The Effects of Leadership

Leadership is an important part of our lives. As we can see from the beginning, God’s desire was to be our leader and walk in harmony and fellowship with His creation. The Bible reveals His intention to love, protect, and bless His people, and even though man has failed, sinned, if you please, God yearns to forgive and redeem us unto Himself.  

Since man sinned in the garden and was removed from his place of peace and security, God has offered many opportunities for man to come back to Him. He has provided leaders to help mankind recognize its need for a redeemer. When men did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25), God raised up judges to lead His people.  

Unfortunately, even though these judges were set apart for special service to God, many times they knowingly ignored the importance of judging and leading by God’s power and example. Some were drawn away by their own desire and enticed. We can see that in our society today. Presidents, government officials, and others sometimes get their eyes off the things that matter and begin seeking their own agendas without any regard for their constituents. Even pastors and church leaders sometimes stray from the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Wicked Sons of a Good Priest:

As we open the book of 1 Samuel, we see the period of the Judges coming to a close. Eli is a good priest and judge, and we see his life as both tragic and fascinating. He has faithfully served in the house of God, but he has failed to raise his sons to know God. “Now the sons of Eli were corrupt (worthless), they did not know the Lord.” (1 Samuel 2:12) Being Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were also priests and played significant roles in the religious life of the Israelites. However, their time as priests was marked by corruption and moral decay, which eventually led to their deaths and had serious consequences for Israel. They were evil, bribe takers, immoral, licentious, wholly unworthy of Eli as a father. Eli confronts them with all that he has heard from the people and asks them, “Why do you do such things?” Through them, disaster is about to fall hard on Israel. We see churches, countries, and governments fall because of poor leadership.

We all have experienced good and bad leadership in our lives. Under good leadership, we often feel calm, pleased, and motivated, have a sense of purpose, and are often challenged. But, under bad leadership, we may often feel anxious, nervous, dissatisfied, apathetic, and even combatant. Eli told his sons that because of their bad leadership, they made the Lord’s people transgress.

Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, egregiously abused the sacrificial system. They exploited the system for their own personal gain. They took meat from the sacrifices before the fat was burned. That was against the rules as set forth in the Law. As priest and leaders, they acted in greed and revealed their disrespect for the offerings to God. The effects of their leadership caused the people to develop contempt for the sacrificial system and corrupted their worship of God.

In addition to their greed for personal gain, they were immoral in their thoughts and deeds. They were engaging in immoral activity right in the tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:22). Their disgraceful acts desecrated God’s sacred place and was a direct insult to God’s holiness.

We all have witnessed those who have exploited their position in the church or used their influence as a Christ follower to gain support for their own personal agenda. As followers of Christ, we need to be aware that we are to walk circumspectly so we do not disgrace or insult God’s holiness.

God is not Pleased and Sends a Prophecy:

A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord ...” The man of God does not paint a pretty picture for Eli. Instead, the man delivered a message of judgment, declaring that the house of Eli would suffer because of the sins of Hophni and Phinehas. Apparently, Eli did not restrain his sons because he also benefited from their wicked deeds. The message also included a question, “Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?” (1 Samuel 2:29) The prophecy was that “….all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age” (1 Samuel 2:33). Hophni and Phinehas would die in one day, both of them.

God is Faithful:

God is faithful and sends a son to a woman who was barren and prayed to God for a child. She promised to dedicate him back to God if He would answer her prayer. This was all in God’s timing, and she has a son and names him Samuel. She dedicates him to God and leaves him in the temple with Eli. He is to be the last great Judge, the savior of Israel. Samuel ministered in the tabernacle, and God revealed Eli’s plight to Samuel. Because Eli’s sons had made themselves vile and Eli did not restrain them, there would be no sacrifice or offering for atonement (1 Samuel 3:14).

God’s Judgment is Severe:

The fulfillment of the prophecy by the man of God is recorded in 1 Samuel 4. The Israelites went to battle against the Philistines and were defeated, suffering the death of about four thousand men. In a desperate attempt to secure a victory, the Ark of the Covenant was brought from Shiloh, believing it would bring God’s presence and favor. Hophni and Phinehas accompanied the Ark, but their presence did not bring the victory they had hoped. Instead, the Israelites suffered a devastating defeat of about thirty thousand deaths, and the Philistines captured the Ark. Both Hophni and Phinehas were killed on that same day, fulfilling the prophecy of the man of God (1 Samuel 4:10-11).

