#396: Can A Wise Leader Also Be A Foolish Leader?

I know, I know, it doesn’t seem possible for a reasoned mind to think that a wise leader can also be a foolish leader.

You are probably asking yourself, “Doesn’t being wise preclude one from being foolish?”

You are probably asking yourself, “Doesn’t being wise preclude one from being foolish?”

Yes and no. There is the world’s view of wisdom and God’s view of wisdom.

From a worldly standpoint, wisdom is defined as the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. So, if part of being wise is having good judgment, then you can’t be foolish and wise at the same time, because to be foolish suggests you don’t have good judgment!

However, as Christians, we hold to God’s view of wisdom, and God sees wisdom a little differently than the world does.

Let me illustrate God’s view of wisdom with an example from a wise leader in the Old Testament who somehow also became a foolish leader.

Solomon as A Wise Leader

Solomon replaced his father, David, as king of the Israelites. As the newly installed king, Solomon asked God for wisdom to govern the Lord’s people. Pleased with Solomon’s request, the Lord said,

“I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be” (1 Kings 3:12).

So, God supernaturally gifted Solomon with a wise and discerning heart to help govern the people of Israel.

The gift of wisdom from God is on display with the two prostitutes (1 Kings 3:16-28). Each woman had a baby. One baby died, and its mother switched her dead baby at night for the live baby.

Arguing over whose baby was whose, the two mothers came before Solomon for a decision. Solomon ordered the baby to be cut in half, with half given to each woman. The baby’s real mother, in horror, said “no” give the other woman the baby because she could not bear to see her child killed.

Solomon recognized this woman as the birth mother and awarded her custody of her child.

From this one example, the people of Israel recognized Solomon’s wisdom came from God.

Solomon as A Foolish Leader

References to Solomon’s kingship in the books of Kings and Chronicles indicates Solomon was very familiar with God’s instructions to kings laid out in the book of Deuteronomy.

Specifically, in Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God instructed the future kings of Israel not to do four things:

• Acquire substantial numbers of horses for himself or send people to Egypt to acquire them.
• Acquire many wives, or he will be led astray.
• Acquire copious amounts of gold or silver.
• They are not to become prideful, thinking they are better than the people they are serving.

God also gave future kings instructions for three things they were to do:

• Write a copy of the law as provided by the priests.
• Keep a copy of the law with them at all times. They are to read from it every day so they learn to revere the Lord.
• They are to obey all the laws and decrees carefully.

God promised Israel’s kings long, prosperous reigns if they followed His commands.

So, with these instructions from God in mind, one must wonder why Solomon did some of the things he did.

• Solomon acquired 12,000 horses from Egypt (1 Kings 10:26-27).
• Over time, he acquired 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). These wives did lead him astray. Solomon built altars to other gods and even sacrificed to them.
• Solomon earned 666 talents of gold every year, plus income from his international trading. He had so much gold that silver was not considered valuable.
• Solomon’s pride grew along with his riches. He had a huge, ornate throne made for himself that was inlaid with ivory and overlaid with gold (1 Kings 10:18-20). Nothing like it had ever been made for any other king.

So, Solomon, the man imbued with supernatural wisdom by God, violated every “do not do” instruction God gave to Israel’s kings. Likewise, it seems Solomon did none of the three things God told kings “to do.”

Where Did Solomon Go Wrong?

It seems Solomon leveraged the wisdom God gave him to pursue governance, academic learning, and business all quite successfully.

So, how did Solomon go wrong?

Solomon knew of the law of God. Just read all his Psalms and Proverbs! Nonetheless, he didn’t fully obey God’s instructions. Solomon did what God warned the kings not to do.

In short, Solomon did not pursue an intimate relationship with the Lord. Solomon’s foolishness caused the Lord to become angry enough with Solomon to tear the kingdom away from him (1 Kings 11:9-13).

All that wisdom from God, yet the one thing Solomon did not do with all that wisdom was the things God required of him. The result was Solomon led his family and the nation of Israel into idolatry, division, and ultimately, punishment by God.

What a foolish waste of a precious gift!

Are You A Wise or Foolish Leader?

As Solomon’s life demonstrates, man’s wisdom will only get you so far.

In God’s economy, being a wise leader goes beyond the worldly view of having experience and knowledge. In God’s economy, a wise leader develops a strong relationship with the Lord.

Why?

Because the wisdom that flows out of a strong relationship with God is what makes you a truly wise leader!

So, in a moment of self-reflection, ask yourself, “If I am standing before God, would God say I am a wise leader or a foolish leader?”

More Articles

I have written several articles on a leader’s character. You can find them by typing “character” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.

• #389: What Happens When A Weak Leader Fails to Lead?
• #373: Do You Deal with Temptations in The Workplace?
• #348: What Kind of Legacy Are You Leaving?
• #240: Here’s Another Nice Mess You’ve Gotten Me Into!
• #181: Pressure, Pleasure, Power, Pride, and Priorities Lead to Failure

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Category: Personal Development | Character