Godly Collusion

After recent hearings in Washington, I am amazed by so many politicians that openly exhibit political motives going against someone or thing compared to those who are trying to do what is right and good. I am not naive to the fact that many people do things out of self interest at whatever cost to those with whom they don't agree, but it never ceases to amaze me how far people will go to disparage someone else they see as a competitor. In a competition, someone needs to win and someone needs to lose and therein lies the the problem.

David and Saul were supposed to be on the same side. They started out on the same side, but as time went on Saul continued to move to attack David. He followed after him doggedly obsessed with him. Saul was Israel's king. He was supposed to be looking out for the welfare of Israel. David always seemed to be looking out for Israel, so when Saul continued to chase after him, he made all his decisions based on the fact that Saul was King of Israel. Dave had opportunity to kill Saul, but didn't. Saul actively tried to kill David, but God protected David.

A clear example of David's heart is found in I Samuel 23. The Philistines attacked Keilah, a city of Judah. Saul was busy chasing David.  David was concerned about Keilah and asked God if he should go there and fight the Philistines.  God told David to go and that he would rescue them from the Philistines.The 600 men with David were afraid but in David's mind it was 600 men to 1 God. God won in David's mind.

For Saul, Keilah was the place he might catch David. I don't think Saul was thinking about the Philistines. David somehow knew what Saul was up to and asked God about staying in Keilah and whether the people of Keilah would turn him over to Saul to save themselves even though David had rescued them from the Philistines. God told David they would give him over to Saul. So David left Keilah and then Saul was no longer interested in going there.

Leadership is defined in many ways by men according to their own motives, desires and needs. I have heard people talk about 'natural leadership ability' as requirement for position. I'm really not sure what natural leadership ability is, but as I think back through the Old Testament, we can look at Moses as a leader, or Joseph and David and many others.  The families and people around these men did not quite think of them as leaders in the worldly sense. Their lives, however, were connected to God.  Moses was the meekest of all men (Numbers 12:3). Joseph was a 'man in whom the spirit of God is' (Genesis 41:38). David was a man after God's own heart' I Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). Their leadership ability lay in their dependence and love for God and many wonderful things happened because of it.

The greatest example today is Jesus Christ. The world was not kind to him, even his family at times doubted him, religious leaders criticized him, and political leaders didn't know what to do with him. He listened to God and led back then and continues to still lead today to bring people to God.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. John 17:20-21