Transcript David’s Leadership Team (1 Chronicles)

David’s Leadership Team
(1 Chronicles)
DR. J.L. WILLIAMS
JL, PATT & FRIENDS
WWW.JLWILLIAMS.ORG
Introduction
A. There was a leadership crisis in the life of Israel;
B. Saul had begun well as a leader – but was not
ending well
C. He increasingly was proving to be a “man of the
flesh” rather than a “man of the spirit.”
D. Because of his carnal leadership, God removed
him from both life and leadership!
Introduction
E. God replaced Saul with another young leader who
“…had a heart after God’s own heart”
(I Sam. 13:14)
F. So the “heart of leadership” is always the “heart of
the leader.”
 “Saul died because he was unfaithful to the
Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord
and even consulted a medium for guidance,
and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord
put him to death and turned the kingdom
over to David son of Jesse” (I Chron. 10:13-14).
Introduction
G. We can see several key characteristics of David’s
leadership. First of all, he was a…
1.
Covenant Leader:
 “All Israel came together to David at Hebron
and said, ‘We are your own flesh and
blood…When all the elders of Israel had come to
King David at Hebron, he made a compact
(literally: “a covenant”) with them before the Lord,
and they anointed David king over Israel…”
(11:1;3)
[Note: This is clearly O.T. “Covenant language”]
Introduction
2.
Courageous Leader:
 “In the past, even while Saul was king, you were
the one who led Israel on their military
campaigns…” (11:2a)
3.
Called Leader:
 “And the Lord your God said to you…” (11:2b)
4.
Compassionate Leader:
 “And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You will
shepherd my people Israel, and you will become
their ruler.’” (11:2)
Introduction
5.
Confident Leader:
 “David and all the Israelites marched to
Jerusalem, that is, Jebus…” (11:4)
Note: David confidently marches directly toward
his opposition! There is always opposition to
leadership – and “strongholds” to be faced. So
good leaders never run away from problems or
they march toward them!
Introduction
6.
Challenging Leader:
(There was immediate opposition from the Jebusites to
David’s leadership. They said: “You will not get in
here.” So David rose to the challenge. He did not flee
or hide in fear from his opposition as Saul had done.
Rather, he put the challenge before his followers):
 “David had said: ‘Whoever leads the attack on
the Jebusites will become commander-inchief.’ Joab…went up first…” (11:6a)
Introduction
Cooperative Leader:
 “Joab…went up first, and so he received
the command.” (11:6b)
7.
Companion Leader:
 “David then took up residence in the
fortress, and so it was called the City of
David.” (11:7)
8.
Introduction
9.
Competent Leader:
 “He built up the city around it, from the
supporting terraces to the surrounding
wall, while Joab restored the rest of the
city.” (11:7-8)
10.
Conquering Leader:
 “And David became more and more
powerful, because the Lord Almighty was
with him.” (11:9)
Summary
Long before Saul died, his leadership had already
died
2. Young David had already gained the hearts of the
people as the real leader.
3. While Saul had lost the love and loyalty of the
people, David had already become the “king of
hearts!”
4. Saul had the position of leadership – but David had
the power of leadership – because he had gained
the hearts of the people
1.
Summary
5. It was David’s “past performance” in battle that
won their “present allegiance.” So true leadership
is not the born in a vacuum
6. The people’s desire to “cut a blood covenant” with
David showed their desire for someone to lead
them
7. And God reminded David that his leadership was to
be unlike that of Saul. He was to be a Shepherdleader…a Servant-leader
Introduction
H. Let’s look now at the kind of people that David
surrounded himself with…
Warriors
1.
A.
B.
C.
Note: Because David was a warrior, he attracted warriors!
Principle: “You teach what you know; you attract what you
are – and… You reproduce who you are.”
Remember: “Like begats like!” We can only reproduce after
our own kind.
Introduction
D.
