Could anyone have a clearer calling? After all, everyone knew that Samuel was a prophet of the Lord (3:20), and that he had been judging Israel for years (7:15). And Samuel had not only told Saul, “the Lord anointed you a ruler over His inheritance” (10:1). He had also added, “The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy” (10:6). And just as Samuel said, God changed Saul’s heart (10:9), and under the Spirit of God, Saul had indeed prophesied (10:10), speaking words at God’s direction.

So, why didn’t Saul tell his uncle about any of his amazing adventures when he finally got home (10:16)? And during the public ceremony which confirmed Saul’s selection as the King of Israel, why had Saul tried to hide himself (10:17)? He certainly didn’t seem to be very enthusiastic about answering God’s call, did he?

Of course, Saul wasn’t the only one who lacked faith in God’s plans. After all, the entire nation of Israel had decided to scrap their long tradition of having judges like Samuel rule over them, judges who would simply interpret and apply the law that God had given them back in the days of Moses. Instead, they wanted a human king to rule over them, even though that would essentially mean they were rejecting the Lordship of God (10:19).

But the good news is that God called Saul in spite of his doubts, not only by the voice of Samuel, but also by the casting of lots (10:20-21). And God not only changed Saul’s heart so that he could prophesy on one occasion (10:9-10), but also touched the hearts of valiant warriors, so that they would follow even the most reluctant of kings (10:26). God was determined to use Saul to deliver His people (9:16), no matter how unworthy any of them may have been.

And that’s still the good news: it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). And God still offers His gracious pardon to all who would trust in Christ as Savior and bow the knee to Him as Lord, no matter what any of us may have done or failed to do (Ephesians 2:4-9). So let us trust Him today, and let us follow Him – wherever He might lead, and whatever he might call us to do.

I Samuel 10:14-27 (NASB)

14 Now Saul’s uncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they could not be found, we went to Samuel.”
15 And Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”
16 So Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom which Samuel had mentioned.
17 Thereafter Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah;
18 and he said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the power of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’
19 “But you today rejected your God, who delivers you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have said, ‘No, but set a king over us!’ Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans.”
20 Thus Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot.
21 Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the Matrite family was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was taken; but when they looked for him, he could not be found.
22 Therefore they inquired further of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?” So the LORD said, “Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage.”
23 So they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.
24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people.” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!”
25 Then Samuel told the people the ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote them in the book and placed it before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house.
26 And Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him.
27 But certain worthless men said, “How can this one deliver us?” And they despised him and did not bring him any present. But he kept silent.