Day 1010: God's appointments - 1 Samuel 9 vs 15 - 27

15-16 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: “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 (the affliction of) 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.” 18-20 Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” 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. 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?”

22-24 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. And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’” 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. 25-27 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. And at the break of dawn, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, that I may send you on your way.” So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street. 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.” 1 Samuel 9:15-27 English Standard Version

Today's reading is a 'narrative' section of the Bible where we are simply told of events that took place. The story is quite straight forward and tells how Samuel was led by God to know that Saul, who'd been searching for his father's lost donkeys, was the man He was appointing to be over the Israelites. Two things that struck me in the narrative were, firstly, the humility Saul showed at that time. (vs 27) And, secondly, the words of Samuel when he said to Saul, “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.”

There are many verses in the Bible which speak of events, and even hours, that have been 'appointed' by God. We read of Jesus how some people “were seeking to arrest Him - but no one laid a hand on Him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 7:29) Let me suggest a few examples of God's appointments that we should take to heart.

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.” Those were Jesus’ words in Mark 13:32-33. “God overlooked the times of ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)

In view of God's appointments, the apostle Paul wrote: “The appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.” (1 Corinthians 7:29-31) We mustn’t live as people who think this world is all there is to life. God has an appointed hour when the things of this world will all pass away.