Be Careful What You Ask For - 1 Samuel 6-10

1 Samuel 9:1-2 (ESV)

Saul Chosen to Be King

There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

We read in the previously chapter that the nation of Israel wanted a king like the other nations had kings.   They came to Samuel and wanted him to give them a king.  He originally disagreed with them, telling them that God was their king.   Yet, here is what God said to Samuel,

1 Samuel 8:19-22 (ESV)

But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

That is the lead in to the above verses that open chapter nine.   God chooses Saul to be their first king.  We all know how badly this turns out and then King David is selected.    But why does God give in to them and then give them Saul?  Why not David right away, or someone like him? 

It might be because of what we read about Saul.  He was handsome and his outward appearance was a picture of their shallow desire.  Notice what Samuel says to them about Saul in the next chapter:

1 Samuel 10:24 (ESV)

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!”

God often gives us what we want even when what we want is wrong.  He does that to allow us to be driven from what we want to what we need.  That is the story of Saul as it will be unfolded in the book of 1 Samuel.   Sometimes in our begging God for something that will actually replace God in our lives, He gives it to us.   He does this to drive us back to our needs to learn what we really need vs what we want.