The anointing of Saul as king marks a change in the history of Israel, but it is not about Saul, but about God’s purposes for Israel.

The appointment of a king was Israel’s request, and Saul was ultimately the people’s choice. He was a king who “in all Israel came nearest to fulfilling their idea of what a king should be” (G. Coleman Luck).

However, despite the request of Israel, they are not receiving a king like they had expected – a king like the king of the other nations around them. In other words, they are not receiving a Canaanite-like kingship. They will not receive a king dropped out of heaven for the benefit of humankind, like in Mesopotamia. They will not receive a semi-divine king, like the pharaoh of Egypt. Instead, if they must have a king, then this king must be unique in the ancient Near East. The king must be a kingship that is highly structed with restricted authority handed from God to prophet to king. In the first place, Israel has no need for a king, but if they were to have any king, then this king is granted as a means of God’s grace.

Israel has no need for a king, because a king was not essential to God’s plans for salvation. Hence, the appointment of Saul was not so much about Saul, as we would expect in the appointment of a king or in a coronation of a king. This account of the anointing of Saul was first and foremost about Yahweh.

God is the guiding hand behind all that occurs in this passage. He was at work behind the scenes, bringing Samuel and Saul together. He revealed his will to Samuel that he should anoint Saul. Hence, if we were to read this passage again, we can see the details of how the journey to find the donkeys, the servant’s insistence that they inquire of the man of God, the encounter of Samuel and Saul, were not mere chances, but the works by the unseen hand of God. Hence, while kingship was not essential to God’s plans, He continues to work through Israel’s historical and political circumstances to accomplish His purposes for Israel.

The truth is, God is still at work in the world today. His redemption plan is not yet finished. He is still at work on various levels, in many different ways, in order to accomplish His purpose. Sometimes it is difficult for us to see or believe that He is at work, but an awareness that God is at work in the world today will help us to be more sensitive to His unexpected and unseen influence in our everyday lives. We are not being superstitious, nor are we looking out for miracles, but what we are doing, is to be sensitive to God’s work in our lives, recognising and acknowledging God’s hand in our lives in those around us, instead of brushing them off as mere chances or “good luck”. May we also be faithful while attending to the routine, the ordinary, and the familiarity of our day-to-day lives and be sensitive to God’s work in our lives.

Prayer : Dear God, thank you for all that you are doing in my life. Please help me to be sensitive to what you may be accomplishing through my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.