Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
When you think of leadership transition at the highest levels of society, Kings, Queens, Presidents, Tribal chiefs etc., I wonder what examples come to your mind of both successful and failed senior leadership transitions? In recent years we’ve seen many haven’t we, and in America, this is an election year, and we may see it again soon.
Over the past several days we’ve been looking at the tumultuous transition in Israel 3000 years ago from Samuel, God’s prophet leader, to Israel’s first King, Saul. Saul failed in his leadership integrity and so the prophet Samuel, as directed by God, anointed young David to become the future King of Israel, but not until Saul’s death. It was a private ceremony, only witnessed by David’s family, never proclaimed publicly. (1 Samuel 16:1-13)
Saul was king for 40 years and David became a leader in Saul’s army for much of Saul’s reign. David became increasingly popular among the people, and you’ll recall David resisted calls by some to overthrow King Saul and take the kingship. (1 Samuel 24:4) David was determined to let God lead both his life and the nation of Israel and was determined to NOT bring dishonor to the God of Israel either in his personal life or his leadership influence. Finally, as we saw yesterday, King Saul died in battle on Mount Gilboa, and three of his sons also died in the battle that day. (1 Samuel 31:6)
God’s prophet Samuel, you’ll recall, had died some time before Saul, (1 Samuel 25:1) and while Samuel had been a mentor training other younger prophets to discern the Word of the LORD, (1 Samuel 19:20) no other prophet had been raised up by God to be His spokesman to the nation of Israel as Samuel had been. Do you wonder why? The people of Israel had made a major decision affecting their generation and the generations to follow. They had rejected God’s leadership and demanded a human King. (1 Samuel 8:19,20)
During Saul’s reign he had not made any specific succession plan, thus, at the death of King Saul there was suddenly a leadership vacuum in Israel and no prophet of God to bring God’s guidance to the situation. I wonder if you’ve ever seen a senior leadership vacuum in the country where you live? What happened? How did it affect you and your family? What has been the long-term result in your country?
2 Samuel 1 is the story of the news of King Saul’s death coming to David and the people of Israel. Remember, with no cell phones, TV or radio, internet or newspapers, news spread only by word of mouth, thus it was several days before David heard of the death of King Saul and three of his sons. Perhaps you assume David would be quick to celebrate and declare himself king, considering how Saul had so badly treated David for so many years. But to the contrary, 2 Samuel 1 contains a ‘lament‘, a psalm of sorrow, which David wrote and distributed to Israelites in the region of Judah.
It’s a profound and honorable statement by which David honored Israel’s first King Saul. It’s a model, my friends, of how I believe God calls His people to refuse slander, malice and other derogatory talk and speak only helpful and encouraging words, especially in times of chaos or tragedy. The apostle Paul may have been looking at 2 Samuel 1 and reflecting on what David did when Paul wrote: “Let not any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth but only that which is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Eph. 4:29)
I’m fascinated by what David did next. So often we see power hungry politicians or government leaders rush to the opportunity to promote themselves or seize power, but not David. The very next statement after David’s lament for Saul contains these words: “David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” (1 Samuel 2:1) Do you recall what little village was David’s hometown? Bethlehem!
David knew Samuel had anointed him to be the future king of Israel, perhaps 20 years before, but now with Samuel and Saul both gone, and virtually no one else knowing about that anointing, how should David proceed? God responded to David’s inquiry: “Go up.’ David asked, ‘Where shall I go’? ‘To Hebron’ the LORD answered.” (1 Samuel 2:1) This conversation between David and God excites me. Obviously, David as a young shepherd boy had developed a wonderful, close relationship with God and such conversation was evidently normal for David and God! David’s years as a soldier had not diminished and probably had further developed David’s ability to inquire of God and then listen for God’s response.
Now friends, that challenges me, how about you? Have you and I developed that depth of relationship with God Almighty, or with Jesus Christ our Savior or with the indwelling Holy Spirit of God? When was the last time you talked with God?
So, David packed up his belongings and his family and moved to Hebron. He didn’t go alone, for David invited several of his faithful men to bring their families as well. (2 Samuel 2:2,3) Now my friends I have a question for us: Why Hebron? Hebron, we remember, was a very significant town in the history of Israel. On the outskirts of Hebron was a field with a cave in it, a burial cave. Abraham had purchased that field and cave and buried his wife Sarah’s body in that cave about 1000 years before David moved to Hebron. (Genesis 23) When Abraham was dying, he instructed his sons to bury his body next to Sarah’s body in that cave. (Gen. 25:9,10) Later the bodies of Abraham’s son Isaac and his wife Rebekah; and the bodies of Jacob and his wife Leah were also buried in this cave. (Gen. 49:29-32)
David would have understood how significant it would be for all Israel that God would lead David Hebron to be his home and potentially the place from which David would become Israel’s second king. In fact, 2 Samuel 1:4 says: “Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.”
Did you notice the words in that statement my friends? They reflect the leadership vacuum in Israel. With no Samuel or any other God appointed spiritual leader, people rose up to select and anoint the man of their choice for king. But this was a small, local elevation of David. Judah was only one of 12 tribes of Israel, and there is no indication the other 11 tribes were included in this moment. In fact, the record next says: “Meanwhile, Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish Bosheth son of Saul…and made him king over…all Israel. Ish Bosheth, son of Saul, was 40 years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. The length of time David was king in Hebron, over the house of Judah, was 7 years and six months.” (2 Samuel 2:8-11)
We see the problem, don’t we, my friends? In the absence of God’s leadership people scurry about doing what they want and what they think will be good for their future. Israel became a divided people with one tribe calling David their king and most all the rest of Israel following a little-known son of Saul. Turmoil and discord rose up among the people of Israel and with no God provided prophet or spiritual leader for the people, chaos became the norm for the next few years in Israel.
Let’s pause here friends and consider the significance of God’s leadership in times of human leadership transition. Will you and I, like David did, learn to inquire of the LORD when God’s guidance is needed? Will we seek to elevate to public leadership those who have learned to do the same? We will learn to inquire of the LORD and follow His leading in our lives even if our public leaders reject God, refuse to involve God in government?
What is God saying to your heart and mine today? Oh my, friends, I’ve found a wonderful song of great truth for us in times like these, sung by a generation of young people urging us to show them God’s way forward.
Today’s Scripture: 2 Samuel 1:1-2:11.
Choose below to read or listen.
2 Samuel 1
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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