Styles of leadership in the Old Testament contrast strongly with styles of leadership in the New Testament. There are few examples in the Old Testament where we find leadership conducive to that being recommended by Jesus - one is in the work of Nehemiah.
The basic difference between leadership in the Old and the New Testaments is that under the Old Covenant, leadership is exercised by individuals under an anointing from God, whereas under the New Covenant the anointing is upon the whole community of believers. Leadership is therefore shared and is exercised according to the different gifting of the Holy Spirit under the headship of Jesus.
Old Testament Leadership
The outstanding characteristic of leadership in the Old Testament is that of the strong natural leader; men such as Moses, Joshua and the Judges who were not afraid to stand alone and who led from the front.
Their charisma brought others to follow them. In each of their lives there was an element of pragmatism, in that their success spread their fame both among their own people and among the enemies of Israel. That success brought others to their sides which strengthened their hands and at the same time engendered fear in the hearts of their enemies.
There are six outstanding types of leadership to be seen in the Old Testament. They are physical strength; military skill; wisdom; wealth; inspiring oratory and enabling. Many of the leaders in the Old Testament had more than one of these qualities but by way of illustration just one example of each is given below.
Gideon and his 300Physical Strength
Samson is the outstanding example of a leader who exerted influence over others by sheer physical strength and whose leadership depended largely upon this strength. He was not afraid to engage the Philistines single-handedly.
Although Samson was recognised as ruler of Israel (in Judges 15:20 it is said that “Samson led Israel for 20 years in the days of the Philistines”), there is no record of his leading an army or even a band of men.
The only record in Judges 14 and 15 is of Samson’s individual exploits, which illustrate his immense personal strength. Samson is the supreme example of the independent, individualist style of leadership.
Under the Old Covenant, leadership was exercised by individuals under an anointing from God; under the New Covenant the anointing is upon the whole community of believers.
Military Skill
David is the outstanding example of the exercise of leadership through military skill. Undoubtedly he had great personal courage as he showed in his first experience on the battlefield in his encounter with the Philistine giant Goliath. But David’s skill was not confined to personal exploits; he was a leader of men. His close companions showed great loyalty to him, even risking their lives to go and get him a drink of water from the well at Bethlehem when he expressed such a wish (1 Chron 11:16-19).
David was a master of guerrilla warfare; Saul pursued him for years in mountainous country but was unable to capture him. His military skill was even recognised by the Philistines when he took up residence among them for a short period to escape Saul.
After the death of Saul men from all the tribes came to David to make him king, which was the greatest tribute to his leadership. During the next few years he secured Israel’s borders, uniting the nation and establishing a strong army which he led personally, always seeking the Lord for guidance before entering into battle.
Wisdom
Solomon is an outstanding example of a ruler who exercised leadership based upon intellect rather than physical strength or military skill. He was renowned for his wisdom far outside the borders of Israel – even the Ethiopian queen came to visit him because of his reputation as a wise counsellor (2 Chron 9:1-12).
Solomon also established strong military bases such as Hazor, Megiddo and Lachish but he did not have to fight military campaigns in the same way as his father, David. He used his wisdom in matters of diplomacy, securing alliances with other nations through political marriages and through the judicious use of his wealth and power, which no doubt created an aura of strength that other nations would be unwilling to challenge.
Wealth
A number of the kings of Israel and Judah acquired great wealth, such as Solomon, Joash, Uzziah and Hezekiah. An outstanding example is Uzziah, who began with very little because his father Amaziah had been locked in a bitter dispute with the Northern Kingdom of Israel whose king Jehoash had broken through the wall of Jerusalem and taken everything of value back to Samaria, including all the gold and silver and articles of value in the Temple and treasures in the palace (2 Chron 25:24).
Uzziah, who was only 16 when he became king, successfully led Judah not only in rebuilding the towns and cities but also in military campaigns against the neighbouring states, who were forced to pay tribute to him. Wealth flowed into Jerusalem during his reign and he fortified the city strongly, built up a well-trained army, encouraged agricultural development and used his wealth wisely for the benefit of the whole nation (2 Chron 26:10).
There are six outstanding types of leadership to be seen in the Old Testament. They are physical strength; military skill; wisdom; wealth; inspiring oratory and enabling.
Inspired Oratory
Hezekiah is an outstanding example of a man who exercised great influence in the nation through his ability to inspire the people with persuasive words. His first act on his accession to the throne was to reopen the Temple and have it re-consecrated for worship following its desecration and closure by his father, Ahaz. Hezekiah then sent messages throughout Judah and Israel summoning the people to a special celebration of Passover, which broke with tradition since it was the wrong time of year. Although there was provision in the law for this consecration, it was usually only considered at a personal level and was not generally exercised at a national level (Num 9:9-11).
Such was Hezekiah’s persuasiveness that immense numbers came from all over the land. Under his inspired leadership, revival broke out in Jerusalem that even touched the lives of the aliens who had come to Jerusalem with the parties of pilgrims from Israel (2 Chron 30:25).
Later, when the Assyrians were marching towards Jerusalem with a vast army, Hezekiah inspired confidence in the people, not only through his own courageous leadership but also through his inspired oratory. “Be strong and courageous”, he said, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the King of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles”.
The record in 2 Chronicles 32:8 concludes, “And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the King of Judah said.” It was not only his oratory but his faith in God that made Hezekiah an outstanding leader.
Enabling
Nehemiah was a man of vision. He was also a man of faith and courage. As a leader he was one whom others believed in and followed. But his style of leadership was quite different from other Old Testament leaders. He did not act like other governors who exploited and “lorded it over the people” (Neh 5:15). Nehemiah’s sole motive was to serve God by rebuilding Jerusalem and thus removing the disgrace of its destruction from the land and its people.
Nehemiah did not lead from the front - he led from behind. He knew that in order to achieve such an immense task with the small resources at his disposal, he had to involve all the people. He first surveyed the extent of the destruction and measured up the task, and then he called together a meeting of the entire Jewish community and their leaders. He shared with them his vision for the reconstruction of the city, beginning with the walls and gates. The people caught the vision and saw it as a community project in which they all had a share. They set about the task of clearing away the rubble and rebuilding the walls with great enthusiasm.
Nehemiah himself shared in the task of reconstruction and endured the same hardships as the people. He said “Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guard with me took of our clothes; each had his weapon even when he went for water” (Neh 4:23).
The type of leadership exercised by Nehemiah is unique in the Old Testament where strong individuals usually led the people by giving orders and expecting them to be obeyed without question. Nehemiah encouraged a shared vision and a high level of individual responsibility. Each family was responsible for the rebuilding of the part of the wall that was in front of their own house. Nehemiah’s style of leadership gets nearest to the enabling leadership that is characteristic of the New Testament Church and was the kind of leadership exercised by Jesus.
Why not discuss these six styles of leadership demonstrated in the Old Testament and see if you can spot any other examples of leaders for each category – or even if you can uncover and define another style. Let us know if you do.
Then, using your Bibles, consider the following questions:
- Why is the strong natural leader more characteristic of the Old Testament than the New Testament? Discuss this in relation to Paul’s teaching on natural gifts and spiritual gifts (see Romans 12:6-8).
- Can you name leaders in our world or in the Church today who lead in these six different styles?
Next week: We explore the kind of leadership illustrated in the New Testament which Jesus both practised and taught. Then we will look at the way leadership was exercised in the early Church.
This article is part of a series exploring lessons from the early Church for today. Click here for previous instalments.
