Designing the Queen’s Baton – 2014 Commonwealth Games from 4c Design on Vimeo.

 

Watch the story of the commonwealth games Baton – see video. That baton represents all that the commonwealth games is supposed to exemplify. It is meticulously planned and beautifully made.

And I hope you saw from that video was that the values of the games, the DNA of the event, are woven into the baton itself. So that the very DNA of the games is represented by that one object that is being handed on from person to person.

Today is last passage of Deuteronomy. In this book we’ve seen how God changed the children of Israel from a dynasty of families all tracing their ancestry back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, into a nation that was to declare his glory.

The idea was that people would look at it and say “Oh that’s what God is like!”. And this was to be seen in their politics, their leadership, their civic life, their spiritual life, their family life. God intended his glory, his reputation, to be seen at every level of their loves together.

Now that Baton, the DNA, is going to be passed on from one person to another. And the baton he’s passing on represents God’s values for the nation.

Leadership is more about upholding values than it is about performing a task. So what a leader changes, it is passing on the values that really matters. I doesn’t matter whether it is a monarch, a prime minister, a mayor, a CEO, a minister of a church or a small group leader, the principle is the same.

This was certainly true of the Children of Israel. Find the right person and God’s work will survive and thrive into a new generation. Get the wrong one and the spiritual decline could be very rapid indeed.

As we look at Deuteronomy 31 we will see some significant questions answered about passing on the baton.

Where were the children of Israel at this point? They were on the Eastern side of the river Jordan and they were anticipating a massive change. They were about to enter the land God had promised them. They knew it would be tough but they were poised and ready to go.

You might think that this is the key moment when they need their key leader to be with them – more than at any other time. So here’s a first question …

When to pass it?

What is the right time to do it?

Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 2 “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you.

He was not just an old man, he was an ancient man!

• Don’t forget Moses didn’t even start leading the children of Israel until he was 80 – which even in their day was getting on a bit!

Of course we have to recognise a distinction between their day and ours – in Ancient Israel a man or woman who had lived a long life was regarded with great respect because of their age.

• In sharp contrast we tend to write off older people as ‘past it’ / ‘of a previous generation’ because of their age. Our culture does itself no favours by writing off the huge experience of the aged.
• Of course cultures change and fashions come and go but the deep principles of living a Godly life (the ones that are learned by hard won experience of life) don’t change.

So there were two primary reasons why Moses was passing on the baton to someone else

• age
• capacity
• (and there’s one more coming)

At this point – even as a very old man – Moses was leading the Children of Israel through a huge transition. The transition from a dynasty into a nation and the transition from being nomads who were always on the move to being a nation settled in God’s land.

And the last and greatest hurdle was about to come – the crossing of the Jordan river to possess the land God was giving them.

• I can imagine some of the people saying “Moses, I hope you’re going to be with us in this final part of the journey. We know you’re not so fit as you were, but we love you! You only have to say the word and we will do what you tell us.”
• But the time had come and Moses was going to make the transition as Godly and as smooth as he possibly could.

Why to pass it?

None of us lasts for ever!

The story of Moses’ life can be divided into three periods – each of about 40 years.

His timeline up to the age of 40

40 years of luxury

He was discovered as a baby by an Egyptian princess who took him under her wing.

• So Moses grew up in extravagant opulence. Every social advantage we can think of, the best education, the best connections, the greatest opportunities
• He developed skills in speaking, writing, leading and rubbed shoulders with the glitterati of the day – as well as some of the most talented leaders on the globe at the time.
• But he never lost touch with his roots. And I can imagine as a teenager he felt increasing tension between him and his people

His luxurious life stood in stark contrast to his people – the Hebrews – who were living in slavery and squalor.

In God’s economy no experience is ever wasted!

Nothing that has happened to you is ever fluff or wasted time in God’s economy. No even is ever useless to our heavenly father!

40 years of obscurity

Things changed in a flash one day when he was an Egyptian task-master oppressing a Hebrew slave and Moses flared up with anger

• He murdered the task-master and thought he’d got away with it. But when the attack came out into the open he fled the palace and became a nomadic shepherd in the hills of Midian.
• There must have been times in the hills when Moses tortured himself with regret and remorse. Later on, people described Moses as ‘the meekest man on the earth’ so murder was way out of character for him.

Torturing ourselves with regret is rarely very helpful

And we see here the amazing grace of God –

God took an experience of failure and turned it into a force for good. It moulded Moses. It turned him from a spoiled prince into a resilient shepherd – and that’s the kind of character God needed for the next part of his life

• I look at this and I say ‘Lord, don’t let bitter experiences turn me into a bitter person‘
• They didn’t with Moses – and they needn’t with us!

40 years of adversity

Why don’t I describe this as 40 years of leadership? Because these 40 years were the toughest of his life!

Moses led the people but they often didn’t want to be led. Didn’t want to go God’s way. They rebelled against Moses and against God!

• They taunted Moses, disappointed him, let him down – and the most painful opposition came from within.
• That is the same with any spiritual leadership, any Christian leader will tell you that his or her toughest moments have been obedient to the Lord but the people of God have turned against them
• Billy Graham, Bill Hybels, Rick Warren – all the big names will tell you this. And the little ones hardly anyone has heard of will say the same.

