Do you remember that television ad jingle: “You asked for it, you got it, Toyota” or am I dating myself? It was probably written by Barry Manilow, in which case, yes, I am dating myself, and I am an old geezer. I thought of it this morning in my Bible reading (Quick Aside: How is your Bible reading plan coming?) I came to 1 Samuel 9 this morning. Specifically, 1 Samuel 9.2: “And he had a son, whose name was Saul.”

Do you know what the name Saul means? It means: “asked for” or “demanded.” Isn’t that interesting? The people demanded a king in 1 Samuel 8.19. So what did they get? A (soon to be) king named, “Demanded.” Of course this is no mistake, Saul would be a living, breathing reminder that God gave to his people what they asked for, which, if you recall Israel’s history, did not turn out very well for them. I wonder if they soon wished that Saul could have been named “return to sender.”

In God’s grace and mercy, after the disaster which was Saul’s reign, God gave his people a king who would be a picture of the coming Messiah, King David. What was he like? Read Psalm 23.