Why Hide?

1 Samuel 10:21-22
“And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them.
But when they looked for him, he had disappeared! So they asked the LORD, ‘Where is he?”
And the LORD replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.’”

This Year’s Phenom

In 1975, our Kansas City Royals drafted Clint Hurdle with the ninth pick in the first round of the MLB draft. I was excited, because this kid at 6’4 and 215 pounds promised to be the next big power hitter in the American League, and he was playing for the home team. Variously labeled as “can’t miss” and a “sure thing” by scouts, he made his big league debut in KC in 1977 and hit the cover of Sports Illustrated with the label of, “This Year’s Phenom.”

Well, things did not go according to plan for our hero as a player, as he never achieved the level of play suggested by his high draft position. He hung around the “Bigs” for ten years and ended up as evidence that the Sport Illustrated cover “jinx” really existed. In all fairness, Clint Hurdle became a very successful manager in both the minor and major leagues and was named the Manager of the Year in the MLB in 2013. As an overall baseball man, he was a high achiever.

Israel’s “Sure Thing King”

Saul was chosen by the Lord God to become the first king of Israel. In truth, he was chosen to be the first human king, because Israel had made the dubious decision to reject the King of kings as their ruler to be more like everyone else in the neighborhood. It is easy to understand, I suppose, that the Israelites felt different and weird since they won their battles without having to fight them. We all want to fit in, right? But I digress.

Consider the many credentials Saul possessed at the first coronation in Israel.

Saul was handsome.
He was the most handsome man in the nation. This is obviously a valuable trait in our modern society. Beauty in appearance gives both men and women an advantage in the job market, in the entertainment and news business, and believe it or not, in radio, too. Perhaps we should not be too surprised to discover that skin-deep character was prized way, way back in 1050 BC. This feature of Saul was of such interest as to be mentioned twice in a single Bible verse! (1 Samuel 9:2)

Saul was tall.
I mean, really, really tall. He stood head and shoulders above the rest of the nation. This fact, along with his outstanding good looks, is revealed the very first time we ever hear of him. Then it is repeated when he is brought out of the baggage for his inauguration. It is vital that we understand his lengthy stature because everyone knows that tall people are far more capable than short people. The taller the better. (Please do not miss the sarcasm. I am 5’8”.)

Saul came from money.
The qualifications just keep piling up one on top of another. His position in society was already assured by the wealth of his family because anyone with abundant assets and financial resources was respected by the Israelites. James, the brother of Jesus, was still writing about this subject over a millennium later. We are still likely to this very day to favor the rich over all others as if owning stuff equates to quality in leadership.

Saul was anointed by Samuel.
Samuel judged Israel for approximately 35 years, was the last judge of Israel, and was its first prophet. When Samuel spoke or acted, it was considered to come directly from Yahweh without question. The anointing of Saul was immediately followed by various supernatural signs in his life that had been foretold by Samuel. (1 Samuel 10:1-7)

Saul was chosen.
God confided His choice of Saul to Samuel before those two ever saw one another. Samuel made known God’s decision to Saul with the anointing and prophecy, then God did something new for Saul. Verse nine reads, “When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart.” Finally, God’s choice was confirmed by an ancient and complicated lottery involving drawing objects from a vessel, throwing marked tablets or sticks, or by similar means. By this lottery, first the tribe was selected, then the clan, then the family, then the household, and at last, Saul. The odds for his election in this manner must have been astronomical!

God’s Favorite is a Big Hit!

Well now, who could argue with God on His pick of handsome, tall, affluent, anointed, and fortuitous Saul as king? Surprisingly enough, no one! Since second-guessing the Omniscient One had been a favorite pastime of His covenant nation for over 400 years when they first organized to draft a leader to take them back into Egyptian slavery, it is a bit curious.

