Godly Leadership

2 Samuel 21:1 During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. The Lord said, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.”


David was a godly leader. He was the king of Israel. Zadok and Abithiar were priests- speaking to God on behalf of the people. Nathan was a prophet- speaking to the people on behalf of God. Ira was David's personal priest. We have seen the close working relationship which David had with these men, spiritual leaders who advised, counseled and even when necessary corrected the king.

It is good when leaders have spiritual counselors.
Billy Graham, "America's pastor", advisor to all the Presidents from Harry S. Truman on...

Prayer Service prior to inauguration.

Trinity Church/ Saint Paul's Chapel in the city. Washington kneeling in the snow at Valley Forge.

We are moving away from our roots of a nation forged in faith. The answer to the question "Can we return?," will only be revealed in the near future. Often we do not realize the blessings of God for doing right, for respecting His law, for respecting Him and others, life until after they are removed.


While it is good when leaders have spiritual advisors, it is wonderful when our leaders are godly and seek to honor God.

David was a man after God's own heart. He received this commendation in when he was in his late teens/ early 20's. He had a heart for God's kingdom, for justice and righteousness.

David was a man of passion. We see that in the Psalms. He experienced great highs and great lows. Yet he was steady in his faith in the LORD. That never waivered.

1. Godly Leadership is sensitive to the current circumstances and how they relate to the LORD.

There are those today that say national disasters, terrorist acts and other such things have nothing to do with the LORD. How crazy! In World War II the churches of England were filled with people praying to God, asking Him to help their country King George VI called for a National Day of Prayer. Churches here after 9-11 were filled with prayers being offered up to the LORD.

After three years of famine David began to think. He had the Book of Genesis. He knew about Joseph. Joseph is mentioned in the Psalms. He knew about the famine.

He had the Torah. He read the Book of Deuteronomy. David loved God's Law.
Psalm 40:8 I desire to do your will, my God; Your law is within my heart.”

After three years of famine, David did some soul searching. He saw the famine as a Divine Disturbance. David knew how to interpret events in the national life. He was humble. He was a strong leader but he was very humble. What a wonderful combination!

David was more concerned about God's glory than his popularity or survival.

David saw this famine as an indication God as displeased with something in the national life.
Deuteronomy 28.15, 23-24 David loved the law.

Blessed is the nation who has man after God' own heart leading them.
Psalm 78 speaks of this wonderful godly leadership:
Psalm 78:70-72 He chose David his servantand took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep He brought him to be the shepherd of His people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

I wish our leaders would be brave enough and discerning enough to see what is going on in our country today. So many of our troubles have come from us saying to God we will have our own way. I cannot get away from Anne Graham Lotz's words a few days after 9-11.

Afterwards Ann Graham Lotz had this conversation:
She spoke with the Early Show's Jane Clayson on Sept. 13, 2001 to offer some comfort to the families of the terror victims.

Jane Clayson: We've turned to your father, the Reverend Billy Graham, so often in times of national crisis. What are his thoughts about what happened on Tuesday?

Anne Graham Lotz: I turned to him also. In fact, I called him last night
after you all called to arrange for this. He's reacting like a lot of
Christians around the country, we're all praying. I think about those people you just showed. I wasn't sure I'd be in control when you came on because it just provoked such emotion to see these people carrying pictures of their loved ones and knowing they don't know if they're alive or dead.
And at a time like that, I know the families and the friends of the victims
can hardly even pray for themselves. They don't know what to say or how to pray. I want to say to them - families and friends of the victims, that there are thousands of people in this country who are carrying you in prayer right now. And we're praying for you with hearts filled with compassion and grief and just interceding on your behalf, asking the God of all peace and the God of all comfort to come down in a special way into your life and meet your needs at this time. My father and mother are also praying like that.

Jane Clayson: I've heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?

Anne Graham Lotz: I say God is also angry when He sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, "God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace." And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing His Hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it.

How I pray that our leaders would have this perspective.

David saw something was wrong and he did what was right.


2. Godly Leadership seeks the LORD.

Notice David did not come up with a human plan. He did not consult his agricultural minister. He didn't consult his minister of the interior to figure out how to build aqueducts to get water to the fields. He didn't look to the surrounding nations for help. He looked to heaven. He sought the LORD.

The most humbling thing a man can is look to heaven. Bowing your heart and raising your eyes to the LORD shows the true perspective David wrote about in Psalm 8:3-4 When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?

We have in II Chronicles 7.14 God' Prescription for a Sick Nation. So few leaders follow this. David knew this in his heart although it would be given by Solomon his son long after he had died. Perhaps he even communicated this thought to him while he was living and teaching him.

The Hebrew word used here for seeking the LORD means both intensive and intentional seeking.
David knew the answer to the famine in Israel was in heaven. God knew and so he purposely sought the LORD. I would like to have had the record of David's prayer here. He might have called on those spiritual advisors to join him.

Praying intentionally and intensively is a great need today!
Pastor Jim Cymbala, "Is your church crying out to God? And if not, why not?!"

His priority was the spiritual health of the nation. He knew things were out of whack because something was wrong.
Proverbs 14.34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

When the nation has sinned godly leadership admits it and confesses it and corrects it, same in all relationships- family, church, personal

3. Godly Leadership seeks to correct and make amends.

Mephibosheth - keeping the promise made to Jonathan years ago

Satisfy the effects of the violence of Saul.
Saul committed war crimes against the Gibeonites.

The law demanded fair and equal punishment for each crime (Exodus 21.23-25). Saul had killed innocent people, so his family had to pay the price to purge the innocent blood from the land (Deuteronomy 19.11-13) David also saw to it that the dead in Saul's family had a decent burial.

It is the work of a godly leader not only to get things done, but first to assure that things are being done decently, in order and honoring to the LORD. The pressure to lead without this in place is a temptation all leaders who want to serve in God's kingdom must overcome. It is high pressured temptation which is also very subtle.

The nation of Israel was in trouble. David got to the root of the problem by going to the LORD, seeking Him intentionally and intensely. He did not sweep the problem under the rug. He did not say, "LORD it wasn't my fault. It didn't happen on my watch. Why should I be responsible for it?" Godly leaders take responsibility for the sins of the past. When I came... Test of my faith.


Godly leadership needs to be emphasized today. Along with leadership techniques and actually above them is the need for leaders to be Christlike and godly.