It just baffles. How a man could start very well, on a very good note and in a very high spirit, but ended badly, sadly and disastrously!
That was the case of Saul, the first king of Israel!
Let us recall how Saul became King. His father Kish, son of Abiel, from tribe of Benjamin, was a wealthy and influential man. He had many cattle. Some of them got missing. Saul, his son, took his own servant and went in search of the missing donkeys. They wandered all regions for days without any luck. Saul almost called off the search when his servant said to him, “Wait! In this town there is a holy man who is highly respected because everything he says comes true. Let's go to him, and maybe he can tell us where we can find the donkeys” (1 Sam.9:6).
In those days, prophets were called seers. Whenever someone wanted to ask God a question, he would say, "Let's go to the seer."
This was how Saul came in contact with prophet Samuel.
Before they met, God had said to Samuel, “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the tribe of Benjamin; anoint him as ruler of my people Israel, and he will rescue them from the Philistines. I have seen the suffering of my people and have heard their cries for help” (1 Sam.9:16).
The scripture described Saul almost in superlative terms! "Saul, a handsome man, in his prime of life...a head taller than anyone else in Israel and more handsome as well." It was a description that paints a picture of almost a perfect gentleman!
When Samuel, the seer, caught sight of Saul, God said to Samuel, "This is the man I told you about. He will rule my people" (1 Sam.9:17). Samuel anointed Saul king of Israel.
It was not long, God said to Samuel, “I am sorry that I made Saul king!” (1 Sam.15:11). Boiling in anger, Samuel went in search of Saul, as Saul had gone in search of missing donkeys before he was made king. Samuel confronted him and said, “You rejected the Lord's command, and he has rejected you as king of Israel” (1 Sam.15:26).
As Samuel was about to leave, Saul grabbed Samuel by his garment, and it rented apart! Samuel turned, looked at Saul, and said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today and given it to someone who is a better man than you. Israel's majestic God does not lie or change his mind. He is not a human being—he does not change his mind” (1 Sam.15:28-29).
The questions that have often been raised are:
1. Where did Saul miss it?
2. Was God's choice of Saul a mistake, in the first place?
3. What did you think God saw in Saul before choosing him?
Let's know what is your take in all of this. Kindly share your views with us.
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