Let’s say you wake up tomorrow and discover that you are the President of the United States. What would you do? How would you handle the responsibility? Would your fear of messing things up lead you to paralysis? Or in pride and arrogance would you lash out at those who disagree with you, branding them as traitors?

Of course the dangers and temptations would have been even worse for Saul. After all, kings in the Ancient Near East had no meaningful limitations on their power. A king was expected to be the commander of the army, the chief diplomat, the highest judge in the land, and the sole lawmaker all at the same time. So it’s no wonder that many descended into the lowest depths of selfish debauchery while others became bloodthirsty, oppressive tyrants.

But the very strange events of this passage should have taught Saul some very important lessons. After all, Samuel carefully explained everything that would happen to him before he even began his journey back home. So, when Saul met the messengers who came from his father’s house (verse 2), and when he received the loaves of bread from three men he had never met (verses 3-4), it should have been clear to him not only that God knew everything that would happen to Him, but that God was in complete control of all the circumstances of his life. Samuel made that same point abundantly clear in verse 8: that Saul should respond to the first great challenge of his reign only according to the direction of the Lord’s prophet.

Moreover, when the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul, filling his mouth with messages from God, it should have been obvious to him that the Lord would be the master of his words. In sum, Saul would be the Lord’s anointed King, but he had to be careful to take only the actions that were in agreement with God’s sovereign will, and to speak only the words that were in accord with the messages of God’s prophets. As Samuel explained the situation for Saul in verse 7, “God is with you.”

And all these truths should be just as much a reassurance as a warning, both for ancient kings and modern Christian leaders. For if we abandon our pride and seek only to do God’s will, we can be certain that God will direct our path and control the outcome of all our actions. And if we seek to speak only the truth that is in alignment with God’s inerrant, infallible Word, we can be sure that blessings will come not only to us, but to all those for whom we have responsibility.

Yes, in Jesus Christ, God is with all those who trust Him as Savior and bow the knee to Him as lord. May this be good news for us, as we rejoice in His presence and follow Him faithfully every day.

I Samuel 10:1-13 (NASB)

Then Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you a ruler over His inheritance?
2 “When you go from me today, then you will find two men close to Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. Now behold, your father has ceased to be concerned about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?'”
3 “Then you will go on further from there, and you will come as far as the oak of Tabor, and there three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three kids, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of wine;
4 and they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hand.
5 “Afterward you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and they will be prophesying.
6 “Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man.
7 “And it shall be when these signs come to you, do for yourself what the occasion requires; for God is with you.
8 “And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do.”
9 Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day.
10 When they came to the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them.
11 And it came about, when all who knew him previously saw that he prophesied now with the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
12 And a man there answered and said, “Now, who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
13 When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.