All the time God was working to bring his people to their land – to fulfil his side of the covenant

God was also working in Moses >>>

• the whole of life is God’s school of character – right up to the very end.
• God’s work in you won’t be complete until you see him face to face! >>>

By now God’s refining work in Moses was coming to an end so Moses drops a bombshell:

v2 The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’

We can imagine the sharp intake of breath and the sense of being abandoned to an uncertain future

While there were physical reasons why Moses couldn’t carry on, his primary reason was spiritual! “The Lord has said to me”. This is what truly convinced him he couldn’t go any further!

• he’d had a word from the Lord that this is the right thing to do “The Lord said to me …”

and God’s message was stark “You’re not going to be part of the nation’s future! – You’ve led them this far – (and they couldn’t have got here without you) but My work in you is nearly complete – so the next step is for your assistant!”

What to pass on?

So what is it that Moses is passing on here?

his authority –

No longer will he be God’s leader on the ground. The people are going to need the new leader

his faithfulness –

Moses had stuck with it.

the new leader needs to be faithful to the Lord and faithful to the direction the Lord has already taken the children of Israel. (Not to suddenly decide to go back to Egypt again or turn round and return to the desert!)

Too many people who are give a position of leadership think they have to assert their authority by changing everything. >>>

his courage –

without question Moses was a courageous leader and his successor will need to be the same.

• Have you noticed that there are numerous references to Joshua being told to be ‘strong and courageous’ – so maybe he was a bit timid.
• Maybe he’d become so used to being Moses minister and assistant that he’d become used to being the number 2 and rather enjoyed the protection that gave him.

Now the umbrella of Moses leadership was about to be taken away.

• When a movement develops around a dominant personality, a real test of the people who follow him is how they handle the crisis of his (or her) removal.

His confidence. In God

So he reassures them by saying they won’t be alone .

3 The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said.

His compelling hope

Leaders are purveyors of hope. They’re the people who say ‘God can do this’ – and Moses does that here:

But rather than it being a blue-sky idea without any kind of evidence, Moses reminds the people of two great examples of God’s faithfulness!

4 And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. 5 The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you.

6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Abraham Lincoln said this

“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day”

… The Lord you God will go with you!

Who to pass it to?

That’s easy …

Joshua

We can hear him passing on his faithfulness and courage

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

The number of times Moses says ‘you’ is striking. Previously this would hev been ‘me’

So he drives his message of courage home:

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

These are the two greatest temptations of leaders: fear and discouragement >>>

Moses is passionate about getting Joshua to protect himself from both of these.

He was skilled

Joshua was not qualified because he was young, he was qualified because he was able – skilled – he brought already refined expertise to the table.

he was experienced –

he’d been working as Moses ‘minister’ – helper – right hand man

• When Moses had heard from the Lord, Joshua wasn’t far away and had learned what it was like to listen to the voice of God
• When Moses had to handle difficult cases, Joshua would have seen him do it
• When Moses had to make a tough leadership call, Joshua was watching

In all these ways Moses give his assistant thousands of ‘directional cues’ to teach him where to go and how to think when under stress

Moses had tutored him to be one of those rare leaders whose attention God can get when he wants it. He’s not running so fast or so deeply involved with his own agenda . When God taps him on the shoulder he says “yes, Lord …” rather than ‘Just a minute, I have to finish this’ God can quickly get his attention.

That was an experience he learned from Moses.

he was called

He had God’s call on his life. And that call was recognised both by Moses and the people who were around him.

• Good example in NT – Timothy. Schooled by his mother and grandmother >>>
• When Paul met him, he noticed something about the people around Timothy (Acts) “everyone spoke well of him!” >>>
• That’s the kind of man (or woman) to look out for!

the priests

9 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.

These men too carried the DNA of the nation – they knew how it ticked and how to keep God at the focus.

Joshua couldn’t have led the nation without the support of the priests.

The people

10 Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for cancelling debts, during the Festival of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. 13 Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

Keep the DNA alive!

The law, the covenant God made with his people was to be read at the moment of one of their greatest celebrations! Not the formal context of a court, or a parliamentary committee – but a party! A feast! A jamboree!

God’s law was intended to be something to revel in and celebrate, not something that imposed a heavy burden!

What may happen?

14 The Lord said to Moses, “Now the day of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him.” So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.

This was to be a private meeting – Just Moses, Joshua and the presence of God

15 Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.

And at this point we might expect God to thank Moses, for all he’d done, to affirm him in his leadership and to congratulate him for his achievements – BUT …

16 .. the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors, [but] these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them.

It would have broken Moses’ heart to see what the people did with the covenant

So serious that God describes it as ‘prostitution’ having sex with someone who is not your wife or husband – and paying good money for it!

That’s what the Children of Israel did! The paid high prices for following the warped gods of the Canaan

17 And in that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and calamities will come on them, and in that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come on us because our God is not with us?’ 18 And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.

My dear friends, never take God’s blessing for granted!.

In times past Moses had urged the people to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength!”

And so do I.