Episode Details

Purpose Driven Donkeys

1 Samuel 9:1-10:16, Remsen Bible Fellowship, 11/08/2020

Introduction:

Is God at work in every circumstance? That is a question to which we all need an answer. If God is asking me to trust him with my eternity, to place my faith in what he says in his word and what he’s done through his Son, don’t I need to know I can trust him in every circumstance? Some picture God as managing the flow of history in a broad sense, not really in control of the details, but making sure the general flow of things continues to head in the direction that he wants, and somehow he’ll pull it all together in the end. 

But is that how history works? Growing up I heard the story of Henry Shoemaker, a man living in Indiana in the first half of the 19th century. In 1842, Mr Shoemaker was at work in a farmer’s field when he realized that he had promised to cast his ballot for Madison Marsh, who was running for state representative. He saddled his horse and hightailed it for the nearest polling place-12 miles away. When the ballots were counted, Mr Marsh was elected-by one vote. Henry Shoemaker’s one vote mattered. Now, if we believe that God is in control of “big things” like setting up and tearing down rulers, it seems obvious that he is also Providentially guiding even the “small things”-like one more ballot in favor of Madison Marsh.

We need to know that God is in control of every little detail, and in the text this morning, we find God working details together as he answers the request of Israel, and provides them with a king.

Read the Text

That is a long text, but I think having all of that context will help us understand what is going on, as we drill down to see the main point: God is at work here. As we examine this passage I want to organize our thoughts under three headings: Provision, Providence, and Peculiarity. 

Provision

Remember that in chapter 8 the people had demanded a king. At the end of the chapter, we read Samuel telling the people, Go every man to his city (v22). Chapter 9 opens, then, in what seems to western eyes an unusual way. We get six generations of genealogy of this man of wealth or significance, Kish the Benjaminite. The presence of this genealogy is significant, however, because it marks a new phase in the book. Remember that chapter 1 opens with the genealogy of Elkanah as a way of introducing us to Samuel. In chapter 16 we will spend most of a chapter, not in genealogy, but in meeting the family of David. And here in chapter 9 we are introduced to the lineage of Kish as a way to bring attention to Saul. The author wants us to see that Saul will become the center of the story for the next several chapters, and he does so by situating him within a particular family context.

As for Saul, we read that he is a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. So the first we know of Saul is that he has an influential dad, and he looks the part of a king. But this may be our first indication that he might not be the best kingly material. As humans, we certainly want rulers who look the part. But is an impressive appearance what God looks for in a king? 1 Samuel 16:7, man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. We are being introduced to the man God will establish as Israel’s first king. But it seems that from the beginning the author is dropping hints that this might not be the sort of man who will be a man after God’s own heart. 

Saul is an unlikely figure. We see this in his own reaction, in 9:20b-21. Samuel says, And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? This could be understood as saying that everything good in this land will come to you, as ruler over the nation.