The Heart of a Leader

The Heart of a Leader
1 Samuel 24:1-22
July 29-30, 2023

There's much to say, of course, about David. He was the youngest of eight brothers, youngest. He grew up during the time when Saul was King over Israel. Saul was the first of the kings, of course, but Saul was not faithful as king, and so God instructed the Prophet Samuel to go to the House of Jesse, David's father. There he would find the one whom Samuel would anoint to be the next King of Israel.

When Samuel the prophet comes to Jesse, he looked at the oldest of the sons, Eliab, and he thought to himself, "Well, surely the Lord's anointed is he." He was the oldest, he was tall in stature. He had the look, you know what I'm saying? He had the look, and so he said, "Surely, this is the one," but God spoke to Samuel's heart, "Do not look at his appearance, do not look at the height of his stature because God sees not as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart."

It matters. What happens in the heart matters to God, and it will matter in life. That is one of the things that we're going to see in the story that we're going to look at in 1st Samuel 24, it matters in life. One by one, the brothers were presented to Samuel, but none of them were the ones whom God had chosen. Finally, Samuel, somewhat confused, said, "God has not chosen any of these. Is this all you have? Is this all of the children?"

Jesse said, "Well, there' s one more, but he's the youngest, and he's a shepherd," so Samuel said, "Well, send and bring him, we will not sit down until he comes." I don't know why I love that, I just love that right there. "Well, go and get him, and we're not sitting down-- no one's going to sit down until he gets here." Right? When David arrived, then God spoke to Samuel's heart, "Arise and anoint him, this is the one," because God sees not as man sees.

There was something different about David. What was it that was different? His heart? His love for God? His devotion to the Lord? David was a shepherd, and David had written beautiful songs to the Lord, there, as a shepherd. He was a musician, he would play his harp. David didn't write Psalms because he thought that they would make him famous one day. No, he wrote Psalms only for the Lord. David never knew what his life would become, he didn't know any of that. He was just a shepherd being faithful but loved God, and he worshipped and he wrote songs.

Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David, there, in the midst of the brothers. Then it says that the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Now, that is the key to understanding David's life, that the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David at that moment, and from that moment forward. Now, it would be many years before David takes the position of King. Many years must pass.

Many troubles will arise, but God is going to now construct in David the heart of a leader, the heart of a king. He's going to build in him-- and God is going to use much of the troubles of David's life to build that construct of leadership, of faith. David must learn to navigate through by that Holy Spirit by which he is now anointed, he must learn to live by the power and the covering, and the leading of that Spirit in his life.

Here's one of the things we need to recognize at this moment, which is that, in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was given for those who were called to a special purpose. It was not given to everyone, only to those who were called for a special purpose. However, now, for us living in the Covenant of Grace of our Lord Jesus-- everyone who receives the Lord, everyone who trusts Him for life and forgiveness and for eternal life, everyone who's named the name of Jesus in their life has the same Holy Spirit.

The same Holy Spirit that anointed David is the Spirit that is given to every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we now must understand what it means to live by that Spirit in our lives for we must learn to navigate through troubled waters. We must learn what it means to live by that Holy Spirit. It is one of the great keys of life. We all must recognize that life is filled with decisions, how are you going to navigate through life?

We need to understand how to live, how to live victoriously. David will become a great leader, and there's a distinct need for leadership today. We are living in difficult times and there are great troubles in front of us, and in times of trouble, that's where you need those who will arise, who understand what it means to live by that Holy Spirit, to understand how to live victoriously, to navigate through troubled times. To navigate through troubled waters requires an understanding of how to live by that Holy Spirit. Many decisions must be made in life.

All right, that brings us to 1st Samuel 24. David, here, is facing trouble of epic proportions. It is a defining moment. What happens here in this chapter is a defining moment. I think you will find, in your life, that there are also defining moments. Certain things that happen that define the course-- that set the course of your life, defining moments. David is in epic trouble. He's literally in danger of his life. How he responds is a lesson in leadership, and it's a lesson in being led by the Lord's Spirit in your life.

Anyone who has ever desired to be a leader ought to study this chapter, but anyone who wants to live by the Holy Spirit should study this chapter. You remember David's story, right after he defeated the Philistine giant, Goliath, he became quite famous in Israel. The people loved David and, of course, King Saul saw, in this young man, tremendous potential and so he attached David to his army, gave David command of 1,000 men.

God was with David, there was victory everywhere he went. That's when King Saul began to feel quite threatened by David because the Prophet Samuel had already made very clear to Saul that God had rejected him as King, and that God has sought after a man after his own heart. Well, Saul could see, "Look at this David here, arising in power," and he began to feel very threatened by David.

