Chapter 9 Lost Donkeys Lead the Way
God’s Providence is His working in and through His creation to accomplish His will. He does that in everyday events. Day in and day out, God is working through our lives to accomplish His purposes. The key is to expect that God is working through even the most mundane occasions in our lives and the most trying occasions in our lives often uses the simplest means, the everyday things and sometimes the most difficult means to accomplish His purposes. For us who are believers, His purposes and what He will accomplish are always good.
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Work for good means work for good in God’s eternal realm. Good means getting us ready to be with Him. Good means good according to God not according to us.
This is what we will see today in Chapter 9.
Watch for God’s hand of providence in your life and praise Him for it.
John Bunyan, the author of many very helpful books and also writer of Pilgrim’s Progress attributes and event entirely to God’s providence and sovereignty. Early in his life, he was a soldier during England’s Civil War. One night he was standing guard and a fellow soldier asked him to change places with him. Bunyan agreed. Late that night the soldier was shot in the head and died while Bunyan was spared. He always attributed this to God’s providence in sparing his life. Because God did spare his life we have been able to read and benefit from his writings.
1. The Description of Saul (9:1-2)
9 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
Why do you think God gave us Saul’s appearance here? He was physically impressive. Good looking and head and shoulders above the rest. If Israel started making TV commercials, they would ask him to promote their products. If they made sports cars Saul would be driving one. His father was wealthy. This information is important.
One commentator says it like this: If a king is to be distinguished by his physical appearance, then Saul is every inch a king—R. P. Gordon (from NICOT Tsumura)
2. God’s Providence Seen in Lost Donkeys (9:3-14)
3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” 4 And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.
5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us.” 6 But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.” 7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” 8 The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way.” 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today’s “prophet” was formerly called a seer.) 10 And Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
11 As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12 They answered, “He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place. 13 As soon as you enter the city you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.” 14 So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.
These runaway donkeys set in motion ordinary but also strange events that lead Saul to Samuel, the Prophet where he will be anointed the first king of Israel.
After three long hot and tiring days of searching for the donkeys through desert canyons, ravines and looking over cliffs, Saul was ready to give up…
5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us.”
Kish’s servant, however, thought they had one more chance.
6 But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.”
As we follow the narrative there is a strong indication that Saul didn’t know Samuel or had even heard of him. This is strange seeing that they lived fairly close to each other and Samuel was very well known as a prophet that had served God so well over the many years.
Saul and his family were not aware of Samuel and shows us their spiritual condition. They were more about getting rich than being concerned with the things of God.
3. God’s Providence Explained to Samuel (9:15-27)
15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” 18 Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” 19 Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. 20 As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?” 21 Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”
22 Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’ ” 24 So the cook took up the leg and what was on it and set them before Saul. And Samuel said, “See, what was kept is set before you. Eat, because it was kept for you until the hour appointed, that you might eat with the guests.”
So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 And when they came down from the high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep. 26 Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Up, that I may send you on your way.” So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.
27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to pass on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.”
What’s important to note here is that Samuel had been let in on God’s will to anoint Saul king over Israel. Saul was to be Samuel’s replacement. Saul would judge over Israel. There is a complete opposing contrast here. Samuel so ready to listen to God and obey Him even when obeying meant he was to be replaced.
15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.”
In Chapter 8 remember the people rejected God and rejected Samuel and wanted a king like the other nations. God is giving them what they desire to their own detriment.
Let’s look together at Samuel’s great faith in God’s Word. He so believed God that he made provisions even before anything happened.
22 Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’ ” 24 So the cook took up the leg and what was on it and set them before Saul. And Samuel said, “See, what was kept is set before you. Eat, because it was kept for you until the hour appointed, that you might eat with the guests.”
What we should see here is that God was acting to direct the steps of Saul and Saul did not even know it. He thought he was just chasing donkeys through the desert.
4. The Providence of God in Our Own Lives
I want to speak with you about the providence of God in our lives. We may see the significance of God acting sovereignly over the events such as appointing a king over Israel but what about God doing these things in our own lives. Does God work in these types of ways in the lives of His common children? The overarching teaching of Scripture is yes, He does.
Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)
9 The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps.
We may not have a clue as to what God is doing. In that we may be like Saul, however, we do know much more than Saul did. The exact circumstances may elude us but what we know about God and about His love for believers more than makes up the difference.
God’s Love is Sacrificial…
The New Testament reveals the depth of God’s love through the person and work of Jesus Christ. John 3:16 declares, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This verse encapsulates the sacrificial nature of God’s love, offering salvation to all who believe.
God’s Love is Redemptive…
The Apostle Paul expounds on God’s love in his epistles. Romans 5:8 states, “But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Here, God’s love is shown to be proactive and redemptive, reaching out to humanity even in its fallen state. Ephesians 2:4-5 further emphasizes, “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses.”
God’s Love is Expressed as He takes the Initiative to First Love Us…
The Apostle John, known as the “apostle of love,” writes extensively about God’s love. In 1 John 4:9-10 , he explains, “This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” This passage highlights the initiative of God’s love and its ultimate expression in the atonement.
Theological Implications
God’s love for His people is not merely an abstract concept but a transformative reality. It calls believers to respond in love toward God and others. Jesus commands in Matthew 22:37-39 , “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” The love of God, therefore, becomes the model and motivation for Christian living.
God’s love assures believers of their security in Him... Romans 8:38-39 provides comfort, stating, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This assurance of God’s unbreakable love offers hope and strength in the face of life’s challenges.
I want to show you that God’s love for His people is a motivating factor for dealing with us not in wrath but in longsuffering and kindness.
16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.”
Even though God’s people had rejected Him as their King, He still has love for them. They will suffer under the kings of Israel greatly but through it all, God has fixed His love upon them because of His enduring covenant He made with Abraham. God will punish them for disobedience but He will keep a remnant and through that line, Jesus will come.
God sees Israel’s idolatry in her cry for a king…
1 Samuel 8:7–8 (ESV)
7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you.
He also hears her distress in her cry for relief…
1 Samuel 9:16 (ESV)
16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.”
Israel’s sin and stupidity cannot wither God’s compassion.
If you are a child of God today, you can rejoice greatly that we serve a stubborn God who has made a commitment to you in Christ. Our sin cannot dry up the fountain of God’s mercy. His compassion and pity will not let go of His eternal grip upon His people.
Psalm 103:11–14 (ESV)
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
Look for God’s providence in your everyday life. Praise Him for it…in the ordinary and in the times of struggle, both are God working for your good. Perhaps He has some lost donkeys leading you home to His eternal love.
Resources Used:
1 Samuel by Dale Ralph Davis
1 Samuel by Tsumura
1 Samuel by Cyril Barber
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