Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20020811.htm

1 AND 2 SAMUEL: GOD'S SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS IN OVERSIGHT
Part XL: Identifying The Ingredients Needed To Exercise Unhandicapped Leadership
(2 Samuel 5:1-3)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though God sets up a particular party to lead subordinates in a marriage, family, church, business, etc. setting, there is usually a "lag" time between God's appointment and leader's acceptance by subordinates.
    2. David was finally crowned as leader by the people of God upon THEIR understanding some important facts. Viewing this understanding can equip a leader to know when he can effectively exercise his leadership unhandicapped by his subordinates, and what to cultivate so that acceptance can be gained:
  2. Identifying The Ingredients Needed To Exercise Unhandicapped Leadership, 2 Sam. 5:1-3.
    1. All of the tribes of Israel finally came to David to crown him as their king, 2 Samuel 5:1, 3.
    2. When they did so, they expressed the following ingredients essential to David's leadership of them:
      1. Ingredient One - The people of Israel witnessed David's selflessly identifying with their needs, and so accepted him as one of themselves, 2 Samuel 5:1.
        1. In 1 Samuel 23:19-21 and 26:1, the Ziphites even from David's own tribe repeatedly tried to turn him over to Saul for harm, indicating even people in his own tribe were not yet ready to follow him!
        2. Yet, at the death of Saul and his sons, the murder of Abner and the murder of Saul's crowned son, Ish-bosheth, the people saw David's selfless expressed grief at the loss of these potential competitors of his, and realized he had their interests at heart, cf. 2 Sam. 1:17-27; 3:35-37; 4:9-12.
        3. The people returned David's selfless expressions of identifying with them by accepting him, 5:1.
      2. Ingredient Two - The people accepted David due to their witness of his credible ministry unto them.
        1. Besides accepting David as one of themselves, the people of Israel expressed their memory of David's past exploits as a commander under Saul to lead them successfully in battle, 2 Samuel 5:2a.
        2. We know of this activity early in David's career as listed in his defeat of Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 followed by his ministry as military commander under Saul in 1 Samuel 18:13-16.
        3. Thus, David's record of a credible ministry for the people won him their willingness to follow him.
      3. Ingredient Three - The people understood God had appointed David to be their king:
        1. Though David's anointing by Samuel to be king was performed secretly (cf. 1 Samuel 16:1-3, 4-5), even Saul came to realize David would be king in his place, cf. 1 Samuel 24:20.
        2. Indeed, Saul's son, Jonathan, affirmed David would be the next king, 1 Samuel 23:16-17.
        3. Thus, word of David's appointment by the Lord "leaked" out to the people, and that fact coupled with David's use by God to help Israel convinced them he was God's choice to be their next king.
      4. Ingredient Four - The cultural leaders of the nation accepted David, leading to his coronation, 5:3:
        1. All of the the older men who, in the patristric culture of the Ancient Near East were readily held in deep respect in the nation came to David at Hebron to make him king, 2 Samuel 5:3a.
        2. When these leaders made a league with David to be their king, they represented the entire nation.
        3. Hence, with these elders unitedly behind him, David was free to lead to his fullest capacity.
      5. Ingredient Five - The elders made a league with David and God, formalizing his role as king, 5:3b.
Lesson: David was FINALLY able to exercise FULL leadership in His GOD-appointed role as Israel's king when (1) the PEOPLE accepted him for the way he selflessly identified with their grief in the loss of their other leaders, (2) when THEY recalled the credible ministry David had performed before them over the years, (c) when they believed GOD'S appointment of David as king, (3) when their NATURAL LEADERS unitedly gave David their full support (4) in a compact made before the Lord.

Application: (1) A WISE overseer will cultivate or wait for these SAME ingredients to exist before he exercises his role to the FULLEST! (2) Likewise, if we are in the subordinate role, once we see (a) the overseer is selflessly identifying with US in OUR needs, (b) when we see he has a credible track record of ministry forming, (c) when we see GOD'S support of him, (d) when we see our CULTURAL leaders supporting him (e) and an official compact with God is involved, we best accept his lead to obey God!