The people could not understand why the Lord had allowed such a disaster. The Ark of the Covenant was captured, and Eli’s sons are dead. Eli is now ninety-eight years old with diminished eyesight and is sitting by the wayside, waiting for any news from the battle. A man from the tribe of Benjamin brought the report of the battle and told Eli all that had happened. When Eli heard the Ark of God had been captured, he fell backward from his chair, broke his neck, and died (1 Samuel 4:18). This tragic series of events should make us aware of the severe consequences of the effects of bad leadership, which result in a spiritual crisis.

Eli’s story should be a reminder to us of the importance of holiness and integrity in spiritual leadership. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, we are ambassadors for Christ, representatives of Jesus. We should not take our position lightly as Christ’s followers. The New Testament calls us to holiness and Paul shares with Timothy, in 1 Timothy 2, the qualifications for our leadership. The integrity of those in spiritual leadership is vital for the health and witness of the church.

The lives of Eli and his sons exemplify the dangers of abusing our position as followers of Christ. As priests, they were called to be mediators between God and the people, but their actions led to God’s judgment. We should be thankful that we have a High Priest in Christ who is a faithful Mediator between God and humanity. “Jesus Christ, who is our High Priest “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26, ESV).

Eli’s failure to discipline and hold his sons accountable contributed to their downfall and ultimate judgment.  The writer of Hebrews calls for Christ’s followers to exhort one another daily…lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to hold each other accountable in the faith to prevent moral decay and corruption, which invite judgment, not only in an individual’s life but also in the church.

Samuel Becomes Israel’s Priest/Judge and King-Maker:

Eli and his sons have now passed, and Samuel assumes the position as Israel’s priest and judge.

The Ark of the Covenant is returned to the people of Israel after causing many problems for the Philistines. The Philistines thought they had acquired a great prize when they had captured the Ark, only to find it brought them great misery. The Philistines made a new wooden cart, hitched a couple of milk cows to it, placed the Ark on the cart, and sent it down the road towards Beth Shemesh.

The people reaping in the fields at Beth Shemesh saw the Ark and rejoiced. The cows pulled the cart, and the Ark stopped in the field of Joshua and just stood there. There was a large stone there, and the Ark and the chest that contained the gold objects from the Philistines were placed on the Stone. They cut up the cart, split the wood, and offered the cows as a burnt offering unto the Lord (1 Samuel 6).

The Ark is Taken to Kiriath-Jearim:  

The men of Beth Shemesh sent word to the people at Kiriath-Jearim to come and get the Ark. They took the Ark to the house of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. There, the Ark remained for twenty years.

Samuel Judges and Leads Israel to Victory:

Samuel called for Israel to come together at Mizpah and instructed them to put away their idols, repent, and turn back to God. The people confessed they had sinned, and Samuel judged the children of Israel.

The Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered at Mizpah and thought this was a good time to plan an attack. When the children of Israel heard of their plans, they were afraid and asked Samuel to petition the Lord on their behalf. Samuel offered a lamb as a burnt offering unto the Lord.

When the Philistines came near to battle against Israel, the Lord caused a great thunderous noise upon the Philistines. They became confused and Israel was able to drive them back, and the Philistines did not come back into the territory of Israel for some time. Samuel judged Israel all his life, travelling from town to town on a circuit each year. Samuel’s leadership provided peace and safety for Israel under God’s care.

The People Reject Samuel’s Appointed Leadership:

Samuel grew old and appointed his sons to be judges. Samuel had two sons, Joel and Abijah, and they were judges in Beersheba. They, like Eli’s sons, had turned away from God and became dishonest and greedy for wealth.  They took bribes and prevented justice. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:10 (NKJV)

The elders of Israel came to Samuel and said, Look, you are old, and your sons are not like you, and they prevent justice. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations. Just as the leadership of Eli’s sons had caused Israel to transgress, Samuel’s sons were causing Israel to look at the other nations around them, so they desired to be like them.

