The Responsibilities of Leadership from 2 Samuel 23:3-7

11/7/2010 7:14:34 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                       Focus:  The responsibilities of leadership

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  2Samuel 23:3-7

 

            Message of the verses:  “3  The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, 4  he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.’ 5  ‘Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire? 6  But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand. 7  Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie.’”

 

            The leadership that David speaks of in verses three and four is a leadership that rules with righteousness and one who fears the Lord and realizes that the Lord is in control and that the leader is to be submitted to the Lord in order to do His will.  Dr. Wiersbe writes “Without righteousness and the fear of God, a leader becomes a dictator and abuses God’s people, driving them like cattle instead of leading them like sheep.  David was a ruler who served and a servant who ruled, and he had the welfare of his people on his heart.” 

            The results of a godly leader who rules in the fear of the Lord and in righteousness are seen in verse four where he is described as one who is like the light of the morning on a cloudless day and also like brightness after a rain and this produces good fruit.  Evil leaders are described in verses six and seven and they produce thorns which will one day be burned up. 

            David praises God for his salvation and the everlasting covenant that He made with David which would bring the Messiah into world in the person of Jesus Christ.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It was in the graciousness of God that he made an everlasting covenant with David and even thought this was a promise from the Lord and could not be broken David was humbled by this and prayed for this to happen.  Daniel did a similar thing in the ninth chapter of Daniel where he prayed that the Lord would send His people back to the land of Israel even though God had already promised this to happen.  God has given me His salvation and I must praise Him for it for I did not do anything to deserve this or could I have earned it.  God has promised many other things in His Word pertaining to me as a believer and just as in the case of David and Daniel I too must pray that they will happen even though they will happen because I believe that this is the teaching I get from studying these men’s lives.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.       Trust the Lord to guide me and direct my life this day.

2.       Trust the Lord to continue to work with me in showing me how I should use my tithes and offerings to him.  We do believe that He is leading us to help build a church building in Bangladesh and continue to pray to this end.

3.       Put on the spiritual armor.  The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.

 

11/7/2010 8:02:26 AM