The Boss and The Assistant

THE BOSS AND THE ASSISTANT
(Exodus Chapter 31:1-6)

God gave Moses an assignment:
He asked him to make the Ark of
the Covenant, the robes for the
priests, the breast plate, the
Tabernacle and all the furniture
therein, etc.
The instructions were lengthy, but
God had a plan for the execution:
He gave Moses a workman to carry
out these tasks: Bezaleel the son of Uri.
He was a skilled worker, “he had wisdom,
knowledge and understanding in all
manner of workmanship”, as the
scriptures submit.
He was given the task to execute the
assignment given to Moses.
But God went a step further:
He gave Bezaleel an ASSISTANT to
work with him, Aholiab the son of
Ahisamach.
Both were skilled workmen.
But one was to ASSIST the other.
There were other workers who were
added to the team, but the buck
stopped at Bezaleel’s table.
So, there was a hierarchy:
Bezaleel-Aholiab-Others.
That was God’s organogram for
the assignment given.
The challenge with humanity is,
we sometimes want to change
the organogram.
We feel Bezaleel is not knowledgeable
enough to be the Boss.
You are Aholiab, but you feel you
know better.
You want to either take over the seat
or leave to go launch your own outfit.
You feel servitude is beneath you.
The irony is, you may be more qualified
than Bezaleel!
He has a B.Sc degree from one
mushroom University, you have a
Ph.D from Princeton, Harvard or Oxford.
You question his competence.
“I’m better qualified than this guy”,
you reason. But the positioning is how
God wants it.
Bezaleel is the Oga at the Top.
That is his DIVINE CALLING,
the divine order.
You are to ASSIST him: that is YOUR
Divine Calling. Bezaleel had fulfillment
leading the pack.
Aholiab had fulfillment assisting.
There was no rancour, there was no
division. They both had common focus,
both men were comfortable in their
positions, neither was intimidated by
the other.
Today, we have loads of “Motivational
Speakers” who teach otherwise.
They will tell you, “You have what it
takes to be your own man! Servitude
is not forever! You are an entrepreneur!
Quit your job! Start your own outfit!
Perspire to acquire!”
And you buy into their submissions
and goading: “Yeah! I have what it
takes to be Boss!
Servitude is not forever!”
And they motivate you into disaster.
You resign your position and launch out.
2 years into your business, you go
bankrupt. This thing is not always by
educational qualification or competence:
It’s about DIVINE CALLING.
Be careful who you listen to: don’t let
anyone motivate you into foolishness.
I have seen loads of Pastors leave
thriving ministries as assistants to
go set up their own ministries, only
for them to crash out after a few years.
I know people who leave businesses
to go set up a rival outfit, only to
crash out after a while.
We are not all called to be Aliko.
We are not all called to be Bishop.
Some of us are called to work for
them, not compete with them- and
we get our fulfillment in life working
for them.
At the end of the day, what matters is
the divine stamp of approval on our efforts.
When/if you decide to resign your
commission and launch out on your
own, you must be SURE you know what
you are doing.
You must KNOW in your “KNOWER” you
heard from Heaven, not inspired to
acquire by one roadside Motivational
Speaker.
Moses was called to lead Israel.
Aaron did not argue. Hur accepted
his leadership. Joshua accepted to
be his servant.
Mariam challenged him.
She became a leper (Numbers 12).
Others who also challenged his
authority (Korah and his co-conspirators)
died a horrible death (Numbers 16).
Leaders are chosen on DIVINE CALLS,
not necessarily HERITAGE.
I know Churches where the Sent Man
appoints his son to take over from him.
I also know organizations where the
son of the founder/chairman is also
appointed leader.
That you are my son does not mean
you are Bezaleel: you may be Aholiab,
whose calling is to assist whoever is
chosen as Bezaleel.
There is a very popular Nigerian Bank
whose Founder/Chairman appointed
a young man as MD/CEO.
The bank’s fortunes soared!
The bank became one of the best
in the country.
Apparently, the MD/CEO was Bezaleel.
He succeeded in the assignment given
to him. After a while, the
Founder/Chairman appointed his son
as MD/CEO.
The son was no Bezaleel, but daddy
was not aware.
The son was Aholiab who should have
been behind the scene, assisting Bezaleel.
But like many of us who start a big
organization or ministry, daddy wanted
his son to be the “Oga at the Top”.
The son took over the Bank and in a
few years, the Bank crashed. It was
bought over by another Bank.
I wonder how daddy feels about it today?
If daddy had not brought his son in,
who knows if that bank would still be
healthy today? If daddy knew his son
was no Bezaleel, who knows how
the bank would be today?
If you are Aholiab, please maintain
your position. “Dey your dey”, as we
say in Nigeria.
If you are Bezaleel, God placed you
there- don’t be intimidated by anyone.
The God who called you to lead will
protect, guide and guard you.
May we all find fulfillment in our
positions in life, whether we are
Bezaleel or Aholiab.
May we succeed in our Divine Assignments
and may we allow inordinate ambition
push us out to where His grace cannot
keep us.

Shalom!
Haruna Daniels.