Chosen Yet Unaware

Hey, hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we are going to finish the second half of 1 Samuel chapter 9. We have worked yesterday with Daniel and he was talking to us about how the Lord had spoken to Samuel's ear and told him about this tall handsome man Saul who was going to be the one that was going to be anointed king and save God's people from the Philistines. So let's find out how this actually plays out. Let's have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll get into God's word.
Let's pray. God, we thank you so much for this day. We thank you, Lord, that you are good and kind and gracious to us, and we pray, Lord, that we would follow after you. Lord, you are a wonderful God, full of grace and truth, and we pray that as we read your Word, you would point us to your Son, that your Spirit would help us to understand your Word, and that it would form in us character and hope. Lord, please teach us to walk in your ways. We need your spirit. In Jesus's name, Amen.
Here we go. First Samuel chapter 9 beginning at verse 16, sorry verse 17. So when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, There is he, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over my people." Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate and said, "'Please tell me, where is the seer's house?' Samuel answered Saul and said, "'I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let you go, and you will tell and will tell you all that is in your heart. But as for your donkeys, they were not lost three days ago. Do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father's house?' And Saul answered and said, Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family of the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?
Now Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and they had them sit in the place of honor among those who were invited. There were about thirty persons. And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, set it apart. So the cook took up the thigh that was with its upper part and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, here it is. What kept you back? It was set apart for you. Eat. For until this time it has been kept for you. Since I said I invited the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
When they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the top of the house. They arose early, and it was about the dawning of the day that Samuel called to Saul on the top of the house, saying, Get up, that I may send you on your way. And Saul arose, and both of them went outside, he and Samuel.
we're going to go ahead and end it there, right? We'll pick up chapter 10 next time with the anointing.
So we need to ask ourselves our three questions this morning. A. What is this about? B. What's the best verse to summarize? And C. What are we called to do?
So what is this about? Well this is Saul actually meets Samuel and it's this kind of funny story how this is all happening, right? Because In verse 17, Samuel sees Saul and the Lord actually tells him again, this is the man. This is what I told you about. And so Saul goes to Samuel at the gate where the elders assemble and that's kind of the entrance and he says, tell me where the seer's house. And Samuel's like, dude, it's me. I am the seer. And then he goes on to tell him this amazing thing, right? You're gonna go with me to the high place. We're gonna eat today. Tomorrow you'll go and I'll tell you where things are that are in your heart. But hey, don't worry about your donkeys, right? They've been gone these days, but they've not actually been lost.
How does he know about the donkeys? This is the point of a prophet having knowledge that he couldn't ever possibly have. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on your father's house? It's like, whoa, hold on. And then Saul is like, time out. Hold on. I'm from Benjamin. We're not too far away from the end of the book of Judges where Benjamin was almost wiped out. And he's like, I'm from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe, and I'm from the least of the clans of the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Why are you talking to me like this?
And Sam was like, just put up with it, bro. And so they go and they eat the meal, but before they start eating, he tells the servant, hey, go get that portion I told you is set apart. That set-apartness is the idea of holiness. This is a special portion. So he says, go get that portion I told you about. And so he goes in and gets it and brings Samuel the thigh and the upper part. There's a huge chunk of meat. It's like this is your portion. This is for you. Samuel is giving him this amazing gift, and Saul's jaw is on the ground.
And when they go down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the top of the house. They arose early in the morning, and what does Samuel say to Saul? All right, go. I'm going to send you on your way. And they go outside. It's his first meeting, but he's not king yet. It's almost like this preparation. There's this huge feast. There are like 30 people there who witness it. I'm sure everyone is sitting there scratching their head. Is this the new commander? Is this the king? What's going on here? Why is he so special? He's handsome, he's tall, but what's going on?
So we're going to go to verse chapter 10 next time we're together. So what's this about? This is about Samuel and Saul meeting for the first time and God's direction for what's going to happen and even working in Saul's life in this way.
So what's the best verse to summarize this? Well, I'm not sure if this is the best verse to summarize, but I have it underlined because I just find it amazing. It's verse 20. But as for you and your donkeys that were lost these three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father's house?" That's what I have underlined.
What would you underline in your Bible? Well, I see calling. What are we called to do? I can't help but when I think about this story and I think about that part that it's Saul speaking to or Samuel speaking to Saul and he's telling him about these donkeys and he's just like dumbfounded by all this and I think about even Jesus when he talks about Nathanael. I saw you when you were under the fig tree. Well how did you know this? He said you're amazed by this. You'll see more wonderful things than this but then I think even about Jesus's birth as well And I think of Jesus who was born to this extremely poor family from a little tiny town. The heritage of Bethlehem is there but that's not where he's from. He's born there but he's going to live in Nazareth. He's the son of a technon. He does manual labor and yet God chooses to display his glory. in amazing and wonderful ways. And so I think there's hints of this messianic, anointed, holy commander of the Lord's armies who the house of Israel is going to have their hearts set on that we see glimmers of it, what is supposed to be in Saul. And I think it points us to Jesus ultimately.
So let's go ahead and pray. and thank the Lord for giving us His Son. Father, we thank you for giving us this true story. It's an amazing story, and we thank you that your Spirit was even working in the life of Samuel, and you were speaking into his ear and giving him knowledge and insight that could not be obtained by any type of mortal or mere way of understanding.
But Father, we thank you that you were directing all history. And even though, as we'll find out, the story of Saul is not a wonderful end of the story, it was never meant to be. For you were preparing a better story and a better King. We thank you for giving us Christ.
Lord, we pray that our hearts might be set upon him, that we might look to Jesus to save us even from sin and death itself. In his name we pray. Amen.
May God bless you. May you walk in the joy and peace of Jesus. And I'll see you next time. Bye.