In this chapter Saul is anointed King, the Spirit of God comes upon Him, and he is proclaimed king before all of Israel.
“Now Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah. And he said to the people of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.” But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, “Set a king over us.” Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.’ And when [Saul] stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said to all the people, ‘Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.’ And all the people shouted, ‘Long live the king!’ ” (v17-19,23b-24)
Israel rejects God in place of a fallible, mortal man who we later find out is a less-than-ideal leader. The people seem to think they know their needs better than God knows their needs, or, that they can meet their own needs better than God can. Either way, there are many passages about foolishness in the Bible (read any chapter from Proverbs for example).
What really boggles my mind is this short phrase near the chapter’s end: “Long live the king.” Um, Jesus our King is eternal, and cannot die since being transfigured – long live our King. According to scripture, we humans are quite short-lived in our physical bodies: “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (Jas 4:14b) “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.” (Job 14:1) “As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.” (Psa 103:15-16) The rock band Kansas even realized this truth, and wrote a song stating “all we are is dust in the wind”.
In whom/what does our faith lie? In someone/something that shall perish, or in the One who reigns eternally, our God without beginning or end (the Alpha and Omega)? Our eternal Jesus / God promises us eternal spiritual life after this brief physical life – no human leader can give us that gift from their own power, no matter how “powerful” they are (their “power”, is really just “influence” by the way).
I encourage us to continue investing our hope and faith in He who is eternal, consistently turning our eyes toward God and Jesus, and building up treasure where thieves cannot break in and moths cannot destroy. Though Saul was the tallest and most handsome man in all of Israel, God is far more glorious in appearance and immeasurable in size, so great He is beyond compare (how can you compare the infinite universe to an electron?). Let’s rely on His power and deliverance, not on our own limited wisdom or strength.
Father God, our most High and Glorious Lord, You alone are our King. Father please direct our eyes solely toward You, giving You all of the honor, glory and praise. May we turn away from any idols in our lives, removing them from the high places and worship You alone. May we seek You in the morning, afternoon and evening, consistently coming to You in prayer and obedience. You are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, greater than all of time and space. In the name of Jesus, He who defeated the curse of sin and death, we praise Your name forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training