Samuel was displeased, but he took their petition to the Lord. God assured Samuel that their request was not a rejection of him, but of God. We can read between the lines and see that the elders of Israel knew Samuel was getting old and his sons were not following in their father’s ways, which caused Israel to look at other options. The other nations around them had kings and they thought that was their best option. Poor or bad leadership can cause us to look at alternatives for our lives, but we are still accountable for our own decisions.

God told Samuel to heed their request, but warn them of what a king would bring to them. Samuel told the people what the Lord had said. He also described in detail what a king would require of them (1 Samuel 8:10-18). The people refused to listen to Samuel’s words, and they said, “No, we want a king over us”. God grants Samuel permission to find a king. Samuel was directed by God to find and anoint Saul as Israel’s first king.

Many Begin Well, but Finish Poorly:

With Saul, the first Israelite dynasty begins well but ends poorly. He reigned for about forty years and he possessed both virtues and serious defects in his character. Physically, he towered over everyone around him. He was courageous and revealed he was a capable military leader. After all, the elders of Israel wanted a king who would defend them. Later in his reign, he became jealous, selfish, and disobedient to God.

Saul lost his desire to fulfill the sacred mission of Israel to the world. He became self-willed and developed disrespect for spiritual values, which led to his downfall and death.

A Man after God’s Own Heart:

We see David as a shepherd boy tending his father’s sheep. In his youth, he became a champion by defeating Goliath the Great. He became a poet and many of us enjoy reading his writings for encouragement. He was a skilled and respected political leader who built an empire. He was a king with a mighty reign.

We also see him as a man of sorrows. As a man, David committed many sins but still held to his trust in God. We see his dedication to God, repentant heart, and his desire to please God, which outshine his failures and sin. He is a man after God’s own heart.

David’s son, Solomon: Administrator, Builder, and Diplomat:

David leaves Israel in the hands of his son, Solomon. At the beginning of Solomon’s reign, we see a devout man, seeking wisdom from God to rule Israel justly. His abilities were different from his father David’s. Since David had secured the borders of Israel, Solomon could focus on administration, peace, securing the major trade routes throughout Israel, and developing trade with neighboring countries. He had sailing ships that traveled the seas, bringing many valuable goods and riches from other countries.

We remember Solomon for his wisdom and for building a beautiful and wonderful temple. But, as a diplomat, Solomon took many wives from foreign nations. These women enticed Solomon to worship their false gods, which brought a devastating effect on Israel.

A Divided Nation:

The once magnificent and glorious empire is divided. The later failing years of Solomon’s reign led to a division in the nation. Solomon died, leaving his son Rehoboam as his successor, but ten of the tribes of Israel rejected him as king. The monarchy became split into northern and southern kingdoms, with Jeroboam being king of the northern portion, known as Israel, and Rehoboam being king of the smaller southern portion, known as Judah.

The Northern Kingdom, Israel, continues to fall away from following God with many evil kings. In 721 B.C., the Assyrians waged a strong attack against the Northern Kingdom and took the ten tribes into captivity.

The Southern Kingdom, Judah, continued to exist for about another 125 years with some righteous and some evil kings. They eventually went into Babylonian captivity around 597 B.C.
 
Conclusion:

As we continue our Bible reading for April, we will see the depravity of man. In the beginning of our Bible reading plan for 2025, we saw in Genesis 6 that “God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually……. and it grieved Him at His heart.” (Genesis 6:5)

I am confident that God grieves even today as He looks upon man and his unrighteous imagination and thoughts. It is logical to think we would learn from the past, and we do for a short time. But we find that history repeats itself.  We are no different than Israel, crying out to God for His help when things are bad and then following our own selfish desires when things are good.

As you read 1 Samuel – 2 Kings, give attention to the leadership of the people, specifically the judges and kings. You may be aware of the old sayings, “heavy is the head that wears the crown,” or “as goes the King, so goes the country.” These sayings refer to the importance of leadership. As a leader, you set the example of how to bring others along for the cause. This is true in government, military, business, and in the church.

As Christians, we are to follow the leader of the Church, who is Christ. He has set the example for us, and we are to follow in the power of the Holy Spirit. He has left us with the responsibility to lead others to a saving knowledge of His Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us stop and evaluate ourselves as leaders of our faith. Are we being obedient to the example that has been set by Christ? Remember, leadership comes with responsibility and consequences. How dedicated of a leader are you?