Good morning, thank you for reading. I pray that you are well.
The last time that we were with Samuel was in his hometown of Ramah, and he had just been confronted by the elders of Israel and informed that they wanted him to “appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have”.
So, the Most High God and a prophet are no longer adequate leaders in comparison with Israel’s neighbors. This is the echo of history from the Jewish people. Constant dissatisfaction with God, usually because the people do not understand God and his ways.
Which is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. We, human beings, consistently fail to understand God’s promises and covenants. We are made with free will and a sin nature built into our brains. The idea that the stiff neckedness of the Israelites would be a surprise to God is a silly notion. It is how God made us.
Not that the sin of the modern day world would be a surprise to God, because it is not. Let’s open with Psalm 78:56-71,
“But they put God to the test and rebelled against the God Most High; they did not keep his statutes. Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow. They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their false idols. When God heard them, he was very angry; he rejected Israel completely. He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men. He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy. He gave his people over to the sword; he was very angry with his inheritance. Fire consumed their young men, and their maidens had no wedding songs; their priests were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep.”
“Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a man wakes from the stupor of wine. He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame. Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever. He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending sheep he brought him to be a shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance.”
Spoiler alert: Saul will be king, however, God will choose David to establish his kingdom. Like all of us, Saul will struggle with understanding what God wants.
The fact that we have a knack for not doing the right thing for the right reason is not God’s fault. It is a part, and an important part of God’s plan. He created us with free will. He wants us to choose to worship him freely, not under duress, not compelled. In the leadership of his kingdom, Jesus had always had the major role, from the very first gospel of Jesus.
Whenever we speak of human leadership, ancient or modern times, we must understand that our focus, living in today’s modern world, must be on Jesus as our Savior, King, and Lord of all.
The body of Christ is a family made up of believers in Christ. We are led by the Triune God, Father God, the God Most High, his Son Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, and the Holy Spirit. Those of us in the body of Christ are therefore following a theocratic leadership structure, eternally.
Yet, the confusing thing for all of humanity, those who profess Christ and those who do not, we live in a world containing all kinds of leadership structures. But these are just temporary, because we know that the world, as it is, is temporary. It will not exist forever.
We left off a couple weeks back with the Jewish elders voicing their demand for a king. They are exiting a theocratic form of government and entering a monarchy. God responded by telling Samuel, “Listen to them and give them a king.” 1 Samuel 9:1-2,
“There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites–a head taller than any of the others.”
Saul is physically an impressive man. As scripture tells us, he is a head taller than any of the other Israelites, that’s tall.
This reminds me of when I went to a Panther pre-season game a dozen or so years ago. They were playing the New England Patriots, and most of his teammates in this game were shorter than him. They were thicker, more powerful looking, but in the huddle, Tom Brady seemed to tower over his teammates. Tom Brady stood out in the huddle.
This is how Saul was with his countryman. He stood out. Well, what was this man named Saul known for? Something extraordinary I’m sure. 1 Samuel 9:3-4,
“Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, ‘Take one of the servants with you and go look for the donkeys’. So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.”
So, you heard it, Saul was a donkey wrangler, or donkey rancher, and he was struggling to herd up his father’s donkeys.
I have to tell you, I was looking for a more noble and prestigious occupation for the first king of the Jews. Our first introduction to Saul, and he is herding donkeys. In all honesty, I would believe trying to herd donkeys would be like herding squirrels or rabbits, an almost impossible task. In addition, donkeys are known for being stubborn, hard headed, and stiffnecked. Words that in the Bible have been used to describe the Israelites.
Maybe God is trying to tell us something with his choice for the first king of Israel. Saul, along with his servant, are just wandering around large areas looking for Saul’s father’s donkeys.
It is a strange endeavor for a future king. It would be like me walking around Cabarrus County looking for donkeys. Logically, it doesn’t make any sense. Donkeys keep moving around.
Now listen to this discussion between Saul and his servant. To me, it seems as if the servant is the one doing the thinking. 1 Samuel 9:5-6,
“When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, ‘Come let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about donkeys and start worrying about us. But the servant replied, ‘Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.”’
Well now, this sounds like a kernel of a plan. Somebody realizes that just walking around looking for wayward donkeys is not getting them anywhere.
