When God warned in 1 Samuel 8 about what a king will take from his people, he ended the list with, "he will take your donkeys and put them to his work." For peasants in ancient cultures, their livestock was their most valuable asset. One or more donkeys could make a huge difference in a family's welfare. Having a donkey stolen by a government collector could mean financial ruin.
Please don't think of this as referring to political parties that identify as elephants, donkeys, moose, sheep, or any other critters. This is about the animals themselves in ancient societies. It is about owning something valuable.
A corrupt ruler could easily confiscate a citizen's donkey. This made taking donkeys a common suspicion toward all rulers. Freedom from that accusation also became a mark of integrity for a good leader.
Bible Examples
Joseph's brothers, accused by the unrecognized Joseph of being spies, considered that this "Egyptian" ruler wanted to enslave them and steal their donkeys (Genesis 43:18). Of course, Joseph was probing for something deeper in their integrity.
Numbers 16 describes the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against God. They challenged Moses as being too dictatorial in his leadership. They claimed that authority should be shared with them. In all, 250 men stood in opposition for Moses, believing he had gone too far. As Moses prayed for direction from the Lord, he expressed his own integrity by saying, "I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them."
At the end of Samuel's leadership as a priest and prophet, he turned the reins of leadership over to kings. Samuel himself anointed the first two kings, Saul and David. It is interesting, but maybe not important, that Saul was anointed while looking for lost donkeys; David was anointed after being brought in from tending sheep.
As Samuel stepped down from leadership, he offered to make right any abuse of power that he had committed over his years of service. "Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? . . . Testify against me, and I will restore it" (1 Samuel 12:3). The people agreed that Samuel had never defrauded or oppressed the people.
Throughout the Biblical account of Israel's leaders, the assumed prestige and prosperity of the judge or king was measured by the number of his sons and how many donkeys they needed to ride on. This was in direct defiance against God's limitations on his rulers.
Rules of Ethics for Public Servants
The corruption that can come through bribes, extortion, special treatment, celebrity perks, insider information, side hustles, and other forms of injustice are well known. Nearly every government body knows how prevalent donkey taking is, and how hard it is to prevent. So they pass ethics policies to protect citizens' donkeys and other property from being taken. I once served on a citizen committee to write ethics policies for our little village in Illinois.
Well intentioned rulers always believe they could do a better job if only they had more money, if only government was larger. If only we could conscript your animals for our programs. The temptation to take people's donkeys is a leader's occupational hazard.
Wise limits help those who serve, so they don't come under suspicion. It also allows citizens to hold leaders accountable. They want leaders to be fair to all and to serve, rather than take.
At the Heart of the Issue
How can leaders at any government level, or at any church or organizational level, be true sheep tenders, instead of donkey takers?
One key is how they see ownership.
A "taker" claims to own everything (the people and their wealth) as useable resources. He or she looks for ways to control it and spend it for public purposes. "I am here to use you and your possessions to accomplish what I think is good." This is contrary to God's design. This attitude always leads to misery for the people and condemnation of the leader.
A "tender" of people realizes that he or she owns the people and their assets as a responsibility and obligation. "I am here to protect you so you will prosper, at whatever cost to myself." This is the standard that comes from God's character. It is the standard to which he holds all leaders.
Many people believe that the governments of most countries are beyond hope of returning to a godly approach to leadership. Apart from God's intervention. But, at the level of spiritual leadership in the church, what hope is there?
A "taker" in the church will look at the spiritual gifts of the congregation, their ministry skills, their heart of service, their time and energy, and their alignment with God's purposes as mere tools for the organization. He or she will presume authority to commandeer these spiritual resources for an official agenda. The result is often an impoverishment of God-given resources in order to feed the machine.
A "tender" in the church will know the sheep by name and understand their condition. He or she will devote time and energy to maximize those resources. It is not about which people are important enough to be used, but rather how can each one be shepherded. It certainly is not deciding which people we can afford to lose and still be okay. The result will be growth in their walk with the Lord and in empowering their ministries. It will honor the integrity of people while seeking unity in the family.
Why it matters
"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all of the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood" (Acts 20:28).
Realistically, this is not an easy task. Our world gives out no gold medals to winners in this category, few trophies for "Shepherd of the Year." But, the age to come will be all about the awards God gives to those who are faithful.
Amen! Thank you for this! So true and the older I get the more I am concerned with my Eternal Life not just my physical life here