Tuesday, February 9, 2010
When Wildest Dreams Come True
(I Samuel 9:18-27)
Every young man dreams of that sudden course of events that will change his life forever. A letter, a phone call, a chance meeting—and, almost instantaneously, fame and fortune are his. Dream as they will, for the vast majority it never happens. For Saul, however, it did.
Saul had sought the “seer” regarding his father’s lost donkeys. For Saul, the prophet was probably his last hope. If the “seer” could not locate the donkeys, Saul would return to his father empty-handed. With apprehension rising in his heart, Saul met Samuel (19).
The donkeys, it turns out, were secure. Samuel would see to their safe return. But that moment held more pressing concerns. Out of the clear blue, Samuel invited Saul to sit with him at the feast. He revealed to Saul that God had a special purpose for his life. He gave Saul the place of honor and the choicest cut of meat. In a whirlwind of surprises, Saul rose instantly from obscurity to national prominence. What, Saul’s eager heart wondered, could it all mean?
The humility of Saul’s response is at once refreshing and reassuring. His words to Samuel even hint at a deeper Scriptural knowledge—the knowledge that Israel would not forever be ruled by a Benjamite (Genesis 49:10). As we witness Saul’s youthful wonder at his good fortune, we’re strangely drawn to this man among men. Maybe, just maybe, things will turn out right—despite the prophet’s previous dire warning.
Don’t bet on it! As we shall see, behind Saul’s youthful, good natured temperament there lurked a darker side. And, as that darker side emerged, Saul’s wildest dreams vanished without a trace; and dark days settled upon Israel.