Note what the Bible says about David’s warriors:
“These were the chiefs of David’s mighty men – they
together with all Israel gave his kingship strong support
to extend it over the whole land, as the Lord had
promised – this is the list of David’s mighty men…”
(11:10-11)

Note: These 30 “mighty men” were David’s “Special
Forces”…”Navy Seals”…”Green Berets!” They were his most “elite
troops” – his “storm troopers” who took the lead in battle! They
were the “point of the spear” of his military campaigns.
Introduction
There are several things we can see about David’s warriors. They
were…
E.
1.
Varied: (They were different in tribe and background)
 “Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was chief of the officers;
he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom
he killed in one encounter” (I1:11)
 “Eleazar, son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three
mighty men. He was with David… when the Philistines
gathered there for battle…the troops fled from the
Philistines. But they took their stand in the middle of
the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines
down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.”
Introduction
Note: Just like Jesus had his “inner circle” of Peter, James
and John, David had his “inner circle” of Joab, Jashobeam,
and Eleazar).
2.
Vicarious: (They identified with David and his desires & needs)
 “Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of
Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was in
Bethlehem. David longed for water and said, ‘Oh, that someone would get
me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!’ So the Three
broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate
of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it;
instead, he poured it out before the Lord. ‘God forbid that I should do this!’
he said, ‘Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their
lives?’ Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not
drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.” (11:15-19)
Introduction
3.
Valliant: (Bold, daring, risk-takers; They “lived on the
edge”…“pushed the envelope”…fought “outside the box”)
 “Abishai, the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. He raised his speak
against three hundred men whom he killed, so he became as famous as the
Three. He was doubly honored above the Three and became their
commander, even though he was not included among them” (20-21)
 “Benaiah…was a valiant fighter…who performed great exploits. He struck
down two of Moab’s best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day
and killed a lion. And he struck down an Egyptian who was seven and a
half feet tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s rod in his
hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the
Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of
Benaiah…he too was as famous as the three mighty men. He was held in
greater honor than any of the Thirty…And David put him in charge of his
bodyguard.” (11:22-25)
Introduction
4.

Versatile: (They were adept at many forms of
warfare)
“These were the men who came to David at Ziklag…(they
were among the warriors who helped him in battle; they
were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to
sling stones right-handed or left-handed…They were
kinsmen of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin)…Some Gadites
defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were
brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the
shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and
they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains.” (12:1-2;8)
Introduction
5.
Visionaries: (They caught David’s vision for a new
kingdom)
 “The men of Issachar, who understood the times
and knew what Israel should do.” (12:32)
Introduction
6.
Victorious: (They helped David on toward victory)
 “These Gadites were army commanders; the least
was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a
thousand. It was they who crossed the Jordan in
the first month when it was overflowing all its
banks, and they put to flight everyone living in the
valleys, to the east and to the west.” (12:14-15)
Introduction
 “Some of the men of Manasseh defected to
David…all of them were brave warriors…Day
after day men came to help David, until he
had a great army, like the army of
God…These are the numbers of men armed
for battle who came to David at Hebron to
turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, as the Lord
had said.”
(12:19-22)
Introduction

“Men of Judah, carrying shield and
spear…armed for battle.”

Men of Simeon, warriors ready for battle…”

Men of Levi…and Zadok, a brave young
warrior…”
Introduction
 Men
of Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in
their own clans…”
 “Men
of Zebulun, experienced soldiers
prepared for battle with every type of
weapon, to help David with undivided
loyalty…”
 Men
of Naphtali…men carrying shields and
spears…”
Introduction
 Men
of Dan, ready for battle…”
 Men
of Asher, experienced soldiers prepared
for battle…”
 “Men
of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of
Manasseh, armed with every type of
weapon…” (12:24-37)
Introduction
7.
Volunteers: (They each served willing; not through
cohersion)
 “All these were fighting men who volunteered to
serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully
determined to make David King over all Israel.”
(12:38)
Note: Drawing, motivating and coordinating volunteers is
one of the greatest challenges of leadership! It is far easier
to work people who are salaried – than work people who
are purely volunteers!
Introduction
Wise
2.
