What is Servant Leadership?

This fall, while reading through the Bible with the Sweeter Than Honey Bible reading plan, on September 1, I came to the passage in 1 Kings where we read of the succession of King Rehoboam and the Kingdom of Israel being split into two separate kingdoms—the Kingdom of Israel to the north, containing the cities of Shechem and Samaria; and the Kingdom of Judah to the south, containing the city of Jerusalem and the Temple.

​When Jeroboam and the people of Israel came to King Rehoboam about how hard his father, King Solomon, made them work under his reign and that if he would lighten their load they would serve him, Rehoboam told the people to go away for three days and come back. He needed some time to think and consult a few people. During those three days, Rehoboam went to the old men who had served with his father and asked them how he should answer.

This was the old men’s answer:
“…If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.” 1 Kings 12:7

That, friend, is the definition of servant leadership. The old men were wise!

We know from reading 1 Kings 12:1-24, that King Rehoboam also took counsel from his young friends—his peers, and that counsel was not wise. Unfortunately, he followed their unwise advice, the Kingdom was divided, and "the rest was history" as they say.

Clearly, the headline story here is about two wicked kings and the kingdom being divided. However, I’d really like to focus on the points of servant leadership because I believe that is something we all can use in our lives. Whether it be in our homes, churches, or just out in the general public, as we go about our day let’s focus on doing these two things:

1. Serve the people. 
2. Speak good words. 

Let’s be servant leaders!

Read the passage about King Rehoboam and the Kingdom divided:

"Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, 'Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.' He said to them, 'Go away for three days, then come again to me.' So the people went away.

Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, 'How do you advise me to answer this people?' And they said to him, 'If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.' But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. And he said to them, 'What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, 'Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?' And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, 'Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,’ thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's thighs. And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, 'Come to me again the third day.' And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, 'My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.' So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that He might fulfill His Word, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, 'What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.' So Israel went to their tents. But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only.

When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But the Word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: 'Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from Me.' So they listened to the Word of the Lord and went home again, according to the Word of the Lord." ​1 Kings 12:1-24

How have you seen examples of servant leadership?