We've talked about how Saul is not going to possess the right qualities, spiritually speaking, to be the king of Israel. And we've talked about how he's going to levy heavy taxes and all sorts of other burdensome requirements upon the people. But that doesn't mean his administration won't accomplish some good for the nation. Just as the Lord used Samson (a very carnally-minded man) to help the Israelites in their fight against the Philistines, the Lord will also use Saul to help push back against this enemy of Israel.
Yesterday we were told that Saul's father, Kish, is a well-to-do and prominent man. He owns much livestock and today some of that livestock goes missing. "Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, 'Take one of the servants with you and go look for the donkeys.' So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them." (1 Samuel 9:3-4)
We find Saul being obedient to his father, which is an admirable quality. He respects his father and cares about his father's feelings, as we will see momentarily. Saul is not all bad. Most people aren't, even those who don't choose to serve the Lord or who don't believe in Him at all. Many people who reject the Lord's authority still live law-abiding lives and are basically good citizens. Saul is a law-abiding citizen and he has proven himself trustworthy to oversee his father's estate. So it's not as if he's a dishonest scoundrel. He just doesn't really have a heart for the Lord and we'll find him displaying less respect for the Lord as time goes on.
Saul and the servant have been searching for the donkeys for so long that Saul fears his father will start believing the two of them have been in an accident or have been attacked by robbers and may be lying somewhere injured or killed. "When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, 'Come, let's go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.'" (1 Samuel 9:5) I believe Saul loves his father and is a good son to him. Again, he is not all bad, but his love and respect for his father are not an indication that his heart is right with the Lord, for Jesus said, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them." (Matthew 5:46, Luke 6:32)
Because the two men are in the district of Zuph, where Samuel's hometown of Ramah is located, the servant recalls that a man known to be a prophet lives there. He wants to try one more thing before he and Saul give up on the donkeys and head home. "But the servant replied, 'Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let's go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.'" (1 Samuel 9:6) It does not appear to occur to either of these men to pray to the Lord for help in finding the donkeys. This suggests that neither of them is in the habit of consulting the Lord. It suggests that neither of them has a personal relationship with Him. When a person has a close relationship with the Lord, prayer is usually the first thing they resort to when difficulty comes their way.
Had Saul not heard of Samuel? It seems impossible he wouldn't know of Israel's current judge and prophet. But maybe he's never needed the services of a judge to decide a legal case for him. And he likely hasn't spent much time pondering spiritual matters. In tomorrow's passage we'll find him agreeing to go ask Samuel for help, and even though Saul and his servant intend to use Samuel in the manner of a fortune teller so they can find the donkeys, the Lord has another---bigger---purpose in mind for arranging this meeting. While the Lord is arranging for the donkeys to go astray, and while the two men are wandering around the countryside looking for them, He is preparing Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king of Israel. In tomorrow's passage we'll find Him telling Samuel to expect the arrival of the man who will be king. Everything about these circumstances has been orchestrated by God. Not one thing in our text is happening by chance.
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