A.
B.
C.
Even though David was “God’s anointed” and “a man after
God’s own heart,” he still knew that he needed wise council.
So we find David drawing around himself different levels of
council from people who had wisdom in various areas of
expertise.
David needed people who had wisdom in spiritual
areas…military areas… organizational areas…social
areas…racial/tribal areas…building areas…financial areas,
etc.
Many leaders get into trouble because they do not seek out and
draw around themselves a wide and diverse “wisdom council.”
Whereas the leader may have great God-given wisdom in one
area – he cannot have all wisdom in all areas of life!
Introduction
So the greater his leadership, the greater wisdom he will need.
Notice how David sought the council and wisdom of others
D.
E.

Military Wisdom:
“David conferred with each of his officers, the
commanders of thousands and commanders of
hundreds…” (13:1)

Note: Here we see David applying the wisdom of Proverbs:

“Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain
guidance.” (Prov. 20:18)

“By wise guidance you will wage war, and in abundance of
counselors there is victory” (Prov. 24:6)
1.
Introduction
1.

National Wisdom:
“He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, ‘If it
seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our
God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our
brothers throughout the territories of Israel…” (13:2a)
Spiritual Wisdom:
 “…and also to the priests and Levites who are with
them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and
join us. Let us bring the ark of our God back to us…So
David assembled all the Israelites…to bring the ark of
God…who is enthroned between the cherubim – the
ark that is called by the Name” (11:2b, 3,5-6)
2.
Introduction
What we see David wisely doing here early in his reign
is consensus building. Even though he is “God’s man”
– he does not go rushing off to battle without first
building consensus among the people. He gains as
wide a base of support among the people as possible.
The leader who does not take time to build consensus
among his followers – soon has no followers!
G. Note also that David makes his “rallying point” a
spiritual one: “Let us bring the ark of our God
back to us…” (11:3). This reminds us that all great
leaders begin with a spiritual cause.
F.
Introduction
H. With the wisdom and support of his
commanders…priests…people, he could move forward
with wide popular support:
 “The whole assembly agreed to do this, because
it seemed right to all the people” (13:4)
We read more about the various levels of wisdom that
David drew around him as a leader:
 “Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a
man of insight… Ahithophel was the king’s
counselor. Hushai, the Arkite was the king’s
friend” (27:32-33).
I.
Introduction
J. So just like the Lord Jesus has his inner circle,
David had the same. He had an inner circle of
warriors through the “Three mighty men”; and an
inner circle of wisdom through Jonathan,
Ahithophel, and Hushai.
K. The question for every leader is: “Who is your
inner circle of wise counselors?”
Introduction
Successful leaders always seek as much wisdom as
possible before taking action. That’s because:
 “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many
advisers they succeed.” (Prov. 15:22).
L.
M. It is important to see how these two groups balance
each other. Here we can also see the balance between
the youth and the elderly. The two balance out each
other’s extremes. As the old expression goes:
“Young minds are for war; old minds are for wisdom.”
Introduction
So a successful leader needs both around him. If he only has
warriors around him will always be fighting – constantly
going off to war! And the leader who only has the wise
around him – who tend to be older in years, will do nothing
but sit around in council meetings and committee meetings
consulting…discussing… debating…philosophizing!
N.
O.
1.
Warriors without wisdom of the elders often fight the wrong battle!
As a result, they end up shedding a lot of unnecessary blood!
2.
Wisdom without the passion of the warriors seldom goes to war – but
spend all their time negotiating.
But David did not stop with the warriors and the wise, he
also drew around himself the…
Introduction
3. Workers
A.
No kingdom can be built by warriors and wise men alone.
They must have workers. This group of people generally
compose the majority in any kingdom, organization,
movement, ministry, or church.
B.
Strategic battles can be won by a few “mighty men.”
Timely wisdom can be gained from a small “inner circle”
of counselors. But it takes a lot of workers to accomplish
any great task. So King David drew many diverse workers
around him.
Introduction
C.
