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CONNIE: What really qualifies a man or woman to be a leader? Is it intelligence? How about connections? Craftiness? Where does spirituality fit in the picture? Stay tuned for answers from the Bible. Giving God’s trumpet a Certain Sound for more than 70 years, this is the Voice of Prophecy


CONNIE: Hello, I’m Connie Jeffery

LONNIE: And I’m Lonnie Melashenko.

CONNIE: You know , Lonnie, we’re getting down to the end of the campaign season here in the US--as Americans are trying to decide who will be our leader for the next four years.

LONNIE: I’m sure that many of our listeners will be glad when it’s all over, and let me assure them right now that this program today isn’t going to be about politics and elections.CONNIE: But it does touch on important issues that ought to be considered when deciding on leadership.

LONNIE: That’s right Connie, it just so happens that as we’re working our way through the Bible week by week here on our broadcast, we’ve arrived at the book of 1 Samuel.

CONNIE: And that’s a book that has a lot to do with selection of leaders.

LONNIE: Yes, in fact 1 Samuel deals with a very turbulent time in Israel’s history--a time of war when the country needed strong leadership, but one leader after another failed the people.CONNIE: Are there some lessons that we might want to remember as we select leaders today?

LONNIE: I really think there are, and Ken Wade recently put that question and a few others to Old Testament scholar Alden, Thompson, personal friend of mine and author of an interesting book with the fascinating title Who’s Afraid of the Old Testament God?

CONNIE: Let’s listen in.

KEN: Dr. Alden Thompson, great to talk to with you today. Welcome to our program.

ALDEN: Thank you it’s good to be on.

KEN: Well, today we are talking about 1 Samuel, calling our program “Looking for Ladership”,and that is really what a lot of the book 1 Samuel is about,isn’t it.

ALDEN: It is, you have several different leaders here and God’s people wandering in a sense, trying to find someone who will lead them both politically and religiously.

KEN: Yeah, as the book begins you have purely a religious leader, I suppose you’d say, in Eli the old priest.

ALDEN: Yes

KEN: And of course he is getting old and naturally the leadership would pass heriditarily to his sons, but that’s not working out very well is it?

ALDEN: His sons are really corrupt, and he is not able to deal with them First Samuel makes that quite clear, that they would not listen to the admonitions of the father.

KEN: And as a result they get involved in some bad things. It seems to me that there is a interesting story there at the beginning where the people are no longer following God, God is no longer the leader. They are trying to lead God. They pick up the Ark and say AWell, if we are having trouble with the Philistines we can take God with us and God will defeat the Philistines.

ALDEN: Yes

KEN: Kind of a reversal there rather then following God’s leadership they’re trying to become the leaders and as a result Eli’s sons die in the battle there.

ALDEN: But, it’s also rather puzzling that Eli who is a failed leader, was also selected by God to be the mentor for Samuel.

KEN: Yeah

ALDEN: The new young man on the rise

KEN: He’s the one that comes along and of course that name is quite interesting. What does the name Samuel Mean?

ALDEN: Well, Samuel actually if you look at it probably means something like Heard of God.

KEN: Hmm

ALDEN: Although there is an interesting puzzle there, because Saul is entitled asked of God so the etymology isn’t quite clear. But, it’s linked up with the story the Hannah prayed and God heard her, and answered her prayer.

KEN: And then Samuel becomes kind of the hearer for Israel doesn’t he, kind of a double entendre in that name.

ALDEN: That’s right

KEN: And Israel is under safe leadership as long as they have a man like Samuel, who is listening to God and following God’s Guidance.

ALDEN: But, again Samuel’s children did not follow the example of their father

KEN: They don’t hear very well.

ALDEN: No they don’t.

KEN: They don’t listen to the word of the Lord, and they become corrupt as well. So Israel is left with a crisis of leadership in which they are fighting the Philistines, and then you move on of course to Saul. What kind if a leader would you call Saul?

ALDEN: Well, Saul was a very intense fellow, probably charismatic. He seemed to have started out all right, I’m assuming. He was probably more like one of the Judges in that he didn’t have immediate royal standing. He just kept on working. The thing that brought him to prominence was one of the Israelite cities was attacked, and when the call came, he was out actually plowing oxen in the field. So he’s not a man who immediately grabbed all the trappings of power. He was at that point perhaps very humble and peaceful.KEN: But, things go awry once again there. What happens with Saul? What goes wrong really with his type of leadership?

