1 Sa. 9: Donkey-Finding Mission Goes Awry

1 Samuel 9:16: "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me."

This is a story about a guy who's a head taller than the rest of the Israelites. And one day, donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish wandered off. These donkeys were very important to Kish, so he sent his son to go find these donkeys and bring them back. Stupid donkeys. Don't know where they are in life. Don't know enough to stay in a place prepared for them.

Anyway, Kish sends Saul with a servant to find them, but they just couldn't. Finally, enough was enough, and Saul decided to turn back to avoid worrying his father. The servant realizes that a nearby town has a seer (Samuel), which is what they called the prophets, who can tell them the way to take. To take back home or to take to find the donkeys, I'm not sure.

Anyway, God had gone ahead and told Samuel who to expect. Which I find amazing. Can you imagine someone telling you something that was going to happen, and then tomorrow it happens? Ah, that still gives my chills. What an amazing thing that could happen.

It turns out to be Saul, and he dines with Samuel.

One note in particular is how God deals with this anointing of a king. God, rejected by his people, selects someone from those people, has compassion on their cries. More interesting is how God says this person will deliver God's people from the hand of the Philistines. Of course, I could only expect that it would be God pulling the strings, but its interesting here that he implies this king would deliver his people. God is giving in here.