As every kingdom builder must do, David practiced a
“division of labor” among his many workers. Generally
speaking, he divided his workers into two divisions: the
secular and sacred. However, in Jewish thinking, “all
work is spiritual” because it is “done unto God.” So in
one sense, there is no real division between the sacred
and the secular in the Bible. But there was a division
between those who worked primarily inside the
tabernacle -- and those who worked primarily outside
it. So there were the tabernacle workers and the
temporal workers. So n his kingdom, David needed
both laborers and Levites. While the laborers focused
on the temporal, the Levites focused on the spiritual..
Introduction
1. Levites
 “After
David had constructed buildings for
himself (secular workers) in the City of David, he
prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched
a tent for it (sacred workers). Then David said,
‘No one but the Levites may carry the ark of
God, because the Lord chose them to carry the
ark of the Lord and to minister before him
forever” (15:1-2).
So one of the first things David did was to called all of
Israel together to re-institute the Levitical priesthood:
Introduction
 “He called together the descendants of Aaron and the
Levites…’You are the heads of the Levitical families;
you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate
yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of
Israel, to the place I have prepared for it…So the priests
and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up
the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. And the Levites
carried the ark of God …in accordance with the word of
the Lord” (15:4, 12-15)
Note: There was a special group of Levites set aside to “handle
the money” – a real problem area for most leaders! So David
wisely set aside a group of treasurers to handle the money –
especially God’s money related to the tabernacle.
Introduction
 “Their fellow Levites were in charge of the treasuries of the
house of God and the treasuries for the dedicated things… they
were in charge of the treasuries of the temple of the Lord”
(26:20-22)
It is because of our concern to be absolutely transparent financially before
God and man, that NDI is a member in good standing with the Evangelical
Council For Financial Accountability (ECFA).
The minimum financial commitment for every Christian worker should be
that of the Apostle Paul, when he wrote:
 “We want to avoid any criticism of the way we
administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to
do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but
also in the eyes of men” (II Cor. 8:20-21).
Introduction
2.
Laborers
 But as vital as priests and Levites are for the spiritual well-being of a
Kingdom – there must still be many other workers to build a wellbalanced nation. So we read further about the other division of workers
that King David raised up and called around himself. And just as the
priests and Levites were sanctified, or “set apart” for the spiritual work
of the kingdom; these other secular workers were also sanctified and
“set apart” for the temporal work of the kingdom.
 (Building workers): “David gave orders to assemble the aliens
living in Israel, and from among them he appointed
stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house
of God. He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for
the doors of the gateways and for fittings, and more bronze
than could be weighed. He also provided more cedar logs
than could be counted…” (22:2-4)
Introduction
 (David’s farm & agricultural workers): Azmavethh…was in
charge of the royal storehouses. Jonathan…was in charge
of the store-houses in the outlying districts…Ezri…was in
charge of the field workers who farmed the land.
Shimei…was in charge of the vineyards. Zabdi…was in
charge of the produce of the vineyards for the wine vats.
Baal-Hanan…was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig
trees in the western foothills. Joash was in charge of the
supplies of olive oil. Shitrai…was in charge of the herds
grazing in Sharon. Shaphat…was in charge of the herds in
the valleys. Obil…was in charge of the camels.
Jehdeiah…was in charge of the donkeys. Jaziz…was in
charge of the flocks. All these were the officials in charge
of King David’s property” (27:25-31);
Note: There is very clear job descriptions for each worker!
Introduction
 We can see this pattern throughout the entire Bible. Moses
“set apart” Bezalel and Oholaib to supervise all of the building
of the tabernacle (Ex. 31). Likewise, the Holy Spirit “set
apart” 7 deacons to supervision the daily feeding of the
widows and orphans in the early Church (Acts 6:1-7).
 So every worthy work requires many willing workers. So in
addition to the warriors and the wise, David surrounded
himself with many workers.
 But there was a fourth group of people that David surrounded
himself with to strengthen his leadership. They were a special
group of spiritual workers who were the…
Introduction
4.
