How Did We Get That Guy?

"But you have today rejected your God, who delivers you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have said, 'No, but set a king over us!' Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans." Thus Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the Matrite family was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was taken; but when they looked for him, he could not be found. Therefore they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?" So the LORD said, "Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage." (1 Samuel 10:19-22 NASB)

That Saul failed as king is not up for dispute.  God rejects him, and there are clear reasons for His doing so.  But sometimes we are so enamored with our perceptions and assumptions about God's qualities that fail to accept His qualities as they really are.  In this instance, the quality of God that He knows everything past and present begs the question, "Why choose Saul in the first place?" 

Believe it or not (more like you will believe it if you've been around "church people" for any length of time), this is a hotly contested issue.  People have strong opinions about it and woe to you should you disagree them. To disagree with them is to profane the very character of God; as if it is up to a single individual to protect.  It doesn't seem to phase them that there are so many of these "opinions" that offer different options, which also strive to protect the character of God. 

I suppose I just wonder if God simply chooses people, places them where they have the opportunity to succeed, and then uses their success or failure equally to achieve His ends.  Is it really possible that one guy can totally derail the plan of the One having created all this?  It seems unlikely to me.  Had Saul relented in his manic attempt to retain the monarchy and transitioned it over to David, what would have been different?  Perhaps the country would have had 12 more years of David as king, Abner might have survived (hard call on that one), and the country would have enjoyed more success over the Philistines.

But would David have gone to the Philistines?  Would he then have obtained the technology of iron?  Would he have been at the battle of Mt. Gilboa where Israel was defeated, and had he, would he have survived?  There were some important advantages that David gained on the run from Saul: the core of his fighting men, iron, and an insiders understanding of Israel's greatest foe.  In this instance, the way it played out, God accomplished some things through David that were of tremendous value. 

I suppose the lesson I learn here is that my Master's plans are not in danger from incomprehensible choices on His part.  Someone or something may sound ridiculous, it may fail by my estimation, and yet it cannot cause my Master's plan to fail.  The thing is, I don't have to understand it; that's the hard part.  I want to have an opinion, and fight about it, and defend the character of my Master, but He really doesn't need me to do anything other than obey Him.  His character is what it is, and will never conform to my rational faculties.  Nor will my rational faculties ever be able to encompass all of Who He is.  And I need to be okay with that.

Humble Beginnings = Good Beginnings

When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.  Now Saul's uncle said to him and his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they could not be found, we went to Samuel."  Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me what Samuel said to you."  So Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found." But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom which Samuel had mentioned. (1 Samuel 10:13-16 NASB)

Saul had a wild day that day.  On his way back to his father, he and his servant met people who confirmed the word of Samuel that their donkeys had been found, gave them bread for their journey, and finally Saul was "possessed" of the Spirit of God, and prophesied with a company of prophets.  He winds up at a high place of worship, and there his uncle finds him.  He has been told that he will be his peoples first king, and the three meetings confirm the word of Samuel.  But he's not sure.

There are a lot of problems with Saul's character that come out in later chapters, but there is much that indicates he at least started well.  The weight of ruling Israel weighed heavy on him at the outset, and he wasn't one to rush in and take the reigns lightly or eagerly.   Later they can't find him because he was hiding among the baggage.

In a sense he is a reluctant king.  In the sense that he is, it speaks well of him.  He didn't seize power, he didn't expect the acclaim, he didn't jump at the opportunity when offered.  He took the role very seriously, and I believe, when his history is examined, he does so all through his reign.  It may be that those reluctant to take the reigns of leadership are better suited to do so.  Yet not every great leader in Scripture fits this characteristic.  Saul does.

Interestingly, where he is reluctant to take it, he is manic to keep it.  Really, his fight with David is over whether or not he will have a "dynasty" not remain king.  I believe he understands that David will not overthrow him, but he is equally clear that his son will not become king with David around.  Yet his beginning is very humble, and not in show, but in character.

I learn from this that humility is important to have at the outset of a task or role my Master gives me, but it is also important to maintain.  I don't do so well at this, especially as success comes in the midst of the task assigned to me.  It's often easy to become comfortable, the confident, and then to take the task for granted, as if I'm either owed or have earned the role. 

