Differences in Leadership: 1 Samuel 22:16-23
The difference is made by the foundation upon which we build. We can build a life around anything. Some build a life focused on money. Some build a life focused on material possessions. Some build a life focused on kids. Some build our life focused on God.
What a wonderful contrast between David’s sense of community and Saul’s sense of community. Both Saul and David are in the process of building community. They are making an organization of people around them in their own image. Because of this, the communities they build look nothing alike.
Saul’s community is built on the aspects of Saul’s life where he perceives strength. He is a big man of power. When people looked at Saul, they saw a great specimen of a man. He is strong. He is powerful. He looks like the kind of guy who will win most, if not all, the fights of which he is a part. Leaning on his strength and physical prowess taught him to be a firm king who pushes his will around. Saul’s soldiers and commanders fear him because he makes good on his threats.
This is exactly how Saul rules. He threatened David. He threatened Jonathan. Now he threatens the priests of Nob.
Saul tells the guard to kill the priests because he believes they defied him treasonously. Saul rules by power and fear; this story puts it on display. His army fears him, and after this incident the priesthood will fear him, too. For Saul, getting his way is about flexing his muscles and making people obey him.
In an interesting plot twist, his guards defy him. They refuse to kill the priests of Nob. Apparently, the guards fear God more than they feared Saul. This is a weakness to leading by fear. Fear is only good at motivation until something bigger and more powerful comes along.
Saul turns to Doeg, who is all-too-happy to kill the priests. He’s an Edomite. Because the priests retained him before the Lord, he might have even considered this revenge. Doeg aligns himself with Saul and demonstrates participation in a leadership-by-fear regime.
Abiathar, one of Ahimelech’s sons and a priest of Nob, escapes the slaughter and finds David. David isn’t leading by fear. David is leading by compassion. David is an outcast. He is taking outcasts as friends and compatriots. David welcomes people into the process for no other reason than they need a home.
Saul led by flexed arms and power. David led with open arms and compassion. Saul turned his back on God and formed a community in his own image. David bound his heart to God and formed a community in God’s image. Both leaders make their share of mistakes, but their mistakes aren’t the difference between them. The difference is made by the foundation upon which we build.
