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Saul had everything going for him. He came from a family of prominence and wealth. His father was most likely a feudal lord – a landowner and a leader in times of war. Saul was handsome and striking in his appearance being taller than all the rest. He was a man among men and someone whom people surely admired.
“About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me.”
1 Samuel 9:16 NASB
An interesting phrase to consider is the translation “prince over my people.” Notice, God does not say king or royal heir. The Hebrew word used here ‘nagid’ can also mean ruler or leader. The KJV uses the word ‘captain.’ Why not king?
The royal line was with Judah.
“Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up? 10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Genesis 49:9-10 NASB
This is a HUGE detail that foreshadows what is to come over the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. God did not see Saul as a fulfillment of prophecy in his kingly leadership. He was simply seen as a leader or commander. This was due to the people’s impatience with wanting a king like the other nations and deciding that they no longer would view God as their rightful King. This does not mean, however, that God was not involved in the decision. In fact, He would be the one to choose Saul so the people could experience what happens when they take matters into their own hands.
“He didn’t step off His throne just because Israel asked Him to. He would indeed give them a king, but He would send a flawed king to a flawed Israel.”
David Guzik
This is an important reminder for us. God may give us what we want in our impatience and selfishness, but in the end, it may not be what we really need.