ROOTED - Monday, March 2, 2026
1 Samuel 8:19-20; 10:1; 26; 13:14
19 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.”
1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over his heritage.
26 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched.
14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
Reflection: Two Cities: Gibeah and Bethlehem, Part 3
Written By: Pastor Jesse Caro
Samuel, the godly prophet, has had little success convincing God’s people to not seek a king. They insist upon it, so Samuel begins to try and find a king on their behalf. They like the idea of Saul because he is “tall” (perhaps also “dark and handsome”) and commands respect. The people consider the “outside” rather than considering the character of the person.
We should notice a small detail that the author throws in… Saul is from Gibeah. Now remember that Gibeah was the city that caused a major civil war in Israel… Gibeah, whose men raped a girl to death. As the reader of the text, you should notice this. I propose that the reason this awful story at the end of the book of Judges was written is to be close in the narrative’s reading to this story in 1 Samuel. Red flags should be going off in your (the reader’s) mind. Red flags certainly should have gone off among the people of Israel: “this man is from wicked Gibeah… perhaps we should reconsider choosing him as our king. Perhaps the fact that he is tall should not be our main criterion!”
Our suspicions (and cautions) are confirmed quickly as we discover Saul is not the kind of person who has a heart after God. He, impatiently, performs priestly duties against the command of God (chapter 13), and Samuel delivers the bad news: “But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart.” Sadly, because of Saul’s poor character, God removed the anointing off of Saul.
I think we will continue our “Gibeah and Bethlehem” thoughts with a “Part 4” tomorrow. But, for now, what might the spiritual takeaway be? I think we should know this: 1) our leaders must truly seek after God if they are to be successful. 2) How someone looks says little about how well they will lead. God help us to discern in ways that are more than “skin deep.”
Prayer
Lord, help us to not look merely on the outside… how “smooth” someone acts… as we determine who leads us. May our leaders be truly led by you.