After Pastor Daniel retired, the elders at Grace Fellowship voted to abolish the pastor position. They wanted a “simple church” where leadership was shared and everyone had a voice.
At first it felt freeing. Different members preached. Conversations ran long after services. Attendance rose.
Then things began to unravel. No one repaired the sound system or replenished children’s supplies because no one was in charge of those things. A debate over baptism turned into weeks of angry group chats. The benevolence fund was emptied by conflicting claims, and there was no procedure to refill it.
The breaking point came when a teenage girl confided that an older man in the church had been sending her inappropriate messages. Two women tried to handle it separately. The man denied everything. There were no leaders who could take action. The girl’s family left, followed by others.
Sunday services grew thin and awkward. Messages wandered. The building fell into neglect.
On a quiet Tuesday night, the last small group gathered in the empty fellowship hall. Ruth, who had rarely spoken before, stood up. “I voted for this,” she said. “I thought we’d be more biblical. But we failed that girl. My husband stopped coming. My grandson doesn’t understand why we even meet. Maybe a body needs someone whose only job is to notice when everything is falling apart.”
No one argued. The room stayed silent as rain tapped against the leaking roof outside.
Some people believe churches should not have leaders. However, when there is no shepherd, the sheep scatter. Moses understood this. When he was about to die, his last act was to replace himself so that Israel would have a shepherd to guide them.
The 26th chapter of Numbers records a census that was taken after the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness for many years. The census was preparation for entering the promised land and possessing it. The land would be divided amongst the tribes, according to the size of each tribe as determined by the census. The daughters of Zelophehad asked for a possession because their father had no sons. They did not want their father’s name to disappear.
Num. 27:6 ¶ Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Num. 27:7 “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements. You shall surely give them a possession for an inheritance among their father’s brothers, and you shall have the inheritance of their father pass on to them.
Num. 27:8 Further, you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall have his inheritance pass on to his daughter.
Num. 27:9 And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.
Num. 27:10 And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.
Num. 27:11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his blood relative in his own family, and he shall possess it; and it shall be a statutory judgment to the sons of Israel, just as Yahweh commanded Moses.’”
Num. 27:12 ¶ Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel.
Look at the word “see”. Yahweh was giving Moses an opportunity to see the promised land.
Num. 27:13 So when you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was,
Moses would see the land, but he would not enter it. He was about to die.
Num. 27:14 for in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
This incident is recorded in Numbers 20. Yahweh told Moses to speak to the rock and bring forth water for the congregation. Instead, Moses struck the rock. Water came out, but Yahweh was displeased with the attitude of Moses and Aaron. As punishment, they were told they would not enter the promised land.
Num. 27:15 ¶ Then Moses spoke to Yahweh, saying,
Num. 27:16 “May Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,
Num. 27:17 who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of Yahweh will not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”
Notice the reference to sheep. Sheep do not have natural instincts that enable them to return home. When they wander off, they get lost. Furthermore, sheep are defenseless. They cannot protect themselves from wild animals. When sheep wander off, they are vulnerable to being killed by predators. Sheep need shepherds because shepherds protect sheep and keep them from getting lost.
When Moses understood he was about to die, he asked Yahweh to appoint a leader to replace him, because Moses understood that a group of people needs a leader. Without a leader, they are like sheep without a shepherd.
Num. 27:18 So Yahweh said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;
Num. 27:19 and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight.
Num. 27:20 And you shall put some of your splendor on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him.
Num. 27:21 Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh. At his command they shall go out, and at his command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”
Num. 27:22 So Moses did just as Yahweh commanded him; and he took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation.
Num. 27:23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as Yahweh had spoken by the hand of Moses.
There are some people who believe churches should not have leaders. They think a group of Christians should simply get together and do church. However, people without a leader are like sheep without a shepherd. Without leaders, people wander. The New Testament is clear that each church should have a plurality of elders (see Titus 1:5). The elders are commanded to shepherd the congregation (see 1 Peter 5:1-2).
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”