The kingdom leaders are chosen
1 – “And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
2 – And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.
3 – And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
4 – And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
5 – And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 – And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him.
7 – But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
8 – Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
9 – Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
10 – Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
11 – And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12 – And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
13 – Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.” (1Samuel chapter 16 verses 1 to 13)
The leadership of the kingdom is for those who have the heart and have stirred up the right character
The leadership in the kingdom is not for those you think they are qualified. The leadership in the kingdom is not for those who think they have the resources. The leadership in the kingdom is not for those who think they know those in authority. The leadership in the kingdom is not for those who think they have someone in authority they are close to. The leadership in the kingdom is never by height and complexion.
The leadership in the kingdom is not really for those who have the highest education. The leadership in the kingdom is not really for those who have the greatest experience. The leadership in the kingdom is not for tribe and language. The leadership in the kingdom is for those who have the heart and have stirred up the right character.
Service is the greatest tool to qualify anyone who may seem not to be qualify by human assumptions
We can see from the scripture above that God looked beyond the physical. It was never the height of anyone that qualifies him to the position of leadership. It is never the family connection that qualifies someone into the position of leadership. It is never the strength of anyone that qualifies him into the place of leadership. But in all, it takes someone with the heart of courage to be able to endure hard time to lead the people right.
There was a popular saying that a troop of lion led by a sheep will be defeated by a troop of sheep led by a lion. It is God that searches the inner heart to know who has the heart to lead. One of the ways to know anyone who has the heart to lead, is by looking at his service life. Service is the greatest tool to qualify anyone who may seem not to be qualify by human assumptions.
leadership in the kingdom is far more than looking at the physical appearance
You can see from the scripture above that it was not height that qualified David to become the next king in the land of Israel. His elder brother are better qualified than him in such aspect. It is never that David had the experience of physical war that qualified him, his brother are more experience in such aspect than him. You can see that they have handled heavier matter than David in the eyes of human, but it was not so in the eyes of God.
It was obvious that when Prophet Samuel set his eyes on David eldest brother Eliab, he assumed that he must be the one. Looking at Eliab physically, one must have concluded that he has the desired height, he has developed the muscle, and he must have gathered some experience to be able to guide the israelite during the war and lead them right. Everything that was ever in a leader was found in Eliab but leadership in the kingdom is far more than looking at the physical appearance.
He was indeed a shepherd and he poured out his heart in the service to take proper care of his father’s sheep
David may not have had the opportunity to be selected among those who will ever smell the seat of leadership in the land of Israel if things were to go according to the human assumption. He would not have be nominated in the first place. They will conclude that to appoint someone like David in the human sense to lead them, is like appointing the blind to lead the whole nation. That is simply a disaster that is about to happen.
Little did anyone knew that the kingdom operates more in the state of one’s heart than the physical appearance. While he was in bush taking care of his father’s sheep, he deployed the best care ever to see those sheep were comfortable. He made the sheep believe that they have someone who truly cares for them. He was indeed a shepherd and he poured out his heart in the service to take proper care of his father’s sheep.
Jesus admonished His disciples about the vital part of being the servant among others
There is a genuine heart of leadership one cultivates in the process of proper service. It was not status that qualified David, it was developing the heart to serve sincerely that qualified him. Even David’s parents and his brothers will be amazed that he was the one who was qualified to be the true leader to be anointed by Prophet Samuel. They knew that God is never a man that He would lie.
You must live to prove your leadership through service. Men are made in service. For anyone to qualify for the Master’s use, he or she must first become a person of service. No one became great who is not a person of service. No one qualifies to assume the leadership position who is not first a person of service. Jesus admonished His disciples about the vital part of being the servant among others.
25 – “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 – But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 – And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 – Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mathew chapter 20 verses 25 to 28)
Conclusion:
The criteria to become a leader in the kingdom is to develop the heart of service. If you are willing to serve, you will become a leader to be chosen by the Master.
20 – “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 – If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2Timothy chapter 2 verses 20 to 21)