ALDEN: Well, it’s very difficult to actually tell the basis of the biblical account and again there’s a puzzle from our point of view, because Saul’s son Jonathan. If I were just selecting a good man to be king, I would go for Jonathan I think he’s a more stable character than even David

KEN: hmmY in many ways

ALDEN: Judging on the surface is not always easy, of course. When Samuel went to annoint the new king after Saul was rejected, he didn’t select David either. He was quite keen that one of David’s brothers would be much better.

KEN: sure, from a human standpoint. And yet the Lord, once again he listens to the Lord. One of the interesting things I noticed about Saul was that just shortly before he was rejected, he set up a memorial to himself of how great he was down in one of the villages of Israel. So he was kind of loosing it as far as that humility of leadership, wasn’t he

ALDEN: Yes

KEN: Well, so finally in 1st Samuel we’re coming around to the time of David, and David becomes God’s leader, Israel’s Shepherd King. A very spiritual man for the most part. Of course he has some problems along the way too.

ALDEN: He’s very spiritual, but he’s very passionate, and if I were to say what is attractive about David is when he sinned when he turned against God, he was always very quick to admit his problems.

KEN: He was a man after God’s own heart. And perhaps that’s the lesson of 1st Samuel. The most important thing is that relationship with God that willingness to listen to God, isn’t it?

ALDEN: Yes

KEN: Well thank you very much Dr. Thomson. I really appreciate the chance to share with you about the book of 1st Samuel and the lessons it has for today.

ALDEN: Well thank you. It’s a sobering book any way you look at it, because it recognizes that all human leaders are thoroughly human, and even the best of them have their difficulties.

KEN: They certainly do, and as we look for leaders today it’s still challenging, isn’t it?

ALDEN: It is.

CONNIE: Thank’s so much Ken and Alden. There are certainly many different styles of leadership illustrated in the Bible--and even just in the book of 1 Samuel. Eli seems to have been a pretty passive leader, while Samuel took a more active role in getting the people to do God’s will.

LONNIE: Then of course you have Saul, who I suppose would be called a charismatic leader--at least at first he was able to rally the people around him with his good looks and physical prowess, but later he seems to have fallen into almost a demagogue or dictatorial style, hanging onto power for its own sake.

CONNIE: Of course this is all leading up to the time when David would take the throne, and he is known as Israel’s shepherd king.

LONNIE: That’s right Connie. He’s remembered as a true leader--usually--led by setting a right example for the people.

CONNIE: Like a shepherd.LONNIE: That’s the ideal form of leadership mentioned in the Bible. The AGentle Shepherd that a lady by the name of Connie Jeffery sings about in our first musical selection today.

LONNIE: Connie, that song was taken from a CD you produced for our sister broadcast, It Is Written a few years ago. Very nicely done.



CONNIE: Thank you Lonnie.


LONNIE: And as usual, listeners can learn more about our music by visiting our website at www.vop.com or e-mailing us at gospelvop.com.

CONNIE: Lonnie, King David is known as Israel’s shepherd king, and we think of a shepherd as being a peaceful person, gently nurturing the lambs. But there were times when things weren’t quite so peaceful for him, weren’t there?

LONNIE: In fact David tells us himself tells about the times when a lion or bear would attack the flock. Part of caring for the sheep was fighting off their enemies. And unfortunately David did not live in a peaceful time. The Philistines and other enemies were always attacking Israel, so David is also known as a powerful warrior.

CONNIE: It’s difficult to understand why there has always been so much war and violence on this earth, but in reality these things didn’t start here. They started with a war in heaven, and our own David Smith has written a book that lifts the curtain a bit and helps us understand exactly what’s going on in the universe. The book is called Watching the War, and right now you can receive a free copy just by calling us at 1-800-872-0055.

LONNIE: We’ll give that 800 number again near the end of our program, because we don’t want you to miss a fascinating discussion David had with Lincoln Steed, editor of Liberty Magazine. As we in the US face another election, is there anything the Bible tells us that will help us wisely pick a new leader?

DAVID: We’re delighted to have Lincoln Steed, editor of Liberty Magazine with us today. Lincoln, liberty has always been such a valuable tool to thought leaders and helping sort out the delicate balance between faith and politics, and this year especially is an exciting, challenging time with presidential canadites being so outspoken about their own religion and their desire to bring spiritual values into the public sector. What’s your take on it all, any dangers?

