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Q1. Leadership


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Q1. (1 Samuel 22:2)

Why were David's men attracted to him?

What did they have in common?

What kind of men were these?

What difficulties do you think David probably had in leading them?

The men that came to David were the ones who were in distress, in debt,  and who were discontented.  David was no longer in a favoured position in the court of the king.  These men that came to David were also all fugitives in their own rights, so to say.  They too might be pursued by Saul for reasons of their own.  Possibly debt.  If they could not pay, their land would get taken and they themselves sold into slavery.  Others could be discontented with Saul's behaviour.  It was more and more that of a crazed madman.  David's own family were all in danger .  Then there were those who were real thieves and bandits who possibly hoped to find refuge with the once favoured soldier/general, David.  It sure was a diverse group of people.  

They all needed to be fed.  They all needed to be "hidden" in a way.  They all had their own skills.  That sure was a school for David to keep them occupied, exercised, and teach them the skills of warfare, without them having the squabbles in their own camp.   

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Q1. (1 Samuel 22:2)

Why were David's men attracted to him?

What did they have in common?

What kind of men were these?

What difficulties do you think David probably had in leading them?

The men that came to David were the ones who were in distress, in debt,  and who were discontented.  David was no longer in a favoured position in the court of the king.  These men that came to David were also all fugitives in their own rights, so to say.  They too might be pursued by Saul for reasons of their own.  Possibly debt.  If they could not pay, their land would get taken and they themselves sold into slavery.  Others could be discontented with Saul's behaviour.  It was more and more that of a crazed madman.  David's own family were all in danger .  Then there were those who were real thieves and bandits who possibly hoped to find refuge with the once favoured soldier/general, David.  It sure was a diverse group of people.  

They all needed to be fed.  They all needed to be "hidden" in a way.  They all had their own skills.  That sure was a school for David to keep them occupied, exercised, and teach them the skills of warfare, without them having the squabbles in their own camp.   

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Q1. (1 Samuel 22:2)

Why were David's men attracted to him?

What did they have in common?

What kind of men were these?

What difficulties do you think David probably had in leading them?

The men that came to David were the ones who were in distress, in debt,  and who were discontented.  David was no longer in a favoured position in the court of the king.  These men that came to David were also all fugitives in their own rights, so to say.  They too might be pursued by Saul for reasons of their own.  Possibly debt.  If they could not pay, their land would get taken and they themselves sold into slavery.  Others could be discontented with Saul's behaviour.  It was more and more that of a crazed madman.  David's own family were all in danger .  Then there were those who were real thieves and bandits who possibly hoped to find refuge with the once favoured soldier/general, David.  It sure was a diverse group of people.  

They all needed to be fed.  They all needed to be "hidden" in a way.  They all had their own skills.  That sure was a school for David to keep them occupied, exercised, and teach them the skills of warfare, without them having the squabbles in their own camp.   

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  • Pastor Ralph changed the title to Q1. Leadership
  • 8 months later...

Why were David's men attracted to him? 

They weren't. Most of his men didn't know David, but only of his reputation, so in a sense, they were less attracted to David-the-man than the aura that had settled around David. It's impossible to know more than a couple dozen people -- this crowd was comprised of 400 men (and their wives and kids), a group far too big to "know."

David represented an alternative to corruption as he was an honest man persecuted and hounded by a government that acted as if it's powers were unlimited. The government did whatever Saul wanted done. It paid no heed to the citizens of the state. So, David's rebellion against the government was very attractive to those who had been victimized by the government. David's men saw in David a figure that embodied the hope that the government could be overthrown and one more gentle, honest and amenable to righteousness and justice installed.

What did David's men have in common? What kind of men were these?

They were all victims of the government -- they had been persecuted, that is. His family, "distressed" citizens, debtors, discontents, those condemned unjustly, even criminals ... all were victims of the government. These were people with an axe to grind as they either had a personal grievance or legal dispute unjustly adjudicated.

What difficulties did David have in leading them?

They were easy to lead as long as their basic needs were met. These men shared a common enemy whose persecution was raw and recent. Their memories of what had happened to them had not been tempered by time -- those negative memories of what Saul's government had done to them were recent and potent. A group of men with a common enemy who feared for their lives would be much easier to lead than, say, a group of men addicted to the Internet or wealthy insiders who liked the status quo.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Q1. (1 Samuel 22:2)

Why were David's men attracted to him?

They were pursuing by Saul.

What did they have in common?

They owe money being hounded for repayment, rebels who want to overthrow Saul, and probably a few bandits who are wanted for various crimes.

Why kind of men were these?

They were distress or in debt or discontented.

What difficulties do you think David probably had in leading them?

The responsibility to feed them and their families.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Q1. (1 Samuel 22:2) Why were David's men attracted to him? David was Saul's "best" servant, yet Saul unabashedly set out to kill him. I imagine the men were drawn by this enigma.

What did they have in common? They were in pursuit of wrongdoings that either had too harsh a punishment, or they'd done nothing at all but stoke the king's anger.

Why (what) kind of men were these? Debtors, thieves, degenerates

What difficulties do you think David probably had in leading them? Getting them to respect authority and work as a team.

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