“Now Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?”
“Looking for the donkeys,” he said. “But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”
15 Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”
16 Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.” 1 Samuel 10.14-16
There is something not right about Saul—something very off. Here he is, coming from an incredible experience with the Lord, filled with the Spirit, prophesying about the works of God, and he says nothing. When asked by his uncle, “Where have you been?” he replies, “Looking for the donkeys… and we went to Samuel.”
They then have a conversation about not finding the donkeys, and Saul deceives his uncle about his conversation with Samuel. Instead of being truthful, honest, and straightforward about the monumental experience he just had, he says, “He assured me the donkeys had been found.”
Talk about a man acting like a donkey! If Saul had had the character at that moment to tell the truth, acknowledge the anointing by Samuel, and accept his kingship, his career could have taken a vastly different turn. Instead, Saul shows his immediate weakness and sinfulness as a man.
Saul could and should have spoken about the goodness of God, the blessing he received from the Lord, and the incredible privilege of being the first king of Israel. But instead, he focuses on inconsequential matters and ignores his very own calling just moments after receiving it.
Now, I am far from perfect, but I know better than to reject God’s call on my life and His choosing me to do His work. I might want to run away at times, but the only path forward is obedience. It is not acceptable to reject God’s call and remain silent.
The prophet Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 20:9, says, “I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name. But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.” Don’t we wish Saul had the courage to speak His name? Whenever God does a work within us or around us, we must proclaim His goodness. Remaining silent is a sign of disobedience.
This week, I am helping lead the annual Revive Men’s Retreat at Estes Park, CO. We have 46 men gathered for a week of Sabbath to seek the Lord and be renewed by this community and in fellowship with His Spirit. Last night, we had our first time of worship, and it was powerful. Men expressed their need for the Lord, confessed sin, and spoke openly and bravely about God’s call upon their lives. It was a marvelous display of Christian community and Holy Spirit indwelling. Unlike Saul, we did not remain silent; we spoke about what we had heard and experienced, giving praise to God and acknowledging our dependence upon Him.
Let’s not “remain silent about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Let us proclaim the Lord’s goodness until He returns or calls us home.
“O Lord God, I am so grateful for this time with these men in the mountains. Thank you for loving us, saving us, and redeeming us. Thank you for speaking to us last night at the retreat—you are the featured guest; have Your way with us. Come now, Holy Spirit, fill us with Your power and love. Help us not to remain silent about what we have heard and experienced in Your Spirit. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen.