1 Samuel 10: A True Leader

What kind of a leader do you want to follow? We want our leaders to have a vision or some goal for where we are going. We want our leaders to inspire us and not berate us into better performance. We want our leaders to be strong yet humble not using their influence solely for their benefit. Yet often times the leader we have is not the leader want.

The people of Israel wanted a king and God gave them exactly that. God gave them Saul, and “there was none like him among all the people (v. 24).” Saul was exactly what the people wanted, a king just like the other nations. “He was taller than any of the people (v 23).” He looked the part, but Saul’s kingship was a disaster, and the narrator hints at this looming catastrophe. Samuel’s proclamation of the new king being more like a prophetic oracle of judgment (vv. 17-19) was an ominous sign of the looming disaster.

God’s intention for a king was to lead the people to follow the Lord’s commands (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). The king should not strive for power, money, or women but to fear the Lord. God wanted a king after his own heart, a king like David (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). And it is through this king after God’s own heart that God brought to us a savior and a greater king—Jesus Christ.

We can follow leaders who will always fail us, but we have a king who is always faithful. Jesus Christ is not just a king after God’s own heart but he is God himself. Following him alone, will give us the leader that we truly desire and search for. So the question is, will you follow him?

Posted by Aaron Miner