Saul missed that his role was less about him and more about God and His people.  I will be more happy and experience more peace when I remember that my roles and tasks given by my Master are always about Him and His people rather than about me.  If I can maintain that understanding and cling to it throughout the role and task, then I will be able to maintain that right standing before my Master; the standing where humility is just part of who I am rather than a characteristic I display only at the outset.  This is especially difficult for me at work, and it unfortunately shows in my attitude.  I need to readdress this.

More Going On Than Donkeys

Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, "Please tell me where the seer's house is."  Samuel answered Saul and said, "I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is on your mind.  As for your donkeys which were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father's household?"  Saul replied, "Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?"  Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who were invited, who were about thirty men. (1 Samuel 9:18-22 NASB)

 Saul and his servant go up to find Samuel in the city where they wind up while looking for his father's donkeys.  As they ask Samuel for the way to find Samuel, his answer to them has to be baffling.  They are trying to get some idea of what to do about their quest to find lost donkeys.  Samuel's answer reveals that there is a lot more going on than lost donkeys.

I read this, and it's easy to blaze right over it without thinking about what was in Saul's mind.  He gets such a bad rap in Scripture that we tend to discount him and not wonder that deeply about the events from his perspective.  That's really a dangerous error to make, because I find that I can fall into similar traps as he did very easily.  I need to learn from him what not to do, what I can do differently to avoid the things he did to finally become rejected by God.

So, here, Saul is baffled.  It is evident in his response to Samuel.  But I wonder about what else is in his mind.  he doesn't seem to mind eating with Samuel, doesn't have any qualms about eating the choice cut of meet, or spending the evening with Samuel.  He seems to be willing to forget donkeys at the moment, and go with his circumstances.  So he is baffled, but not put off. 

I have to remember his pedigree here.  He's handsome, so he's probably used to getting attention.  He's tall, so he rarely escapes attention.  His dad is a "mighty man of valor" so he's used to tough brave talk, fighting, and so on.  So, on the surface, yes, he's from the smallest tribe, but Benjamin was also a "preferred" tribe since Benjamin was a favorite of Jacob.  Sure his family may be the smallest of Benjamin, but his dad is known, and so is he.  My point is that Saul may be baffled, but he's probably not entirely out of his element.

I'm not sure why this is important, or even if it is, but I want to spend some time making sure.  Do I need to learn that I should be more uncomfortable with attention?  Do I need to be less judgmental when I run across someone who isn't uncomfortable with attention?  Is Saul wrong here?  Is he demonstrating a lack of humility?  Should I be wary of such attention?  It's not like "acting humble" works.  I'm either humble or I'm not in a given situation.

I guess what I take away from this is not to jump to conclusions too quickly.  If, looking at this situation from the perspective of what I know about his later failures, I say that here he's showing a lack of humility, then I also am being harder on him than I would be on myself.  I know my context, how I change and learn from one event to the next.  Why not give this character the same opportunity?  What if he's simply going with the flow, which is part of his undoing later.  That's a very different problem than pride.  Sometimes it's not a "problem" at all; sometimes it's a sign of faith.  The difference is in the context.

The thing is that I really don't know. The question is, can I be okay with that, and not try to pretend I do know?  So often the context is missing, so how could I really know?  But I bow to the idol I create of how I think others think of me, and try to play the educated person, the knowledgeable person.  Whether I pull it off or not is irrelevant.  That I try is the idolatrous practice indicating an idol in my life; something that has replaced my Master in my heart.  Defeating this evil, that brings true humility, and I won't have to act humble, it will simply be part of who I am.  That would be nice.  Now where did I put my idol-smashing hammer?  It was just here.

Remind Me Why They Have a King?

Now a day before Saul's coming, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel saying, "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me." (1 Samuel 9:15-16 NASB)

In the previous chapter, Samuel wrangles with the people's demand for a king, and what that means for the country and for him.  Here, the king is coming, and Samuel is about to discover him.  But the reasoning from God is now different.  It is more his response to the problem of the Philistines, which another passage prior said weren't a problem during Samuel's life.  It's not a huge issue, but it's worth looking at for a simple reason: it appears contradictory.

In 1 Samuel 7: 13 it says that the Philistines were subdued and did not come anymore within the border of Israel.  And the hand of Yahweh was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.  Why then in 1 Samuel 9:16 does God now say, "...and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines.  For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me."  These seem to be at odds.  Or are they?

