Saul has just been made king over the nation of Israel; a young man who went with his father’s servant in search of his father’s lost donkeys has ended up prophesying with the prophets by the Spirit of God. He had no formal training in governance or in proper management of people and resources.
So, God placed Samuel as Saul’s mentor, to guide him in the issues of governance. But for the kingdom administration to start, Saul needed administrators in various sectors. Choosing who handles what in the new kingdom would be a herculean task for a novice.
Unlike prophets Eli and Samuel, whose male children grew up learning from their father, a nascent monarchy needed structures that were not obtainable in a theocracy, and Saul could not recruit his inexperienced family members to occupy such sensitive roles. He needed wise men and, more importantly, men of like minds for proper administration and management.
“How would I get these men?” Saul would have attempted to ask. But before he could even ask, God touched the hearts of a band of men, and they immediately followed Saul after his coronation. He left the coronation ground with God-chosen, capable men.
This pattern of selecting like-minded and capable men to work with His chosen is repeated a few other times in the scriptures.
When Moses complained about his speech impediment, God sent Aaron. When the work of leading millions became unbearable, God took of the spirit that was upon Moses and distributed to the other seventy elders. And as the administrative processes got more demanding, Moses, heeding Jethro’s counsel, appointed leaders over different numbers of people.
We see the same pattern play out during the earthly ministry of our Saviour Jesus Christ. He was God and had unlimited abilities to execute his functions. But He was also man and needed men whom He would disciple to serve in various ministerial and administrative roles. The selection process was not random – Jesus had fishermen, a physician, a tax collector, a Zealot, etc., and for administration, Jesus had a treasurer.
Apostle Paul didn’t have complex structures as he travelled for evangelistic outreaches, but he had assistants everywhere: Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Titus, Onesimus, etc. Some of these assistants became Bishops. And for proper establishment of the souls in the churches that sprang up, Apostle Paul had to set up elders in all the places, and he counselled Timothy to do the same.
So, having men and women who assist leaders in dispensing their God-given assignments is a condictio sine qua non in the accomplishment of such assignments.
The burden of leadership is too heavy to be borne by a single individual, and to avoid making the burden worse, God can handpick the men as in the case of King Saul and Moses, or he guides the leader to make this choice as in the case of the deacons of Acts 6.
So, God will always send men who will work with the one he has elected. As long as God’s interest is foremost in your leadership assignment, He doesn’t leave you to struggle alone.
Therefore, one of the best prayers a leader should make is, “Oh, Lord, send me men and women whose hearts you have touched to work with me. Give me a band of men.” – 1 Samuel 10:26.
