Saul's Donkeys

All of us geeky seminary types like to point out the imagery of David shepherding sheep before he came to shepherd the people. We think its cool. He fought lions, bears, and people to take care of his sheep. No wonder he became king. Saul, on the other hand tended donkeys.

In I Samuel 9, we find Saul on the hunt for his father's wayward asses. He takes along some "boy" to help and they can't find the donkeys. They search all over Israel for them, but they're gone. Saul is ready to go home, but the "boy" instructs him to seek counsel from Samuel. Saul doesn't think this will work, but what the hey, he was out of ideas. And abracabra, Saul is king. Of course, there's more to the story, but that's how Samuel and Saul met.

Compare that story with chapter 16. Saul is no longer in good standing and Samuel is instructed to go to Jesse's house to anoint the new king. David isn't there. He's the youngest, but he's out tending the sheep. David didn't seek out Samuel. Samuel found David and waited for him.

Donkeys versus sheep. I'm not sure of the biblical imagery of the donkey, but it seems that the author(s) of Samuel are making the point that Saul was just doing what he was told. David was obedient, and he was faithful. He actually found his sheep and defended them while Saul gave up and headed home when he couldn't find his donkeys.

I have no deep, theological point here. I'm just a seminary geek that noticed something pretty cool about something I just read.