“Behold, (Saul was) hiding himself by the baggage” (1 Samuel 10:22).
What is the future king doing crouched down in pile of the utensils and clothing?
We know that it wasn’t because he was a shrimpy little guy. In fact, if we keep reading, we find out that he was a head and shoulder taller than anybody else in Israel (1 Samuel 10:23). So, it wasn’t his height.
We know that it wasn’t his looks. The Biblical account, which doesn’t often give us clues in appearance says specifically that Saul was “choice and handsome and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel” (1 Samuel 9:2).
It wasn’t because he was scared of talking to strangers. He had just spent quite some time inquiring all around the countryside for his lost stock animals (1 Samuel 9:3-12).
And it doesn’t seem that it could have been lack of God’s blessing either. Just days earlier, Saul had been anointed as God’s chosen one (1 Samuel 10:1). He had experienced the Spirit of the Lord coming “upon him mightily” and that he had been “changed into another man” (1 Samuel 10:6). This was no secret because he had prophesied in such a way that everyone knew about it (1 Samuel 10:10-12).
“God changed his heart…on that day” (1 Samuel 10:9).
But yet, when it came time to find him, Saul was hiding by the baggage.
So maybe it was because they were out to get him and he was hiding for his life….
Well, no. They were actually looking for him to declare him king.
The story remains a mystery — until I look in my own heart.
Despite whatever advantages I’ve had, how many times have hidden underneath my baggage? God can even speak to me specifically and yet within a few days, I’m cowering in my past baggage.
“Who am I to say God spoke to me? I’m from a small family of no influence.”
“I don’t have enough credentials to pray aloud. I don’t have any seminary degrees.”
“I feel too unqualified to explain what I’ve heard from the Lord. What if they discover my past?”
All of this is baggage!
Have you had times in which the Lord has spoken mightily to or through you? But then you’ve retreated underneath the baggage of your past?
Well maybe 1 Samuel has more relevance than we thought.
Let’s look at one more point.
“Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper and ran to the battle line” (1 Samuel 17:22).
We need to leave our baggage with the One Who has been appointed to keep it.
And once we leave it with God, we need to not keep looking back.
“I, the Lord, am (your) keeper” (Isaiah 27:3).
Let’s believe that and refuse the evil one when he wants to bring it back to our feet. After all, he is the one who gave us the baggage in the first place!
Tell him, “No.” You do have the ability.
“The grace of God…teaches us to say “No” to all ungodliness” (Titus 2:11-12 TNIV).
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