The term Messiah means “God’s Anointed”, so it would have been used of the Old Testament kings as well as the prophecied redeemer of Israel. However, as we see in Saul, even anointed kings can be foolish. Throughout Saul’s story we see foolishness as well as valor. Today, we read that his patience is lacking, an important character trait for a ruler. And when he can’t wait for Samuel any longer, he takes on the role of priest himself, showing his arrogance and pride, important traits for a ruler NOT to have. He is impulsive, giving reactive orders to his men (“don’t eat anything until I have avenged myself against my enemies”) which threatens his entire army (a starving army will not fight very well) and his own son (who wisely disobeys the order and gains his strength back) until the men rebel and refuse to allow Saul to kill his son for breaking his foolish vow.
Many have looked at our countries leadership throughout the years and declared them foolish, and some have legitimately been foolish leaders; impatient, arrogant, proud, impulsive. Yet this doesn’t mean that God has not put them in office. Some have disobeyed God once elected, and some have been put in their position for reasons known only to God Himself. But to decide that because we don’t agree with or even respect a leader means that God is not involved in the process itself is to misread the scriptures. God is in control today as He has been forever, and just because we can’t understand it doesn’t mean it is not so.
This is not to say that we should bow to the whims of our leadership, however. Saul’s son was saved because his men disobeyed a direct order to kill him. We are still called to use prayer, obedience, and Godly wisdom to know how to follow well, who to elect, and when to stand against bad leadership.
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