Monday, May 5, 2014

The Privileges of Leadership (2 Samuel 23:1-2)


SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                   Focus:  The privileges of leadership

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  2Samuel 23:1-2

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  These are the last words of David: "The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel’s singer of songs: 2  "The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.”

 

            With this SD I begin the twelfth chapter of Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary on 2Samuel, and also take on chapters 23-24 of 2Samuel.  Dr. Wiersbe entitles this chapter “David’s Memories and Mistakes.”  In the introduction to this chapter he writes that it is believed that chapters 21-24 serve as an appendix to 2Samuel and they seem to focus on the divine and human sides of leadership.  A leader’s decisions may have serious consequences, as proved by the sins of Saul and David.  Leaders must depend on the Lord and give Him the glory, as David’s two psalms declare; and no leader can do the job alone, as indicated by the list of David’s mighty men.  2Samuel 23-24 give us three portraits of David that illustrate the greatness and the humanness of this leader’s life.” The first of these three portraits is the first main point of this chapter and it is entitled “David the Inspired Singer.”  There are two sub-points in this section and today’s SD will cover the first of these two points.

 

            In the introduction to this first main point of Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary on verses 1-7 of 2Samuel he points out that David has been credited to writing at least 73 of the 150 Psalms in the book of Psalms.  The last psalm that he wrote, and this is what is meant by the words “these are the last words of David,”  is the last inspired words that the Lord gave to David.  This psalm speaks of leadership and it could well have been written for the benefit of Solomon, but can be applied to all who read it, epically to leaders.

 

            In this section Dr. Wiersbe reminds his readers of how the Lord prepared and used David as a great leader, and also one who wrote a great deal of the Word of God.  David is quoted in the book of acts by Peter in that first sermon after the Holy Spirit came upon all of the believers, and he calls David a prophet who wrote about the resurrection of the Son of God, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

            God prepared David for leadership in a similar way that he prepared Moses, Joshua, Nehemiah, the apostles, and even His own Son, (see Hebrews 5:8 & Philippians 2:5-11).  David was from the tribe of Judah, the tribe where the Messiah would come from, and yet he was a shepherd, the eight son of Jessie, and therefore in and of his own humanly speaking was not much, yet God chose David and trained David for thirty years to be king of Israel, and to give him a dynasty of which the Lord Jesus Christ would be born through.

            Jesus Christ spent thirty years in training for three years of ministry and the effects of the men He trained to follow after Him can still be seen in the world today.  Dr. Wiersbe wrote earlier in this commentary that a good leader always knows that he is second in command, and this is seen in the life of David, for he always gave the glory to the Lord knowing that it was the Lord who empowered him to do His Work.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have a great desire to be like David, realizing that the Lord is in control of my life and that whatever I accomplish for Him, He will receive the glory.  I don’t consider myself a true leader in the sense that David was, and yet the Lord has used me on some occasions to lead others into understanding the Word of God in a better way, and for that I am grateful to be able to serve the Lord in that way.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.       Put on the spiritual armor for the battle is all around me.

2.       Trust the Lord to lead and to guide me and to direct my path today.

3.       I praise the Lord for the much better blood report.

 

11/6/2010 9:21:48 AM

 

 

           

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