The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons” … Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.”
1 Samuel 16:1, 10-12
Today is Presidents Day. While it has expanded over the years to recognize all Presidents, we still principally honor Washington and Lincoln on this day. (I doubt many are thinking of Franklin Pierce right now). A day of celebration and remembrance like Presidents Day invites us to ask: What makes a leader like Washington or Lincoln great? What are the attributes of greatness in any President?
As a Kingdom (of God) church, we may first look for answers in ancient Israel around 1000 B.C. The Books of Samuel recount the rich and complex story of the kingship of David – warrior, poet, sinner, and yet “a man after the Lord’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). What were the qualities that impelled God to tell the prophet Samuel, “this is the one”? (1 Samuel 16:12).
Our secular society would point to David’s charisma, his attractiveness, his cunning, even his courage. Mostly, it would point to his success – David was a winner. But David’s heroism was rooted in something else. The moment he was anointed, “the spirit of God came mightily upon David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:13). He had unswerving faith in God as he confronted Goliath and the Philistines (1 Samuel 17). When David sinned, he repented and was obedient to God (2 Samuel 12:13, 24:10).
Above all, David was a shepherd to his people (2 Samuel 5:1-3). When the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel because of David’s sin, he said, “I alone have sinned, and I alone have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let your hand, I pray, be against me” (2 Samuel 24:17). The narrative continues, “So the Lord answered his supplication for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel” (2 Samuel 24: 25). Finally, God promised that “the throne of his kingdom shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:13,16, 1 Kings 2:4).
On Presidents Day, as we think about the greatness of Presidents, Kings, and other leaders, consider if and how they have these Davidic qualities.
God bless you!
Mark
