Thank you for the question on leadership, “What is the most important value of a leader we can learn from the Old Testament?”
As I thought about this question, the qualities of David, Ezra, Nehemiah, Elisha or Elijah came to my mind. In a lesser known passage in Genesis 18, the quality of compassion is one of the most important value of a leader.
Genesis 18 says this, “When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.[c] 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” 22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.[d] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare[e] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?…” (A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages).
Abraham thought about his nephew and his family and to a lesser degree of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. He could have just let his nephew perish, but in seeking to rescue him that allowed a possibility to save the people of Sodom and Gomorrah if there were 10 righteous people in those cities.
One can easily make or enforce regulations or establish goals and plans, but it is harder to show compassion and justice to the needy and the poor. This will take time and effort to meet with the insignificant people under one’s care. A person who cares for the helpless and needy will become a great leader. God saw that in Abraham when he pleaded for Lot and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
SUMMARY: The greatness of a leader is measured by the depth of caring for the least significant people in his/her care.
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