This describes most of mankind in ancient times, as well as, today. We’re just walking around without a plan. Just going through the motions, staying somewhat busy, but really accomplishing very little. 1 Samuel 9:7,
“Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man?’ The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?’”
Aha! Now we know why Saul really wants to go home. He’s out of food. Big Saul is hungry. His priority is food, not so much his father’s donkeys. He doesn’t even have any money.
When I was in elementary school, I threatened to run away. I packed a lunch box, got together a few things, and threatened and pouted. My dad just laughed, he thought I was cute. My mother was concerned. My father explained that as soon as dinner time came around, I’d be home. He was right.
This is Saul, being led by his stomach. 1 Samuel 9:8-10,
“The servant answered him again, ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take. (Formerly in Israel, if a man went to inquire of God, he would say, ‘Come, let us go to the seer,’ because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)
‘Good,’ Saul said to his servant. ‘Come, let’s go.’ So they set out for the town where the man of God was.”
I would gather that most of us realize what is happening. God is creating a divine appointment between Saul and Samuel. God does this all the time, especially if we take advantage of these appointments. Divine appointments, when handled with grace, usually blesses both parties, or all parties involved. If divine appointments are ignored or neglected, the Holy Spirit will eventually withdraw. Similar to those of us who continue in the flesh rather than growing in the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit of God,
who will respect our free will choices and eventually just leave us alone in our sin. Left to herd donkeys for the rest of our lives.
After a chance meeting with some water maidens for directions and instructions, we pick back up with Saul and his father’s servant. 1 Samuel 9:14-21,
“They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place. Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: ‘About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me. When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, ‘This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.’’’
“Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, ‘Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?’ ‘I am the seer,’ Samuel replied. ‘Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your father’s family. Saul answered, ‘But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin?’”
Samuel and the Lord have it all figured out. Saul’s head is spinning, as any of our heads would be spinning if we too had been informed that we were king or queen. Saul’s questions of Samuel were accurate. For Saul was of lowly and humble origins. God uses everyone in his kingdom. No prejudice or favoritism to those of wealth or noble birth. His kingdom is not of this world, neither are his ways.
Then Samuel sets these two down for a banquet of sorts. He gives to Saul the priestly portion, the leg, full of meat. The Bible says that there are thirty or so people present for the meal, but it does not tell us who they are. My guess would be elders of some type.
The meal and portions had been set aside the day before, when God first spoke to Samuel, when the divine appointment had been scheduled, so to speak.
Today, millions and millions of believers around the globe, are informed of divine appointments through God’s Holy Spirit. Each one of these is a miracle. Many are appointments that are kept. Some are not. Do you have the spiritual awareness to keep a divine appointment? Where you are available to be used by God to impact his kingdom?
Or, are you too busy chasing donkeys to pay heed to the Spirit of God? 1 Samuel 9:25-27, followed by 1 Samuel 10:1,
“After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of the house. They rose about daybreak and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, ‘Get ready, and I will send you on your way.’ When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, ‘Tell the servant to go on ahead of us–and the servant did so–’but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God.’ Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him,saying, ‘Has not the Lord anointed you leader over his inheritance?’”
Saul would now be king. A reluctant king at first. But that’s a natural reaction.
I was called to preach in 1992. I began preaching here at Harmony in 2012. I ran from my call for twenty years. In fact, most local pastors, being second career pastors, ran from their calls. I wonder the number and the magnitude for all of our divine appointments that we missed. How much good for God’s kingdom could have been accomplished in the time wasted as we each ran from our calls. And that’s just for local pastors. Think of all the divine appointments we’ve all have missed. When God’s Spirit told us to act, and we didn’t for whatever reason.
My prayer, in what time I have left, is that I won’t miss any more divine appointments. I pray the same for you.
Let us pray, please agree with me.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your son Jesus, and his call in my life. Help me to stay alert, through the nudging of your Holy Spirit, to the divine appointments you have planned for me.
I praise you for the blood of Christ given for the forgiveness of my sins on the cross of Calvary. I believe that Jesus is my Savior, and I thank you for my salvation.
I welcome your guidance and teachings from your Spirit and your Word.
In Jesus name I pray, your will be done. Amen.
Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God.
Blessings,
Thad Brown
Opportunity House
and Harmony Church
Concord