The First Consultant?
“Sam, would you hire me as a consultant?”
I looked at the Lord. “Of course!” I thought for a second and then blurted out, “I would love to ask you for the winning lottery numbers for later this week.”
The Lord smiled at me and then waved a finger at me in a negative way. “You wouldn’t even know what to do with the money if you won…trust me I am doing you a favor by not giving you the numbers. That wish for winning numbers is often a failure for the ‘alleged winners.’”
There’s the Lord doing the air quotes again.
He saw the disappointment in my eyes but continued. “What do you think is the oldest freelance profession in the Bible?”
My mind was racing. I knew the answer, but how could I respond to the Lord that prostitution is the oldest profession because it was written about in the Bible.
The Lord waived his finger again. “Not that, son. The oldest legitimate profession other than farming, hunting, and shepherding is being a consultant. Prostitution probably makes the top ten list, but that does not make me happy.”
I was waiting for a top ten list to make it onto the screen, but nothing.
“You were mentioning Jethro earlier, and yes, he was one of several “consultants” in the Bible. I use the term consultant loosely because some people gave advice, some issued decrees based on advisors, and others do what they are told, especially if I told them to do something. Many took ideas from other consultants to help organizations run more effectively. While Jethro recommended a hierarchical organizational structure, Pharaoh did the same thing when he appointed Israelite taskmasters to help supervise and push their fellow slaves. I had given Adam the job of naming all the animals. But there were many more consultants. Joseph interpreted people’s dreams, but also gave solutions to help dreams reach fruition. Not every consultant is good. Bilam was hired by Balak to curse the Israelites. I prevented him from cursing the Israelites but that did not prevent him from getting the women of Moab to get the Israelite men to sin. He was creative and found another strategy to earn his consulting fee. Some consultants were never given their due respect. Joab was a great advisor to David and Solomon, but his strength blinded those he was trying to help. Those are just some examples. I have many, many more. In fact, every parent could be considered a type of consultant.”
The message was sinking in. Sometimes a third party’s opinion is more than valuable, it is critical regardless of the possible cost/source. I started thinking about how so many consultants and organizations fail and how one of the primary reasons for such failures was the lack of institutional cohesiveness.
“So, it is like a dysfunctional family. They might need advice from an outside source and the goal is to right the ship. Even the best consultants have little value if the organization is not able to handle the advice. Like sports teams under great coaches such as Chuck Noll’s Steelers or Bill Walsh’s 49’ers.”
“Those were great teams Sam, but I am and will always be a Vince Lombardi fan. I have to admit I love that immaculate reception catch. I had never seen so many people work so hard for such a miracle. All the pieces that needed to go correctly- wow that was a tough one…”
What really is a coach? I thought.
“A coach is essentially the same as a consultant, right, Lord? They look at existing pieces, determine what might need work or to be tweaked and then figure out how to maximize the full potential of others. The best coaches can take an undisciplined team and turn them into champions. Generals can do that as well.”
I suddenly had one of those special moments where I had so much clarity. Here I had one view of folks such as coaches and managers, but never put them into a biblical concept. They were of course people who gave advice and helped mobilize, but they were also folks who leveraged others for a higher purpose.
“I really like the quote from Michael Jordan when he said, ‘Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships.’”
“Sam, parents, coaches, consultants, and friends play a vital role. People often do not see their own faults or issues that might limit their ability to grow and become the best they can possibly be. Sometimes people need to tell them they are heading on the wrong path. That could be very difficult for some people to say to themselves or to hear from those close to them. That is when the impartial third party can provide the value added critical for self-reflection and understanding.”
“Lord, isn’t that the same as having a psychologist?”
“Sam, it is very tough to be truthful to oneself. We are all into self-preservation and take steps to protect ourselves. Abraham told Abimelech and later Pharaoh that Sara was not his wife, but his sister. Scholars have been debating for years whether this was the correct step to take. The answer is….”
The Lord took his time…He was waiting for me to finish his sentence. I had it this time.
“Context.”
Confetti fell from the ceiling.
“You are correct son, a consultant, like a parent or coach can be wrong. However, sometimes they can see patterns others don’t and then they can give relevant advice. If I was a consultant for Abraham, I would have suggested the same strategy as both Abimelech and Pharaoh would have killed him to take Sara for themselves. Abraham made the decision by himself but struggled. If he had a counselor who could help him analyze the situation it would not mean he would have made a different decision, it just would have meant he had a sounding board. Everyone needs a sounding board. I even had a sounding board as I consulted with angels when I created the world.”
Up on the screen was a picture of the Lord at a conference table surrounded by angels and models of the world. I could just imagine the discussions they had.
“Everyone should find someone to serve as their sounding board or confidant. All throughout the bible you have examples of people who leaned on each other, and those bonds were so critical. Remember David and Jonathan, Moses and Aaron, or Ruth and Naomi. Each party needed the other and the same applies to consultants. The consultant helps others, but they also can grow from the relationship. The best relationships provide the opportunity for mutual benefits.”
“So, to summarize, you and others throughout the Bible leveraged consultants as they could help someone see patterns others might not see.”
“They are also a confidant Sam and everyone…and I mean everyone needs a friend or colleague. What’s the fun in life if you don’t have anyone to share the ups and downs with? A consultant does not need to be paid to be the sidekick, but it doesn’t hurt to have someone who has some skin in the game and a duty to be objective.”
