"Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land--against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.
The only type of leadership that is recorded in the Bible to be oppressive using God's name in the Old Testament was during Saul's evil kingship. He was bold in using God's name to oppress everyone including young David. Saul as a king threatened others and was revengeful. He was visibly greedy for power and accepted no rivalry. He was jealous and threw his weight around instilling fear in others. He accepted no challenge to his throne, even if it was God who was doing it. Finally, he dared to challenge God openly. Samuel warned him of the consequences of challenging God but he refused to listen. He was stubborn and rebellious towards God. He was disobedient to God's commandment. He wanted his way instead. These are the kind of leadership that will lead to God's punishment coming on God's people eventually. In fact, after what Saul had shown with his oppressive behaviour, many other kings too followed and did the same. Saul was a bad example of leadership. The one sinful nature that stood out from him was greed for more. He wasn't easily satisfied. It is this type of kings and rulers that Jeremiah the prophet of God was sent to rebuke. There were other prophets of God who did the same too. Jeremiah had to be made ready for this task first. He was. He rebuked. He showed forth God's power to them whenever they needed it. So were the other prophets. They were faithful in speaking up even when they were opposed, threatened and attacked. They weren't afraid. They were more afraid if they failed to speak up God's timely message to those intended. They stood strong as a pillar,wall and a fortified city. They were ready even if they were attacked. God was with these prophets just like Jeremiah here. Saul used all his officials including the priests to carry out his evil plans. He was warned repeatedly by God through His prophets especially Samuel but he took no heed. He showed no fear of God. One fine day, he paid the price for his arrogance and stubbornness. It came like an arrow from God and he was struck down.
1 Samuel 15:17-24
Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.' Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?" "But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal." But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the LORD's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them.
Imagine what a sickening king he was. He was more afraid of offending his men than offending God. I think he deserved what he got from the LORD for that. We have many foolish men like this today. They are more afraid of offending men around them who pay their salaries than they are towards the God of heaven and earth who had chosen them for the job. They forget who chose them for the job and start doing things their own way. They get into trouble with God later. It's the arrogance in them that brings about their downfall in the end. They think that no one need to rebuke them including God because they know everything now. They don't, for only God knows everything! You and I do not even know what will happen tomorrow but He does. So, stop being stubborn, arrogant and rebellious. Your leadership has been rejected by God. You have failed Him. You only cared about yourself and your family. You did not care about doing God's will on Earth. You are selfish and you have never learnt your lesson.
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If you love the world, love for the Father is not in you. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful people, the lust of their eyes and their boasting about what they have and do--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
