1 Samuel 9:1-10:

This episode starts of quite mundane - a son looking for his father's donkeys. What is that about? This is an important moment in Israel's history yet it begins in such a basic, unimportant way. Everything just happened to line up for Saul and Samuel to meet. God does something very big with very small blocks.

How often does God work like that in your life? He orchestrates history to provide things for His people in ways that sometimes seem very mundane. God uses little things to have a big impact for His providence.

As Saul approaches Samuel, the narrator gives us some insight into what God has revealed to Samuel. This helps us understand what happened next. What Saul gets given is more than he expected.

The role of King didn't yet exist in Israel. So Saul must have been very bewildered by this. So Samuel have Saul some signs to prove that he was to be king and God was with him. Samuel was pointing to the fact that kings in Israes were to be different from other nations. They were to be attentive to God's word.

The thing about kings...

There is still some tension here. You can read previously that God knew kings were a bad idea and they were bad news for Israel. The tension here seems confusing.

God isn't flip-flopping about having a king over Israel. He is consistently merciful. Even when His people reject His kingship He works their sinful desires into His good will. God's mercy takes sin and turns it into His good.

This event foreshadows the events at Jesus' trial. The people had a choice to choose God as their king or to follow the nations. They rejected the Son of God, and still God weaved their sin into His salvation plan. Jesus is God's king and if you trust that you will discover life.