Leadership

You And The People

by Olawale Ogunsola
12/04/23
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Reading biographies and autobiographies generally speaking teaches a lot of lessons. That is to say, people have lived for us as examples and warnings against certain acts. Therefore, we have to be very careful of people.

Let me not fail to state here also that we are going to become part of history one day. That is to say that we are also living for those who are coming behind us. They can learn a lot from our lives one way or the other.

Let us now discuss another popular leader in the Holy Bible who was a victim of "the people". His name remains King Saul. He was the first king of Israel. He was a product of people's demand for a king before the plan of God. His indirect demand was a direct rejection of God's reign over them.

What gave birth to the demand? The behavior of a set of people who failed to live a holy and righteous life. The Holy Scriptures disclose, "Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 1 Samuel:4-5, King James Version, KJV.

It was the failure of the appointed Ministers of God that provoked the elders to make an inordinate request from the man of God. This made him sad and provoked God to anger.

Later, Saul became the king of the people. He was able to walk with the Lord righteously for two years out of the forty years he reigned as a king. The remaining years were dedicated to yielding to the voice of the people.

At a time, he was instructed to go and destroy the Amalekites. He went on the mission but failed to follow the instructions to destroy everything. He spared the choice animals and carried them as spoils to the land of Israel against the Lord's instructions.

When he was confronted with his error, his flimsy excuse was, "But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal." 1 Samuel 15:21, King James Version, KJV.

Pay attention to the cause of his error, the people! Could they help him when his relationship with the Lord became sour? No! They could not help him. Where were the people when the Spirit of God departed from him? They milled around him but could not help him. Was their help of value to eliminate the evil spirit that took over his life? No! That is the people for you.

Have you been given any assignment by the Lord your God? Obey Him completely. Half obedience and delayed obedience are equivalent to disobedience. Act and act right in the works given to you. Follow the voice of the Lord and not the voice of the people, and it shall be well with you. Stay blessed and prepared for the imminent coming of the Lord.

Scripture references:

1 Samuel Chapters 8-10; 15.