DAVID
ELIJAH
PAUL
High SQ Bible CharacterS
“The Bible was written in blood, sweat and tears by men who felt burning within them the agony of the human situation and the love of God. They pursued Him with a passion, and we must learn from them how to seek Him ourselves.”
Here are some leading Biblical characters and what I believe to be the significant SQ experience in their lives. You might have other SQ events in the lives of these biblical characters which have even more meaning for you. By reflecting on this theme of SQ expressions in the lives of these Biblical characters we become more aware of the SQ experiences in our lives and those around us. We will seek to understand how knowing God, discerning God, obeying God and becoming like God shaped their lives and in turn provides us with a legacy to follow in their steps.
ABRAHAM
“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.” (Genesis 22:1-3)
Abraham immediately recognized God’s voice, because he knew God. His confidence in God was greater than his love for his son. While the command to sacrifice his son seemed contradictory to the promise God had waited 25 years to give him, Abraham discerned that this was God and He could raise the dead. (Hebrews 11:17-19) That is amazing spiritual insight and very high SQ! Abraham obeyed immediately and left on this multi-day journey that culminated in Abraham proclaiming the name, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord Will Provide. His obedience was “all in.” In being willing to sacrifice his son, Abraham mirrored God’s own heart. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God later said, “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22:12) This kind of faith and obedience has made Abraham model for all who walk with God and desire to grow in SQ.
JOSHUA
“Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:13-15)
Joshua’s encounter with a mysterious person near the impenetrable Jericho moves quickly from an identity check to worship as Joshua recognizes this is a revelation of God’s presence, perhaps a pre-incarnate Christ. As a young man training under Moses, Joshua’s extended time in the tent of meeting in the Presence of God has tuned Joshua to God’s voice not just His favor. (Exodus 33:11) Joshua knows that he is a servant of the Lord. When the command to “Take off your sandals” is given, Joshua immediately obeys. This command echoes Moses’ experience at the burning bush. (Exodus 3:5) Both of these leaders know the holiness of God. Joshua discerns that this battle is not just tactical; it is holy to the Lord. It will be God’s holy presence which brings victory, not Israel’s military strength. Joshua obeys God’s strategy without hesitation or modification, despite its unusual nature. That is high SQ. To march around a city in silence for 6 days and then blow rams horns on the 7th day is highly unusual in battle! (My Jewish friend’s wife says the real miracle was that many Jewish men were silent for 7 days.) As God’s servant-leader, Joshua became a holy vessel through which God’s will was accomplished and a model of SQ for all of us who face our “Jerichos.”.
“The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” (1 Samuel 24:4-6)
After years of being hunted by King Saul, David finally has his opportunity for revenge and opportunity to kill Saul. Yet his response was, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed…” (I Samuel 24:6) David knew God, and he honored God’s anointing on Saul as king, even though it meant great pain in David’s life. David’s men believed this was the day to get revenge, “The day the Lord spoke of” (I Samuel 24:4), but David discerned more deeply that authority could not be gained by unrighteous means. David, like others with high SQ, would wait on God’s timing. David’s obedience to God came from a soft heart, which “was conscience – stricken for having cut off a corner of his (Saul’s) robe.” (I Samuel 24:5) His decision was a costly obedience because it meant more years on the run as a fugitive. However, the testimony of God’s hand on David came immediately through the mouth of Saul, as he said, “’You are more righteous than I,’ he said. ‘You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.’” (1 Samuel 24:17) David’s grace, self-restraint and trust in God’s justice illustrated God’s own character and high SQ.
There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9-13)
After his amazing victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah probably expected a national revival. Instead, he faced more death threats. Discouraged and depressed, he fled to the wilderness. Spiritual intelligence is revealed in how we respond when our expectations or plans are not fulfilled. Though he was broken, Elijah turned to God, not away from God. He knew that God could handle his questions, pain, and depression. In the cave at Mount Horeb, Elijah discerns that God is not in the wind, earthquake or fire; all were powerful signs Elijah might have expected God to use. Instead, Elijah meets God in the “gentle whisper”. (1 Samuel 19:12) This is a significant shift for Elijah who has just witnessed God sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice in front of multitudes. Elijah discerns that God is speaking, and he leaves the cave to listen to God. God calls Elijah to anoint new political leaders (Hazael and Jehu) and appoint a successor for himself in Elisha. At Mount Horeb, Elijah’s spiritual intelligence finds a new level of maturity in the gentleness, patience, and long-suffering nature of God. Elijah goes on to mentor Elisha in wisdom not just judgment. Spiritual intelligence is revealed in trusting and obeying God in every season of life, especially when our expectations are not realized.
“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’” (Acts 9:3-6).
On his way to Damascus to persecute Christians, Saul of Tarsus met the resurrected Christ. The glory of God drove Paul to his knees and blinded him. Jesus asks, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4) When Paul questions who is talking, Jesus replies, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:5) At that moment, Saul, the high IQ religious scholar, realizes that he doesn’t know God. Everything in his life has been pointed in the wrong direction. On the Damascus Road, Saul begins a relationship with the living God which transforms his life and the lives of many others. In the blindness and silence of the next three days, Saul discerns that Jesus is Lord. His journey into SQ is beginning. It requires a complete reorientation of his life around following Jesus rather than defending tradition. With the visit of Ananias, Saul receives his sight, receives the Holy Spirit, and is baptised without delay. He immediately begins preaching Jesus in the synagogues! His radical obedience to Jesus, regardless of the cost, marked his life from that day forward. Saul (later Paul) would be known as a preacher of grace, a servant of all, a spiritual father to many, and a reflection of Christ’s sacrificial love as he writes, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20) Paul became a towering giant of spiritual intelligence and an example to all who call themselves disciples of Jesus.