When the Philistines are defeated in chapter 7, Samuel is setting up a stone, not out there whacking Philistines.  God did the real work, and the people chased after the retreating foe.  Samuel really wasn't some strategic or tactical combat leader.  Sure he was effective, but only in keeping the people tied to God.  God did the "rescuing" from their enemies.

When they come to Samuel in chapter 8, they want a king so they can be like the other nations.  There are lots of "nations" made of single cities, and several made up of several kings, but the commonality was that these kings ruled out of success in combat.  It was different to have Samuel, a "nerd" leader, who didn't lead into combat.  They wanted a "battle chief".  So, God finds one for them.

So, it's not that the people weren't delivered from the hand of the Philistines at that point, it was that God has decided to acquiesce to their request and deliver them a different way.  Saul would also deliver God's people from the hand of the Philistines.  For their cry was not that God deliver them from the Philistines but that God grant them the credibility among their neighbors that is brought by a military king.

I wonder if I sometimes get what I ask for because my Master has "regarded" me and my "cry" has come to Him as well.  Where it's not that I need something, or that I'm in any danger, but that my Master has heard me and gives what I want.  It seems dangerous, but only in a limited fashion.  I can only assume that my Master would give me something that is not contrary to His purpose for me, and that will continue to bring glory to His name.  I may not like how these things are accomplished, but they will not fail because my Master has given me what I asked for.  I can also assume that when He doesn't give me what I want, that what I want does not accomplish those things; at least not the way He has chosen to bring them about. 

This does a few things for me.  First, I can ask without fear.  What I ask will never thwart my Master.  Second I can be sure what comes my way, whether I asked for it or not, fits in His purpose and brings Him glory.  If I don't get my request, what I do get is what fits His design more.  These are comforting things to know.

What Shall We Bring?

1Sa 9:5-8
5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let us return, or else my father will cease to be concerned about the donkeys and will become anxious for us.” 6 He said to him, “Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor; all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there, perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have set out.” 7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sack and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” 8 The servant answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have in my hand a fourth of a shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us our way.”
(NASBStr)

Saul and his 'boy' had been through several regions looking for the donkeys of Saul's father. Saul wants to return, but his servant mentions the 'seer' in this city (Zuph?), and they decide to ask him. But Saul is concerned that they have no gift to bring. All they want to do is find out which way to travel, but want to be able to pay for the service.

How often do I simply assume what I want from my pastor is just part of my normal tithe and offerings? Samuel received from the circuit he made judging, he participated in sacrifices, and was well supplied from his 'services', why did Saul assume he had to pay him?

It is possible this is how Samuel's sons started taking bribes and possible 'corruption' was just an assumed part of a seers role. But I suspect that there was more involved. Saul and his boy seem to understand that Samuel lived off the services he provided, and that those who received the services contributed to that living.

So in my participation at my place of worship, among my fellow worshippers, do I contribute to the living of those living off the service they provide to me? Or do I assume what I tithe is sufficient for both my Master's work and my Master's servants?

Don't get me wrong, it is necessary to tithe, but isn't that to my Master? What if whatever is above the tithe is for His servants living off their service? There are passages which say that the portion of the tribe of Levi was the tithes and sacrifices of the people. But doesn't that just mean they live off their service rather than stipulate that's all they get, the tithes? What about the offerings that aren't tithes? What about the services they provide in teaching the people? They decide on holiness issues and inquire of God on the people's behalf. What about these services which don't have a 'share' per se?

I think I can grow in this area. I think I can widen my view of my participation in contributing to the living of those living off their service to my Master. I think this will only glorify my Master more. I suspect blessings await me, favor from my Master, if I grow in this area. They are His servants; how can helping them not bring favor from my Master? Don't I receive an immediate benefit just in the service they provide to my Master? In a sense I'm just returning the favor.

The Essence of a King

1Sa 9:1-2
1 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. 2 He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.
(NASBStr)

God says that, while man looks at the appearance of a person, He looks at the heart. Often, though, His choices seem to coincide with what people look at, the appearance.

Here Saul's pedigree is excellent, of a favored tribe, son of a mighty man of valor. His appearance is excellent, tall, dark,  and handsome. He is the epitome of a king. But does he have the essence?

I have to go back to the fact he is my Master's choice. His heart must have held the essence of a king if my Master chose him. The story goes that Saul fails, but that is not because my Master chose poorly. The people agreed to Saul, they didn't chose him. Samuel only gives them one choice. The God of Israel chose Saul. So what happens to him is not a product of his appearance, nor is it his pedigree. His failure is not because he didn't have the heart of a king.

