In Numbers 12, Moses’ brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, try to launch a revolt against his authority. They appear to have...
Another challenge to Moses’ authority arises in Numbers 13 and 14. The Lord tells Moses to send spies into the land of...
Moses’ moment of greatest failure came when the people of Israel resumed complaining, this time about food and water (Num. 20:1-5). Moses...
Building a sustainable organization—in this case the nation of Israel—requires orderly transitions of authority. Without continuity, people become confused and fearful, work...
Prevention of harassment means not only creating a safe environment, but a productive one for those at...
Joshua is Moses’ successor as leader of Israel. While he is not a king, he does in some ways foreshadow the kings who will rule over Israel in subsequent centuries. He leads the...
The renewal of God’s covenant with Israel concludes the book of Joshua. The high point occurs in the very last chapter, when...
The best of the judges is Deborah. The people recognize her wisdom and come to her for counsel and conflict resolution (Judges 4:5). The military hierarchy recognizes her as supreme commander and in...
Gideon is a prime example of the paradoxical character of Israel’s judges and the ambivalent lessons they...
Saul Chosen as Israel’s First King God's first choice to be king is Saul (c. 1050-1010 B.C.), someone who looked the part—he...
After Saul's death, David is anointed king over the southern tribe of Judah, but not until much...
Sometimes God calls a woman to the highest level of leadership in a crisis moment. As the Israelites settled into the Promised...
David also suffers another failure that, to us in the 21st century, may seem strange. He takes...
In most cases, your work will continue after you have moved on.
Upon succeeding David as king, Solomon faces the vastness of his duties (1 Kings 3:5-15). He is acutely aware that he is...
Psalm 8 is an exception in Book 1, as it does not pertain specifically to David. Its concern is with all human authority, not only David’s rule. Although God created the entire universe...
Max DePree, Leadership is an Art (New York: Doubleday, 1989), 9.
In the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8), a poor, powerless person (the widow) persists in nagging a corrupt, powerful person...
Paul needs every ounce of courage because of the heavy sufferings he knows his work will bring. “The Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for...
Most of all, Paul’s leadership is marked by his concern for others. He accepts the burden of leadership not to make his...
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