Worhipers
A.
Since Israel was more of a theocracy than a democracy, worship
was central to the life of the nation. Worship was not a
secondary, peripheral issue in Israel – it was the very heart of
their national identity. Worship of the true and living God was
the one thing that distinguished Israel from all of the nations that
surrounded them. Therefore, worship was not the activity of a
few spiritual fanatics -- but rather the privilege and responsibility
of every person in the nation.
B.
So to help keep the people focused on God, David set aside a
special group of Levitical workers. They were to lead the people in
worship – which was to permeate every aspect of their personal
and national life. These worshipers were divided into the singers
and the musicians.
Introduction
1.
Singers
 “David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to
sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and
cymbals” 15:16)
 “David…set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun, for the
ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals…All
these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the
temple of the Lord, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the
house of God…all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord – they
numbered 288. Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for
their duties” (25:1, 6-7)
Note: Each of the fathers were to mentor their sons in the ministry of music and in
worship leading! This is a lesson that many of us fathers need to learn from today.
Introduction
1.
Musicians
 “He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark
of the Lord, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise
the Lord, the God of Israel. Asaph was the chief…They were
to play the lyres and harps. Asaph was to sound the cymbals,
and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the
trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God”
(16:4-6)
Note: Even though the worshipers were to lead the people of Israel in
the praise and adoration of God, their worship was to result in missions
and evangelism to the surrounding nations. In the psalm of thanksgiving that David wrote and committed to Asaph, there was a clear
evangelistic thrust that was to spread to the entire world.
Introduction
 “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known
among the nations what he has done. Sing to Him, sing
praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His
holy name…Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim His
salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the
nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. For
great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be
feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are
idols, but the Lord made the heaven…Ascribe to the Lord,
O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord the glory due His
name…worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.
Tremble before Him, all the earth! The world is firmly
established; it cannot be moved. Let the heavens rejoice,
let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, ‘The
Lord reigns!’ Then all the people said, ‘Amen’ and ‘Praise
the Lord.’” (16:7-36)
Introduction
 Once again we see the principle at work: “Like begats like.” As
we have seen, David was not only a warrior, he was also a
worshiper – specifically a worshiper through music. So he
not only attracted warriors, he also attracted musicians. He
is referred to in the Bible as “Israel’s singer of songs” (II
Sam. 23:1). So because he had a musical heart – he made
sure there was a permanent place for musicians in his
kingdom. So by the time of his death there were “…four
thousand to praise the Lord with the musical
instruments…” (23:5) – which is a pretty large “praise
band” or “worship orchestra!”
 The church today needs to learn from this musical model and
also make sure that music and musicians play a prominent
role in our worship of God.
Introduction
 It is instructive to remember that every great spiritual revival
and reformation in Christian history has been accompanied by
a corresponding revival of music! When people are renewed
in their worship of God – music always plays an iatrical part.
When people are forgiven of their sins…reconciled to
God…filled with the Holy Spirit – they cannot keep from
singing! When there is an inflow of the Spirit – there is
always an overflow of music. Christian history reveals that
salvation always produces singing! As David wrote: “He
put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our
God” (Ps. 40:3)
C.
But there were a fifth group of people that King David
surrounded himself with that we too need today. They were
the…
Introduction
5. Watchers
Just as was the case with the warriors, wise, workers, and
worshipers – the watchers were also divided into two
groups. There were the gatekeepers and the doorkeepers.
Let’s look at each individually…
A.
1.
Gatekeepers
These were the special group of watchers who stood guard at
the city gates and temple gates. They were the ones who
especially guarded the “going out” and “coming in” at the city
gates and temple gates.
Introduction
2.

As Levites, these gatekeepers were to guard the people, sacrifices,
and offerings that came in and out of the temple precinct. They
were to keep out unworthy people…unacceptable
sacrifices…unworthy offerings from the temple. In other words,
they were to safe-guard the holiness of the temple. They were not
to allow anything profane to enter the temple area.