Saul refused to accept God's determined will. He would fight, he would kick against, he would resist. He would wrestle against God, and, no longer anointed by the Holy Spirit, he raged in fear and anger, and jealousy against David and attempted to take his life many times. At one point when they're in a dining hall, Saul got raged with anger, took a javelin, and hurled it at David, and he ducked and it hit the wall. That's a pretty good sign that maybe this is not going very well, and so David eventually decided to go into the wilderness, to flee into the wilderness to the cave of Adullam.

There, it says, in Chapter 22, that many people started to come to David. In other words, now David is going to build a ragtag group of men, and it says 400 men. Everyone who was in distress, everyone who was indebted, everyone who was discontented gathered to David there, and he became captain over them. Then, later, 200 more joined this ragtag group of malcontents but, together, they form a band of warriors, you might call them a "band of brothers."

David is now going to lead them. David himself, learning to live and to navigate life by the leading of the Spirit, now is going to transform these men. In fact, if you know the story of David's life, some of these ragtag malcontents become mighty men of God because of David's leadership, because of David pouring into them that they might be transformed from ragged malcontents into mighty men of God. That is a great part of the story. What happens in Chapter 24 is one of those moments, defining moments in David's life, but in their life as well. Let's read it.

We are in Chapter 24, we begin in Verse 1. "Now, it came about that when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi."

Saul took 3,000 chosen men from all Israel." David has 600 malcontents, you might call them, a ragtag group of guys, and Saul has 3,000 Special Forces. They went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. When he came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave, Saul went in a cave to relieve himself, and David and his men just so happened to be sitting in the inner recesses of that very cave.

"And the men of David said to him, ''Behold, this is that day of which the Lord said to you, "Behold, I'm about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him what seems good to you".'' In other words, "David, this man has been trying to take your life, and you have been one step away from death for all of this time. Now he enters into this cave by himself without a guard. You couldn't ask for a better opportunity than that. He's literally handed to you quite easily. David, this is a God thing. Do it, take his life. You're a warrior. He's trying to take your life, you have every reason to take his. Do it."

David rose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly. Okay, so you've seen the scene. Saul goes into the cave, takes off his robe, puts it over here, and then goes to do his business, and David sneaks over and cuts off a quarter of the robe. Now, it came about, Verse 5, afterward, that David's conscience bothered him because he even did that. That he cut off the edge of the robe, so he then said to his men, "Far be it from me--" By the way, if you wonder how this could be happening while Saul's in the cave and not notice them. Well, when you go to En Gedi, and I hope that you do, it all becomes clear because, there, waterfalls are coming down the mountain in the cracks of the mountains, and there are caves everywhere there in En Gedi.

You've got to go to Israel with me sometime, we go to En Gedi and you'll see how this is. The water is outside crashing and stuff, and echoing into the cave, so of course, once you go there, say, "Ah, I see now." David then says to his men, "No." They're saying, ''David, it's right before you. You couldn't ask for a better thing than this. It's handed to you. David, he doesn't have any guards with him, do it.''

David says, ''No. Far be it from me, because of the Lord, that I should do this thing. Far be it from me that, because of the Lord I should do this thing? No, He is my Lord." He is the Lord's anointed, literally, in Hebrew, Messiah, "Mashiach." "I will not stretch out my hand against him since he is the Lord's anointed.'' David persuaded his men, it's a defining moment, but there's more to the story. David's men were persuaded with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul, so Saul rose, left the cave, and went on his way.

Now, afterward, David rose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, 'My Lord, the King.'' All right, now picture this in your mind because when you go there, you'll see it. The caves are up on the face of the cliffs. Saul would've gone up some distance, done his business, and then, afterward, he's coming down the hill. After he comes down the hill, David appears on the edge of the cave, the mouth of the cave, and calls out to him. ''My Lord, the King.''

Saul turned about and Saul looked behind him, and David bowed his face to the ground-- prostrated himself very respectfully, in other words, and David said to Saul, ''Why do you listen to the words of men who say that, "Behold, David is seeking to harm you." That's not true. Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had given you, today, into my hand, there in the cave. Some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you, and I said, "I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord for He is the Lord's Messiah,"-- "Mashiach," "the anointed."

"Now, my father, look. Look and see. See the edge of your robe in my hand? For, in that, I cut off the edge of your robe, and then I did not kill you? So know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait to take my life, so may the Lord judge between you and me.'' Here, David's defining moment. David has to navigate through a critical decision of life, "May the Lord do this. The Lord will judge between you and me, and may the Lord avenge me on you. I won't. The Lord will, but my hand will not be against you."

