“Leaders, are they recognizable?”
Lou Tiscione, Pastor, Weatherford Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Leaders are not necessarily those of the highest IQ. They may not be the most attractive people. They may not possess the most aggressive or forceful personalities. But, all leaders have character. Character is the word used to describe personal qualities that are not worn on one’s sleeve or boasted about. The qualities in view concern a person’s morals and ethics.
God has revealed the standard measure of character. The Old Testament contains the history of men of character. The Bible also contains narratives concerning men of weak and deceptive character.
Joseph and Moses are good examples of men of godly character. Jesus is the supreme embodiment of genuine character. Jesus Christ was the only perfect one. Yet, as you read the narratives concerning Joseph and Moses, you should observe certain unmistakable qualities of character.
Genesis 39 is a part of Joseph’s life that reveals his godly character. We are told that Joseph became a successful man. He was put in charge of the household of an officer of the Pharaoh. We read that the LORD was with Joseph. Joseph had an ongoing relationship with the LORD. As a child, Joseph thought he was of special privilege. As you may recall, his superior attitude angered his brothers to such a degree that they plotted to kill him, but ended up selling him as a slave.
Years later, Joseph who walked with the LORD was blessed by Him. He became very successful. His character was tested at this very comfortable point in his life. The beautiful wife of the officer who entrusted his household to Joseph sought to seduce him. Joseph resisted and Moses recorded what he said. “… “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge… How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”’ Genesis 39:8ff
The officer’s wife persisted in trying to seduce Joseph and the Bible records his action. Joseph fled from her presence leaving his garment in her hand. The officer’s wife wrongly accused Joseph but her testimony was believed which caused the officer to put Joseph in the king’s prison.
The rest of the story confirms the depth of Joseph’s character. He spent his life trusting in the Lord and pursuing godliness. Joseph’s life was a foreshadowing of Christ’s perfect life which is the absolute standard of perfect character. Jesus said of Himself, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29
In order to express the kind of character that Joseph had, one must be humble. Humility is a virtue which enables the one who has it to rightly assess himself before God. Jesus said that He was gentle and lowly in heart. The word from which both gentle and lowly are derived can also be translated as humble.
The Apostle Paul wrote of Jesus’ humility in Philippians 2:6-11. Even though He was God, He did not consider Himself to be equal to God but He humbled Himself by taking upon Himself human nature. Jesus’ humility extended to obeying the Father even to death upon the cross. In the Incarnation, Jesus set aside His glory and perfectly obeyed the Father.
The human author of the story of Joseph was himself a humble man. Moses wrote of himself, “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” Numbers 12:3 The Spirit of God inspired Moses to write these words when his leadership was challenged by two people who were the closest to him.
Like Joseph, Moses’ life demonstrated his trust in the LORD. Even when Moses sinned and God forbid him to enter the Promised Land, he endured the consequence of his sin and continued to obey God. Moses had a right assessment of himself before God.
Character is the measure of a man or a woman. Behavior reveals character and it matters profoundly. Men and women of character are humble and can be trusted. Their character is seen over time.
As we seek to choose men and women to lead, evaluate their past behavior to determine their character. I believe that at this time in our nation’s history, the character of those we choose to lead us is critical.