“The divisions of the gatekeepers (then they are named
individually and by families and tribes)…These divisions of the
gatekeepers…had duties for ministering in the temple of
the Lord, just as their relatives had. Lots were cast for
each gate, according to their families, young and old
alike…Guard was alongside of guard: There were six
Levites a day on the east, four a day on the north, four a
day on the south and two at a time at the storehouse. As
for the court to the west, there were four at the road and
two at the court itself. These were the divisions of the
gatekeepers…” (26:1, 12-19)
Introduction
3.
As This group of watchers had grown to the degree that by
the end of David’s reign, there were “…four thousand
gatekeepers…” (23:5);
4.
Jerusalem, or the “City of David” to this very day is
surrounded by ancient walls – all with gates within them.
The primary ones are the: Zion Gate…Damascus
Gate…Herod’s Gate…Jaffa Gate…Lion’s Gate…Sheep
Gate…Dung Gate…Eastern Gate – which is closed, only to
be opened by the Messiah when He returns.
Introduction
B.
1.
2.
Doorkeepers
These were the ones who guarded the entrance to the
temple area. They were the ones who were
“…doorkeepers for the ark” (15:23)
Should any unworthy person get past the gatekeepers,
they would have to confront the doorkeepers. It is easy to
see the importance of this role – because the door is
crucial for the home…for the temple…for the church.
Introduction
3.
As a Jew, Jesus clearly understood the significance of the door or
gate when He said:
 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter
by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs
up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of
the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the
sheep hear his voice…Jesus said to them, ‘Truly,
truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep…I
am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he
shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find
pasture” (Jn. 10:1, 8-9; NASV)
Introduction
4.
Even though some would demean the importance of
watching at the door of the temple – the Psalmist
understood the spiritual significance, and wrote
 “Better is one day in your courts than a
thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a
doorkeeper in the house of my God than
dwell in the tents of the wicked” (Ps. 84:10)
Introduction
C.
There are obviously many illusions and applications of this
principle of watchers at the gates and doors of our homes and
churches. These exhortations are timely for
parents…pastors…prophets…priests:
 In the Home: (Shema) “He, O Israel: The Lord our God, the
Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul, and with all your strength. These
commands that I give you today are to be upon your
hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them
when you sit at home and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as
symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your
gates” (Deut. 6:4-9)
Introduction
 In the Nation: (To Ezekiel) “Son of man, I have
made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so
hear the work I speak and give them warning
from me. When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will
surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out
to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to
save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin,
and I will hold you accountable for his blood.
But if you do warn the wicked man and he does
not turn from his wickedness or from his evil
ways, he will die for his sin, but you will have
saved yourself” (Ezek. 3:16-19)
Introduction

Ezekiel 33 is an exhortation to God’s watchman:
 “When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the
land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,
and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the
trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet
but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his
life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound
of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his
own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved
himself. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does
not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes
and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away
because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for
his blood.
Introduction
 Son of man, I have made you a watchman for
the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and
give them warning from me. When I say to the
wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and
you do not speak out to dissuade him from his
ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I
will hold you accountable for his blood. But if
you do warn the wicked man to turn from his
ways and he does not do so, he will die for his
sin, but you will have saved yourself”
(Ezek. 33:1-9)
Introduction
 God ordained the parents as the watchers over the
physical family. They are to zealously guard the gates
and doors of their home to make sure that nothing
unclean…unholy…unworthy enters in – whether through
radio, TV, video games, music, books, magazines – to
contaminate their family. Tragically, most parents to day
are either not “standing guard,” or are themselves
allowing much garbage to enter their homes. As a result,
their children are constantly being spiritually, mentally,
emotionally and physically violated by the world!
Without parents standing guard as the sentinels of the
home – the world, the flesh and the devil will have open
access to the hearts and minds of the children, and have
free reign in their family!
