OUTWARD APPEARANCE. 1st Samuel 9. The whole narrative of Samuel and Saul is a sad and pitiful story of one chosen to be king over Israel. His early days were bright and full of promise, but his later days were marked by unbelief and disobedience, ending in suicide. It demonstrates the kind of person people want to lead them and the willingness of God to allow them what they desire. He uses this section of Israel's history as a teaching moment to explain why their choices are so limited. "Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart." When we choose people to lead us using our own template, we have boxed ourselves into the limitations of that person's weakest point of personality.
Saul's bright and promising days soon turned dark when he began doing things his way. Saul was a “choice young man” who had all the outward looks for when “man looks at the outward appearance.” In contrast, the people rejected Samuel, an old man, but he remained in close contact with God, “who looks on the heart.” Saul came from a notable family line in the tribe of Benjamin. Most of the men of one whole generation of the tribe of Benjamin were killed because of their immorality. But apparently, Saul's family had not been involved in that tragedy. His father, Kish, was a man of wealth and good standing in the tribe of Benjamin, although Saul, at least in words, depreciated that standing. A false sense of humility rooted in parentage does not really hide a self-centered person who is conscious of himself and how he appears to others. He could have been grateful for his lineage with a genuine sense of appreciation, but as was common with this man, he was the center of his own ego.
Despite Saul’s youth, good looks, height, and strength, he couldn’t find some donkeys. He is introduced in the narrative as a man who failed at a simple task. Samuel, though old, was able to tell him accurately where the donkeys were and that his father’s servants were looking for him. It is obvious that Saul was not concerned about spiritual things because he never bothered to see the prophet of God.
Disregarding the things of God reveals a person's heart and is a sign of the character within. Those who are conscious of their need for God, even in their early years, will find that “He is not far from every one of us.” Many people are like Saul. He wanted to know the way to the “seer’s house.” People want to go to heaven but are not looking for the One who is the Way to Heaven! The Lord Jesus is the One who makes heaven, heaven! Saul needed to meet Samuel, not his house. Sinners need to meet the Savior before they can go to His house, where “many mansions” are prepared for those who love Him.
Saul was the kind of person who met the people’s request for a king. Samuel had taken their request to the Lord in prayer, and God began to use ordinary circumstances in the life of Saul, the son of Kish, to lead him to a divine appointment. He was an outstanding man physically and naturally. Tall and imposing, with his apparent humility masking his insecurity, he was attractive to the people who wanted a man to be their king instead of God. He was a "choice young man" compared to the old "man of God." Saul's spiritual interests appeared to be very limited, if he had any at all. Saul's servant knew more about the man of God than Saul did, even though they were in the same family circle. Samuel lived not far from where Saul lived, but Saul apparently had no prior interest in knowing the man of God or hearing what he taught. His interest was in himself, not in spiritual things.
In our lives, we may not realize the significance of our normal activities until we look back and see how, unknown to us, divine appointments have changed our lives. Good and bad events affect us, and how we respond to them reflects the character we have built within us. Some character traits come from our gene pool. Others come from training in family life and other forms of education through life's experience. But basically, our character is built on what we allow to enter through our senses. Our lives are characterized by what takes up most of our attention. We are carnal if our interest in spiritual things is limited to how they help us reach our goals. Some people attend assembly meetings simply to interact with others and gain some material advantage. Others come because they are socially accepted by trusting people.
Saul is introduced as a seeker for what his father had lost. That reminds us of people today who are seeking the blessing of God that has been lost to us through sin, when the first Adam "by transgression fell." When Saul met Samuel at the gate, he did not recognize him. That is a common response among people who know about God and the Lord Jesus but do not know Him. His outburst in response to Samuel's words revealed the instability of Saul's character. Instead of dignified humility and respect, he seemed to feel inferior, at least in front of others, because of his background and parentage.
On the other hand, he revealed himself as a narcissistic young man who was worried about how things would affect him. He was quite concerned about himself. It seemed strange that he had nothing to give others. Even his servant had a bit of silver to lend to this young man, who felt entitled to things he could only get from others. He was the kind of young man who didn't take responsibility for his actions and expected others to take responsibility for his. He was one of those people who looked for others to blame for their faults and failures.
At Saul's first meeting with Samuel, we see the power and accuracy of God's word demonstrated through His servant. He was reminded of his own failure to find the donkeys and that they had already been found. He was brought to the place where he could recognize his need for divine guidance and learn how to act on it when it was given. He was also made aware that God knows everything about him and his deeds, and that even his inward attitude was known by God.
