1 Samuel 10:1-27
The Israelites requested a king, so God gave them a king. Once Saul's servants were sent away, Samuel anointed him with oil, kissed him and told him he did all that because he was the chosen one. God had appointed him to be ruler over Israel. No pressure. Then he told him to go back home because his father is more worried about him, since the donkeys have been returned.
Samuel prophesied to Saul about his returned trip. He told him who he would meet, what they would say, what he should do and what will happen next. The latter is the most important part. On his journey, Saul would come to a place called Gibeah of God, or Gibeath-elohim. In that place, the Holy Spirit would come over him and he would begin prophesying with the people he met there. He would be changed into a new person. Meanwhile, back on the farm, everyone was talking about Saul prophesying, but no one had heard about his anointing; and he didn't tell.
Later, Samuel finally made his way to Mizpah, where he called all the people together so they could receive their king. Of course, first, he had to remind them of what they were doing and how God felt about it. He said, 'God brought you out of Egypt and rescued you from your oppressors and misery, but you say you would rather have a king; God's not good enough'. Really? Hearing something like that about my actions or thoughts would really make me reassess and probably make some changes. But, the Israelites seemed to think that summed it up quite well, and were eager to "select" their new king.
So, Samuel brought all the tribes together and narrowed down to the king in the usual custom: tribe, clan, family, et cetera, until he got to Saul. Yay! Bring him up; he's our new king. We're so proud!...Where'd he go? Saul was hiding among the baggage (fairly ironic). They brought him out, standing tall amongst the crowd and Samuel declared that he was the one God chose to be their king. Of course, they were all pleased, shouting, "Long live the king!"
Samuel, then explained the rights and responsibilities of the king, wrote them down and placed it before the Lord. At that point, he sent everybody home, including Saul with a group of men whose hearts God also touched. Now, there were obviously some naysayers - there's at least one in every crowd - but Saul ignored them.
God did not like the fact that his people were turning away from him, requesting a replacement for him. He made that very clear, but they insisted. So, he picked someone to fill the position, though he knew it was doomed from the beginning; because that's what his people wanted. That is not to say that God is a pushover and will do whatever you ask of him if you whine and cry about it enough. That is to say that he will give you what you ask for to show you that you don't always know what's best for you.
The most interesting point, to me however, is that the person he chose could not do it "as is". He had to be changed. It was not God's intention for Israel to have a king, so there wasn't one just laying around. I don't know what criteria God used to decide, but even the chosen one had to be converted, by the Holy Spirit, into someone God could work through. Israel thought they were choosing, but God had already decided.
Our lives are the same. God has not changed; and he won't. He is still in control of every aspect of our lives. We are his people and he loves us. He gives us instructions and guidance to get us to where he wants us to be - with him. But, he is also a gentleman. He give us options and respects our free will. He will not force anything on us. There may be some strong encouragement from time to time, but ultimately, the decisions are ours to make. God always wants us to choose him, but he will stay with us when we don't, so that when we realize our mistake, he can get us right back on track.
God, thank you for your faithfulness to your, sometimes, unfaithful children. Thank you for your wisdom and direction, even though we don't always take heed. Please continue to be with us as you promise in your word. Never leave us, nor forsake us, though we occasionally do that very thing to you. Have mercy on us, Lord, as you did on the Israelites. Protect us when we go our own way. Remind us of the right path and help us to make better decisions in the future. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
The Israelites requested a king, so God gave them a king. Once Saul's servants were sent away, Samuel anointed him with oil, kissed him and told him he did all that because he was the chosen one. God had appointed him to be ruler over Israel. No pressure. Then he told him to go back home because his father is more worried about him, since the donkeys have been returned.
Samuel prophesied to Saul about his returned trip. He told him who he would meet, what they would say, what he should do and what will happen next. The latter is the most important part. On his journey, Saul would come to a place called Gibeah of God, or Gibeath-elohim. In that place, the Holy Spirit would come over him and he would begin prophesying with the people he met there. He would be changed into a new person. Meanwhile, back on the farm, everyone was talking about Saul prophesying, but no one had heard about his anointing; and he didn't tell.
Later, Samuel finally made his way to Mizpah, where he called all the people together so they could receive their king. Of course, first, he had to remind them of what they were doing and how God felt about it. He said, 'God brought you out of Egypt and rescued you from your oppressors and misery, but you say you would rather have a king; God's not good enough'. Really? Hearing something like that about my actions or thoughts would really make me reassess and probably make some changes. But, the Israelites seemed to think that summed it up quite well, and were eager to "select" their new king.
So, Samuel brought all the tribes together and narrowed down to the king in the usual custom: tribe, clan, family, et cetera, until he got to Saul. Yay! Bring him up; he's our new king. We're so proud!...Where'd he go? Saul was hiding among the baggage (fairly ironic). They brought him out, standing tall amongst the crowd and Samuel declared that he was the one God chose to be their king. Of course, they were all pleased, shouting, "Long live the king!"
Samuel, then explained the rights and responsibilities of the king, wrote them down and placed it before the Lord. At that point, he sent everybody home, including Saul with a group of men whose hearts God also touched. Now, there were obviously some naysayers - there's at least one in every crowd - but Saul ignored them.
God did not like the fact that his people were turning away from him, requesting a replacement for him. He made that very clear, but they insisted. So, he picked someone to fill the position, though he knew it was doomed from the beginning; because that's what his people wanted. That is not to say that God is a pushover and will do whatever you ask of him if you whine and cry about it enough. That is to say that he will give you what you ask for to show you that you don't always know what's best for you.
The most interesting point, to me however, is that the person he chose could not do it "as is". He had to be changed. It was not God's intention for Israel to have a king, so there wasn't one just laying around. I don't know what criteria God used to decide, but even the chosen one had to be converted, by the Holy Spirit, into someone God could work through. Israel thought they were choosing, but God had already decided.
Our lives are the same. God has not changed; and he won't. He is still in control of every aspect of our lives. We are his people and he loves us. He gives us instructions and guidance to get us to where he wants us to be - with him. But, he is also a gentleman. He give us options and respects our free will. He will not force anything on us. There may be some strong encouragement from time to time, but ultimately, the decisions are ours to make. God always wants us to choose him, but he will stay with us when we don't, so that when we realize our mistake, he can get us right back on track.
God, thank you for your faithfulness to your, sometimes, unfaithful children. Thank you for your wisdom and direction, even though we don't always take heed. Please continue to be with us as you promise in your word. Never leave us, nor forsake us, though we occasionally do that very thing to you. Have mercy on us, Lord, as you did on the Israelites. Protect us when we go our own way. Remind us of the right path and help us to make better decisions in the future. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Amen!
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