Introduction
 Likewise, the pastors are to be the watchers in the church, or in the
spiritual family. They are to watch over the family of God. They
are to systematically feed and nourish God’s children on the milk
and meat of the Word (I Pet. 2:2; Heb. 5:12). And they are to guard
them from the heresies of the false prophets who will lead them
astray (II Cor. 11:1-15; Jude 8-13). Tragically, it has often been the
theologians…philosophers…preachers…teachers…seminary
professors who have allowed much false doctrine to infiltrate the
church – or have brought it in themselves!
 So there is still a great need for gatekeepers and doorkeepers in
both the physical family and the spiritual family! Like Ezekiel, all
of us who have been called by God to be “watchman on the wall”
will one day have to give strict account for our service! What a
sobering reminder of the privilege and responsibility of being a
leader in the home or in the church!
Introduction
 Like David then, every leader today needs to have
watchmen around him. Watchman who will help
him guard his ministry…guard his message… guard
his marriage… guard his morals…guard his money.
Surrounded by gatekeepers and doorkeepers, a
leader will ultimately guard his integrity and thus
give him a long and fruitful ministry!
 But there is one final group of people that David
surrounded himself with. They were the…
Introduction
6. Wealthy
A. First of all, David dedicated back to God the
“spoils of battle” from the many military victories
God had given him.
 “King David dedicated these articles to
the Lord, as he had done with the silver
and gold he had taken from all these
nations: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites
and the Philistines, and Amalek” (18:11)
Introduction
B. But David did not stop with the financial spoils of
battle. He also gave from his own personal wealth
that God had blessed him with as King
 “With all my resources I have provided for
the temple of my God –
gold…silver…bronze…iron…wood…onyx…turq
uoise…fine stones and marble – all these in
large quantities. Besides, in my devotion to the
temple of my God I now give my personal
treasures of gold and silver for the temple of
my God, over and above everything I have
provided for this holy temple” (29:2-3)
Introduction
C.
This example of giving that David personally set – quickly
spread throughout his kingdom. After personally
pledging his own “personal treasures of gold and
silver,” he then challenged the people: “Now, who is
willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord?”
The people then followed their leader’s example of
generosity
 “Then the leaders of families, thee officers of the tribes of
Israel, the commanders…the officials…gave willingly. They
gave toward the work on the temple of God…The people
rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had
given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king
also rejoiced greatly” (29:6-9)
Introduction
D. As a result of this great outpouring of giving, great wealth
was released for the purposes of God. But once again, the
example of giving must start from the top! King David
took the leadership in giving. So if the parent and pastor
does not first set the example of giving – even sacrificially
at times, the physical and spiritual children will never be
consistent givers! And the result will be that great wealth
– all provided by God’s sovereign benevolence – will be
hoarded and misdirected by his people!
Introduction
E.
So after God’s people gave so generously, David broke out
in prayer and praise to God. And his prayer is a great
Biblical study on subject of wealth
 “David praised the Lord in the presence of the
whole assembly, saying, ‘Praise be to you, O
Lord…Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the
power and the glory and the majesty and the
splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is
yours…Wealth and honor come from you; you are
the ruler of all things…Now our God, we give you
thanks, and praise your glorious name” (29:10-13)
Introduction
F.
But David did not stop with prayer and praise to God. He
further expounded on the subject of the stewardship of wealth.
 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we
should be able to give as generously as this?
Everything comes from you, and we have given you
only what comes from your hand. We are aliens and
strangers in your sight…Our days on earth are like a
shadow, without hope. O Lord our God, as for all this
abundance that we have provided for building you a
temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand
and all of it belongs to you.” (29:14-16)
Introduction
G. But then David concludes with these insightful words
about the integrity of heart that ultimately pleases God.
 “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are
pleased with integrity. All these things have I
given willingly and with honest intent. And now I
have seen with joy how willingly your people who
are here have given to you. O Lord…keep this
desire in the hearts of your people forever, and
keep their hearts loyal to you” (29:17-18)
Introduction
H.
