LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

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A Paper Presented to Dr. William J. Higley Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary

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In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course CLED 510 Biblical Foundations of Christian Leadership

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by Artis Taylor and Ashley Banks April 2011

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES Leadership is everything. Leaders set the tone of an environment. Leaders set the example for his or her subordinates to follow. The conduct a leader displays gives those under that leader a chance to make a personal observation and decide whether or not the leader exhibits such traits as character and trustworthiness. A leader, then, must govern his or her life from a set of leadership principles. Christian leaders, too, should have a set of principles by which they govern their lives. This paper seeks to provide leadership principles from a biblical perspective concentrating on the Old Testament. Principle 1 from Genesis Character must be exemplified even when faced with temptation; Genesis 39:7-10.1 In the story of Joseph, in the subsection of concerning Potiphor's wife bring to light an important leadership principle: character. Joseph, being a man, was faced with a temptation that is common t men. He had the opportunity to take a moment of selfish pleasure, which may not have been discovered, but his character was such that he did jot give in. In moments of selfgratification through undesirable means, leaders need to have the character and integrity to say no to self for the well-being of the entire organization. The need for this principle is ever present in churches today where the sanctity of the leadership has been compromised.2 Principle 2 from Exodus Success is a collaborative effort not the result of one person; Exodus 18:24-26.3 Being the leader of the Israelites, Moses had the daunting task of judging the disputes of the people. When Moses' father-in-law came to visit, he noticed how Moses' personal life was
1 2

Barker, Kenneth. The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1995, 65. www.atlantapost.com, retrieved Saturday, April 23, 2011 3 Barker, Kenneth. The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1995, 113.

2 neglected while he took care of the people. Jethro offered Moses the advice to appoint others to help him rule. Moses saw the wisdom in Jethro's advice and appointed capable men to help him judge the people. One important lesson every church leader should know is that the church's success cannot be maintained if the personal life of the leader is not a success. Neglecting your personal life, in order to achieve public success, causes issues in personal life. These issues, when brought to light, cause leaders to lose the respect of their subordinates thereby making it hard to continue to lead. Principle 3 from Leviticus Be considerate of those under your charge and be considerate of others who are not; Leviticus 19:32-37.4 Every human being, despite their actions, are worthy of respect. This principle states that others even the people who are not under your leadership should receive your respect and care if they come to the church where you lead. This passage is good manners at its best. First, respect your elders. Second, treat strangers the same way you treat your church family. Third, be fair to everyone you encounter. The most important thing to note in this passage is the reason why every child of God should follow these commands. In Leviticus 19:37, God said, "Obey all my laws and commands. I am the LORD."5 In other words, a Christian leader's conduct is not governed by how he or she is treated, it is governed by word of God. Principle 4 from Numbers Care for people who mistreat you; Numbers 12:1-16.6

4 5

Ibid, 170. Ibid. 6 Ibid, 205-206.

3 When Moses married a Cushite woman, Mirriam and Aaron spoke against him. It appears that they sought to discredit Moses because they did not like a personal decision he made. God intervened and explained the special relationship that he and Moses shared. God spoke to Moses face to face; whereas, he spoke to prophets in visions and dreams. When God punished Miriam with leprosy for her assault on Moses, Moses did not focus on his being wronged, he focused on the well-being of the one who wronged him. Leaders need to develop a real love for people that allows them to care for the very people who work to undermine their leadership, cause their failure, and stir up dissension for them. Principle 5 from Deuteronomy Review lessons learned from past failures and to ensure future successes; Deuteronomy 1:1-46.7 In the first chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses began to recount the failures of the Israelites. He also recounted the directives that he had given them. From all aspects, it seems as if Moses was reviewing their past failures in an effort to avoid making those same mistakes in the future. He wanted to ensure that the nation of Israel was successful. From my experiences, no one likes to be reminded of their shortcomings, but without that reminder, the shortcomings continue. Moses response to his people's shortcomings was to show the outcomes of their actions and set the expectation of their success when they follow God's commands. Principle 6 from Joshua Pay attention to detail; Joshua 6:1-27.8 In the sixth chapter of Joshua, God gave Joshua instructions on how to win a battle against the fortified city of Jericho. God told Joshua to have his army march around the city with

7 8

Ibid, 242-244. Ibid, 295-296.

