1 Samuel 9:1-27

In today’s passage we are introduced for the first time to Saul.  We know that he was the first king of Israel and that he was a king who much potential that unfortunately was wasted.  However, in this text we can see that Saul possessed several qualities that truly made him be a great candidate for king.  The text starts out by describing his appearance; he was handsome, large and very tall.  His physical presence commanded respect and drew the admiration of the people.  Certainly these physical characteristics are not the most important aspect of his qualification but they did attract the people to him.  The story of today’s chapter also shows us some other qualities that we would all do well to emulate.

AVAILABILITY: Saul was an obedient and trustworthy son.  His father’s donkeys have run away and he is willing to go spend several days going from place to place in order to find them.  He was willing to work hard and his father trusted him with this task.  He demonstrates great determination and persistence in traveling from place to place in search of these animals.  These are all great qualities that every leader should seek to develop in life.  God looks for people who are willing and available to work and stay at a job until it is done.  If we hope to be entrusted with great responsibilities, we must be faithful with the smaller tasks to which the Lord calls us.  There should be no job too small or insignificant for us to accomplish.  All work is important and God is looking for men and women who have willing and available hearts before Him.

SENSITIVITY: After searching for several days, Saul has the sensitivity to recognize that his father is likely to become more worried about him and his companion than he is about the donkeys so he decides that it is time to return even without the donkeys.  This is obviously before the days of e-mail and telephones so the only way Saul had of letting his father know that he was okay was to return.  He is sensitive to the concerns of his father and wants to assure him that all is well.  Saul’s traveling companion informs him that Samuel lives in the town where they are and advises him to go and seek him out.  Saul follows this advice and immediately goes to search for him.  Saul realized that he needed help.  He wanted to get the job done in a timely manner and was wise enough to realize he needed help.  These are excellent qualities in a leader.  We must have the ability to recognize the proper priorities as well as be willing to ask for help.  

HUMILITY: When Samuel begins to tell Saul that he has been chosen by God for a special position; Saul protests that these things could not be so because he considered himself to be from and unimportant family in an unimportant tribe.  The passage tells us that he was from a wealthy family and that he was both handsome and tall, but these factors do seem to have brought pride into his life.  Humility is a vital factor in the life of every leader.  We must recognize that the call to leadership is a call to service and we must not become proud because of the positions with which we are entrusted.  Saul was rich and good looking but was also humble and this is what helped qualify him for the task that God had set aside for him.  If we desire responsibility in our lives, we must develop humility.