The King of Restraint

Life will present us with enduring challenges, different enemies, and diverse obstacles. The fight of our lives is constant and can be exhausting. It is long and seems to never stop. The Israelites are weary from the fight. They want someone to do it for them. They see the other nations getting along well with a king and it seems to be the way to go. When Samuel warns them of what having a king will demand of them, they are unhindered:

1 Samuel 8:19–22 (ESV) But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

After this, the choosing of Saul as King of Israel is a long and winding affair. 1 Samuel 9 is fixated on a long drawn out story of Saul trying to find his father's donkeys. The text is revealing that human kings are just that - human. At the conclusion of God's call upon him, Saul's purpose is stated. Note how the Lord says two things of Saul in verse 15-17.

1 Samuel 9:15–17 (ESV) 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.”

Two things the Lord says of Saul: he will save God's people and he will restrain (control) God's people. Another word for control here is "rule." This is what the King God provides the human race will do. He will save you and He will rule you.

Many people have no problem with the "saving" work of the Lord. It's the ruling part we shy away from. And this is where most of our Christian discipleship is worked out. The work of God's Spirit to turn our will's toward submission to the Lord's RULE is a life-long process.

Notice why the people WANT this king. They want him to fight their battles. They want him to give them victory where they've come up short. But God's king will do more than that. He will direct them and lead them.

When we first come to Christ it is for the same reasons as Israel here. Worn out from life's battles we need a Savior. However, if we are not careful we will find that our attitude is not right before God as we only seek solace from our problems rather than sustained guidance through life.

If we consider the narrative of scripture we find that saving humans from of their problems was the second plan God had in mind for us. His first plan was to be with us and guide us as we ruled and reigned over Creation with Him as our constant companion. This is what Israel was called to be for the nations - a priestly nation to show the world how beautiful life can be with God in the center. Now they will experience the challenge of having human kings for many centuries. They will be men who are just that - human. All of them will point to the ultimate need we have which is fulfilled ONLY in Christ - the need for the Lord as our Shepherd.