As far as the Word of God goes, these were some of the most uncommon and heroic men of their day.
Reading about them inspires us to become friends with God, to see him face to face, to serve in the house of God, to hear him clearly, never miss a beat, to not let our words fall to the ground, to know that God can pick the smallest and the least to do great things with. But what else do these men have in common? Their sons did not follow in their footsteps.
Let's see what the scriptures say:
Moses' position as leader of Israel was not hereditary. His son, Gershom, did not inherit the leadership of Israel. Moses' chosen successor was Joshua, son of Nun
9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit[b] of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses. (Deut. 34:9).
David is Chosen instead of Saul's Son Jonathan:
1 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” (1 Samuel 16)
12 Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD.
17 This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for they[b] were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.
18 But Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the LORD’s people is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God[d] may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the LORD, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death.
26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people.
Prophecy Against the House of Eli
27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? 28 I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. 29 Why do you[e] scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’
30 “Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, 32 and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.
34 “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day. 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. (1 Samuel 2:12,17,18, 22-35)
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These are Old Testament examples, remnants of what can still be seen in the Church setting today. Many Churches have a structure that consists primarily of family related leaders that serve in key positions in the Church. While this is not necessarily a bad thing (most American Churches have a membership of 200 or less, and many of the core or founding members are family) when leadership is not held to a formal standard or code of ethics, it can spell trouble.
Nepotism is defined as favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis (m. "nephew")
Here are 5 things to consider in a Nepotism-Driven Church:
1. You may rely too heavily on family support rather God's provision
2. You may be more family directed in decision-making rather than Spirit led
3. You may be reluctant to remove family members when they are in error
4. Your staff of personally connected friends and family may develop an entitlement attitude
5. You might actually stunt the growth of your ministry;
people who are not blood-tied may see your church as "exclusive"
These are hard things to consider but it is important as a Leader in the Body of Christ that blood ties not be placed above the Lordship of Christ. Jesus said it this way: (Matthew 12:46-50)
46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
As the Body of Christ, we are to be above reproach. That includes every aspect of ministry and life. The key here is granting a place regardless of merit. There are countless examples of Ministry Royalty and Secular Family empires. The key here as a leader is to seek God for the best man or woman. Jesus' brother James was a disciple. His mother was in the upper room at Pentecost. David's Son, Solomon became King. Can your family, or my family, lead in ministry? They could. Should we be open to whoever God calls to walk alongside us?
That, my fellow Leader is the point.
7But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart
It can be tempting to simply place people in position because it is convenient, they are your friend or family member, or because you don't want to upset the person who may be really nice yet they have absolutely no skill in the area they desire to serve in. Your temporary fix could be creating future problems. Let us not be guilty of overlooking and basing our decisions on our own understanding. Let us trust that God knows what he is doing. He sets members in His Family as He wills. When God does it, the Church will looked the way he intended, love the way He intended, and when people look on us, they will see a true picture of the Body of Christ. Jesus chose 12 men from different walks of life to paint a picture. The women who followed him and supported his ministry were just as diverse. The message? God can choose anyone, even me.
When the Un-Churched encounter The Church, let that same sentiment ring true.
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