{"id":6461,"date":"2023-05-18T00:01:35","date_gmt":"2023-05-18T07:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/?p=6461"},"modified":"2026-02-26T14:48:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T22:48:09","slug":"1-samuel-92-and-he-had-a-choice-and-handsome-son-whose-name-was-saul-there-was-not-a-more-handsome-person-than-he-among-the-children-of-israel-from-his-shoulders-upward-he-was-taller-than","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/?p=6461","title":{"rendered":"1 Samuel 9:2: \u201cAnd he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saul’s name literally meant asked<\/em>, and in this case asked of God<\/em> because the people asked God for a human king. Saul was an impressive, handsome young man, a head taller than most men in Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin. Although God did appoint Saul, he did not represent God’s choice, but rather the people’s choice. The Israelites wanted someone striking in appearance, who looked the part of a monarch, and who appeared magnificent on the outside so they could be proud of him. This initially impressive man turned out to be a prideful, tyrannical ruler. It is significant that God had already said in Genesis 49:10 that His choice of leaders would come from the tribe of Judah.<\/p>\n

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, once said, \u201cI am sick of opinions. Give me a humble, gentle lover of God and man\u2014a man full or mercy and good fruits, without partiality or hypocrisy.” When we get to the New Testament we find a different Saul, one who was also from the tribe of Benjamin, but who possessed very different internal, spiritual qualities, which God would use to introduce the gospel to the western world. God is looking for men who will humble themselves and yield to God’s leading each and every day. D. L. Moody summed it up simply but appropriately when he said, “Be humble or you’ll stumble.”<\/p>\n

\u201cLORD, we recognize that You alone have both the right and the wisdom to lead our lives this day, so lead us we ask in Jesus’ name.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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1 Samuel 9 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1<\/sup>\u00a0Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0And he had a son, whose name\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and\u00a0there was\u00a0<\/em>not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward\u00a0he was\u00a0<\/em>higher than any of the people. 3<\/sup>\u00a0And the asses of Kish Saul\u2019s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found\u00a0them\u00a0<\/em>not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were\u00a0<\/em>not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found\u00a0them\u00a0<\/em>not.\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0And<\/em> when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave\u00a0caring\u00a0<\/em>for the asses, and take thought for us.\u00a06<\/sup>\u00a0And he said unto him, Behold now,\u00a0there is\u00a0<\/em>in this city a man of God, and\u00a0he is\u00a0<\/em>an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go.\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold,\u00a0if\u00a0<\/em>we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is\u00a0<\/em>not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?\u00a0\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver:\u00a0that\u00a0<\/em>will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for\u00a0he that is\u00a0<\/em>now\u00a0called\u00a0<\/em>a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)\u00a010<\/sup>\u00a0Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God\u00a0was<\/em>.\u00a011<\/sup>\u00a0And\u00a0<\/em>as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?\u00a0\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0And they answered them, and said, He is; behold,\u00a0he is\u00a0<\/em>before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for\u00a0there is\u00a0<\/em>a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place:\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice;\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him.\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0And they went up into the city:\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place. 15<\/sup>\u00a0Now the\u00a0LORD\u00a0had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,\u00a016<\/sup>To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him\u00a0to be\u00a0<\/em>captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.\u00a017<\/sup>\u00a0And when Samuel saw Saul, the\u00a0LORD\u00a0said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.\u00a018<\/sup>\u00a0Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer\u2019s house\u00a0is<\/em>.\u00a019<\/sup>\u00a0And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I\u00a0am\u00a0<\/em>the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>in thine heart.\u00a020<\/sup>\u00a0And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>all the desire of Israel?\u00a0Is it\u00a0<\/em>not on thee, and on all thy father\u2019s house?\u00a0\u00a021<\/sup>And Saul answered and said,\u00a0Am\u00a0<\/em>not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?\u00a0\u00a022<\/sup>\u00a0And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>about thirty persons.\u00a023<\/sup>\u00a0And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.\u00a024<\/sup>And the cook took up the shoulder, and\u00a0that\u00a0<\/em>which\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>upon it, and set\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>before Saul. And\u00a0Samuel\u00a0<\/em>said, Behold that which is left! set\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>before thee,\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.\u00a025<\/sup> And when they were come down from the high place into the city,\u00a0Samuel<\/em>communed with Saul upon the top of the house.\u00a026<\/sup>\u00a0And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.\u00a027<\/sup>\u00a0And\u00a0<\/em>as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Saul’s name literally meant asked, and in this case asked of God because the people asked God for a human king. Saul was an impressive, handsome young man, a head taller than most men in Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin. Although God did appoint Saul, he did not represent God’s choice, but rather the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6461"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6461"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16158,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6461\/revisions\/16158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}