Hope Not in Men

“Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for Myself a king among his sons” I Samuel 16:1

How many of us have struggled at one time or another with dissatisfaction with a church? Many of us, I would venture. Have we considered Samuel and Saul? Saul was perfect candidate for becoming king of Israel—tall, handsome; everything you would want in a king. But he failed. He was given simple instructions, failed to do them, did not repent truly, and grieved Samuel’s heart because of his lack of obedience. So here we find the solution of God to Samuel’s troubles. Samuel bound up much hope in men, specifically in the man Saul. Have you ever bound up your hopes in a leader, only to be disappointed when that pastor/mentor/looked-up-to person fails miserably? I don’t know how many people I have met who have been disillusioned by the church, and I would have to admit that at times I have been the cause of some of that disappointment. But is there not hope here in this verse for us? God has provided a king for Himself, despite Saul’s failure. Where is your hope? Is it in men or women, as Samuel’s was? Do you need to hear the kind voice of God say to you, “how long will you grieve? I will provide.” Then look to my text, for it testifies to the provision of my Lord. Hope may be out of sight, but the Lord is on the move. He will yet provide. And in no shabby fashion I might add. David was the model king to the Israelites; all the other kings were compared to this one. He was a champion among kings. And he was this gift to Israel and to Samuel.

He also happened to the ancestor of a king that holds much more importance in our lives. He is in the lineage of Jesus, the King that God has provided for His people. When hope is hard to get and men have failed you once again, remember the greatest King of Israel, who for your sakes became poor and suffered, that you and I might be freed from sin and reign with Him. Hope not in men, but in the Lord. God has provied a King for Himself. May this peace be yours.