I have to accept that my Master's choices are right, regardless of what they look like on the front end, or on the backend. I can't judge my Master's choices or actions by 'pragmatic' standards either. Neither can I decide on what was my Master's will only by 'what works' as if only what succeeds in my mind is his will.

What I learn from Saul's pedigree and appearance is that what see on the outside can't be what I use to evaluate usefulness to my Master. Nor can I use their success or failure to determine whether they were called in the first place.

Paul's said that servants of my Master stand or fall in His eyes, not mine. And that my Master enables them to stand. If they fall, it's the servant's choices, not the choice of my Master on the front end. I need to understand that as I serve my church, and as I see myself. It helps to support my church leaders, and see myself as my Master sees me.

Don't Take It Personal, Or Do

But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD. The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day -- in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods -- so they are doing to you also. (1 Samuel 8:6-8 NASB)

 One of the things about prayer that often escapes a believer in Jesus is that it opens the person praying to the scrutiny of their Maker.  It's not like He only sees us in prayer, but prayer is often the time we're listening or the closest to listening we come.  So we are most likely to hear a corrective word at those times.

Samuel goes to God in prayer because the people he's been judging have asked for a king instead.  The request displeased him, so he prayed.  That's a good idea, a pattern we can all follow.  When displeased, pray.  Actually that's just one of tons of reasons to pray.  But it is one.  It's the one where what is sought is perspective, but it's also one of the more likely reasons to invite that divine scrutiny.

God starts by pointing out that this is not about Samuel.  Right off the bat, God points out that "...they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them."  Samuel doesn't want to oblige the people.  God says to do it.  But hidden in the reason is an acknowledgement that this is also a rejection of Samuel.

God ties the desire of the people for a king to their rejection of Him as king over them, but also to their prior deeds of serving other gods.  Then he acknowledges that this is a rejection of Samuel.  The point is that, while it may involve Samuel, it's not about Samuel.  This is really about God.  God helps Samuel re-frame the problem in a way that he can see how this is about God, and the people's rejection of their God as king.

I have to admit that my prayer times are dangerous, vulnerable times as well.  I'm not always ready to hear that what I'm facing isn't about me at all.  I tend to think that, if I'm involved, it's about me.  Even caught between my customers and my company, as I so often am, is a problem about my Master rather than me.  Sure, I'm involved, directly involved.  But when I place myself as the central character, all the things I cannot control weigh on me in ways that are simply frustrating.  The thing is, if I can't control them, then they aren't mine to carry.

Essentially, to be thought well of by my customers, I engage in the "middleman" role in trying to get their issue with our product fixed.  It's not wrong to place myself in this position, it's wrong to do to look good to my customer.  I do want their repeat business, but when I try to please them, I am wrongly motivated, and in danger of idolatry.  What my Master does is help me re-frame my understanding of these circumstances as service to Him.

When a customer has a problem, I help them bridge the gap between their problem and the solutions buried deep in my company's murky inner workings.   I do so because that is what my Master did for me.  What I was incapable of doing for myself He did.  I didn't even really understand the problem, even describing it.  I didn't know that the solution for my lack of peace and constant fear was a relationship with the Master of the universe.  My customers don't really know what the problem is, just what the effects are on them.

So, when I pray, my frustrations, my whining, my complaints, my anger, all the things I take to my Master that I think are so much about me wind up being the things He uses to teach me to die to myself a bit more.  It's ironic, but He also acknowledges that I am involved.  He did this with Samuel when He says, "...so now they are doing to you also." What that meant for Samuel is that God was going to use him in this transition just as He had been using him before.  What it means for me is that in these circumstances I face, God is using me.  Perhaps to bless my customers, to alleviate their frustrations, or maybe even to help them re-frame their understanding that this isn't as much about them as they thought.

So, it's not about me, but my Master uses me in the midst of it.  This is why He has called me to be a servant to my King.  He wants me available to Him.  When I get focused on myself, my frustrations, and my problems, I'm not as available.  He refocuses me on Him, and then involves me in what He is doing.  Did I mention this happens in prayer?  Can you imagine what I lose when I don't take time to pray?  Blind frustration with the wrong thing is a poor substitute to usefulness in my Master's Kingdom.  You'll have to excuse me, I have to go talk with my my King.