Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 3322
“Therefore they enquired of the LORRD further, if the man should yet come there. And the LORRD answered, Behold, he has hid himself among the stuff. And they ran and fetched him from there.” 1 Samuel 10:22-23.
SAUL seems to have known that he was the elect person, having already been secretly anointed by Samuel and, therefore, while the voting was going on and while the lots were being cast, he hid himself. The Lord answered, “Behold, he has hid himself among the stuff. And they ran and fetched him from there.”
We hardly know why Saul did this. It would be wrong to impute to him an ill motive, otherwise one would be inclined to say that he did it out of mock modesty, so that he might appear to have forced on him an honor which he did not really covet. But this would not fit with the first part of Saul’s life, for in his early days and when he was first chosen king, he did seem to be one of the most hopeful persons who could possibly have been called to the office. At the end of the chapter from which our text is taken, you see an instance of his great wisdom. The men of Belial, we are told, “despised him and brought him no presents. But he held his peace,” a piece of wisdom which it were well if some ministers and others, too, among us knew well how to imitate—if they, too, would sometimes be silent when the men of Belial speak concerning them. It, indeed, were well for all Christians to often imitate the example of their Lord who, when He was reviled, gave no answer but that of patient, enduring silence.
We are inclined the rather, therefore, to give Saul the credit for being really so modest that he concealed himself from honor and must have greatness forced upon him. He had been born great in stature, but now to be made great in office seemed a burden which he did not covet—and so he hid himself among the stuff.
From this, if it really is so, we may learn that without the Grace of God the fairest life may yet become foul’and, however beautifully a young man may commence his career, he may stumble and fall and never reach the goal. Oh, how many amiable daughters, the joy of their mother’s heart, have been enough, after all, to bring gray hairs with sorrow to the grave! How many goodly lads, of whom we might have said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before us,” have, notwithstanding, proved very sons of Belial, bringing sorrow and bitterness into their fathers’ soul! There is only one form of moral life insurance and it is spirituality—the coming to Christ, being regenerated, receiving the indwelling Spirit into the heart—and setting the affections upon the eternal and the heavenly!
This done, we may look forward to a life of holiness, believing that “the course of the just will be as the shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day.” Apart from this, however, there can be no complete dependence upon the best outward signs of promise, nor upon the noblest and strongest resolutions. Many a young Hazael has said, “Is your servant a dog that he should do this thing?” And yet he has lived to do the very thing of which he would hardly dare to think! The horrible to his youthful heart became the actual deed of his later days!
I thought that this little incident of Saul’s hiding himself among the stuff when he was already destined and chosen to be king was much like what sinners do for whom eternal mercy has provided a crown and a throne. They are hiding themselves away among the stuff. And then, again, I thought that it was very much like what many Christians do for whom the Covenant of Grace has provided a crown of rejoicing in feasting with Christ and living according to His example—but alas, alas, they are very worldly and seek to escape from the high honors their Lord has in store for them— they, too, hide among the stuff!
First, then, let us have—
I. A FEW WORDS WITH THE SINNER WHO IS HIDING HIMSELF AWAY AMONG THE STUFF. I dare say he thinks tonight that if he had been Saul, he would not have been hiding himself. If it were to have his head taken off, a man might very wisely hide himself, but to have a crown put upon his head does not seem to be a reason
for hiding oneself, but a reason for coming out into the open and saying, “Here I am! Do unto me as seems good to you!” But this conduct, which seems so strange in Saul, is an exact image of the behavior of many of you who are here tonight. There may be some of you here present who may be doing precisely what Saul did, only you are doing it more foolishly than he did. He did but hide away from an earthly crown, but you hide from a heavenly one! He did but shun a crown that fades—you seem as though you would avoid a crown that is undefiled and that fades not away! The crown which Saul sought to hide from no doubt brought many cares with it, for it is only too often true that—
“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” But the crown which you are avoiding brings no care with it, but much of holy ease and joy—and that head lies easily enough which is crowned with God’s crown of loving kindness and tender mercy! But you hide yourselves away from it—from the crown which Prophets and Apostles counted on, for which they were willing to sacrifice all things and counted their best prospects but as dross and dung,” that they might win it! This crown, which glittered in the martyr’s eyes and made him sing as he swam through a sea of blood to reach it—this crown is lightly valued by you—and you hide yourself away among the stuff, that you may escape from this gift of God’s bountiful mercy and love!