So they inquired again of the LORD, “Is there a man still to come?” and the LORD said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” 23 Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
Is there a man still to come? The people of Israel, with God as their King, clamored for a king of flesh and blood. God gave them their wish. The phrase is apt. Be careful what you wish for. They got Saul. It was an inauspicious start. He hid from them. That was not important to them though. He looked like a king. He was tall. Don’t recruit these people for your next search committee for a new pastor.
So here we are in the age of image and persona where we reinvent ourselves on social media and guess how we choose our president? By how they look on TV and how they compose themselves during a debate. Sadly, this is how some churches choose their pastors. They pick the one that looks like a CEO or, depending on their preference, a barista. We need to learn from the mistakes of Israel. Thank God he saved us from ourselves by sending a real King. Isaiah 53 says that we would not have elected him president. He had no beauty like Saul did. What he has is the power to forgive sins and save the world. Those are better criteria. The best part is Jesus will return to answer the question…
Is there a man still to come?
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church