Did You Ask?

 

“for apart from Me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5b

 

Have you ever been in a set circumstances that you just can’t understand?  Someone has said or done something that makes no sense and you’re left wondering what is going on?

 

In 1 Samuel 10, Samuel had already anointed Saul and told him that he would be the first King of Israel (1 Samuel 10:1). Samuel called the tribes of Israel together for a public ceremony to appoint him.  Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin, the youngest of the sons, so the last to be called.

By the time Samuel calls Saul, the crowd has been waiting through a long process. Saul hid himself.

Samuel had already rebuked Israel for rejecting God and insisting on a King (1 Samuel 10:19). He had them divide into tribes. They had to wait. I’m sure they were excited to know who would be chosen as King (1 Samuel 8:4-5). Saul is called by name. He hides. The people had to be wondering why a man would act like this!

1 Samuel 10:21b – 24 says, “He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot; and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot.  But when they sought him, he could not be found.  So they inquired again of the LORD, “Is there a man still to come?” and the LORD said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said to all the people, ‘Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen?  There is none like him among all the people.’ And all the people shouted, ‘Long live the king!’”

Did Saul think he was not qualified, was it false humility or had Samuel’s warning that the people had sinned scare him? We do not know why he would allow all those people to wait while they looked for him. We are told that the people “inquired of the Lord.”

It is amazing to see what God was doing in these verses.

When the Israelites called to Him, He was right there ready to help. He had instructed Samuel to rebuke the people for wanting a King, because it was a rejection of God’s rule.  But, when they called on Him, He answered. He told them where to find their King.

The lesson here seems to be that though God’s people had rejected Him, they had to acknowledge that they were unable to do anything without Him – even find a man who has hidden from them!  God did not step out and tell them or move Saul forward in some mysterious way.  He waited until His people inquired of Him and then He told them where to find their King.

In our difficult situations in this life, when we are confused about our circumstances, or we don’t understand what people are doing, do we ask God for help?

He is the One who knows (Daniel 2:20-22, Matthew 6:8) but, He waited until He was asked.