The King In Hiding

THE KING IN HIDING

"20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was chosen. And Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord answered, “There he is, hidden among the equipment.” 23 So they ran and brought 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, that there is no one like him among all the people?” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!” 1 Samuel 10: 20-24.

The nation of Israel was first ruled by judges, like Gideon, Samson, Jephthah and Samuel. But the people were not satisfied; they wanted to be like the other nations. The people requested for a king. And God granted their request. He assigned Samuel to anoint Saul, the son of Kish as Israel's first King. Saul had many of the enviable qualities people look for in a would be leader: tall, handsome, and from a wealthy family. He was someone the whole nation could, after all, be proud of.

Before the event at Mizpah, Samuel had anointed Saul privately. There was no question about his calling But on the day he was to be presented to the people, Saul was missing. When the time came, a day that might well be compared to a presidential inauguration, Saul was nowhere to be seen.

The people of Israel conducted a search, but nothing came out of it. So they pray, and God informed them that Saul was hiding among the baggage. The New King James translated it as "equipment." The King James just says "among the stuff." Other Bible translations used "supplies" or "baggage." The word ‘baggage’ here could mean weapons, food, clothing, or furniture. What a tragedy! The anointed King of Israel was hiding among the stuff instead of taking his place on the throne. The tallest, most handsome, and most favoured man in the land was hiding in the midst of the luggage. But what could have caused this? Maybe it was due to excessive humility. Perhaps Saul was afraid to lead. Was he so shy and not wanting to take up the mantle of leadership? Maybe Saul didn't think he was worthy to be king. Was it inferiority complex or cowardice? What could have made Saul to hide when he was to be enthroned? The Scripture does not provide us with clear reasons or motives, but the fact is, the anointed King, was hiding among baggage.

ARE YOU HIDING?

To hide is to conceal. It denotes that which is secret, private, and inaccessible. To hide is to put out of sight. It is to prevent something from being seen. To hide is to cover. It is to suppress. To hide is to keep underground. It is to shield. To hide is to put in obscurity. It is to confine and limit. You may have been hidden, suppressed, or in obscurity, but when your set time comes, nothing whatsoever can hinder you. It's your turn to testify! It's your time in the limelight! For too long you have been hidden, denied, delayed and held down, but your time is now. They have conspired to cover your glory from shinning, but now is the time for your light to shine. The veil covering you is being removed now, in the mighty name of Jesus! You are about to step out of obscurity into limelight.

Saul's time in the limelight came, but he was hiding in the baggage. Are you hiding from the light? You will never rise to your highest potentials, as long as you insist on hiding amidst your baggage.

Sometimes God will hide you.

There are times He takes us out of the limelight for a season, even for years, in other to work in us. God will take you out of the limelight if the enemy is working to destroy you. Jesus as a baby was hidden in Egypt when King Herod was after his life. Moses was hidden as a baby. Hebrews 11:23. God will hide you in other to develop your character. He will hide you to protect your destiny.

Unlike Saul, David was anointed, but he didn’t go straight to the throne. God hid him until the time was right. David spent many years in obscurity until God elevated him. Do you feel obscure? A time when your hard work is not recognized. To be obscure is to be unknown, unimportant and downgraded. But if you will be patient and let God finish His work in you, your time will come. When God hides you, He's preparing you for the limelight. Don't be in a hurry, wait for His timing. Work daily on improving yourself. Keep serving in obscurity as God prepares you for royalty.