Presence or Position: Consensus Leader – Saul. Part 9

A consensus leader is one who seeks the collective opinion of others, whilst ignoring his or her own convictions. The consensus leader would yield to popular opinion when the pressure cooker heats up. A good example in the Bible is Saul, he was installed as king in Israel over God’s people. God was not pleased that the people whom He brought out of captivity were clamouring for a king to rule over them like other nations, in other words, God’s people rejected God’s rulership.

SAUL: After Saul was anointed as king over Israel, the Lord instructed Samuel to give Saul these words saying, thus says the Lord of hosts, “I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” Read 1 Samuel 15:2-3 (NKJV). The instruction was quite clear right, and did not need further interpretation. Fast forward to verse 7, “And Saul attacked the Amalekites, …He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. Please hear me on this, partial obedience is not obedience, instead it is disobedience. Back to the text, verse 9, “But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them.” Saul being a consensus leader, leaned more towards the feelings of the people and gave credence to their opinion, more than he gave to God. The opinion of the people mattered more to Saul, it was about how Saul looked in the eyes of the people; I will show you in the scripture, it is our foundation and pillar of truth.

Consequently, the Lord was very angry with Saul, as the Bible says, “I greatly regret that I have setup Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” Read 1 Samuel 15:11 (NKJV). Now, because of Saul’s behavior towards God’s instruction, the kingdom was taken away from him, and another set in his place. If I am to guess what you are thinking, it would be “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance,”absolutely correct. In the dispensation of grace, which you and I are in, the gift becomes dormant if not used or exercised, Selah. Verse 15, Samuel the prophet confronts Saul, but Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we utterly destroyed.” Wait a minute, did you see it? Saul’s action was more focused on, ‘THEY’, ‘FOR THE PEOPLE’, ‘THE LORD YOUR GOD.’ The Lord your God was Saul’s God right? So why was it that Saul did not acknowledge this truth.? A discussion for another season. A consensus leader is always looking to shift the blame, never one to take responsibility, ever trying to protect and project an image that never was. Beloved, are you seeing the danger of being a consensus leader?

Samuel rebukes Saul, “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” Verse 20, and Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” So Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as is obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.” Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.” Yet again, we see Saul’s appetite to be liked by the people, hence he deflected the blame on the people. The consensus leader in Saul was I and PEOPLE focused. Beloved, I am going to make this radical statement; God is not interested in the best we have to offer, He is only interested in what He has asked us to do. Selah (pause and calmly think).

Saul then says in verse 30 of 1st Samuel, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, please before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.” In other words Saul was saying to Samuel, make me look good in the eyes of the people; flow with me, don’t make me look bad. Watch this folks, Saul referred to the people as ‘his people,’ I thought they were God’s people.? Now I think I know why Saul referred to the people the way he did. It was about ME, MYSELF and I. As an aside, I sense to say this, do not allow yourself to be intimidated by anyone and anything. Intimidation is not of God, and quite frankly it is of the spirit of witchcraft. When you feel intimidated and don’t deal with it, it can paralyze you. Someone who feels intimidated, will most likely yield to the voice of popular opinion. Let me state this categorically and unapologetically, you and I cannot afford to lead based on what is popular. Selah

Dear Lord Jesus, I pray and come against every spirit of intimidation trying to come against us, I rebuke and command it to leave right now, in the Name of Jesus. Instead of being intimidated, you be the intimidator. The Bible says, “For the Spirit God gave us, does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” Read 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV). Be bold to do what God has commanded you to do, be fearless, and do not be afraid of their faces, for the Lord will deliver you from them (whoever falls into the ‘them’ category). Beloved, it is costly, hard-work, and stress being a consensus leader. You have an opinion based on Biblical truths, above all, you have the mind of Christ. Let us learn from Saul’s experience, and avoid making the same mistakes he made. God has deposited in you, the ability to hear His word and to see through the eyes of faith, what His plan purpose and pursuits are. Please read the entire book of 1st Samuel, you will love it.

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