The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes;
And to Him shall be the obedience of the people (Gen 49:10).

Jacob uttered this prophetic blessing for the descendents of his fourth son, Judah. Moses confirmed that the nation would indeed have a king to reign over them and outlined some principles for that event in Dt. 17:14. It was always God’s plan for the nation of Israel to have a king. But it appears they moved ahead of God’s timing.

Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin, not Judah. Saul was the best available at the time, but not the ideal. He was not the leader spoken of by Jacob. David, on the other hand, was the ideal. In spite of his sin, David remained a man after God’s heart. David was the picture of the coming King.

How much grief was caused by the impatience of the leaders of Israel? God granted their request for a king, but it was not the king God was preparing for them. It wasn’t long before David came on the scene. He still would have been the champion against Goliath. Saul had no impact in that battle. As it turned out, the nation soon adored David for all his exploits. Trouble was, Saul possessed the throne. David and the nation suffered for years under the heavy hand of Saul.

Many of David’s heartaches can be attributed directly or indirectly to the reign of Saul. None of this would have happened if the nation had only been patient and waited for God to accomplish His plan.

How often do we push for God to work on our time instead of His? We may get God’s best for the time being, but actually delay God’s ideal. May we learn patience in trusting God to fulfill His promises in His time.