January 16 - Saul

January 16 - Saul

The stories of Saul’s failures are quite familiar to most of us. He lost his connection with God and everything fell apart for him.  There was nothing he could do on his own to regain that connection – he became bitter and angry, poisonous and even murderous.  He lost everything in the end … everything he had ever loved.  There was a point when he made the decision that being anointed as the King of Israel was because he was something special, not because he was chosen by God.  We do well to never forget that it is God who chooses us, not the other way around.

Before he lost his way, there was a much, better story.  The story of a young man whom God chose from nothing to become king over everything.

Saul’s father was named Kish.  He was of the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest of all the tribes.  His clan was the least of all the clans within the tribe of Benjamin.  Saul was called an impressive young man, a head taller than any of the others around him (1 Sam. 9:2).

One day, Kish’s donkeys got lost, so Saul and a servant went out to look for them.  They spent enough time away from his father, that Saul decided they might want to return; his father would now be more worried about them than the donkeys.  The servant recognized that there was a famous seer in the town they had come upon.  He might be able to help them find their way to the donkeys.

The seer was Samuel and the Lord had just told Samuel that he would encounter a young man whom the Lord had chosen to lead His people.  The two men met on the road and Samuel told Saul that the donkeys were safe and after they had gone to the high place (a place of worship), he would let Saul go and tell him all that was in his heart … and oh, by the way, the donkeys had been found.

Saul wasn’t prepared for any of this. Remember, he was the least of the least, according to the ways of the tribes of Israel.

The next morning, Saul and Samuel started out with Saul’s servant. Samuel sent the servant ahead and then anointed Saul with oil, naming him as the leader of the Israelites.  He gave him several signs to watch for in his travels home. These signs all happened and Saul began to believe that maybe it was true.  The Lord had called him to be the leader of the Israelites.

As much as the people wanted a king, it seems there would be no one fully appropriate for the position.  Even after Samuel, who was respected among all the people as a spiritual leader, blessed Saul and made him king, there were several who decided to make trouble.  They ‘despised him and brought him no gifts.’ (1 Samuel 10:27b)

Saul rescued the city of Jabesh and after that glorious victory, those who had tried to make trouble were brought before Saul to be executed.  In the manner of a King under the power of the Lord, he proclaimed, “No one shall be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel” (1 Sam. 11:13).

Samuel and Saul, along with all the people, went to Gilgal. They confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the Lord and then sacrificed fellowship offerings and held a great celebration.

The beginning of Israel’s time of kings had come.  The man was chosen by God and placed into a position of power. Though we saw the end of his reign and the awfulness that selfish intentions brought, he was king of Israel for 42 years.