Five Called Leaders of the Old Testament

Leadership is a quality that everyone can have if they choose to willingly set their life to serving God and others. Although you don’t need to have a relationship with or even believe in God to be a great leader, some of the greatest examples of profound leadership can be found within the Old Testament.

These prime examples of great and Godly men are foundations to what a great leader could and should be. Leaders come in many forms and I believe that the bible offers so many great examples of that. In this article we are going to take a look at some of the called leaders of the Old Testament.

Called leaders are those that are called by God to do His work. They are leaders that may not have been qualified to be leaders, but God chose them and set in them great works. With the help of God they were called to enhance His kingdom. These leaders have a special and important role in the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Their role as leaders were predetermined by God, to help Him bring His people out of the darkness that fills this world and into His kingdom of everlasting light. Many of today’s leaders that would qualify as called would be any religious leader whether that is a priest/pastor, nun, or someone involved in adult or youth ministry.

Five Called Leaders

• Moses
• Gideon
• Samuel
• Job
• Jonah

Moses and the Burning Bush

Moses in my opinion is the greatest called leader of the Old Testament. Born a Levite and raised an Egyptian he is a “misfit” wherever he goes. He runs away to the desert after killing an Egyptian in fear Pharaoh will have him killed. He is wed to a priest’s daughter where he tends to their flock. While alone caring for the sheep he finds a “burning” bush. When he walks over to investigate it, he hears God calling out to him. He answers God’s call by saying “Here I am” (Exodus 3:4). Moses made a great leader because he was available. He was alone in the desert giving God opportunity to call out to him. At first he was afraid and fearful he wouldn’t be able to deliver God’s message or free his people, but he put his faith in God and with his brother Aaron’s help and the hand of God to guide them they freed the Israelites just as God told Moses he would.

Gideon Called to War

We find Gideon’s story in the book of Judges 6:1-27. Much like Moses, Gideon was alone when God came and spoke to him. Gideon was the least in his family and from the weakest of all the tribes in Manasseh (Judges 6:15), yet God chose him to lead a nation. He did not feel worthy, important, or strong enough. He showed doubt many times, asking God to show him multiple signs to prove it was truly Him calling Gideon into battle. God grants his requests and after Gideon gives a sacrifice to God, he becomes bold and charismatic. He rises like the leader God made him to be and he gains hundreds of thousands of followers. He has so many that God tells Gideon he has to send most of them home, so God can have the glory when they win. He sends all but three hundred men home. Together Gideon and the three hundred, armed with trumpets and jars go to war and come home victorious. The Israelites glorify God for their freedom and live in peace for the rest of Gideon’s lifetime.

God Calls Samuel in the Night

Samuel was given to God before birth by his mother Hannah. He was sent to live with a priest named Eli so he could be with God. When Samuel was still a boy God came to him in the night calling him by name. Samuel did not yet know Him, and thought Eli was calling for him. Eli knew it must be the Lord and prepared Samuel. When God called again he was willing and ready to answer. Like Moses and Gideon, Samuel was alone when God called upon him. “The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.'” (1Samuel 3:10).

Samuel is a perfect example of a called leader. Though he did not know God, he was in the right place to accept and hear God speak. Samuel was obedient, humble, willing, and faithful. Despite his young age, he was ready because Eli had taught him what to say. We do not need to work with or for the church to be available and ready for God’s call. Opening our heart and minds to what God has for us is one of the easiest ways for us to make ourselves available to God’s quiet voice.

Job Called to Suffering

We can learn a lot from the book of Job. Despite what some might think, Job was not called to suffer for his sins. Job was an affluent man and the greatest man among all his people (Job 1:3). He feared God, rejected evil, and worshiped the Lord daily. God offered up Job to show Satan just how devoted Job was to God. He wasn’t devoted, because he was blessed and had everything given to him, but rather because he trusted in the Lord. Satan didn’t believe this and tested Job, trying to break him and get him to go against God. Job was called to suffering, because God knew he would be able to get through it. When Job lost his children his response was one of sheer sorrow and praise to God. “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship” (Job 1:20). The devil tried to break him, but with each test Job went running back to the Lord showing his devotion and faith despite losing everything. After Job’s suffering God blessed him twice over. He was richer and his life was more abundant than it had been before the suffering. Job’s devotion to God, brought him a plethora of blessings after the storm of Satan.

Job is a different kind of leader than Moses and Gideon. He does not lead anyone into battle or set thousands of people free, but his suffering teaches us so much about God’s love and mercy that I think he’s worth mentioning here. He’s a leader and role model to all those who have experienced suffering. He shows us how to worship and keep the faith in God despite our circumstances.

Job was humbled by the power and glory of the Lord when God revealed himself. In the beginning Job was angry and questioned God, asking what is happening to me? God never answers this question, instead He shows Job His power and grace. Despite the questions, Job doesn’t doubt or blame God for his misfortunes. His faith remains steadfast and strong through all the turmoil cast upon him.

Jonah Flees From the Lord

Jonah is another good example of a called leader who is not only afraid to lead, but downright against doing what God has called him to do. He goes so far as to take a boat and sail in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. “‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.’ But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.” (Jonah 1:2-3)

God finds Jonah on the ship and causes a violent storm so the crew cast Jonah overboard and the seas become calm. Jonah gets swallowed by a whale where he stays for three days. In those three days Jonah offers up prayers and repentance for his behavior. When Jonah is spit out God calls to him again “‘Go to the great city of Ninevah and proclaim to it the message I give you.’ Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Ninevah.” (Jonah 2:2-3). While in Ninevah, Jonah spends three days telling everyone about the message he has from God. Once the king hears the news he turns to repentance and tells everyone to do the same so they may all be spared.

God chose compassion after he saw what the city had done. This angered Jonah and he could not understand why God did not bring down his wrath like He warned. “He prayed to the Lord, ‘O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home?’ That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.”. God showed mercy, because the great city turned from their wicked ways.

The book of Jonah is an exemplary example of how much God loves all His children. Despite the evil and sin that was consuming Ninevah, the city and its people were given the chance to be saved. Jonah’s calling was important, because it was Jonah who gave them the chance to repent and turn back to the Lord. He was called to change a nation and bring the people back into God’s kingdom. If Jonah had not accepted his calling, Ninevah might never had the chance to learn about God.

Lessons Learned

Today we probably will not see “burning” bushes or be swalled by whales if we run away, however that does not mean that God will not continue to call His children to lead. He will continue to speak to us, if we only choose to listen. Moses and Gideon had incredibly hard and unrealistic challenges ahead of them if they would have tried to go it alone. However, God gave them the tools, the abilities, and the help to lead and to become truly great.

All of these leaders teach us that we do not always have to feel qualified. In fact we can be afraid and even disobedient at times and God will still call us to greatness. He will give the qualifications to the leader. God chose Moses and Gideon to lead His people, because He knew that they were capable of great works despite their slow speech. These leaders where able to lead nations while giving all the glory to God when they succeeded.

Jonah and Job had a strong will and determination to follow God, despite the terrible events before them. Don’t let the fear of your insecurities stop you from choosing to lead and follow God. You are bound to be a great leader to those around you. We are more than just mothers, just students, just blue collar workers, just fathers, ect. We are equipped through God. He doesn’t look for abilities and high status, God looks for availability. When you make yourself available like Samuel, God will call. That call may not be convient or even comfortable, but Jesus has said on more than one occasion that following Him would not be easy, it would be hard and that applies to the call of God as well. We can rest in the comfort of knowing that He will protect and guide us along the way. We can do all things through Christ.