I remember running relays in track. We had to master the handoff. If you dropped the baton, you had to pick it up—and that would cost you precious time. The hander and the handee had to time things just right. Both need to be running the same speed. If the one in back catches up, they will collide. But if the one in front is too far out in front, they will never make the handoff. Passing the baton is an art that can make or break a relay team.
That’s why we use the term “pass the baton” as a metaphor in so many other areas. Every year I taught high school someone required me to draft an essay on my teaching philosophy. I always wrote an extended metaphor about “passing the baton” of Western culture.
Biblical leaders handed off even more, trusting the future of the nation to the young leader who would replace them. Moses gave an encouraging word to his protégé, Joshua. And David did the same with his son Solomon. If you were David, what “baton” would you pass to your son, Solomon?
“Above all, may the Lord give you insight and understanding when He puts you in charge of Israel so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. Then you will succeed if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or discouraged” 1 Chronicles 22:11-13.
David tells Solomon that a leader should:
- Seek insight from God.
- Obey God’s law.
- Be strong.
- Be brave.
- Don’t let yourself become afraid or discouraged.
As a son who will bury his father next week, I’ve been thinking a lot about the generations—about my father and his father before him—and that one day I will pass the baton to the next generation. And I agree with David: Seek God’s wisdom (especially by studying His word), obey Him, and face the future with courage.
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Household Words: 