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families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when
they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they enquired of the Lord further, if
the man should yet come thither. And the Lord answered, Behold, he hath hid himself
among the stuff" (10: 20-22).
When the process of selection, presumably by lot, had finally settled upon the family
of Kish and his son Saul, we read that "he had hid himself among the stuff". If this was
shyness, then it is with dismay that we observe how Saul, once registering such shyness
and humility should turn into the vindictive tyrant he was later to become. It is said truly
that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
No.16.
10: 23 - 27.
pp. 118 - 120
Perhaps Paul shrank from the glare of publicity that he would receive when the fact of
his being the chosen king of Israel was made known. He may have recognized that there
were some, especially among the princes of the tribes of Israel, who would be affronted
that such authority and power should be bestowed on an insignificant person in the small
tribe of Benjamin.
No sooner had the announcement been made, than the man himself was found to be
missing. This evidently aroused some questioning as to whether the right choice had
been made, for we read that a second enquiry was made of the Lord, to which came the
reply "he hath hid himself among the stuff". At last Saul was found and brought forward.
"And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was
higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. And Samuel said to all the
people, See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the
people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king" (I Sam. 10: 23, 24).
There is no doubt that there would have been many stalwart specimens in Israel at that
time, but Saul towered over them all. David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, later described
Saul and his son Jonathan as "swifter than eagles and stronger than lions". Physically
speaking Saul was therefore well fitted for the daunting task of tackling their Philistine
enemies. Saul's armour would have fitted no-one else in Israel, and David found it a
great encumbrance. Perhaps in offering it to him Saul was endeavouring to deter the
young lad from going out against such a mighty warrior as Goliath.
God doubtless chose Saul for these physical characteristics, for apart from the
Philistines there would be some of the most influential in the land who would be jealous
of his appointment and seek to drag him down. So perhaps it is that God chose a man
who could look after himself, command the respect of others, and be acceptable to the
mass of the people who would naturally be influenced by his physical attributes. Also to
a man brought up amid the simple duties of farm life, the intrigues of power and
leadership might have seemed daunting, so that it would be necessary for him to