MOSES
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” (Exodus 33:14-18)
Moses knew God intimately, “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” (Exodus 33:11) Moses’ desire was for God Himself, not just for God’s provision or His protection. “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us from here.” (Exodus 33:15) Moses discerns that what distinguishes Israel from all the other nations in the world, is the Presence of God. His request, “Now show me your glory”, is the cry of a man who seeks God not out of IQ but SQ. In the days that followed, Moses obeyed God’s instructions carefully, even carving new tablets of stone and ascending the mountain again for another 40 days. In his intercession for the people of Israel, Moses selflessly served as mediator, much like Christ in His intercession for us. Moses’ face shone with the glory of God, just as Christ at His transfiguration. In his leadership, Moses embodied God’s revealed character of compassion, grace, faithfulness, and truth, all essential SQ traits. (Exodus 34:6-7)
RUTH
But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.’” (Ruth 1:16-17)
As a Moabite raised with foreign gods, Ruth had come to know the one true God through Naomi and her family. “Your people will be my people, and your God my God,” (Ruth 1:16), was a personal declaration of faith and it was a covenant. Ruth discerned that faithfulness to God and to Naomi, while the much riskier path, would eventually lead to God’s blessing. She was leaving behind the chance to remarry and the comfort of home. She was choosing a path of faith, not self preservation. That exemplifies SQ. Ruth’s decision was immediate and firm, “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17) This beautifully illustrates God’s covenant self-sacrificing love and kindness (“hesed”) for us. Ruth eventually became the conduit of God’s redemption to us through the lineage of David (Ruth is David’s grandmother) and the Christ. Ruth’s story is an amazing example of spiritual intelligence, at great risk and cost!
ESTHER
“When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.” (Esther 4:12-17)
This singular event of choosing to risk her life by going to the king, uninvited, to intercede for her people, richly illustrates SQ in Esther’s life. Although God is never explicitly mentioned in the book of Esther, her actions point to an understanding of God’s covenant faithfulness and sovereignty. Esther realizes that she is part of a bigger story than just herself. “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) Esther discerns that this is the moment for which she was given authority, and she must risk all to save her people. Her obedience is bold and sacrificial, “I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16) This is courage rooted in faith. Her three days of fasting illustrate dependence on God, not just on her beauty or eloquence. As she steps into the role of advocate and mediator, Esther illustrates Christ-like sacrificial love to save others. Her boldness with humility and self-sacrifice illustrate SQ leadership at the highest level.
DANIEL
“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” (Daniel 6:10-13)
Daniel had faithfully walked with God for decades in a pagan culture, serving many different foreign leaders. When a 30-day edict forbade prayer to anyone but the King, Daniel continued to pray to God 3 times a day. Daniel feared and honoured God more than he feared the punishment of being thrown into a lion's den. When the edict was proclaimed, Daniel went home and called on the Lord in prayer for help. He didn’t protest, manipulate, lobby or argue. He knew God intimately and knew that he had access to the very throne room of heaven. In a crisis that could cost him his life, Daniel discerned that his highest allegiance was to the King of Kings, and nothing would interfere with his prayer life. His obedience to God without compromise reminds us that high SQ leaders will not compromise their values when they are tested. Daniel’s peace and integrity under pressure reflect God’s nature. He was faithful under persecution, courageous without arrogance, and consistent in his faith. Even King Darius recognized the authority, power and holiness of Daniel’s God when he issued an international decree, “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. “For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” (Daniel 6:26-27) Daniel’s high SQ and testimony became known globally and brought glory to God!
JOHN
“On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.” (Revelation 1:10-14).
John had been walking with Jesus for many years as a disciple, but this experience with the resurrected and glorified Lord Jesus Christ took John’s knowledge of the Lord to a new level. The face of Jesus was “like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.” (Revelation 1:16-17) John heard a loud voice, like a trumpet and as he listened deeply and discerned the revelation he received from Jesus, a message was recorded which has strengthened the Church for 2,000 years. John obeys Jesus in writing down what he hears and sees. As a trusted pastor in Ephesus and other cities, John was known as someone who spoke with truth and love. He encouraged followers of Jesus to be overcomers in the spiritual battles they were all facing. His message in this revelation was full of heaven’s insights, patience and compassion, in the image of Christ. While in exile on the Island of Patmos for his faithfulness to Jesus and the gospel, John was not focused on his circumstances but on the Lord Jesus. Thats high SQ. John writings call us to greater levels of spiritual intelligence, and a singular focus on Jesus.
The Crux of our climb
As I’m reflecting on these stories I am hiking with my adult children in the Dolomite mountains of North Italy. One day we hired a local mountain guide to take us up a “via feratta” or path of steel. These climbing routes were formerly used by Italian soldiers in WWI and WWII to access strategic positions in the mountains. Following the war, the ropes were replaced with steel cables to assist hikers and climbers to access beautiful mountain top vista’s and scenery. On each of the via feratta routes that I have taken there is a point where we face the most difficult obstacle, called the “crux” of the climb. It is in that moment that the steel cables become essential to navigate up and over, or around the difficulty. Spiritual intelligence functions much like those steel cables on our journey in life, enabling strength, perspective, guidance and faith to overcome.
Each one of these biblical characters both grew and expressed their spiritual intelligence through significant testing in the crux moments of their leadership. These women and men demonstrate qualities like wholehearted obedience to God, knowing God, sacrificial love, valuing God’s Presence, spiritual discernment, covenant faithfulness, self-control, patience in God’s timing, humility, listening to the gentle whisper of God’s voice, integrity under pressure, grace, patience and compassion. One day our stories will be told. Will they be added to the list in the “hero’s hall of faith” as represented in Hebrews 11? Spiritual intelligence is opposite to what this world values, understands or promotes, yet it is highly valued in the kingdom of heaven.
