1 Samuel 9:1-10
1 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite, a valiant mighty man.
2 He had a son whose name was Saul, a young and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome man than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.
3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, had wandered off. So Kish said to his son Saul, “Now take with you one of the servants and arise, go search for the donkeys.”
4 So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjaminites, but they did not find them.
5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let’s return, or else my father will stop being concerned about the donkeys and will become anxious about us.”
6 But he said to him, “Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor; everything that he says definitely comes true. Now let’s go there, perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have set out.”
7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But look, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sacks and there is no gift to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”
8 The servant answered Saul again and said, “Look, I have in my hand a fourth of a shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us our way.”
9 (Previously in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, “Come, and let’s go to the seer”; for he who is called a prophet now was previously called a seer.)
10 Then Saul said to his servant, “Good idea; come, let’s go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
The Introduction of Saul
A young man faithful to his father
Finally, Saul, the first king, appears on the scene. He is portrayed as a fine young man, obediently serving his father. (1) Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin, the son of Kish. (2) It is written that Saul was the most handsome and the tallest among the sons of Israel. (3) When several of Kish’s female donkeys went missing, he commanded his son Saul to take one of the servants and go search for them. (4) Faithfully following his father’s orders, Saul traversed a distance of approximately 40-50 kilometers (25-30 miles), from the hill country of Ephraim to the land of Benjamin. (5) However, they were unable to find the donkeys. Although they did not find the donkeys, Saul’s faithfulness led to his subsequent encounter with Samuel.
Servant’s advice
(6) Since they could not find the donkeys anywhere, Saul started to worry that his father might become concerned about their well-being, so he suggested to his servant that they should return home. (7) However, the servant was wise. He suggested that they go to the man of God in this town (Ramah) to get advice on where to search. This man of God was Samuel. (8) Saul was concerned about what gift to bring to the man of God, but the servant offered a quarter of a shekel of silver that he had. (9) At that time, instead of the word “prophet,” the term “seer” (literal translation: “one who sees”) was used. Seers made their living from the offerings given by those who came seeking advice. When you are lost, whom do you ask for help? Saul and his servant decided to visit the man of God, Samuel. This was a wise choice. When you are uncertain about the direction of your life, let’s open the Bible. Let’s also seek advice from spiritual leaders. Let’s strive to ascend higher. The Lord will surely provide new encounters and open doors for you.
Today's prayer
Almighty God, when I am lost, please guide me to find the path You have prepared for me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.