Saul seems like the perfect king, wealthy, tall and
handsome. Straight out of a Hollywood
fantasy. He is on an errand for his
father to find lost donkeys and perseveres in his work to the point where there
is no food left. His concern is for his
father, he wants to return home lest his father become anxious over his lengthy
absence, a good son. His servant,
however, knows that a man of God is frequently in the town near where they have
traveled and yet even then Saul will not deign to approach this man without
something to offer him, he is without presumption. After that matter is settled, they go to the
city (sounds a bit like the Wizard of Oz) and arrive just as Samuel is arriving.
The disciples prove themselves a bit dense. Peter hears Jesus say that satan wants him
and that when he is turned again, repented of his failure and restored, he is
to strengthen his brothers, lead them.
Peter knows better than that, his faith will not fail, he will remain
steadfast to the end. Wouldn't it be
nice if we really were the people we truly want to be? No, Peter will fail, but this must be the
case, Jesus must be alone at the end of this journey, He must experience
betrayal and Peter must be a betrayer in order that his own pride not ruin him
in the end. Jesus says that these times
are a'changing. Before He sent them out
as innocents and dependents on the Father's provision knowing they would be
safe. Now, the world will come against
them rather than receiving them and they must be prepared for this next phase
of mission, the season of difficulties and hardships, the season of struggle
and survival. They will indeed find that
there is opposition, suffering and in some cases, death.
The story continues with the people getting fat and happy in
Egypt, settled in this foreign land with no thought for the land they had been
promised four centuries before. Then, a
king arose who no longer remembered all that their ancestor Joseph had done to
preserve and make mighty the kingdom of Egypt, one who would oppress them. They had enjoyed a long season of prosperity
and peace in Egypt and then came this king who came against them and caused
them to cry out to this God to whom they had given little thought down the
years. He sent them a deliverer, Moses,
with a fantastic backstory who finally, at forty years of age, decided to step
into his destiny. What he received for
his willingness to serve was rejection and exile. His story needed to be shaped by difficulty
and doubt before he was truly ready to leave God's people. It is all part of the preparation of a leader
to persevere through difficulty and to fail sometimes. Failure need not be final if we give it to
Him.
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