Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 9
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.
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