Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 9

 

God's Choice For King

The Israelites insisted on having a king “like the other nations” around them.  God directed Samuel to give in to their request, although He delineated many of the hardships they would experience under the rule of such a king.  That’s when we meet Saul, a Benjaminite from the family of Kish.  Saul was a tall and very handsome young man. There was none finer—he literally stood head and shoulders above the crowd!  Samuel and Saul met one day when Saul was out looking for some of his dad’s donkeys who had wandered off.

The day before their meeting, the LORD had revealed to Samuel that He heard Israel’s cries for help and that He was sending a man from the land of Benjamin to meet him. “You’re to anoint him as king over my people Israel.”  So, when Saul arrived in town, Samuel was not surprised.  The moment Samuel laid eyes on him, God said, “He’s the one, the man I told you about.”

Saul appears to be a good choice for king.  He was strong, yet humble. He expressed sincere humility when he said to Samuel, “But I’m only a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and from the most insignificant clan in the tribe at that. Why are you talking to ME like this?”  It seems that Saul was genuinely taken aback at Samuel’s words.

As Israel’s King, Saul was a great success!  At least, at first.  Saul’s chief contribution as king would be to defend Israel against its many enemies, especially the Philistines.  He was a very strong military leader and would lead the Israelites to many victories during his reign.  Together with his courageous son Jonathan and an army composed largely of volunteers, Saul would win significant victories over the Philistines and would succeed in driving them out of the central hills of Israel.

We will see in the following chapters, however that Saul’s humility was gradually replaced with pride and self-reliance.  His dependence upon God and obedience to His will would deteriorate into a self-serving and self-willed lifestyle.  Saul’s story will become that of someone who “started out well” but did not “finish well” as he let his successes inflate his heart with pride and arrogance.

It is so important that all of us take inventory of our own hearts and lives.  That we dedicate our entire lives, from start-to-finish, to a full life that ends well for the glory of God.  We too, are susceptible to the same weaknesses as Saul, so we must be constantly on guard against the pride and self-sufficiency that can bring us down.  Those who finish well maintain an ongoing and humble lifelong relationship with God by His Holy Spirit.