David is declaring, right now, his intention. "Look, you are pursuing me. You can chase me, you can pursue me all you want. I will never lift my hand against you. I will never do it.

Then, as the proverbs of the ancients say, "Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness," but I have not done wickedness. There's no sin in my hand against you, but my hand will not be against you. After whom is the King of Israel coming out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? Who am I? A single flea? The Lord, therefore, judge and decide between you and me, and may He plead my cause, and may He deliver me from your hand. I will not do it."

Now, it came about that when David finished speaking his words to Saul, that Saul said, ''Is that your voice, my son, David?'' And he began to weep, and he said to David, ''Ah, you are more righteous than I."

Please take note of that, "You are more righteous than I for you've dealt well with me and I have dealt wickedly with you, and you have declared today that you have done good to me. That the Lord delivered me into your hand, and that, yet, you did not kill me. If a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the Lord, therefore, reward you-- I know he will, with good in return for what you've done to me this day. And now, behold, now I know you surely will be king, and that the Kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. Now, swear to me. Swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house.''

David swore to Saul and Saul went home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold. All right, these are the verses. There is so much here, so many principles. We have to learn to navigate life, and David's anointing by the Spirit is the key for us to understand. There is a higher way to live, that's what we have to recognize. There is a higher way to live. In other words, you can say it this way, the end does not justify the means. Does it matter how you live? Oh, it certainly does.

Look at the facts of the case, it would've been better for Israel if Saul was not king. True. He was no longer filled with the Spirit, he was filled with jealousy and rage. He was putting his own personal desires over the needs of the country. He's trying to kill David, a hero of Israel, simply out of jealousy and fear. This is not good for Israel. He's not a leader. David would've been justified in taking Saul's life because Saul is trying to take his. What would David do?

I. The End Does Not Justify the Means

It would be better for Israel if Saul was not king. He's faced with a dilemma, "Does the end justify the means?" See, in other words, you need a philosophy of life. How do you navigate through very difficult defining moments? Here's what I want us to see, that God's ways are higher than man's ways. There is a higher way to live, and we are called-- if we are going to live and navigate through life victoriously, then we must recognize that how we live matters, that there is a higher way to live. Anybody agree with me? There is a higher way to live because God's ways are higher than man's ways. The Machiavellians of the world. You know Machiavellian? He had a philosophy that's saying, "The actions may be condemned, but the end result may justify it. The end justifies the means."

A. God’s ways are higher than man’s ways

By the way, that philosophy is the underpinnings of modern Political Theory. It is the driving force of modern politics, that you may have to do unscrupulous, immoral things in order to get something done that we deem as good. God says, "No, there's a higher way to live. How you live matters." Isaiah 55, I love quoting it, Verses 8-9, God says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, your ways are not my ways."

He says, "As the heavens are higher than Earth, my ways are higher than yours, and my thoughts than your thoughts." There's a higher way to live. David's men were counseling David, "David, do it. Take the matter, it's right there." The men were even using, "Did not God say to you that your enemy would come into your hand and that you could do whatever was in your heart?" In other words, they're saying, "It's a God thing." There's an importance to discern the applying of God's word.

That is part of the navigating of life, to discern the applying of God's word correctly. There is a higher principle at work. David could see. This, again, I submit is because he is anointed by, empowered by, led by the Spirit. Therefore, his spirit within him says, "There's something at work here that is higher. There is a greater principle at work." David's heart even troubled him when he cut off the edge of the robe, it says he was convicted even for doing that.

By the way, if your spirit is troubled, there's a reason. Those who are wise will listen to that troubled unction of the Spirit. That is the Holy Spirit warning you. If you're troubled of spirit, take careful note, that is one of the keys to navigating life. Listen to the Spirit's giving you that. David made a decision, "No, no one must touch him," and once that decision was made, his heart was set and it would not be moved.

B. A leader leads

See, David made a decision that there is a principle at work, God's principle at work. That principle guided him that Saul is the Lord's anointed. "The Lord anointed Saul. He is the Lord's anointed. God put him there, and God's going to have to take him out of there. I won't do it." Now he's got 600 men saying to him, "David, do it." It's 600-to-1. 600-to-1, but here's one of the principles of life, a leader leads. If the Holy Spirit is leading, a leader is called to navigate by leading by that Holy Spirit leading, a leader leads.

Take note of how David would respond to these men, they're all convinced. In fact, they're saying, "It's a God thing." Well, how do you argue about that? That's a pretty compelling argument, isn't it? "David, it's a God thing." It's pretty compelling, but there's more to it. David is not led by circumstances, David is not led by emotions. David is not led by the pressure. David must navigate, "Well, there is something higher at work. There is something deeper here," and a leader sees it.