LINCOLN: Well superficially it seems to be testing to the limits the concept of seperation of the church and stateDAVID: Yes.

LINCOLN: Listed in the 1st amendment

DAVID: Right

LINCOLN: And it can be troubling when you think it through, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with any individual, whatever role they have in society, speaking out on their personal faith. I think people are encouraged by that, and it’s very much expected ‘cause we’ve been through a lot with this present administration, impeachment and so on.

DAVID: Yes.

LINCOLN: People have a hungering for moral renewal.

DAVID: When does it go too, far?

LINCOLN: Yes, it’s dangerous, I think, when we expect it to happen by proxy through this good leader. Because it is dangerous if they take on a religious agenda that almost by definition cannot satisfy everybody.DAVID: Right.

LINCOLN: There’s such a diversity in this country even within christianity and I think any Christian knows that it’s inherently a private matter. So there’s a danger here that I think private, individual dedication to God is being cheapened by being made such a public currency.

DAVID: Yeah, and of course at Liberty Magazine that’s what you struggle with constantly is the balance and the blending what is apporpriate and what goes to far.

LINCOLN: Exactly, and sometimes Liberty is seen as being part of the efforts to expunge religion from public life. And we are certainly not party to that.

DAVID: Yeah.

LINCOLN: But we need to guard the gates to the very clear constitutional freedoms of this country.

DAVID: Sure. Lincoln, besides the responsibility to vote, what else can Christians and the pious or religiuosly concerned people of any faith community do for their nation’s leaders in accordance with you know 1st Timothy 2.

LINCOLN: Well we certianly should pray for our leaders

DAVID: Yeah.

LINCOLN: They’re in positions of responsibility in the whole secualr government is a designated authority from God. And it’s not the same as saying they have to be preists in their own right. We are very far from believing in the divine right of kings that existed in the Middle Ages

DAVID: Sure.

LINCOLN: But we should expect in any society and very much this people of character, I moral chracter. And we have to make the same judgments for them as we do with any individual. Just because someone professes loudly religion does not mean they’re following through, and even if they follow through, their profession can’t substitute for our own. We want moral renewal in this country.

DAVID: Lincoln, we know that you and Liberty are eternally vigilant on our behalf, and we thank you for joining us today.

LINCOLN: thank you

CONNIE: Thanks David and Lincoln--there are some important insights there. And we hope that you, our listeners, are praying with us for the leaders of our country.

LONNIE: and especially that God’s will, be done in the up comming election.


CONNIE: Giving good leadership is not an easy task. And picking the right leaders can also be difficult. And the book of 1 Samuel reveals that the problem is a very old one, as Lonnie points out in today’s message based on the book of 1 Samuel: ALooking for Leadership:

Looking for Leadership

LONNIE: AhhYFirst Samuel! It’s easily one of the most interesting books in the Old Testament--full of exciting stories that we like to tell to children: Samuel in the sanctuary, hearing God’s voice. David

and Goliath. Saul and the Witch of Endor.

It was an exciting, but stressful, time to be living.

Have you noticed that about life? The times we tell stories about--the times we remember best--are often times that we wouldn’t want to live through again. Times when we faced a special challenge, or perhaps prayed our way out of a life-threatening situation.

In hindsight, you can see those times as evidences of God’s leading or protection. But when you’re in the midst of it. When life hangs by a thread--well, who would want to go back and live through it again?

There’s a reason these stories of conflict and war are in the Bible. There are good reasons why things happened the way they did. We find the apostle Paul’s explanation in one of his letters to the new Christians at Corinth:

Now these things which happened to our ancestors are illustrations of the way in which God works, and they were written down to be a warning to us who are the heirs of the ages which have gone before us.

That’s found in 1 Corinthians 10:11, the Phillips translation.

So, as we approach these stories, let’s look for the core. Let’s look for the lesson we’re supposed to learn. . . . . . .

It was a time of severe crisis. A time when men hang their heads in shame, and wonder, Where is God in all of this?

Four thousand Israelite men lay dead on the fields near Aphek --a strategically-located village on the border between Philistine territory and Israelite territory.

