We learn a lot about Saul in chapter 9—some clues about who he is, and subtle foreshadowing of what sort of leader he will become. Saul’s hidden insecurities are not neutral traits; they look for protection—either through control and anxiety, or through performance and pride and both exist in Saul at the same time in his older years.
First, we are told that Saul’s father was a “mighty man of valor.” What does that mean? Strength, courage, decisive action—especially in difficult or dangerous situations. ‘Gideon’ was given this same title. These are big shoes to fill. Imagine what it might have been like for a boy growing up in the shadow of a father like that. This is the first clue that Saul may have seen himself as weak or at least weaker than his father.
Then we learn that Saul himself is handsome—choice and tall, taller than anyone else in Israel. This detail is often noted in Scripture when someone is set apart for a purpose: “Sarah”, “David”, “Esther”. There’s no question that, even today, beauty draws attention and honor. But what’s curious is that with all that attention, it’s not uncommon for the most beautiful to also be the most insecure.
Why? Because identity built on appearance is fragile. How Saul sees himself may not match how others see him. this external beauty also leads constant evaluation creates self-consciousness. Later, we watch him compare himself to David again and again. So even this one small detail hints that Saul may already be insecure. Let’s keep following the clues.
Saul’s family has some wealth—his father sends him out with a servant to search for lost donkeys. That detail matters. It could suggest status, but it may also hint that Saul is not fully trusted to handle things on his own.
Then Saul says something telling:
“Let us return, lest my father cease caring about the donkeys and become anxious about us.”
Is it really his father who is anxious—a mighty man of valor? Or is it Saul projecting his own anxiety? This matters, because we later see Saul lead—and parent—in the same anxious, controlling way. When he cannot wait for “Samuel”, he takes matters into his own hands and offers the sacrifice himself, which is forbidden.
We also see an early bend toward control through spiritual means. When the donkeys can’t be found, Saul’s solution is to go to a seer and pay him for answers. This is his last-ditch attempt to control the situation. Rather than seeking the Lord directly, he treats God’s prophet more like a pagan medium. Ironically, later in his life, Saul will ban mediums—only to seek one out himself in desperation. The pattern is already there.
Then comes a revealing moment. When Samuel tells Saul that God has chosen him, Saul responds:
“Who am I…? I am from the smallest tribe… and my family is the least.”
This is how Saul truly sees himself—not as others see him (handsome and choice), not even as God calls him, but as small, insignificant, and unworthy.
We learn something else here. God tells Samuel to anoint Saul as “prince” over His people—to deliver Israel from the Philistines. God calls Israel “His” people—twice in one verse. Saul is to rule under God’s authority. But God does not initially call him “king.” The title “king” first rises from the people: “Long live the king!” The people elevate him in a way that subtly shifts his role—and perhaps his allegiance.
Then one more detail: after Saul is anointed, he doesn’t tell his family what happened. And when the time comes to present him publicly, he is found hiding among the baggage.
“There is no one like him among all the people.” Samuel says…
What kind of pressure does that create—perhaps at all costs… stay at the top!
These early marks don’t just describe Saul before he becomes king—they shape how he rules afterward.
He is anxious, controlling, and deeply insecure. And that insecurity begins to drive his decisions and reveal his true self. Saul becomes desperate for approval—especially from the people. He fears losing their favor more than losing alignment with God. Saul compromising and in a small way I think we do to. We compromise what is right for approval. We exchange what is best for what is applauded. Usually the truth is not as popular as what is “handsome” and beautiful.
Our tendencies inform who we become. Saul wanted the approval of the people more than the approval of God. God intended to make Saul a prince and a deliverer. The people made him king—and Saul, shaped by his own insecurity, spent much of his reign trying to please them and maintain his status that they gave him.
what is the warning for us today?
Insecurity itself is not sin—but what we do with it matters and where it leads to. Do we feed it or surrender it, allowing God to shape us regardless of how we appear?
Saul consistently chose to preserve his image. He was more concerned with being honored before the people than with showing true repentance. And over time, that undealt-with insecurity hardened into pride—the kind that precedes a fall.
Hidden insecurities don’t remain neutral. If they are not surrendered and transformed, they don’t produce humility—they reshape themselves into anxiety, control, and pride and those are the building blocks of a faulty foundation one which God rejects altogether.
My Faith Place 