7 Marks of a Godly Leader - Samuel

At a quick glance, Samuel may not seem like much of a leader. After all, his own sons rejected his way of following God (1 Samuel 8:3) and the people of Israel soon followed suit by asking for a king to govern them (1 Samuel 8:4). After years of dedication to serving God and His people, this rejection must surely have stung.



But let's take a closer look at Samuel's life to see exactly how he exhibited the marks of a godly leader.



He was called by God .

Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ~1 Samuel 3:4 (NIV)



Samuel didn't take on his role via his own initiative. Instead he responded to God's call. True leaders are divinely called to their role.



He listened to God .

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” ~1 Samuel 3:10 (NIV)



Even as a young boy dwelling in the temple of God under the tutelage of Eli the priest, Samuel listened to God. It's important to remember that in the original language of the Old Testament, the word "listening" was more than just hearing. It actually means "to hear with a view to obey." Though the Lord gave Samuel the difficult task of relaying an unpopular message to Eli, Samuel followed through in complete obedience.



The Lord was with him .

The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His word. ~1 Samuel 3:19-21 (NIV)



God is with those that He calls. He enables His chosen ones to do things they would not be able to do on their own. In Samuel's case, none of the words that He spoke fell to the ground, because the people recognized him as the Lord's prophet and because God revealed Himself to Samuel through His word.



He lead the people back to God .

So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only. ~1 Samuel 7:3-4(NIV)



Any leader that leads a nation away from God is not a godly leader. Samuel didn't mince words, but told the people exactly what they needed to do to return to God and assure victory for the nation. This included putting away foreign gods, committing themselves to the Lord, and serving Him only.



He interceded for the people .

Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.” ~1 Samuel 7:5 (NIV)



As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. ~1 Samuel 12:23a (NIV)



A good leader intercedes for the people he serves. Samuel even considered it a sin against God to not intercede for the people. Of course, as followers of Christ, He is our leader. And guess what He does for us?



Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ~Romans 8:34 (NIV)



Imagine that! Jesus--who is God--intercedes on our behalf! If that doesn't bring benediction to your heart and life then nothing will.



He warned the people .

"Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. ~1 Samuel 8:9-10 (NIV)



"If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good! But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors." ~1 Samuel 12:14-15 (NIV)



"But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” ~1 Samuel 13:14 (NIV)



Whether talking to the Israelites or their new king Saul, Samuel didn't hesitate to issue warnings and rebukes. As a prophet of the Lord, he spoke the message given to him, no matter how unpopular. He refused to tell them what they wanted to hear, but instead told them what they needed to hear.



He wasn't in it for personal gain .

Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.” “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.” ~1 Samuel 12:3-4 (NIV)



I believe most leaders today, at least politically-speaking, are in it for personal gain, whether in the form of monetary remuneration or prestige, power, and fame. Notice that Samuel had not cheated, oppressed the people, or taken bribes. Even the people realized his honesty. Now don't get me wrong here. The Bible clearly teaches that those who work for Him are worthy of their hire (1 Timothy 5:18; Luke 10:7), but not to the point of forcefully taking the belongings of other, oppressing those they serve, cheating, or accepting bribes to turn a blind eye to wrongdoing.



Application

Godly leaders:


Are called by God.
Listen to and obey God.
Are accompanied by God's presence with them.
Lead the people back to God instead of away from Him.
Intercede for the people.
Speak words of warning and tell the people what they need to hear.
Aren't in it for personal gain.

God, give us godly leaders, called by and obedient to You. Reveal to our current leaders that their position is allowed by You. Help them to remember You and follow You. Reveal Your power to them, so that they know You. May our leaders lead us to You instead of away from You, and remove them from power if they don't. Give us leaders who speak Your truth instead of deceiving words meant to placate and flatter. Help our leaders to serve You rather than themselves. And most importantly, Lord, help us all to remember that in our personal roles of leadership to strive to emulate the marks of godly leaders. Amen.