Have you ever accomplished something you never dreamed you could, or better yet, have you ever been so overwhelmed by the Spirit of God that you just knew what you knew, no doubt about it? We don’t all get to experience such miraculous moments as Saul did. Just like several others before him, he went from a young man in a low position straight to king in what seems like on paper in one day! I don’t really think all this happened in one day. Verse 17 begins with “Later Samuel called all the people …,” and we don’t really know how long “later” was, but it seems pretty speedy. It also seems like young Saul didn’t have quite enough time to process and accept all that was happening to him. I love this picture of him “hiding among the baggage.” Can’t you just see him crouching down under bundles of bound-up clothing and maybe even some leather luggage? Cracks me up. It also reminds me that many, many citizens had traveled to Mizpah in order to hear Samuel’s message. It took some time for all this to take place, and wow, what an event it must have been! All for young Saul – who “stood head and shoulders above anyone else.” Let’s note Saul’s stature as we continue to read his story.
After Saul was pulled out of hiding and basically forced to accept his role as king, Samuel made good and sure everyone knew what they were getting into. He told the people not only what a king’s duties were but also what a king’s rights were. This is big, and Samuel knew it, so he wrote it down and “placed it before the Lord.” Beautiful. Even though God wasn’t a fan of appointing a king, the entire act still needed and required God’s blessing to make it work. God was good to accept Samuel’s dedication, and it looks like from the last paragraph that Saul will be needing God’s blessing PDQ (pretty darn quick)!
Writing: grace
God shows extreme grace in these last few chapters by letting the Israelites appoint a king. God could have thrown a fit about it and just let the Israelites fend for themselves, but He didn’t. He helped them. He found a leader. He instructed Samuel how to choose him, and He changed Saul’s heart so that young Saul could wrap his head around what was happening. Awesome. Write a story about God’s grace today. If you have an awesome story like Saul’s, sweet. If you don’t, don’t fret. God’s grace is everywhere, and sometimes the smallest blessings count in the biggest ways.
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