4 the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant and blowing trumpets in front of them once a day for six days. They were not to sound the war cry until the seventh day. On the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times and sound the war cry when trumpets sound was long. Joshua did exactly that. He followed God's command to most minute detail. There was no deviation. In other words, Joshua attention to detail ensured their success. For leaders to be successful, attention to detail must be a part of their make up. If they cannot pay attention to detail, they should have at least one detailed-oriented person assisting them. Principle 7 from Judges Successful leadership is not measured by accolades or position but by success and development of the people and the organization; Judges 4:4-10.9 In Judges, in the story of Deborah, it was prophesied that God would give success to the army. Barak was the leader of the army, and Deborah sent him to conquer the Canaanites. Barak refused to go unless Deborah was with him. The prophecy changed a little, and the victory would be credited to a woman. Deborah, knowing that God now said the victory would be credited to a woman could have sought out victory for herself, but Deborah was more concerned with the success of all of her people not just her personally. Deborah did not have to shine in order to lead the nation of Israel. She only had to lead. Leaders should follow the example of Deborah, and not try to achieve success for just themselves, but for the entire church or organization. When this type of leadership is practiced, the people make their leaders look good.

Ibid, 331-332.

5 Principle 8 from Ruth Celebrate people for their accomplishments not because of who they are; Ruth 2:8-12.10 When Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, returned to Naomi's home town, Ruth cared for Naomi. She went out and worked to ensure that she and Naomi would have food to eat. Ruth was selfless in her actions. This caught the eye of Boaz, and he recounted Ruth's selfless acts of leaving her parents and homeland in order to care for Naomi. Boaz instructed his servants and hired hands to leave extra in the fields so Ruth could gather extra. He proclaimed that Ruth should be rewarded, and he wasted no time in recognizing her for hard work and rewarding her with more than enough grain for her and Naomi. Boaz did not concentrate on her being a foreigner. His actions were not swayed by his workers pointing out her differences to him. Boaz concentrated on her selfless service. Leaders should head the actions of Boaz and recognize people for their accomplishments and not overlook people who are different or who have different ideas. Principle 9 from 1 Samuel Exhibit the courage to do the right thing even when everyone else wants to do wrong. 1 Samuel 24:6-7.11 In 1 Samuel 24, David was in a position to exact revenge on Saul. Saul had hunted David to kill him. Saul happened into a cave where David and his men were hiding. All of David's men wanted him to exact revenge on Saul. They even reminded David that he was chosen by God and that God would deliver his enemy into his hands. David did sneak up to Saul, but he did not kill Saul as his men wanted him to. David had the courage to not satisfy his men's desire. When his men sought to kill Saul themselves, David had the courage to take
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Ibid, 364. Ibid, 407.

6 another stand and stop them. Leaders should have the courage to stand up for the right thing even when their followers are seeking to do wrongeven when they seek to take advantage of others. Principle 10 from 2 Samuel Admit to mistakes and accept responsibility; 2 Samuel 12:1-22.12 When David sinned with Bathsheba, God sent the prophet, Nathan, to confront him. Nathan gave a parable to David concerning a rich man's maltreatment of a poor man. The parable spoke of a rich man with many sheep killing a poor man's sheep for a meal in order to avoid killing his own sheep to make a meal. This correlated to David's sin because he slept with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba, yet he had wives he could have chosen from. Upon this confrontation of his sin, David admitted to his mistake. The penalty was the death of the child that resulted from that sin. While David mourned, he did accept the penalty God imposed on him because he knew he had sinned against God. Leaders today need to be willing to admit to their wrong and accept the repercussions that come from wrong deeds.

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Ibid, 435-436.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Barker, Kenneth. The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1995.