The Test of Leadership

1 Samuel 24:4–5 (ESV) And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’ ” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5 And afterward, David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

Saul is exposed to David's sword for the first time. He has gone into a cave to relieve himself unknowingly where David's men are hiding out. As soon as they see Saul, David's men offer their well-intentioned advice - take the shot God has given you, kill Saul and assume the throne.

What a temptation for David. His life has been destroyed by this man. He has to hide where he's hiding because of Saul's petulant attitude and self-absorbed behaviors. Who wouldn't want to strike back? On top of this, David has the blessing of his followers. Any leader in this situation would be quick to follow through both for their own sake and on account of the opinions held by those closest to them.

I want you to notice the phraseology of David's men: "Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’

This sounds good. But there's a problem. There's no place where the Lord said that to David recorded in the scripture. David has been told he will be king. David has been told he's anointed. But nowhere is David told that Saul would be at his disposal. This is pure conjecture. This is what followers can often get wrong. Remember Peter rebuking Jesus for the cross? This is similar. David's men want what's best for him and they even use "spiritual code language" to influence his actions. 

I refer to spiritual code language as that "Thus saith the Lord" prefix many Christians use to manipulate people. The modern version goes, "The Lord told me to tell you." We like to add weight to our own opinions for others by assigning the Lord as their source whether or not it is the case. 

David gives in a little here. He doesn't kill, he tests the waters of doing the king harm. He cuts off the robe. But immediately David is struck with grief. He knows instantly that this was a bad move. Then he goes to work speaking back wisdom to the men:
1 Samuel 24:6–7 (ESV) He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.” 7 So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.

David is once again passing the test of leadership the King of Israel would need. A leadership that learned not to listen to the voices of those he followed but to trust God's timing and plan. A leadership that learned to control one's own agenda and submit one's life to God fully and completely. 

Life will offer you these kinds of tests, Christian. The easy road to glory. Those who take it fail to see that just because it presents itself doesn't necessarily mean you should take it. For one of the most important traits in leadership and in life is to not live according to your passions and desires. Passions are momentary, leadership is life-long. Desires are selfish. Leadership is about others. David proves he's ready for the throne as Saul keeps proving he's not fit. 

The tension in the story builds even more from this moment. We know David SHOULD be king but there's a long way to go before he gets there. For the church today this teaches us to trust God's Word for our own lives as we await the true Son of David to take the throne of this world.  We wait well when we put to death the earthly passions of self-seeking and instant gratification. Jesus will reign. And when He does, we shall not be ashamed.