Of Peace Officers and Bosses

S

(Isaiah 60:17c) I will make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness.

O

Here, the Holy Spirit is speaking to the church--His redeemed people. They had been suffering in an unjust, unrighteous community, but despite that decided to obey God's call to remain good and to live in His light. The word overseer is a Hebrew word that means officer, one who visits to inspect and review, and through superior power and authority, creates appropriate changes. The word taskmaster is a Hebrew word that means one who drives animals, debtors, and armies ... it's someone who tyrannizes.

A (Psychological)

Jung, Erickson, Friesen, and many others have suggested the importance of mastering specific developmental tasks for the various ages and stages of life. These are undoubtedly important. They are undoubtedly important parts of how God created us. It's exciting to know that God has customized tasks for us, too. After all, "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in" (Ephesians 2:10).

A (Personal)

Life as we've experienced it, with all its sinful selfishness, gives us an all-too-familiar understanding of cruel overseers and taskmasters. Even worse, we sometimes discover that we can become like that ourselves. However, by loving God in spirit and in truth, we discover God's eternal oversight. He's a very different kind of taskmaster--His attributes are absolute opposites of oppression. The product of heeding this Taskmaster is righteousness is peace and pure goodness.

P

Loving Lord, help! You are my "Peace Officer," the one who knows me well, the one who tests me so my heart learns to be focused on You (Jeremiah 12:3). Neglecting You is like walking with rocks in my shoes. It's like trying to sleep with sharp sticks spiking me through my sleeping bag. There's no peace apart from Your presence. So, Good Taskmaster, teach me to master the righteous tasks You designed for me. Teach me to be good, like You. I cannot imagine a better Lord than You.