“But when they looked or him, he was not to be found. So they inquired further of the Lord. “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord said “Yes, He has hidden himself among the supplies.” (1 Samuel 10:21-22 NIV)
The people were ready to install Saul as king. He had already been anointed by the prophet. The tribes were gathered for the coronation and Saul was AWOL. Nowhere to be found. Like to the point that the priests had to inquire of the Lord as to his whereabouts. The about-to-be king was found hiding in the luggage!
This is not a great indicator as to Saul’s potential leadership. It’s long been said that the way we begin a thing is the way we’ll end a thing. Saul started off his very first day as a sovereign hiding from his first official task. A further study of his reign will reveal his growing cowardice and paranoia. Saul may have looked like a great candidate for king – a head taller than the rest – but he had some serious internal issues he needed to work though.
Sadly, Saul doesn’t rise to the task of self-government. He could have accepted the kingship and in the same breath subjected himself to a mentor relationship with the prophet Samuel. He could have humbled himself to receive Holy Spirit help in his story. Unfortunately, Saul went on to struggle under the weight of the crown. He wound up leading from his own strength, which was faltering at best, instead of leaning into the Lord to cover his weakness. His leadership proved to be a challenge for his entire nation.
What can we learn from Saul’s coronation? Fear can keep us from fully engaging in the thing God has called us to. But there’s a better way. We can take our obvious weakness right to the throne room and ask the King of All for strength to address the task at hand.
We know that Saul’s first endeavor as king should have been to embark on a personal copy of the law. We know Samuel covered the instruction in his installation service. (1 Samuel 10:25) I wonder if Saul complied with the directive? And did he write out Joshua 1:8-9? If he had, he would have done well to memorize it also, to tuck it into his spirit for hard leadership days. It might have made all the difference. It’s not too late for us to grab hold of it.
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:8-9 NIV)
Lord, we struggle to rise to the tasks that You call us to: leadership, parenting, service, suffering. Like King Saul, we are tempted to hide in the luggage of our lives, retreating from the tough assignments. Forgive us. Re-equip us with Your Word. May we bury scripture deep in our hearts and may it move us forward in faith, not fear. Help us admit our weakness freely and walk forward in Your strength. Amen.