<aside> <img src="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/49de0235-e8bc-4eca-bf20-2a9d6d267a02/63fc9a68-21c8-47b3-84ea-16f13910c15a/IMAGE_2024-02-23_213553.jpg" alt="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/49de0235-e8bc-4eca-bf20-2a9d6d267a02/63fc9a68-21c8-47b3-84ea-16f13910c15a/IMAGE_2024-02-23_213553.jpg" width="40px" /> The gate, as the entrance to the tabernacle, was not just a physical threshold, but a point of communal and liturgical convergence for the Israelites, as written in Psalm 100:4: "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!" It was where they brought their diverse offerings and sacrifices to God, under the supervision of the gatekeeper, fulfilling Malachi 3:10: "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse." This act of coming together was a key aspect of their worship and their communal life, much like the gathering of the church in Corinth.
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Therefore, the gate in the Tabernacle of Moses can be seen as a forerunner to the New Testament church, as Jesus proclaimed in John 10:9: "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved." It was a place where the people of God came together in all their diversity, bringing their unique gifts and offerings to God, as described in Romans 12:4-5: "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ." They were formed into a worshipping community under the banner of God's love and protection, fulfilling Psalm 133:1: "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!"
Redeeming the proistemic genius (IST, lead) - The ability to preside over an effective team, as described in 1 Timothy 3:5: "For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?" The innate ability to create followers who are dedicated to moving forward objectives to the advantage and delight of the home team, following Hebrews 13:17: "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls."
"The drive and urge to marshal people and resources to accomplish a certain task, vision or endeavour, as exemplified in Nehemiah 2:17-18: 'Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision... And they said, "Let us rise up and build." Then they strengthened their hands for the good work.' Individuals will seek to preside over, delegate and/or deploy people and resources in a determined and decisive way by engaging the most efficient method or approach to achieve a goal or accomplish a mission" (Samuel/Moen)
Prophetic significance of the proistemic genius* ***(see Rom 12:6-8)- to lead or preside over (the team) as Paul instructs in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13: "We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work." The leader serves as the head or gate keeper, the point person who leads the charge in the priestly services as each family nucleus is represented before God with their sacrificial offerings, fulfilling 1 Peter 2:5: "You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." The supervisor at the gate of the tabernacle oversees the various households (oikos) as the entire nation comes together to worship Adonai under the banner of his love and protection, as promised in Exodus 19:6: "You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." The full significance of the gate in the New Testament will not be seen until the coming of Christ in the proistemic genius which triggers the next and subsequent moves of God (see Revival, Awakenings, Azusa, Wales, etc).
WHO HAS THE VISION? As Proverbs 29:18 declares, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." The proistemic leader sees the real objective, leading by example as Moses did when he followed God's detailed instructions for the tabernacle (Exodus 25-31). They embody the conviction of "This is what we really need to do," while balancing authority with wisdom. (PRO-IS-TE-MI, proistemic genius)
Proistemic genius, or the ability to lead by example, reflects the biblical principle found in 1 Peter 5:3: "Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock." This form of genius transcends mere order-giving; it embodies the prophetic vision of Habakkuk 2:2, where the Lord instructs, "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it." The proistemic leader, like Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem's walls, becomes a beacon of inspiration and a catalyst for action, understanding both the landscape and the divine timing of each endeavor.
As Isaiah 43:19 proclaims, "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" The proistemic genius demonstrates this same perceptiveness to change. Like the sons of Issachar who "understood the times" (1 Chronicles 12:32), these leaders read the external environment with spiritual discernment. They navigate change with the wisdom of Solomon, who taught that "for everything there is a season" (Ecclesiastes 3:1), adapting their approach while maintaining their core mission.
Scripture warns us in Matthew 7:15 to "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." Proistemic genius, when divorced from godly principles, can indeed become destructive. As Jesus taught in Matthew 20:25-26, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them... It shall not be so among you." The true measure of leadership must align with Paul's exhortation in Philippians 2:3-4 to "do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
The apostle Paul exemplifies proistemic determination in Philippians 3:13-14: "But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Like Joshua, who was commanded to "be strong and courageous" (Joshua 1:9), proistemic leaders face challenges with resolute faith. They embody Paul's declaration in 2 Timothy 1:7 that "God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." In the face of opposition, they stand firm like Nehemiah, who declared, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down" (Nehemiah 6:3). This is the essence of sanctified proistemic genius - pursuing God's purposes with unwavering determination, guided by His wisdom, and empowered by His Spirit.