1 Chronicles 11:1-3 Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.'” So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel.
Look at what Israel said to David!
Even when Saul was king, it was you (David) who led out and brought in Israel.
Who was the king? Saul. Who was the real leader in Israel? David.
To whom did the people go to for leadership? David. Who was the person who understood the real enemy of Israel? David. Who was the one who had the courage to face the giant with God’s help? David. Who was the one who encouraged the hearts of Israel to trust God and take on the enemy? David. Who was the one who walked among the people and knew the people? David.
What was Saul doing? Hiding. Doubting. Cowering. His focus was his power, his image and keeping his throne. He was incredibly fearful and jealous of David and anyone who supported him. He devoted the rest of his life to chasing David all over Israel to eliminate him because he was a threat to Saul’s power. In fact, you can see that Saul lost focus of the real enemy, the Philistines, until they had completely surrounded him and it was too late.
Saul as King
- Who was Saul’s enemy? David or anyone who opposed Him.
- When Saul was confronted by Samuel, how did he respond? He blame-shifted, denied, didn’t accept responsibility, and was more concerned about his public image (1 Sam. 15).
- When Saul’s power was threatened… He attacked, and sought to get others to attack as well.
- Saul wanted the glory in the battle (1 Sam. 14:29).
David as Leader
- Who was David’s enemy? God’s enemies!
- When David was confronted by Nathan, how did he respond? He immediately admitted his guilt and made no excuses for his sin, and accepted the consequences (2 Sam. 12).
- When David was not allowed to build the temple, how did he respond? He did everything in his power to help Solomon be ready to build it.
- David sought God’s glory in battle (1 Sam. 17).
The people of Israel were smart enough to know who the real leader was. That is still true today. It is evident in churches, homes, businesses, sports teams, politics, etc. The people in charge are not necessarily the ones who are really leading. Sometimes it is a husband who likes to assert his authority all the time, while the wife is the one really leading the kids. It might be in a sports team where the “captain” of the team is just bossy but another player is the one who inspires the team. We see it in businesses, where the CEO is a controlling, micro-managing type, and there are a few others who really make that business what it is.
So, what about you? Are you a boss, or a leader? Are you an elder, or a leader? Are you the “head of the home” or a leader? Leaders inspire, set examples, communicate and build relationships. There is an atmosphere of welcoming and safety around a leader. Leaders don’t have to go around asserting their authority all the time to do so. Look around, are people following you because they respect you or because you are in charge? Also take a look, are people continually going to someone else instead of you? It might be that you have asserted your authority way too much and they don’t feel safe coming to you. How do you respond when others get the praise and recognition, yet you are in charge? Do you encourage and welcome that or are you intimidated by that?
God’s encouragement for you today is to be a leader like David, not a king like Saul.