1 Samuel 25-2 Samuel 18: Many angles to fall, only one angle to stand

I like to ask the question - "What is the most important asset in your organization?" Regardless of industry or background, the usual reply is "People." Here's my follow-up: "What gives you the biggest headache in your organization?", the response is almost instantaneous - "People!" Managing people is a messy business - when it works, it works really well but when it goes south, well - it can really go bad, real fast. In 1 Samuel 25 to 2 Samuel 18, we enjoy seeing the rise of Saul and later on David, how they move from being the underdog to the position of prominent leadership. However, for both Saul and David, when leaders fall, they really fall - in the words of G.K. Chesterton,  “It is always simple to fall; there are an infinity of angles at which one falls, only one at which one stands."

Connecting the dots
Personally, I find it a sobering experience reading through 1 and 2 Samuel because there was so much potential for good to happen but it gave way to subsequent tragedies. It is easy to be detached and read the lives of Saul and David from the perspective of an armchair theologian and miss out on the heart lessons the Holy Spirit has for us. The apostle Paul warns, "Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." (1 Cor 10:11-12). 

Appearing just under 1,000 times, the word "heart" is used in the Bible more than any other word for the inner self. What about the word that is used to describe God more than any other term? It is the word "holy." Think about it - when David fell, in his repentance prayer of Psalm 51, he prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me." 

As you read the narratives of Saul and David, consider the inner workings of their heart from the following angles:

• The mind of the heart (what we know) - how we fall by disobeying stated commands.
• The desires of the heart (what we love) - how we fall by having disordered loves.
• The will of the heart (what we choose) - how we fall by making unwise decisions.

As you read through the narratives of 1 and 2 Samuel, note that just because the Bible records certain incidences - for example, David's many wives - it does not mean that God endorses it, the Bible is plain in reporting the facts of the narrative but we need to read it through the lens of the commandments and the character of God. In other words, the expression of my heart ought to be filtered through the expectation of God's holiness. "Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name." (Ps 86:11).

Activity idea
The deceitfulness in David's heart was exposed twice, not in a direct way but through the medium of story-telling. The first was from the prophet Nathan when he confronted him about his sin of adultery and murder (2 Sam 12:1-7) and secondly, from a "wise woman" about bringing back his son, Absalom who was in exile (2 Sam 14:1-21).

What "story" or "scenario" did the Holy Spirit use to convict you of your sin? If you are open enough, share this as a moment of "leadership vulnerability" either with someone close to you or even during your family devotion - not to divulge into the details of your sin but to share the steps of repentance and your awareness for God to cleanse your heart and to unite your heart to fear His name. This may lead on to moments of authentic conversations leading to fuller dependence on the Lord. 

Christ in Scripture
The apostle Paul states, "For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God." (1 Cor 1:18), "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God." (1 Cor 2:2-2).

There are many angles to fall but only one angle to stand upright - and that is through the way of the cross. In your interactions with fallible human beings and imperfect leaders, there will certainly be disappointments along the way. You may even be disappointed with yourself for not meeting your own standards of who a leaders should be. However, the cross is the great equalizer, we are all sinners, who have fallen short of the glory of God but at the foot of the cross, "no man should boast before God" because our righteousness are like filthy rags before a holy God (Isa 64:6).  

Martin Luther said, “The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man is that somehow he can make himself good enough to deserve to live forever with an all-holy God.”

It is only through the imputed, alien righteousness of Christ that we are declared righteous in God's sight, justified by faith, not by the merit of our works. This is the only way that we can stand upright, any other angle is an angle leading to an eventual fall. Heed the words of the song, "I have decided to follow Jesus. The world behind me, the cross before me, no turning, no turning back."

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