Biblical Leadership: Care and Guidance for Those in Need

We catch up with David running and hiding for his life in 1 Samuel 22. This has unfortunately become the normal experience for David. We pick up the narrative with David hiding in a cave near the town of Adullam. Now, admittingly, as difficult as situations of my life may be, I have never been in any situation even close to like David’s. King Saul had not only rejected the plan of Jehovah but had been attacked by sinful and harmful demons. While he was still serving him, David would play his harp and lyre to drive away those evil spirits. David had dealt with such harm and difficulty and adding to that is the fact that Saul was David’s own father-in-law!

A burden I have is to identify and cultivate biblical leadership in the Christians that I know and care for, including and most prominently myself! When I look throughout various situations I see a lack of principle, willingness, or even awareness of what it takes to be a biblical leader. For all of his faults, David displayed many examples of true, disciplined, and character-driven leadership. 

The aspect we are looking at today comes from the first two verses from 1 Samuel 22. 

“David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.  And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.” (1 Sam. 22:1-2)

It didn’t take long for those loyal to David and his cause to learnwhere he was and travel to him and submit to his leadership. David was viewed as (*semi-modern illustration coming) a Robin Hood like figure, who would care for the poor and outcast of society which had been abused and neglected by the current government. 

David was always quick to defer any “kingly” title back to King Saul. David never usurped royal authority, though it was his to take. However, David did control things that had clearly been given to him. In this moment, as a fleeing vigilante, he had been given the task of caring for those in distress, in debt, bitter in soul, and needy. This was not the “cream of the crop” when it came to nation building, but it was a group that needed him. 

A Biblical leader creates order out of chaos and orchestrates a system that meets the needs of one’s people: both physical and spiritual. Are we taking advantage of those under our influence and modelling for them how a strong biblical leader acts? God doesn't promise that we will ever be free from trials or burdens, this side of glory. 

Let us take a hint from David and look to serve others right now however we can!

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