So David clearly understood that ultimately God is the creator
of wealth. He is the Owner and we are only the stewards. We
all need to remind ourselves often of the words of the prayer of
David: “…everything in heaven and earth is
yours…Wealth and honor come from you…everything
comes from you…” So whether it is position…power…or
possessions – “everything comes from God!”
I.
For further study on the subject of wealth coming from God,
please study the following references: Gen. 13:1-2; 26:12-13;
Deut. 8:17-18; 26:10; 28:4; I Sam. 2:7, 22; Ps. 25:13; 112:3;
Prov. 8:18; 10:22; Ecc. 5:19; 6:1-2; 9:11; Hosea 2:8.
Introduction
J.
So to build a
kingdom…church…ministry…mission…organization…business –
money has to be raised. So every successful leader needs to be able to
generate wealth, and draw wealth around him. And King David did
that personally and corporately.
K.
Tragically, many of God’s leaders -- especially in Third World
Countries, have a “poverty mentality.” They attract poverty…live in
poverty…perpetuate poverty! Therefore, one of the greatest needs for
the church in the developing countries of the world is to raise up
Christian entrepreneurs…Christian businessmen and women who
have the ability to make money and produce wealth. But Christian
leaders must first study what the Bible teaches holistically about
money and wealth – and then systematically teach their people by
precept and example to earn and give. Or to quote John Wesley’s
exhortation to his people: “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all
you can.”
Introduction
L.
In emphasizing this matter of money, I am certainly not preaching the
“Prosperity Gospel” – which is heresy! I have long taught and written
against this unbalanced “Gospel of Health and Wealth” – which is
little more than “baptized materialism!” (You may order my book on
this subject: The Poverty of the Gospel of Wealth, and the Sickness of
the Gospel of Health). This “Health & Wealth Gospel” is only an
Americanized Gospel suited for the Western consumer-oriented
world of materialism and greed! Wise Christian leaders will avoid the
extremes of this heresy that equates financial success with
spirituality!
M. Having said that, I want to close this point by again emphasizing the
need for the Christian church to be on the cutting edge of the
honorable creation and disposition of wealth!
Conclusions
First of all, David was successful because he was called
and anointed by God. That is the starting point for all
authentic Christian leadership.
2. Secondly, he was successful because he had a heart
after the heart of God. That did not keep him from
sinning gravely…failing miserably…making great
mistakes. Like every other Christian leader, David was
a sinner constantly in need of God’s mercy and grace!
But all of his life he remained open to God – and
repented in humility when he had sinned and failed.
That was the heart attitude that pleased God.
1.
Conclusions
3.
Thirdly, David drew around himself a diverse group of supporters. Some were
very much like him – such as the warriors and musicians; others were very
different from him – like many of his counselors. A good leader needs to
surround himself with a healthy mix of different kinds of people – people who
have different personalities…different talents…different spiritual gifts…different
experiences…different perspectives.
4.
Fourthly, David drew the right kind of people at the right time during his reign.
In the early days when he was consolidating his kingdom, he needed warriors to
go to battle with him and fight the enemies . To establish his kingdom, he needed
a lot of wisdom to establish his kingdom on Godly principles. To help his
kingdom grow and meet the diverse needs of his people, he needed many
different kinds of workers. To safe-guard the spiritual heart of his kingdom, he
needed many worshipers to keep the things of God before the people. To guard
against the infiltration and corruption of his kingdom, David needed strategically
placed watchers – the gatekeepers and doorkeepers of the spiritual and physical
families. And finally, to accomplish all that God raised him up to do, David
needed a lot of wealth. So God blessed him with personal wealth and national
wealth.
Illustrations
Warriors
Wealthy
Wise
Watchers
Workers
David
Worshipers
“The Lord gave David
victory everywhere he
went.
David reigned over all
Israel,
doing what was just and
right for all his people”
(I Chron. 18:13-14)
“David son of Jesse was
king over all Israel. He
ruled over Israel forty
years… He died at a
good old age, Having
enjoyed long life, wealth
and honor. His son
Solomon succeeded him
as king”
(I Chron. 29:26—28)