(The second part of article 13.)

7. God’s Old Testament deacons may speak to the congregation on behalf of the shepherd.

As Joshua was readying himself to lead God’s people across the Jordan into the Promised Land, he instructed “the officers of the people” to visit everyone.

Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you, to possess it.’

The men identified as “officers” fan out to meet with smaller groups of the Lord’s people. They personalize Joshua’s word. They deal with questions that may arise. They adapt it, as necessary, for each tribe.

A church is doing a financial campaign or a building campaign. Every church member needs information, involvement, understanding, and opportunities to participate. Often, the deacons will be enlisted to visit in the homes of the members for this purpose.

On one occasion when I had been at a church for five years, I asked the deacons to help with a pastoral evaluation survey. At my request–this is crucial–they worked up a questionnaire of several pages, and then on their own, they took the membership rolls in hand and selected every seventh family and paid them a personal visit. In a membership of 2,000 people, this was a sizeable undertaking but they did it well. At the conclusion, they took the hundreds of questionnaires and collated the information, turning the results into a graph. Then, they presented me with a composite picture of how the congregation felt about their pastor and his ministry. All in all, it was a wonderful report and performed as thoroughly as anything I’ve ever seen before or since.

8. God’s Old Testament deacons may serve as the eyes and ears of the shepherd.

In Numbers 13, Moses sent 12 spies into Canaan to check out the land prior to Israel’s invasion. Then, forty years later, (Joshua) sent only two spies into Canaan with the same assignment (Joshua 2). Their charge in both cases was the same: see what we will be facing when we invade that land.

In the first situation, the spies returned with a glowing report about the treasures of Canaan, but a divided report concerning the prospect of Israel conquering it. Ten of the spies were ready to turn around and head back to Egypt, confident they had bit off more than they could chew since Canaan was made up of walled cities, standing armies, the latest weapons, and giants. Only two spies, Joshua and Caleb, spoke of faith.

In the second situation, Joshua refused to let that happen again and sent only two spies. His instructions were simple: “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” (Joshua 2:1)

We are not stretching a point to liken these spies to deacons in the church. They represented the man of God and were assigned to go where he could not, but to bring back needed information to him. It would not be up to them to determine what to do with the information, a point the first group missed (see Numbers 13:31-33).

Deacons can be the eyes and ears of the leader. They see and hear what he cannot.

A point we should not miss is that, based on the 12 spies’ activities, their fears are more contagious than their faith. Deacons–and all leaders of God’s people–should be very careful in expressing a lack of faith in God or His chosen leader. Israel paid a dear price for the lack of faith of these men (40 years wandering in the wilderness).

9. God’s Old Testament deacons do the heavy lifting.

As Israel crossed the Jordan under the leadership of Joshua, he had 12 men do something fascinating.

Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe, and he said to them, ‘Cross again…into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder….’

Thus the sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan…and they carried them over with them to the lodging place and put them down there. (Joshua 4:4-9)

Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. (Joshua 4:20)

This became a memorial for future generations. As people passed that version of a historical marker, they asked what it meant. Someone would tell them those 12 rocks came from the middle of the Jordan at the time of the crossing. It was an inspiring time and a holy act.

Deacons, like those men of Israel, will sometimes be required to do the heavy lifting in the congregation. They will take hard jobs, the ones few others are volunteering for or can perform. As the diakonos of the Lord and His church, a deacon does not mind when asked to do the hard and thankless jobs. Whatever it takes is his motto.

10. God’s Old Testament deacons show the power of one man’s influence.

We’re going to bring in a negative example here.

As Israel was taking Jericho, everything inside it was “under the ban,” meaning it was to be destroyed. Nothing was to be salvaged or kept for personal use. Articles made from precious metals were God’s and were to be brought into the Lord’s treasury. (See Joshua 6:17-19)

However, one of the lieutenants, an Israeli named Achan violated the command, took a number of items and, sure no one was watching, buried them, intending to come back later. What he did not reckon on was that God was watching.

When Israel was sounded defeated by the tiny town of Ai, Joshua sought the Lord for an answer. He revealed that the culprit was Achan. He confessed, Truly, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I did. When I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and twoo shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it. (Joshua 7:21)

The nation lost a battle and 36 Israelis lost their lives, all because one man disobeyed God out of greed.

The Lord’s leaders–pastors and deacons alike–must know that the obedience of one man has great repercussions, and the disobedience and rebellion of one will likewise bring great harm to the Master’s cause.

11. God’s Old Testament deacons trust that God is speaking through the man He has sent to lead them. (Until he proves otherwise.)

This lesson comes from the time of Nehemiah when he was leading in the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls following the return from exile in Babylon. As the man of God checked out the fallen city with its ruined walls and piles of rubble on every hand, he told no one what he was doing. Then we read:

So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting in my mind to do for Jerusalem…. And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who did the work. (Nehemiah 2:11-16)

Finally, it was time to let God’s people know the plan.

Then I said to them, ‘You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jersualem that we may no longer be a reproach. And I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me…. Then they said, ‘Let us arise and build.’ So, they put their hands to the good work. (Nehemiah 2:17-18)

People sometimes say to me, “The pastor has not come down from Sinai with tablets of stone. We want a say-so about what the church does.” My answer is: Maybe so. But the Israelis head Nehemiah respectfully, and after they were convinced that he was on God’s errand with the Lord’s blessing, they voted to support him and went to work.

A deacon should have confidence that his shepherd hears from God on a regular basis and is not leading the flock astray. Once he knows God has spoken, he is duty bound to support the work.

12. God’s Old Testament deacons have a mind to work.

Many a pastor and Bible teacher has drawn lesson after lesson for the Lord’s people from Nehemiah. The little book is rich with insights and encouragements and instructions for us. One of the main lessons is to work on when the opposition is strong, the results few, the labor hard, and discouragement abounds.

Now, it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews…. So we built the all, and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. (Nehemiah 4:1,6)

The people had a mind to work.

No one exemplifies this better than godly deacons. They roll up their sleeves and attack the job and stay until the work ends and the cleanup is finished.

I love to tell about Deacon Edwin Logan. On his last day on this earth, this outstanding 75-year-old brother rose early to attend the monthly meeting of the Gideons. It being a Saturday morning, they met at Shoney’s restaurant to make plans for scripture distribution in several schools and jails. An hour later, Ed was back at home. He told Mary Ellen, who by now was stirring in the kitchen, “I went off without any money. And those pancakes sure did smell good.”

She said, “Well, sir, sit yourself down right there and I’ll make you some.”

As they shared breakfast, engaging in the kind of casual chatter long-time married couples do, Ed told Mary Ellen he would be back shortly. “I’m going over to plow Mr. Everett’s garden.”

Everett Beasley was probably the same age as Ed, but in poor health. He lived a couple of blocks from our church. Ed drove to Mr. Beasley’s home, they chatted, then walked around to the storage building where the garden tractor was stored, and Ed cranked it up.

An hour later, that’s where they found him: in the garden, slumped over the tractor. He had had a heart attack.

The last day of his life on earth, this good and faithful deacon had made plans to distribute God’s Word, had shared a loving breakfast time with his wife, and had gone to Heaven while plowing the garden of a fellow church member. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Deacons are workers. They are servants, with a mind to work and a heart to serve.

Thank God for these faithful men.