When the Tender Grass Springs Out of the Earth

The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.
The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spoke to me,


'He who rules over men righteously,    <-- First point!
Who rules in the fear of God,               
Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
When the tender grass springs out of the earth, 
Through sunshine after rain.'
2 Samuel 23:2-4 (From the last words of David)

 I'm writing this as an exploration of what the Bible says about leadership.  "Says" is the operative word.  There's a lot to be gleaned by studying the histories in the Bible and observing cause and effect in the actions of it's people.  Some of that may be done here but the main focus is what the Bible plainly says.  It is typical of the Bible that, once you start looking for a particular subject, you find it has more to say than you ever thought. One principle leads to another.  "Leadership" and "management style" are very popular subjects these days.  You can search Proverbs for the words "king" or "ruler" and often this one point is hammered home: "righteousness." 

Proverbs 20:28  Loyalty and truth preserve the king,
         And he upholds his throne by righteousness.
Proverbs 16:12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts,
         For a throne is established on righteousness.
Proverbs 25:5 Take away the wicked before the king,
         And his throne will be established in righteousness.




Proverbs 29:14 If a king judges the poor with truth, His throne will be established forever.  

Righteous, righteous, righteous.  Ok, so don't do bad things...?  The words "King" and "Ruler" bring up a few useful verses; however, running a search on "righteous" brings a flood.  "Righteous" is a state of being. 

Being righteous is about the kind of person one has become and wisdom is closely linked to righteousness.  The righteous are straightforward and consistent and manifest a particular, healthy mentality.  This is constantly contrasted with the "wicked"'s twisted, secretive actions and their attendant broken, fearful psychology.  
Proverbs 11:23 The desire of the righteous is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion. 

Proverbs 10:24 What the wicked fears will come upon him, But the desire of the righteous will be granted.

A key to righteousness is fearing the right things.  
Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.




The righteous gains by growth while the wicked are bent on taking things:
Proverbs 12:12 The wicked man desires the booty of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields fruit.

The righteous are concerned with justice for the most vulnerable people. 
Proverbs 29:7 The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor,The wicked does not understand such concern.

Much of this is bears on our subject already but here is the beginging of direct application to "Leadership" and "Management Style":

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Proverbs 10:11

Here are two opposing "Management Styles".
Contrast here speech that is beneficial to it's hearers with a tone of voice that implies a threat under every order.

Proverbs 10:20 The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, The heart of the wicked is worth little.
Proverbs 10:21 The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of understanding.
Psalm 37:30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, And his tongue speaks justice.
Proverbs 10:32 The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted.
Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

The mouth which benefits the people under its charge is the result of the Biblical ideal of leadership:

But Jesus called them to Himself and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.  It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Matthew 20:25-28

Jesus paints a picture of his righteous "management style" by referncing the way that young oxen were trained.   A young ox was yoked together with an older one and turned when he turned and stopped when he stopped.

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;

My chosen one in whom My soul delights 

I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the nations. 

He will not cry out or raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed He will not break
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth justice. 

He will not be disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law."

Isaiah 42:1-4

The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.
The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spoke to me,
 
'He who rules over men righteously,   
Who rules in the fear of God,               
Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
When the tender grass springs out of the earth, 
Through sunshine after rain.'
 2 Samuel 23:2-4