Review Of 1Samuel 9

– by Victor Fawole

After rejecting God’s leadership, the people of Israel would now have their firsthand experience of monarchy. Welcome to 1 Samuel chapter 9, where we see how God was behind the scenes of natural events of life, putting characters on display – He will use donkeys, men, young ladies, a prophet – in order to achieve the goal of choosing a king for Israel.

Let’s go a reviewing…

SAUL’S CREDENTIALS

1Sam. 9:1-2 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

Saul’s credentials made a good fit for a king as the other nations. He was the tallest and most handsome guy in the nation – the perfect build for a warrior king. His father Kish was also a very wealthy and influential man – having the perfect upbringing for a powerful king. In fact, his name Saul means “asked of God” – a befitting name for a wise king. He appeared to be the exact kind of king the people demanded for. 

However, I checked through Saul’s credentials but nothing is mentioned about his faith, his knowledge of the Word, or his character. These are things that are most important to God. And God gave them a king according to the idol in their hearts.

Please note that being handsome/ beautiful does not mean that a person automatically cannot be spiritual or anointed. We have an example of Joseph who was “handsome in form and appearance.” (Gen. 39:6). His good looks did not cause him to live in lust. We have an example of Esther who was “lovely and beautiful.” (Esther 2:7). Her ravishing looks did not get into her head. She led the Jews in a national prayer chain. So, beauty is not antithetical to spirituality. The caution for us is to not select a leader based on “only their good looks”. We must prioritize character over charisma, attitude over appearance, depth over display, faith over fame, integrity over image, nobility over notability, principles over popularity, righteousness over reputation, substance over style, whenever we make decisions to choose leaders, as a church or as a country.

SAUL’S CREDIBILITY

1Sam. 9:3-4 And the asses of Kish Saul’s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

In a bid to find his lost donkeys, Kish sent Saul on a search and rescue mission. This mission would reveal the credibility of Saul’s heart. After searching in vain, we see Saul’s desire to abandon the mission. He proposed to abort the mission. This reveals that he doesn’t have the heart of a shepherd. He had little or no love for the flock. There was no sense of responsibility and care for the flock. David would rather go for the jugular of a bear or a lion instead of watching a lamb die in their hands. Jesus loves all His lost sheep, and He’d do everything to bring them back into His fold – including laying down His life for them. Jesus will never give up on His search for His lost sheep. 

Thank God for the servant who went with Saul. He told Saul about Samuel. Wait… Saul didn’t know who Samuel was? Really?! I can imagine Saul trending everywhere as the biggest celebrity in the land, winning all macho contests. He knew a lot about a lot of things, knew a lot of people in the high class, but didn’t know the spiritual leader of the nation – the prophet who was “known to all Israel”. Talk of spiritual ignorance!

Again, we see that, while Saul proposed the aborting of the mission, his servant recognized the need for spiritual help. Saul likely never knew what it meant to seek divine help in the issues of life. It was the servant’s suggestion that God used to bring Saul to Samuel.

When they met, Samuel told Saul that God had chosen him as a king over Israel (albeit, according to the desires of their heart). Saul’s response is commendable. His perplexity met with humility. He was like: “why me?” – his tribe was almost going into extinction. He wondered why God would want him to be king. How I wished that this “humility” would be his true nature even on the throne.

Dear Gogolights, let us not forget the lessons from this chapter. In our decision making, what matters to God should matter to us. Continue to enjoy the ease that comes with grace. 

Thank you for reading and also sharing your reflections.

See you tomorrow, beloveds.

Grace to you, Church!