If he had been willing to learn, he would have learned to pass on authority to others without bitterness, envy, or jealousy. Samuel had none of these in his heart as he went about passing on to Saul the leadership role he had held for a lifetime. For the forty years of Saul's leadership, there was nothing but turmoil, uncertainty, division, and bitterness - even when it came time to pass on leadership. Saul's servant knew Samuel to be "a man of God" in his relationship with God. He knew Samuel was "held in honor" among people and that "all he says comes to pass," so he was a reliable prophet. Saul was slapping his pockets and looking in his knapsack to see if he had anything to give God through the man of God.
The contrast between Samuel and Saul is light and dark. Samuel had dignity and grace. Saul had pride and arrogance. Samuel was a spiritual man. Saul was a carnal man. God designated Saul as king, but he was never committed to God. Saul never found rest in his soul, so he never became God's man for the need that had to be met.
These principles apply in leadership today; we must give them the attention they deserve. It is important to listen to what others say. If the attitude is in us when we give something to God, thinking we have to give the Lord some little thing, it must insult our Lord after what He has freely given us. Actually, that is not evidence that one even knows the Lord.
There are three notable lessons we can learn from Saul. He could not recover what was lost, and we cannot expect an incapable person to recover those who wander from God. David was probably a shepherd boy, keeping his father's sheep even from the lion and the bear. What a contrast. Actually, Saul and his servant were lost.
A second lesson is that a person who does not know the man of God cannot lead God's people in the paths of the Lord's leading. A self-centered leader is not a holy person who can expect people to follow. Saul had never felt his need for Samuel as a priest. He just did things his own way for his own pleasure. A third lesson is that one who tries to lead and has nothing to give is ignorant of the grace of God. If that person feels they must give something trivial, it does not earn God's favor. Saul's servant had a little silver piece to give, which speaks of the atonement and redemption in the scripture.
Saul was to be the king the people of Israel wanted, driven by their natural desire to be like everyone else. He was young, good-looking, and naturally strong and able. He came from a good family, and he was seventh in line. In good and bad circumstances, God has a purpose. Saul’s lack of knowledge about Samuel shows his lack of knowledge of spiritual matters. He vacillated between feelings and convictions. He never became God’s man. He always felt inferior. He never let God’s love give him rest in his heart.
When God gives us what we want, we must be sure that what we want is what He wants. It is interesting to note that other young people were doing the right thing in the right place at the right time. They, in turn, could give directions to the right person. That is our role as God's people going about our daily business (those young women were going to get water), where we meet people looking for guidance on where to go or how to find the person to meet their needs. The city on a hill could only be reached by leaving the lowlands of worldly experience and ascending to the higher ground where people are in touch with God.
When we are doing what God wants us to do, we can give others the guidance they need. Those young people knew what was going on. They knew Samuel, the seer. They knew where to find him and where Saul could find him. They were focused on what mattered - people, not lost animals. People are always more important than things. One of the greatest services we can do for God is to point others to our Lord Jesus Christ, tell them where to find Him, and assure them of His welcome.
Saul first met Samuel at the gate and didn't recognize him. No one can enter the gate of heaven without knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. He is the Way to heaven. Saul may not have realized the importance of meeting the man of God, who could tell him what was in his heart, relieve his anxiety, tell him of the favor into which he had come, and show him the word of God. At the feast in Samuel's house, Saul was the guest of honor. The shoulder, which belonged to the priest as a symbol of his authority, was given to Saul, indicating the transfer of power from Samuel to Saul. Samuel acted with respect and dignity, for this godly old man realized that God had acquiesced to the people's desires and that the results would not be good. However, he did give respect to "God's anointed." The first meeting of these two concluded in the parlor of Samuel's house and then down at the end of the city. The last meeting of these two was in the house of a witch.
He was tall and handsome; everything about him was attractive to men. Those who heard him speak thought he was humble when he asked for help. He showed due respect to the judge when he came to him. But in him, as in us, is this tendency to trust what we see rather than what God has planned for us. We can easily mistake what is fake for truth, and the consequences of that mistake will cause many a man to stumble.
It is important that I stop and take the time necessary to see an event or work through God's eyes. Often, there is much I cannot see or touch that contradicts the leading and teaching of God’s Word. Even though it may seem like an easy way to accomplish a task, it can cause serious damage in the days ahead. Take the time to listen, and then commit only to those things that are true and that you know come from God.
The ideas and views of men can be deceiving if I look at them only through my earthly eyes. If I act without the Word of God as my guide, which I always should, failure in the things of God will soon pare me down to size. I always need to stop and pray, then see what God says about everything before I act in haste. In that way, I will see what God wants from me, and the results will be grounded in biblical facts.