"There is something at work, there's something deeper. Things are not always as they first appear. Look deeper, look deeper. There's more at work here." I was thinking of an illustration of this. Many of you know my story, God miraculously provided for me to be able to go to Bible College. A man, a friend from church, felt God put it on his heart to pay for my Bible college and seminary entirely. It was amazing.

Now, I'm in school and doing the work, and a woman from church came up to me and said, "Hey, I just got an inheritance and I want to give you a gift. I know you're in school, I want to give you a gift." I said, "Well, thank you. Thank you, that's very kind of you, but God's taking care of me. I'm good. God's paid for it all. I'm good." She said, "Well, no, I still want to do something. I want to give you something, so give me a basic budget and I'll figure out what I want to do."

A week later, I gave her a budget, she gave me a very large gift. I decided I'll meet with my friend, and I met with him every semester for lunch, the fellow that's paying for my school. I would meet with him, give him my grades. I wanted him to see that I was pouring my heart into this. I was a straight-A student, and I gave him my grades. In fact, he would say, looking at my grades, "You don't have to do that for me."

I said, "I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for God. If God has provided so amazingly for me, I'm going to put everything I got into this." Right? I said, "But I want to tell you an interesting thing. A woman from church gave me a very big gift and I want to tell you about that in case you need a break or something, and we can use that, instead, for a semester or whatever." He said, "Well, you know, it's interesting. For the first time, my business is losing money. We've never lost money."

I go, "See, there, it's a God thing. The very moment that you're losing money, another provision comes. See, it's a God thing." He says, "So, that's how you see it?" "Well, yes. How do you see it?" He said, "I don't see it that way at all, I see it this way. I made a commitment, and God is testing my faith to see if I hold to my commitments, if I believe what I say, if I do what I say. That's what this is. At the very moment, now that we're losing some money, an opportunity-- an easy way out for me. No. I see, now, it quite differently. No, I made a commitment, and I don't care if it's the last dollar I spend, I am going to pay your way through Bible College. I made a commitment and I'm going to do it."

I go, "Wow, that is amazing." He said, "Oh, and one more thing. This is my blessing and I'm not sharing it with anybody," and he meant that. In fact, he loved when we planted the church and he loved to just sit over there-- In fact, he used to sit over here, and they moved away now, but years and years, he said, "Oh, I just love to watch what God is doing, how God used that for the Kingdom of God." Well, next semester-- I'll finish the story, I met with him again, gave him my grades. I said, "By the way, I want you to know that I've been praying for you. You said you were losing money, and that concerned me. I've been praying for you."

He said, "What? Don't be concerned about me. We just signed the biggest contract we've ever signed, it's worth millions. Don't worry about me, God will take care of me." God is amazing. Amen? What He showed me there, and what I think we see in the story, there's deeper things at work. The discernment to navigate means that you look deeper. David persuaded his men, "There's deeper things at work." He would not allow them to rise up.

C. Godly results require godly ways

David was submitted, David was committed. David would not be led by the emotions of the moment because, here's what we see, godly results require godly ways. Godly results require godly ways. David said in Verse 13, "As the ancient proverbs say, "Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness," there's no wickedness in my hand. I have nothing against you, Saul."

Jesus, by the way, said a very similar thing, "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart will bring forth what is good. The evil man out of the evil treasure will bring forth wickedness, but the good man out of the good treasure, is not the Holy Spirit then filling your soul with that which is good? The good Word of God, the good presence of God? The Holy Spirit is the very presence that will transform you into that which is good and godly, and out of the good and godly comes forth, out of your life, that which is good."

See, one of the great lessons of life I learned, do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may. Decision points, defining moments. "What about this consequence? This might happen. That might happen. I don't know. What about this? What if that happens? What if I do the right thing and then trouble comes because of it?" Do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may. Anybody agree with me?

How you live matters. Godly results require godly ways. That's one of the great lessons of the story, we are all called to live uncommonly, supernaturally. Not according to any natural way, not according to the way of the world. There's a higher way to live. We must navigate through these waters. This world is filled with troubles, we must learn to navigate through them. By what will we navigate? By what will we decide? There are defining moments. Godly results require godly ways. In other words, as we look back at the story, you can say it this way, stay out of the weeds of the conflict. Stay out of the weeds.

II. Stay out of the Weeds of Conflict

I submit to you, if you consider this deeply, it's a very powerful principle, "Stay out of the weeds." It is power. I'm telling you, it is a deep thought. It's a deep understanding. We must learn to navigate. Stay out of the weeds. When you're navigating life, when you're pursuing the course through the troubled waters, stay out of the weeds. Stay out of the rock, you might say.

