1 Samuel 9:1–4 (ESV)

There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.

As we will soon see, Saul will be anointed by Samuel as king over all Israel.

But in this passage we see how amazingly unqualified he is for the job. He’s exceptionally tall and handsome, but that’s it. We learn nothing about whether he possesses the characteristics that would make a good king (or judge or military leader).

What we do learn is that Saul is given the task of tracking down some errant donkeys. Also, he’s told to take one servant with him. This is an extremely menial task for a future king.

And his search for the donkeys is quite unimpressive. Saul heads straight for the hills and passes through a number of places in the hill country of Ephraim. We aren’t told why Saul thought that’s the direction the donkeys would head, and it appears he guessed wrong.

So, this passage gives the impression of a thin resume. Saul could well become a great leader—anything’s possible—but this passage gives the opposite feel.

That seems to be by design.

It is by design. Everything in scripture is by design. The Bible is not badly written. Saul’s thin resume is displayed to make a point. God is giving Israel a populist king.

There may be some advantages to a king that looks good, but other things matter more. Many Israelite leaders wrote inspired scripture. Saul wrote none. If he had any significant insights he didn’t record them.

The parallel with modern American politics is striking. We elect the tallest and/or best looking candidates almost every time. And so, we end up governed by pretty people.

And this doesn’t just apply to politicians. Why is it that when highly attractive people become skilled in the performance arts (e.g., music or acting) we hear their opinions on things like foreign policy or the science of climate? Their actual credentials (or lack thereof) don’t seem to matter.

Our culture of celebrity (and appearances) is dysfunctional, but it’s not new.

These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Weekend DEEPs are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.