Leadership Qualities
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Key Verse: “The LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” Selected Scriptures: |
SAUL, ISRAEL’S FIRST king, had become unfaithful to God, and Samuel was sent to Jesse of Bethlehem to anoint one of his sons to be the new king of Israel. (I Sam. 16:1) Samuel was frightened to anoint another king while Saul was still on the throne, considering this to be treason, and that his life would be in jeopardy. The Lord tells Samuel to take a heifer and to make a sacrifice to the Lord, and to anoint one of the sons of Jesse. In this the Lord provided a plan in which an animal sacrifice and a ritual meal were part of anointing a king.
Samuel went to Bethlehem and the elders trembled at his coming and asked, “Comest thou peaceably?” Samuel replied, “Peaceably: I come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.”—vss. 4-5
As Samuel looked at the sons of Jesse, he saw Eliab and thought, surely this is the one. When man looks for a leader, he looks for one tall, handsome, like a soldier. This is the difference between God and man. The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ How important is the heart! God looks on the heart, the will, and the character of a person.
Here is a good lesson. What we see in mankind is external, for only God can read the heart. “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8,9) The type of a king that the Lord was seeking would have to have the qualities of humility, wisdom, and obedience. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel, who said unto Jesse, “The Lord hath not chosen these.” (I Sam. 16:10) Samuel might have wondered what God had in mind. He asked Jesse, “Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him.”—vs. 11
When he sees David, he sees a young lad—ruddy (rosy cheeks and fair complexion), beautiful appearance and good to look at. Isn’t this odd? We just said God doesn’t look at outward appearance. This is the one, says the Lord. “Anoint him: for this is he.” (vs. 12) After Samuel had anointed him, the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. Man would only look at David as a child, not seeing that which God saw.
What God was looking for in a king was one humble and teachable, one who would be an example of a leader, obedient and trustworthy. David pictures our Lord Jesus Christ. The prophet Nathan gave a beautiful prophecy concerning David’s offspring. He didn’t have Solomon in mind, but Jesus Christ, whose kingdom and throne would be forever.—II Sam. 7:12-17