Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man (Saul) the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people. Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!” But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent. 1 Samuel 10:24, 27
It seems like every few months a new superhero finds its way into our culture. It used to be a Marvel movie or occasionally a DC hero that was the next blockbuster hit. However, with tons of streaming platforms, now we are being bombarded with superhero tv shows every time we sit down to watch something. As a culture, we are obsessed with the idea that an extraordinary human can save the day, can even save us.
The first king selected to rule over the people was not a very good one. God knows that all humans are sinful and flawed, so God wanted to rule over the people as King. Instead, the people requested a human king and they were given Saul. Some thought he’d be superhuman, that he would be able to save all Israel. But that is of course too much to ask of a human king. Some people immediately regretted their decision to ask for Saul to be king. “How can this fellow save us?” they asked each other. They realized that super-humans are really just fairytales.
More than 1000 years after the reign of King Saul, another guy named Saul will write a letter to a church in the town of Philippi. He will remind the church that there is still hope for God to be King, in the person of Jesus Christ. King Jesus will finally rescue God’s people, redeeming them from sin and death. God will give Jesus a name above all names so every knee should bow to Jesus, God on earth, as king and savior. Imagine Jesus on the throne of your heart as King and Savior. Allow him to rule in your life knowing that he is more powerful than any human being.
Kena Hawkins Newkirk 