The lot fell to Saul, but he had mysteriously disappeared. The text does not tell us how long the ceremonies were delayed while the search went on, but it must have been protracted. They exhausted all human effort and had to ask God where the king-elect had gone. Saul’s hidey-hole was divinely unveiled and Samuel announced, “There is none like him among all the people.” Then everyone shouted, “Long live the king!” (10:24)

Why Was Saul Hiding Anyway?

What was it that motivated him to so cleverly and completely conceal himself that only the Lord God Almighty could find him? Was this a frail attempt to demonstrate his humility? Was this a genuine expression of modesty at an event that could easily trigger vanity and selfish ambition? Was he overwhelmed with a sense of unworthiness to answer this high calling? Many rabbinic teachings view his inclinations in just this sort of positive manner.

Perhaps he was reluctant to be the first man to replace God as king. I mean, who wants to follow that act? Maybe he was afraid of the enormous spotlight that would hit him from every angle for the rest of his life. It could have been insecurity, thinking himself incompetent to manage the obligations of royalty, or lacking the strength necessary to endure the looming pressures of governing. Maybe he was attempting to avoid the pain and suffering he assumed would be part of the job.

His decision to escape could have been influenced by a combination of all the above. However, considering all we know at this point about the new king, God’s choice, Samuel’s anointing and prophecy, supernatural signs following, and Saul’s physical and fiscal fitness, I ask again:

WHY HIDE?

Reasons and Excuses

The sorry truth is that each reason listed in the preceding paragraphs is nothing other than a nice way to label a lame excuse. When no doubt remains with respect to God’s holy will, desire, plan, and purpose for us, when He personally equips us without and within for the way ahead, there remains only one clear choice for us:

Step up and get on with it!

Check the record:
Adam hid.
Jonah ran.
Balaam was stubborn.
Ananias and Sapphira lied.
Judas committed high treason.

They all had their reasons, their good excuses. But refusing the call and direction of God and hiding from His presence to avoid it can only be described as:

“DISOBEDIENCE IN DISGUISE.”

You can season garbage as much as you think you need, you can make the presentation on the plate as palatable and pretty as possible, and you can have a waiter in a tuxedo lay it gently and with panache on a linen tablecloth, but,

Garbage is just garbage.
Disobedience is just disobedience.
Sin is just sin.

The Righteous Alternative

Look on the “flip side” to the tragic examples above:
Gideon protested that he was the wrong man for the job, BUT he did the job.
Isaiah cried out in terror at his own sinfulness when he saw the Lord “high and lifted up,” BUT he prophesied in detail the birth and death of Jesus 750 years before it would occur.
Jeremiah objected to the call on his life because of his youth, BUT he delivered God’s difficult messages to the closed hearts of Israel for over 40 years, the longest tenure of all the prophets.
Habakkuk complained about the justice and judgements of God, BUT his words of trust, hope, and love for the Lord are some of the most magnificent recorded in the entire cannon.
Mary, a virgin, in apparent confusion at the words of the angel, expressed her doubt at the report he conveyed to her, BUT she surrendered to the Holy Spirit and bore the promised Messiah in her womb.
Peter failed miserably denying Jesus in His greatest hour of need although swearing only hours before to the contrary, BUT he preached on the day of Pentecost, where 3,000 souls repented and joined the family of Jesus Christ.

God Always Gives Us the Choice

We can run and hide today, but there will be a day of consequence eventually and every one of us will be on hand to learn just what those consequences will entail. Or we can say with young Samuel, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

We will not always like or even agree with what we hear, and God knows this. He will give us the room to question, to doubt, and even to complain. Go ahead. He loves you. There is no reason to act in the way you believe He expects, because He prefers your transparency, honesty, and candor. When your heart is open and longs to answer God’s call, God will gently and kindly lead you to the place you can fall into His strong and sure embrace in sweet and total surrender.

Dear Father, help me to know the plans and purposes You intend for me, and do whatever You need to do in me so that I can walk faithfully in them. Bring me into Your presence and fill my heart so that my answer to You will always be... “YES.”