-law said to him, 'Why do you do this for the people, why sit here alone with the people standing round you from morning till evening?' 15Moses replied to his father-in-law, 'Because the people come to me to consult God. 16 When they have a problem they come to me, and I give a ruling between the one and the other and make God's statutes and laws known to them.' 17 Moses' father-in-law then said to him, 'What you are doing is not right. 18You will only tire yourself out, and the people with you too, for the work is too heavy for you. You cannot do it all yourself.19Now listen to the advice I am going to give you, and God be with you! Your task is to represent the people to God, to lay their cases before God, 20and to teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way they ought to follow and how they ought to behave. 21At the same time, from the people at large choose capable and God-fearing men, men who are trustworthy and incorruptible, and put them in charge of them as heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens, 22and make them the people's permanent judges. They will refer all important matters to you, but all minor matters they will decide themselves, so making things easier for you by sharing the burden with you. 23If you do this -- and may God so command you -- you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.'

24Moses took his father-in-law's advice and did just as he said. 25Moses chose capable men from all Israel and put them in charge of the people as heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26These acted as the people's permanent judges. They referred hard cases to Moses but decided minor matters themselves.

Moses heard the people weeping, each family at the door of its tent. Yahweh's anger was greatly aroused; Moses too found it disgraceful, 11and he said to Yahweh: 'Why do you treat your servant so badly? In what respect have I failed to win your favor, for you to lay the burden of all these people on me? 12Was it I who conceived all these people, was I their father, for you to say to me, "Carry them in your arms, like a foster-father carrying an unweaned child, to the country which I swore to give their fathers"? 13Where am I to find meat to give all these people, pestering me with their tears and saying, "Give us meat to eat"? 14I cannot carry all these people on my own; the weight is too much for me. 15If this is how you mean to treat me, please kill me outright! If only I could win your favor and be spared the sight of my misery!'

16Yahweh said to Moses, 'Collect me seventy of the elders of Israel, men you know to be the people's elders and scribes. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting, and let them stand beside you there.17I shall come down and talk to you there and shall take some of the spirit which is on you and put it on them. Then they will bear the burden of the people with you, and you will no longer have to bear it on your own.

'At the same time, I told you, "I cannot be responsible for you by myself.10Yahweh your God has increased your numbers, until you are now as numerous as the stars of heaven.11And Yahweh your God is going to increase you a thousand times more, and bless you as he has promised you.12So how can I cope by myself with the bitter burden that you are, and with your bickering? 13From each of your tribes pick wise, shrewd and experienced men for me to make your leaders." 14You replied, "Your plan is good."15So I took your tribal leaders, wise, experienced men, and appointed them to lead you, as captains of thousands, hundreds, fifties, tens, and as scribes for your tribes. 16At that same time I told your judges, "You must give your brothers a fair hearing and see justice done between one person and his brother or the foreigner living with him. 17You must be impartial in judgment and give an equal hearing to small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any human person, for the verdict is God's. Should a case be too difficult, bring it for me to hear. 18And on that occasion I gave you instructions about everything you were to do."

Eliashib the high priest with his brother priests then set to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate; they made the framework, hung its doors, fixed its bolts and bars and proceeded as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. 2The men of Jericho built next to him; Zaccur son of Imri built next to them. 3The sons of Ha-Senaah rebuilt the Fish Gate; they made the framework, hung its doors and fixed its bolts and bars. 4Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, carried out repairs next to them; Meshullam son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel, carried out repairs next to him; and Zadok son of Baana carried out repairs next to him. 5The men of Tekoa carried out repairs next to him, though their nobles would not demean themselves to help their masters. 6Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the gate of the New Quarter; they made the framework, hung its doors and fixed its bolts and bars. 7Next to them repairs were carried out by Melatiah of Gibeon, Jadon of Meronoth, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, for the sake of the governor of Transeuphrates. 8Next to them repairs were carried out by Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a member of the metal-workers' guild, and next to him repairs were carried out by Hananiah of the perfumers' guild. These renovated the wall of Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9Next to them repairs were carried out by Rephaiah son of Hur, who was head of one half of the district of Jerusalem. 10Next to them Jedaiah son of Harumaph carried out repairs opposite his own house; next to him repairs were carried out by Hattush son of Hashabneiah. 11Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section as far as the Furnace Tower. 12Next to them repairs were carried out by Shallum son of Hallohesh, head of the other half of the district of Jerusalem, by him and his sons.13Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate: they rebuilt it, hung its doors and fixed its bolts and bars; they also repaired a thousand cubits of wall up to the Dung Gate. 14Malchijah son of Rechab, head of the district of Beth-ha-Cherem, repaired the Dung Gate; he rebuilt it, hung its doors and fixed its bolts and bars. 15Shallum son of Col-Hozeh, head of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he rebuilt it, roofed it, hung its doors and fixed its bolts and bars. He also rebuilt the wall of the Pool of Siloah, adjoining the king's garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. 16After him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, head of half the district of Beth-Zur, carried out repairs from a point opposite the Davidic Tombs to the artificial pool and the House of the Champions. 17After him, repairs were carried out by the Levites: Rehum son of Bani; and next to him Hashabiah, head of one half of the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his own district. 18After him, repairs were carried out by their brothers: Binnui son of Henadad, head of the other half of the district of Keilah.

19Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, headman of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the ascent to the armoury at the Angle. 20After him, Baruch son of Zabbai repaired another section from the Angle to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21After him, Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, repaired another section from the door of Eliashib's house as far as the end of Eliashib's house. 22And after him repairs were carried out by the priests who lived in the district.

Now, when the wall had been rebuilt and I had hung the doors, the gatekeepers (the singers and the Levites) were then appointed. 2I entrusted the administration of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and to Hananiah the commander of the citadel, for he was a more trustworthy, God-fearing man than many others.

As supervisors of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, Pedaiah one of the Levites and, as their assistant, Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, since they were considered reliable people; their duty was to make the distributions to their kinsmen.

Upright lips are welcome to a king; he loves someone of honest words.

From silver remove the dross and it emerges wholly purified; 5from the king's presence remove the wicked and on uprightness his throne is founded.

When a ruler listens to false reports, all his ministers will be scoundrels.

As the magistrate is, so will his officials be, as the governor is, so will be the inhabitants of his city.

About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked. 2So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, 'It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; 3you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom, to whom we can hand over this duty. 4We ourselves will continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.' 5The whole assembly approved of this proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6They presented these to the apostles, and after prayer they laid their hands on them.

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