My wife, Jeanette, and I have recently returned from Uganda where we visited churches and schools supported by our church. We also spoke at ‘The Great Mega Life Changing Believers and Leaders Conference’ in Gweri, a village near Fort Portal in western Uganda. There were around 200 people there. What was ‘great’ and ‘mega’ about it was the presence of Holy Spirit. I spoke on ‘Authority, Accountability and Access’ on the first day and ‘The Church According to Ephesians 1-3’ on the second day.
I share the message of ‘Authority, Accountability and Access’, based on Genesis 1,2 and 3 whenever I can. Let me explain…
In Genesis 1:26-28, God delegates authority (or dominion) to humanity:
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion (or authority) over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion (or authority) over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (NKJV)
This is reiterated in Psalm 8:6-8, in which “the works of your hands” is likely intended to include not only fauna and flora but also powers and principalities (see Colossians 1:16 and Ephesians 6:12):
6 You have made him to have dominion (or authority) over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
God does not delegate authority without holding us accountable.
In Genesis 2:15,18 and 21-23, God unequivocally made humanity accountable, by commanding Adam and Eve to “tend and keep” (or “work and care for”) the garden:
15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.
18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
These verses indicate equality between women and men and that God holds us equally accountable for the way in which we exercise our authority. God did not command Adam and Eve to watch Him work. He commanded them to do the work as vice-regents and co-creators with Him.
It is clear from Genesis 3:8 that God did not leave it to Adam and Eve to work out how to tend and keep the garden:
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden in the cool of the day and simply conversed with Him. Evidently, he delegated authority to them; He held them accountable for the way in which they exercised authority; and He gave them access to Him daily.
Prayer is the analogue of walking in the garden in the cool of the evening and conversing with Him.
As intercessors, it is important for us to recognise that we are vice-regents, ruling by delegated authority from the God who created all things in heaven and on earth and under the earth. He holds us accountable for the way in which we exercise our authority as intercessors. But He does not leave us to our own devices. He is ready to converse with us—to listen to us and to speak to us. We ought to give God as much time to speak to us as we take to petition Him.
As someone who has lectured in economics and business for 45 years, I see the parallel between Genesis 1, 2 and 3 and principles of good management found in all the textbooks. A good manager delegates authority, holds delegates accountable for how they exercise their delegation, and is always accessible when delegates need counsel or help.
It is incumbent on us intercessors to recognise this pattern and live by it.
Rod St Hill.
