Scattered or Slaughtered

This article could as well have been named "Leadership Lessons from the Bible", but "Scattered or Slaughtered" sounds more interesting. I will compare the leaderships of Saul and David to show how their actions affected the people of their nation. Now, as then, we have the ability to choose whom we will support and follow. This does not only apply to religious matters but reaches into every area of life – where we work and who we support politically as examples.

We all have and use two very important votes whether we recognise it or not. These two votes are quite apart from our right to political vote. We vote with our money and our feet - where we spend our resources and our time. Let’s assume all my earning, spending and giving is chronicled using a bank account or credit card. Just by reviewing my bank and credit card statements for a three-month period, you would come to know me very well. Even though I remove all personal references (name, address etc.), you would have a fairly accurate picture of who I am and what I value. My charitableness or lack thereof, would be evident. How much I like to eat out would be there. My fondness for entertainment or sports would be obvious from my trips to the theatre or golf course. All this is said to emphasize that we need to use these two votes when it comes to supporting a leader – whether it be a church leader, a corporate boss or a government official.

We will see from the Bible that there are two attributes necessary for good leadership – integrity and competency. Saul fell short in the area of integrity early in his kingship and was subsequently rejected by God. First we see Samuel anointing Saul as Israel’s first king,

1Sa 10:1 And Samuel took a vial of oil and poured on his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because Jehovah has anointed you for a leader over His inheritance?

And we go on to read that Saul functioned as a capable leader and military general for about three years (1Sa 13:1). Then he read of his first lapse in integrity that eventually cost him his life and the throne. He disobeyed God by not waiting for Samuel to come to offer a sacrifice. Samuel did show up on time but not until the last possible moment – this was possibly God testing Saul’s faithfulness.

1Sa 13:11,12 And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and you did not come in the days appointed, and the Philistines gathered themselves at Michmash, and I said, The Philistines will come down now on me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to Jehovah. And I forced (Italics mine) myself and offered a burnt offering.

Do you know of a leader that has ‘forced’ an action when they would have been better off waiting? A leader motivated by fear will not make sound decisions.

1Sa 13:13,14 And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Jehovah your God, which He commanded you. For now Jehovah would have established your kingdom on Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not stand. Jehovah has sought Him a man after His own heart, and Jehovah has appointed him to be leader over His people, because you have not kept what Jehovah commanded you.

Again we read of Saul being given a command and then disobeying. This might have been a second chance for him but again he blew it.

1Sa 15:9-11 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fatlings and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not completely destroy them. But everything that was vile and feeble they completely destroyed. And the Word of Jehovah came to Samuel saying, It repents Me that I have set up Saul to be king. For he has turned back from following Me and has not done My commands. And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to Jehovah all night.
1Sa 15:21-24 But the people took from the spoil, of the flocks and herd, the best of the things devoted to sacrifice to Jehovah your God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, Does Jehovah delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice! To listen is better than the fat of rams! For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idol-worship. Because you have rejected the Word of Jehovah, He has also rejected you from being king! And Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned. For I have disobeyed the command of Jehovah, and your word, because I feared (Italics mine) the people and obeyed their voice.

Again we see an action motivated by fear rather than faith. His soldiers probably would have needed some influencing as taking booty was part of warfare. Destroying perfectly good livestock would not make any sense. In any case we have no record of Saul giving any kind of command to his army of 210,000 men. Saul had a rebellious and stubborn streak which he carried to the grave.

Next we read about God choosing David as king.

1Sa 16:1 And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have seen a king for Me among his sons.

David went on to prove himself as an able warrior and general in Saul’s army. First he killed Goliath. As an army commander he went on to lead many successful sorties against Israel’s enemies. He became both Saul’s son-in-law and the best friend of Saul’s son Jonathan. Talk about "keep your friends close and your enemies closer"! Saul soon recognized that God had determined for David to be Israel’s next king.

1Sa 18:12, 16 And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him and had departed from Saul. And Saul moved him away from himself, and made him his commander over a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways. And Jehovah was with him. And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

But rather than transitioning control to David, Saul tried to kill David. First he tried to spear him forcing David to become a fugitive.

1Sa 22:1-2 And David left there and escaped to the cave Adullam. And his brothers and all his father's house heard, and went down to him there. And every man in distress, and every man who had a creditor, and every man bitter of soul, gathered themselves to him. And he became commander over them. And about four hundred men were with him.

So now we find David the leader of what can only be described as a "motley crew". We know some of them were inspired by the same faith that David held, but many were just there out of self-interest. David twice has opportunity to kill Saul when Saul is hunting him. Each time, with his men encouraging him otherwise, he refrains to do so fearing to touch God’s anointed.

1Sa 26:8-11 And Abishai said to David, God has shut up your enemy into your hand this day. And please let me strike him with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not repeat it to him. And David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him. For who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed and be guiltless? And David said, As Jehovah lives, except Jehovah strike him, or his day shall come, and he dies, or he goes down to battle and is consumed, far be it from me by Jehovah, from putting forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed. And now, please take the spear at his head and the cruse of water, and we will go.

David fears God more than man. He could have easily accepted Abishai’s rationalizing that this was even an opportunity from God. Most would have. Finally Saul is removed from the throne with his people suffering one of two fates, being slaughtered or scattered. In short, military defeat. Those who had chosen to follow David, even while Saul was hunting him, were neither killed or forced to flee.

Have you know anyone who has remained too long under a bad leader? Figuratively, they end up either slaughtered or scattered. By slaughtered I mean that a valid belief that should have been nurtured has instead been crushed. These people simply give up. Those that are scattered end up wandering looking for the genuine article - they are survivors but are scarred.

1Sa 31:1-7 And the Philistines fought against Israel. And the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down wounded in Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines followed Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul's sons. And the battle went hard against Saul. And the archers hit him, and he was sorely wounded by the archers. And Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised ones come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he was very much afraid. So Saul took a sword and fell on it. And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. And Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, that same day together. And the men of Israel beyond the valley, and who were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled and that Saul and his sons had died. And they abandoned the cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.

In the book of 2nd Samuel we see David established as king of Israel. Not that David was perfect always, but he was commended as being one whose heart was right towards God. David was quick to repent when confronted with murder and adultery. He did not make excuses. We read in Psalm 78:

Psa 78:70-72 He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the ewes great with young He brought him to feed Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. And he fed them according to the pureness of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. (italics mine)

David is commended both for integrity (pureness of his heart) and competency (skillfulness of his hands). We need similar leaders in every area of society. Saul was competent but fell short in the area of integrity. In our churches, businesses and in government, men and women are needed who "do the right thing" and "do the thing right". We are under no obligation to support those who fall short in these areas.

Let your prayer be that God will grant us honest and competent leaders, and that our leaders will be surrounded by councilors with these attributes.