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.
According to Malcolm Gladwell in his book, Blink, a tall man can expect to make hundreds of thousands more than average counterparts. In fact, each inch can bring in an extra $800 a year. Why is that? Ask Israel. They were never like other nations. They had human kings who went to war and sacrificed their children. Israel had God as their King. Amazingly, Israel demanded a human king! They wanted to be like other nations. So, God gave them Saul. He gave them exactly what they asked for. A human king with human frailties but, look at him. He’s tall!
I am not sure if taller people are more valuable to employers but they certainly are more desired by them, regardless of their merit or true worth. This says a lot about us as humans and our criteria for leadership. Taller people tend to be elected president as well. Unfortunately, the same criteria may apply to choosing pastors. We choose the taller man with the TV face and radio voice. This will lead to the same results that Israel suffered through. Saul started off good but fell victim to his own frailties. His good looks could not carry him through his disobedience to God. It soon became time for a man after God’s own heart…
Only shorter.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church