AN INDISCRIMINATE LORD

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water, and they asked them, "Is the seer here?"

"He is," they answered. "He's ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time."

They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place.

Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: "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."

When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, "This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people."

Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, "Would you please tell me where the seer's house is?"

"I am the seer," Samuel replied. "Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family?"

Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?"

Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited—about thirty in number. Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside."

So the cook took up the leg with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, "Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion, from the time I said, 'I have invited guests.' " And Saul dined with Samuel that day.

After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. They rose about daybreak and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get ready, and I will send you on your way." When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us"-and the servant did so-"but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God."

Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the Lord anointed you leader over his inheritance? When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, 'The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, "What shall I do about my son?" '

"Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.

"After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

"Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do."

1 Samuel 9:11-27, 10:1-8

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Earlier in Chapter 9 of 1st Samuel, Saul and his servant were searching for his father’s lost donkeys. Ready to give up looking, Saul follows the suggestion of his servant that they ask a local seer who had a reputation as a man of God who always highly respected by the people and always spoke the truth. So Saul and his servant went looking for the man who was none other than Samuel himself.

As they were approaching Samuel’s town, Saul and his servant encountered “some girls coming out to draw water” and so they asked them if the seer was there. The girls said that he was in town for that day to be with the people as they had a “sacrifice at the high place”. They told them that could catch Samuel before the sacrifice began if they hurried ahead. And so Saul and the servant did as the girls said and found Samuel just before they entered the town.

You would have thought that meeting the two men would have been a surprise for Samuel but we learn where it was not so. God can take what would seem ordinary and make it extraordinary. This was no different.

For we read where the Lord had given Samuel a revelation the day before Saul arrived saying to Samuel, “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."

And so when Samuel just caught sight of Saul, he knew he was the man that God had told him about…the man who would govern the people…the selected king of Israel.

Of course, Saul has no prior knowledge of this. He’s still trying to locate his father’s donkeys and is coming to Samuel for that explicit purpose. But Saul doesn’t have the vision of God that Samuel has and, not surprisingly, is unaware that it is Samuel who is approaching. We know this because Saul asks Samuel, “Would you please tell me where the seer's house is?" To which Samuel tells Saul that he is the seer he seeks.

So Saul has found the seer he has been looking for but he doesn’t get the information he seeks right away. For Samuel tells Saul to “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family?" Samuel’s words come as a surprise to Saul. For he wasn’t just given information regarding the donkeys but about his future…a future that would have “all the desire of Israel” turned to him and his family.

Saul doesn’t understand. How could he be elevated to such a position? After all he is from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, Benjamin, and even then, his clan is the least of all the clans in that tribe. Why Samuel would even tell him such a thing? For it would be an impossibility for what Samuel said to happen. From a worldly perspective, maybe, but not with God.

So Samuel would invite Saul to dine with him before having him stay the night while sending his servant ahead. He asked Saul to stay because Samuel had “message from God” to give him.

So what was the message? Scripture tells us that “Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head” before kissing him and saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you leader over His inheritance?” Indeed, Saul had been anointed king of Israel…king over the Lord’s inheritance.
Samuel then sent Saul away, giving him several events that would serve as signs for him. He finished by saying that “once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do."

And so Saul left, knowing that He had been chosen by God to lead His people. He knew that God was with him and all he needed to do was wait seven days for Samuel to return to him before he would receive further instruction as to what he was to do. Unfortunately, we will see where Saul doesn’t waste any time showing a willingness to squander all that God had given to him.

Despite what is to come, we do learn a very important thing about the Lord in this scripture. For we serve an indiscriminate Lord…a Lord who is willing to do anything through anyone, regardless of that person’s earthly stature or status.

In the case of Saul, we learned that he wasn’t some descendant of royalty or from some powerful tribe or clan. No…Saul was from the smallest tribe and the least significant clan in that tribe. If one were to predict where the first king of Israel might come from, Saul’s tribe and clan would almost certainly not be considered as a possibility. And yet, God had chose Saul to be king.

Friends, never underestimate the Lord and what He is willing to do at any particular time through any particular person. Never doubt for a moment that He can and will use you in amazing ways for amazing purposes. For we can do all things through Him who gives us strength. (Philippians 4:13). If it’s God’s will for you to do something, then you can and will do it as long as you trust Him. For in the end, it’s not really you doing the Lord’s work but the Lord doing His work in and through you. We are merely instruments of His will…used by Him to edify so that in the end He might be glorified.

So what might God have in store for you in your life? Don’t rule out anything. Because we serve an indiscriminate Lord…who loves us all equally…and can do all things through anyone He so chooses. We need only be ready when we are chosen. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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