In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus spoke, among other things, about the commission to search and of the result in finding things we are looking for.
Matthew 7:7-8:
7 ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
7 ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
The Search for the Female Donkeys in Sonship
The biblical passage from 1 Samuel 9-10 illustrates the principle of seeking on behalf of the Heavenly Father. It says that Saul’s father, named Kish – ‘bow’ (Note: governmental presence of the Father; cf. Ezekiel 1:28 i.c.w. Revelation 4:3), who was a man from the tribe of Benjamin – ‘Son of the right hand of God’ (Note: the love and grace of God through Jesus Christ; cf. Luke 22:69) and a son of Abiel – ‘My Father is God.’ (Note: The knowledge of life in the relationship with God the Father; cf. Galatians 4:6-7) to seek his donkeys who were lost in the land.
Saul was accompanied by the servant of his father who accompanied him on the mission to go and find the donkeys (cf. 1 Samuel 9:1-3).
1 Samuel 9:1-3:
1 There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.
2 Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.
3 Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.”
1 There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.
2 Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.
3 Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.”
This shows us the meaning of fatherhood and sonship in Christ Jesus. It says that the father of Saul is a son of Abiel – ‘My father is God’, of the son of Zeror – ‘packed parcel’, of the son of Bekorath – ‘birthright of the first born, first born’, of the son of Aphiah – ‘to speak, cool, gentle whisper/light wind in the form of blowing upon’, of the son of a Benjamite – ‘son of the right hand of God or of good fortune’, a respected man.
This clearly reveals that our God is a God of generations and expresses His authority and dominion in them. Prophecy also works through the generations.
Since it is in God’s interest that we also find based on the principle of searching according to Matthew 7:7-8, it happens in our life in Christ that the Holy Spirit accompanies us on the search, just as Saul’s father provided his son with a servant for the search. It is the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth (cf. John 16:13a).
John 16:13a:
13a But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. …
13a But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. …
Based on Kisch’s generational line, a spiritual approach to the promise of God becomes clear, which extended into the life of Saul, his son, whereby it is about the following steps of knowledge:
- Abiel => the fatherhood of God (cf. Galatians 4:6)
- Zeror => the gifts and offices of God (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:11-12)
- Bekorath => the possession of God (cf. Exodus 13:11-13 i.c.w. Luke 2:22-24)
- Aphiah => the Holy Spirit and the activity of God (cf. John 20:22 i.c.w. 1 Kings 19:12; Acts 2:2-4)
- Benjamin => the governmental reign of God in Jesus Christ (cf. Colossians 3:1)
The ‘Bow’ and the ‘Arrows’
Since the name ‘Kish’ means ‘bow’, as already mentioned, and arrows are shot from a bow, a spiritual principle in spiritual warfare can be recognized in the commissioning of Saul by his father Kish. According to Psalm 127:3-5, arrows are associated with the sons of the youth, who represent powerful spiritual communication in the spiritual battle against the adversary.
Psalm 127:3-5:
3 Children [Note: sons] are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.
3 Children [Note: sons] are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.
Furthermore, the fatherly commissioning of the search for the donkeys shows that the Heavenly Father is sovereign and knows from the ‘dimension of the bow (cf. Revelation 4:3)’ where He shoots His arrow, which means that He already knows the target in the future. This in turn encompasses the higher thoughts and plans of God, which do not always mean the goal we have in mind or expect, but rather the impossible for man (cf. Isaiah 55:8-9 i.c.w. Matthew 19:26).
Isaiah 55:8-9:
8 ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.
9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
8 ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.
9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Matthew 19:26:
26 ‘So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
26 ‘So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
The Kingdom Plan of God and the Kingdom Dimension
Saul was on his way with the servant provided by his father to look for the donkeys, but he was brought into contact with the ‘kingdom plan of God’ by the seer or prophet Samuel, which implied that Saul, standing in sonship, was to become king of Israel (cf. 1 Samuel 9:15-17).
1 Samuel 9:15-17:
15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16 ‘About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.’
17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, ‘This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.’
15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16 ‘About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.’
17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, ‘This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.’
It is said that Saul did not have to look any further for his father’s donkeys, as they had been found according to the prophet Samuel (cf. 1 Samuel 9:20a).
1 Samuel 9:20a:
20a As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. …
20a As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. …
Thus, it was by order of the Heavenly Father that Saul was to enter the kingdom dimension, even though his earthly father was not a king. Saul finally entered a greater level than his father himself. This principle of realizing the greater is made clear by Jesus’ statement that we will do greater things than He Himself, since He has gone to the Father (cf. John 14:12).
