1 Samuel 9:1-21There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. He was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, of the tribe of Benjamin. His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.
One day Kish’s donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, “Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys.” So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere.
Finally, they entered the region of Zuph, and Saul said to his servant, “Let’s go home. By now my father will be more worried about us than about the donkeys!”
But the servant said, “I’ve just thought of something! There is a man of God who lives here in this town. He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true. Let’s go find him. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.”
“But we don’t have anything to offer him,” Saul replied. “Even our food is gone, and we don’t have a thing to give him.”
“Well,” the servant said, “I have one small silver piece. We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens!” (In those days if people wanted a message from God, they would say, “Let’s go and ask the seer,” for prophets used to be called seers.)
“All right,” Saul agreed, “let’s try it!” So they started into the town where the man of God lived.
As they were climbing the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, “Is the seer here today?”
“Yes,” they replied. “Stay right on this road. He is at the town gates. He has just arrived to take part in a public sacrifice up at the place of worship. 13 Hurry and catch him before he goes up there to eat. The guests won’t begin eating until he arrives to bless the food.”
So they entered the town, and as they passed through the gates, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the place of worship.
Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day, “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”
When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, “That’s the man I told you about! He will rule my people.”
Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, “Can you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”
“I am the seer!” Samuel replied. “Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning, I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way. And don’t worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.”
Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”
Despite all Samuel’s warnings and admonitions that God is their king, the Israelites are clamoring for a human king. God tells Samuel that He has chosen someone and then brings Saul to Samuel. Saul looks like a king; however, he is realistic, for his tribe is the smallest and his family the least important within the tribe. But God has chosen Saul because He knows Saul has the potential for military leadership. Samuel assures Saul and predicts a number of incidents that will happen to convince Saul that God has chosen him.
Why does Saul reject the very idea of a call at the beginning? Saul is looking at his social situation and his own resources while God has different plans altogether. Many times, we look at how weak/unimportant/unprepared we are as if God isn’t in the equation at all; meanwhile, God is the One who must empower us in the first place. And when we are only looking at ourselves, we can easily become discouraged. Look what Saul does next.
1 Samuel 10:20-24 So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the Lord, and the family of the Matrites was chosen. And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared! So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?”
And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.” So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.
Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!”
And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
Saul already knows God has chosen him to be king, and Samuel has even anointed him privately. But Saul is terrified; what if he makes mistakes? What if he fails? Perhaps if Saul hides, they will choose someone else and he can continue to enjoy a nice private life. Sorry, Saul! God sees everything and you can’t hide from God. There’s a wonderful book title I saw years ago: Here Am I Lord, Send Aaron. We are thrilled at the calling of God…as long as it’s for someone else. And we really hope that if we just continue in our staid little paths that God will find someone else who is braver/smarter/more highly qualified.
Saul knows that the Israelites are clamoring for a king because they are fed up with the Philistines attacking them and carrying off everything they’ve got. Saul knows that when he becomes king, he must wage war against the Philistines, and the Philistines have taken all the weapons from Israel so very few people have any weapons at all, apart from agricultural implements. It’s no mistake that some swords at this time resemble sickles; they ARE sickles. And Saul also knows that he must organize an army for no Israelite army exists. What Saul is not considering is the fact that God has chosen him and therefore God is bound to help him.
Perhaps you feel like Saul. You know God is calling you to do something grand, but you are looking only at yourself and your own resources. Under such circumstances, any of us might be tempted to hide somewhere. But we must remember that when God guides, God provides. Saul’s biggest problem throughout his career is a lack of faith. Saul depends on Samuel as long as he can and also depends on David playing his harp and singing to drive away demons. But Saul has little or no faith of his own, and in the end, that will prove to be his downfall.
When Amy Wilson Carmichael first went to India, the missionaries were complaining that they were not making converts. Amy began praying and eventually God brought people to her who accepted Jesus and became her helpers. This brave band would eventually rescue hundreds of children out of temple prostitution and slavery. But the whole thing began because Amy was a woman of great faith and she had people praying for her. Sadly, Saul was not a man of faith and depended on others. Second-hand faith is useless.
If God is calling you to do something, first settle things with God. Ask God to give you faith and then to increase it. But remember that is a dangerous prayer, for as soon as you ask, God will begin placing you in situations that will test what little faith you already have. There is only one way to gain more faith; you must exercise the faith you have, and as you do so, it will grow.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, many of us have heard Your call, but we are terrified. Help us to remember that where You guide, You provide, and You will never leave us or forsake us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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