Not only would David not take matters into his own hands by taking Saul's life, he then forthrightly said, "I will never put my hand against you. I have nothing against you, Saul. I will not, I will not do it. I will never put my hand against you. I won't do it because your part is peace." We must learn to navigate through life, and your part is peace. Oh, conflicts happen. Conflicts are part of life. We live in a world of conflict.

A. Your part is peace

There's conflicts in relationships, conflicts everywhere around us, but you must learn to live by that leading of the Holy Spirit, "Your part is peace." Notice, Verse 11, David said to Saul, "Know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait to take my life." See, in other words, if there's conflict, make sure that, A, number one, you're not the cause of the conflict, but, secondly, that you are the one that your part is peace.

Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."I love where it says, "If possible," because we all understand that some people are quite impossible, but, "If possible--" In other words, your part of that is peace. Their part may be conflict, but your part is peace. That is the leading of the Spirit. As you are navigating through the turbulent waters of life, your part is peace.

Let it not be said that so and so and you are having a conflict, rather so and so may be having a conflict, but your part is peace. May your character come through. "My hand will not be against you, I will not do it. I won't do it. I will not do it." Your part is peace. See, in other words, just because somebody is doing something to you doesn't mean that you should do the same in return.

If somebody raises their voice to you, you don't have to raise your voice in return. If somebody says something mean, you don't have to say something mean in return. If somebody posts something rude on Facebook-- anybody know where I'm going with this? You don't have to respond with rudeness in return. Our way ought to be peace. The world is filled with conflict. It's more conflict today than I've ever seen, anybody agree with me?

I'm talking about even interpersonal, people-to-people conflict. Social media is filled with conflict and confrontation and rudeness, and brashness. God's people ought not be that way, anybody agree with me? Right? There's a higher way to live. Your part is peace. 2 Corinthians 6:3-4, "Give no cause for offense in anything." That's a tall word right there. That's a pillar of a word right there, "Give no cause of offense."

Now, I want us to pause for a moment because I want you to consider there is power in this. It's powerful, it is effective. It is transforming. It will help you to navigate through with power, with victory. God will use it. It is far deeper of a word than just, "Oh, isn't that nice? Isn't that a nice verse? I should remember that verse." No, it's far deeper than that. It is power itself.

"Give no cause of offense in anything." God will use it in your life so that the Ministry will not be discredited, but, in everything, commending ourselves as servants of God. In much endurance, infliction in hardships, in distresses. In much distress, affliction, hardship, give no cause of offense. Twice David said a remarkable thing, "I won't do it. My hand will not be against you." Saul was convicted.

Here's where you see the power of it come through. David's men all heard him say that, Saul's men all heard David say that. They all could see this right before them. It was the whole conflict was in living color right before them, and David arose out of it. What if David would've taken matters--? What if David--? By one stroke of the sword, he would've ruined everything. By one stroke of the sword, he would've ruined everything.

No, by patience and by understanding, and by the higher principles of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit, Saul is convicted. "You are more righteous than I. Now I see it. Now I know you will be king over Israel. I see it." Everyone else there saw it too, "Oh, here's a man of character. Here's a man who leads. Here's a man who navigates through, who lives by a higher way. Now I know."

B. You have a ministry of reconciliation

Oh, what great principles there are in this book, in this chapter. Lastly, you have a ministry of reconciliation. Your way is peace, it brings reconciliation. The heart of God is reconciliation, both between people and between God. God and man. God will use a person like that. That's less leadership. That's navigating through troubled waters.

God will use people like that who know how to be led by the Spirit, become effective in their lives. It is power itself to live by such principles, and God will use people like that to bring reconciliation. Reconciliation between people, and reconciliation between God and man.

Let's pray. Father, we are so amazed and so thankful for your word, that you show us that there's a higher way to live. That we want to navigate through the turbulent life by the principles of God's heart. Church, how many would say that to the Lord today? "I want my life to give you glory. God, there are defining moments. I want to see deeper. I want to live by that which glorifies your name. God, I want to be useful to the Kingdom. Use me, teach me, construct in me, build in me. I want to be like that. I want a life like that. I want to be effective in the Kingdom, I want to grow in that. I want those things built in my life."

Church, would that be you? Would you say that to the Lord? Would you say that by just lifting your hand as a way of declaring it to God? "God, I just want to say build that in me. I'm asking for that. I want to be useful for the Kingdom. I want to navigate through turbulence by your leading." Father, we love You, we honor You. Oh, we're so thankful for You. We give You praise and glory for it all. In Jesus' name, and everyone said, "Amen." Let's give the Lord praise and--