When Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was taken. Finally Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. So they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”
And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.” - 1 Samuel 20-22 NIV
Sometimes I think that King Saul was schizophrenic. One moment he is telling Samuel that he cannot be king because he comes from the smallest of the tribes, Benjamin, the tribe that was almost completely decimated because of their sin. The next moment he is boldly prophesying with the prophets. Then, when Samuel has rounded up all of the people to choose the king, Saul is no where to be found. He has hidden himself among the supplies.
These characteristics marked his reign. One moment he loved David, the next he wanted to kill him. All this from the man chosen by God to be the king over Israel. Did God make a mistake in choosing this flawed creature to lead Israel? God's ways are not our ways, he is patient and long-suffering, he knows men's hearts and he creates the timeline of history. Just as he hardened Pharaoh's heart, he knew what Saul's reign was going to be like. There is always a bigger picture than the one we see. The whole cosmic universe was created by and for God and he controls it as he sees fit. I'm pretty sure if the universe was under my control, I would only want good things to happen all of the time. But that doesn't take into consideration man's fallen nature and the consequences of sin. God knows it all, our tendencies, our failures and whatever hint of goodness we may possess. He knows it all and uses it to paint the broader picture for his and our benefit.
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