The Philistines had massed their armies there at Aphek, planning an assault along a major road that led right into the heart of Israelite territory--right up to the area where the ark of God’s covenant was kept at Shiloh.

The Israelites, sensing imminent doom, had rallied across the valley from them, hoping to stop the assault before it began. But when the battle was joined, the Philistines won the day.

And in the evening, the defeated, demoralized, humiliated Israelite army hunkered down around their cooking fires and pondered what had gone wrong. Why would God allow them to suffer such a defeat?

And in this story, told in 1 Samuel 4, we find the central, core message of the entire book. The message, the lesson, is repeated over and over again in various ways. But it becomes obvious here in two things: What the men didn’t do, and what they did do.

Over and over, throughout this book, those who do not inquire of the Lord, those who do not hear--or do not listen to--the word of the Lord, go down in defeat.

The name Samuel means AHeard of God. Samuel is the great leader of Israel who hears God’s voice and reveals God’s will.

But Samuel is just a young boy at the time of the story found in chapter 4. He’s not with the army. So the men get together and ask themselves AWhat could we have done differently? How can we get God to bless us?

Now notice that--they ask THEMSELVES that question. It doesn’t say they prayed and asked God for guidance. They Aleaned on their own understanding. Don’t miss that point. That’s what they DIDN’T do. They didn’t ask God’s guidance. They didn’t listen for the word of the Lord.

Point number two: What they DID do.

They decided that what they needed was God’s help. Not a bad decision in itself. But notice how they went about trying to get God’s help. They sent messengers running up to Shiloh, where the tabernacle of God was, and they had the priests carry the ark of the covenant--God’s holy dwelling place on earth--down to the battlefield.

Now, at first glance, that seems like a pretty good idea. If God is in the camp with them, how can they be defeated?

But think for a moment about what’s really happening here.

Is God leading the people, or are the people leading God? Who’s in charge here? Who’s on the throne?

That’s the question. . . .

Let me tell you about Neil. Neil was a big, burly fellow. He looked like he could go into the ring with a WWF wrestler and come out OK. He was an ex-con, a professional safecracker, who’d reformed. He’d met Jesus in prison, and come out singing the praises of God.

He was the kind of guy who would load up his car with Christian tracts and books and go down to the roughest neighborhoods of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and fearlessly share his faith with drug pushers and loan sharks.

But after a time, he began to lapse back into his old ways. He got discouraged and lost touch with God--began to doubt his conversion experience. When the pastor went by to visit, Neil looked him squarely in the eye, and said, APastor, if there’s a God in heaven, I want to see Him. I want Him to come right down here--sit right in that chair, and talk to me!

Have you ever done that? Demanded that God come and meet you on your terms, in your place, at your time?

Do we sometimes--just maybe--do that in the way we pray? In the way that we demand that God Afulfill his promises in just the way we want Him to?

Is it just possible your faith has suffered, grown weak, because God hasn’t let you dictate what He’ll do, and when He’ll do it?

That’s what happened to Israel at Aphek. They didn’t ask for God’s leadership. They tried to pick up God and carry Him into battle with them. And it didn’t help their cause at all. They still went down in defeat. There was a massive slaughter that day--far worse than what had happened the day before. The Israelite soldiers that survived went running home, utterly overthrown--powerless to resist the onslaught. And the Philistines marched into the hills, burning and pillaging the Israelite villages and strongholds.

Worse yet, the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant--the symbol of God’s presence on earth. But if you know the rest of the story, you know what happened next. God was fully able to take care of Himself--of His ark of the covenant. The Philistines soon learned that the God of Israel was more powerful than their gods--even if the Israelite army was no match for theirs right then.

And go on from that story. Read the rest of the book of 1 Samuel. Notice how often the man who emerges as its hero--David--appeals to God for leadership. Notice how Saul and others succeed when they listen to God, but fail when they don’t listen.

There’s a powerful lesson here for us--a powerful admonition: Listen for the voice of God in your life. Look for God’s leading in His Word. And be willing to respond.

When you’re tempted to drag God into the situation you face--to demand that He fight your battles for you--be sure to check first: Whose idea is this--God’s or mine? God is well able to deliver--you, and Himself. But I think it was Abraham Lincoln who pointed out that when it comes to battles, the question’s not whether God’s on my side--but whether I’m on His.
Who’s in charge here? Who’s on the throne in your life?