BIG IDEA:
LEADERSHIP TRANSITION REQUIRES CAREFUL PREPARATION
I. (:1-5) SELECTION PROCESS INITIATED PER THE LORD’S INSTRUCTIONS TO SAMUEL —
WHEN IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON . . . IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON
A. (:1) When the Lord is Ready for New Leadership, We Should be Ready as Well
“Fill your horn with oil and go”
– don’t be wasting time mourning over the former leadership and its potential and failures; Samuel seems reluctant to abandon the king that God has already rejected
– the Lord’s choice and the Lord’s timing should motivate us
B. (:2-3) Leadership Transition Can be A Dicey Affair
– Legitimate fears make us tread cautiously in the process
“How can I go? When Saul hears of it, he will kill me.”
– Sometimes there needs to be some cunning in the strategy (playing politics)
“Invite Jesse to the sacrifice”
– Dependence upon the Lord’s leading is crucial
“I will show you what you shall do”
C. (:4-5) Obeying the Lord’s Instructions is the Key to Success
“So Samuel did what the Lord said”
Blaikie: “it was an act of concealment, but it does not follow that it was an act of duplicity.”
I. (:6-13) SELECTION PROCESS CONCLUDED WITH THE ANOINTING OF DAVID BY SAMUEL —
GOD’S CHOICE IS NOT ALWAYS MAN’S CHOICE BECAUSE GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART
A. (:6) Man’s Wisdom Can Not Be Trusted in the Selection Process (Eliab)
Avoid Presumption and jumping to conclusions and acting too quickly
B. (:7) Key Principle
“man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart”
Therefore, we need a selection process that seeks God’s counsel
Deffinbaugh:
“There is a great deal of talk about leadership these days, and I must say that the qualities and qualifications sought in contemporary leaders are not those which God sought in David. Evangelicals choose their leaders on nearly the same basis as secular society does. We look for men who have “resources” (money and influence) and “a good business head.” God sought a man who had a heart for Him. I believe that character is the first and foremost prerequisite for leadership. It may not be the only one, but it is foundational. Let us look for the kind of leadership that God chooses. Let us seek to be the kind of men and women whom God seeks for His service.”
C. (:8-10) Carry Out the Process Step by Step –
Rejection of Jesse’s Sons – One by One
Goal: Seeking to determine: Whom has the Lord chosen?
D. (:11) Perseverance Needed to Follow the Process Through to Completion
The summoning of the youngest son who was thought to be insignificant and left to tend the sheep
Urgency in seeing the task through to completion
E. (:12-13) Pull the Trigger When the Lord Gives the Go Ahead
– Impressive natural qualities and talents
– Clear choice of the Lord
– Private anointing ceremony in the context of Jesse’s family
– Empowered by the Spirit of the Lord
“the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward”
– Samuel’s job was done
“And Samuel arose and went to Ramah”
I. (:14-23) INTEGRATION OF DAVID INTO THE COURT OF SAUL —
THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS GUIDED BY THE GOD WHO CAN PROVIDE ACCESS (TO THE NECESSARY TRAINING) AND ACCEPTANCE (IN THE NECESSARY RELATIONSHIPS)
“the Lord is with him”
A. (:14-20) Access to the Necessary Training
B. (:21-23 Acceptance in the Necessary Relationships
“Saul loved him greatly”