Losing Donkeys, Finding Kings

1 Samuel 9:1-10:16 | Andrew Murch | Imagine scouring the county for your missing dog only to be told by a smelly, scraggly fortune teller that you’ll one day be President. “You’re going to rule the nation. Don’t worry about your doggy; he’s a good boy. Have a leg of lamb. Mazel tov!” That scenario is similar to what Saul thought happened up until he realized he was talking to the prophet of the Living God. Instead of paying a fee to learn about missing livestock, Saul was receiving a down payment on discovering Israel’s deliverance. Instead of reading the future, the son of Kish was availing himself to the One who writes the future. What happens next to Saul is supernatural and changes his very self into something grander than his donkey-keeping would suggest. Saul may have looked the part of what the people were hoping for in a king: he was a tall man from a rich family in a fierce tribe. These were not enough on their own. The Lord still had to shape this Benjaminite into a leader. In the Lord’s mercy, Samuel played into Saul’s simple desire for fortune telling and tells him the future as a sign. When these come to pass, Saul is anointed with the Spirit and prophesizes amongst the prophets. From these initial moments, the evidence seems to be there. It looks like Saul may have a heart for the Lord and treasure the word of the Lord. Only time will tell what really lies in the center of Saul’s heart.