Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, “Has the man come here yet?”
And the Lord answered, “There he is, hidden among the baggage.”
— First Samuel 10:22
A little while after Samual anointed him, when the king was to be publicly chosen by lot from among God’s people, it seems Saul was still hoping it would not be him. After all, the chances of being chosen by lot from among so many people seemed remote. But once the tribe of Benjamin was chosen, and then his clan was chosen from among Benjamin, Saul probably began to realize Samuel might have been right. Thus, by the time his name was called, Saul was nowhere to be found. The people had to ask God where he was, and God had to tell them he was hiding among all the baggage (1 Sam. 10:22). No one could have accused Saul of being ambitious for the kingship!
Saul was probably grateful for having been given a new heart and being filled with the Spirit (1 Sam. 10:9–10). He might have said, “Thank you for everything, it’s a great honor…but I think there’s been some mistake. I don’t want to be king!” Yet when the people looked at him after finding him among the piles of tents and luggage, they saw that he was indeed attractive and stood head and shoulders above the rest. No one else seemed as qualified as him.
Adapted from David: After God’s Heart, pages 29-30.
Tomorrow: “Saul Established as King of Israel” (1)