Do kings really do that?

Published by Pastor Mike on July 30, 2020

So I am reading in 1 Samuel this week and I’m reading in chapter 10 where Samuel anoints Saul king of Israel.  Later in that chapter, Samuel calls all Israel together and proclaims that Saul will be their King.  So now the people of Israel get what they have been crying to God for and that is a King just like everybody else.

So all is good right, but then I start reading in chapter 11 and something just stands out to me.  At the beginning of chapter 11, the King of Ammon has marched his armies to a town called Jabesh-Gilead to overtake it and the messengers of Jabesh run to the town where Saul is staying to tell him what is going on. This is what stood out to me verse 5 says…

5 Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen, and when he returned to town, he asked, “What’s the matter? Why is everyone crying?” So they told him about the message from Jabesh.

Saul had been plowing in a field? What!?!  When was the last time you read a story about a King plowing in a field?  The story gets even better the bible says that the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul and rallied up an army together and they completely destroyed the Ammonite army.  Then AFTER the victory, Samuel said,

14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us all go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom.” 15 So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the Lord they made Saul king. Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy.

Even though Saul had already been anointed King and he was already proclaimed King the people didn’t recognize that he was their King. It wasn’t until AFTER Saul won that great battle and AFTER the people saw that he was willing to fight and die for them that they recognized him as their king.

So many times we receive a calling and anointing from God, but we expect to walk right into that calling without the hard work of plowing the fields, without the pain of battle, and without showing people that our motives are sincere. Reaching our dreams can be a strenuous process, but it is in the midst of our process that we become the reflection of Jesus. That is when we give God all the glory through the fulfillment of our dreams.

So don’t skip the fields and don’t miss the battle, because that’s where you become genuine.