Leadership Tests: Daily Thoughts from 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 11)

Leaders, no matter what level of leadership they hold, will always be tested. Parents will be tested by the behaviors of their children. Business leaders will be tested by problems in the market or personnel issues, etc. National leaders will be tested with wars or other crises.

Saul is about to be tested as a king. How will he fare?

Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel.” The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days’ respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.” When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, and all the people wept aloud.

Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. When he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. And they said to the messengers who had come, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have salvation.’” When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad. Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.” And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.” Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. (1 Samuel 11, ESV)

When God calls you to leadership He wants to empower you.

Saul was plowing and this in itself showed that he was not vaunting his leadership, getting someone else to do his work as Samuel had said a king would. But like Samson, Gideon, Deborah or Samuel before him, when an enemy threatened Israel the Spirit of God came upon him and roused him as a leader of the people and empowered him to take the fight to the enemy. Do not lead in your own power.

And when the people wanted to kill those “worthless” men who made snide remarks about Saul’s leadership, Saul refused. Here again he did not vaunt his power and do the wrong thing. He did not become arrogant as a leader. His concern was for God’s work and the benefit of those he led.

When God calls you to leadership He wants you to lead humbly. It is the bane of a leader to see himself as most important. Jesus taught us that leadership is for the purpose of serving those you lead. Jesus said he did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Leadership is not for self-aggrandizement but for sacrificial enriching of others. If you’re fighting for recognition or using your influence to fill your coffers, beware. Whoever humbles himself will be exalted; whoever exalts himself will be humbled.