John 14:12:
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
In all of this, it is important that we make a spiritual effort to recognize and understand the biblical times of God, just as the tribe of Issachar did, which carries a donkey as a tribal symbol in accordance with the blessing of Jacob (cf. 1 Chronicles 12:32 i.c.w. Genesis 49:14).
1 Chronicles 12:32:
32 from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do – 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command; …
32 from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do – 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command; …
Genesis 49:14:
14 ‘Issachar is a scrawny donkey lying down among the sheepfolds. …’
14 ‘Issachar is a scrawny donkey lying down among the sheepfolds. …’
In all this it is the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of the Father, who leads us into all truth necessary for us to enter into God’s eternal plan and His high thoughts for us, even when we are on the verge of wanting to give up.
The ‘Honeycomb’ and Adherence to the Father’s Mission
During the search for the donkeys, Saul and his servant wandered through various regions and came to the area of Zuph – ‘honeycomb, overflow’, where Saul wanted to abandon the search for the donkeys and return to his father.
However, his servant did not abandon his plan to continue searching for the donkeys, which led to them approaching a man of God of whom they knew nothing other than that he was acting in the prophetic anointing.
Because of the prophetic anointing under which the prophet Samuel moved, Saul and his servant were willing to invest in his anointing because they knew they would receive direction through Samuel’s revelatory counsel (cf. 1 Samuel 9:4-10a).
1 Samuel 9:4-10a:
4 So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
5 When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, ‘Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.’
6 But the servant replied, ‘Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.’
7 Saul said to his servant, ‘If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?’
8 The servant answered him again. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.’
9 (Formerly in Israel, if someone went to enquire of God, they would say, ‘Come, let us go to the seer,’ because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)
10a ‘Good,’ Saul said to his servant. ‘Come, let’s go.’ …
4 So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
5 When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, ‘Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.’
6 But the servant replied, ‘Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.’
7 Saul said to his servant, ‘If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?’
8 The servant answered him again. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.’
9 (Formerly in Israel, if someone went to enquire of God, they would say, ‘Come, let us go to the seer,’ because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)
10a ‘Good,’ Saul said to his servant. ‘Come, let’s go.’ …
It was in the area of Zuph – ‘honeycomb’ where Saul wanted to abandon the search; but thanks to his servant’s counsel and willingness to invest, Saul did not abandon the search for his father’s donkeys.
Amid the area of the ‘honeycomb – Zuph’, Saul was in danger of no longer wanting to follow his father’s commission but was ready to turn back to him because he allowed wrong conclusions to be drawn in his soul (Note: seat of will, feeling and understanding).
According to the Word of God, honey is the attribute that leads to enlightenment of the eyes to gain strength and achieve a great victory (cf. 1 Samuel 14:29-30).
1 Samuel 14:29-30:
29 Jonathan said, ‘My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey.
30 How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?’
29 Jonathan said, ‘My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey.
30 How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?’
And it is, as already mentioned, the leading of the Holy Spirit represented by Saul’s father’s servant, who leads with revelation into all truth to bring us as God’s people to our destination (cf. John 16:13-15).
John 16:13-15:
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.
15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.’
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.
15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.’
The Charisma of Saul
In our lives it also happens that we occasionally find ourselves in situations like Saul, who was a beautiful man. In this case, Saul’s beauty represents walking in the glory of God, as he reflected the image of his Father, just as Jesus said that whoever sees him sees the Father (cf. John 14:9b).
John 14:9b:
… 9b Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. …
… 9b Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. …
As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the privilege of knowing God as Father to reflect Him as His love like Jesus Christ to those around us (cf. John 3:16 i.c.w. John 14:6.9b).
John 3:16:
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 14:6.9b:
6 Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. …
… 9b Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. …
6 Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. …
… 9b Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. …
The Phase of ‘Loss’
Occasionally, God allows us to experience similar situations or circumstances of seeming ‘loss’ so that we may seek to go deeper into the prophetic promise He has prepared for us.
Briefly explained, the prophetic promise involves looking into the supernatural realm by faith through the moving of the Holy Spirit to see what God has currently revealed or planned.
When God, the Heavenly Father, gives us an assignment, it is connected to His desire to lead us deeper into His nature. The divine - paternal - commission has the consequence that we feel a desire within us to seek what we are missing. This is a normal spiritual process that can be equated with a thirst and hunger for more of God and His presence (cf. John 7:37 i.c.w. Matthew 7:9-11).
John 7:37:
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. …’
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. …’
Matthew 7:9-11:
9 ‘Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
9 ‘Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
The result of this kind of search is that we receive from God what we are looking for (cf. Matthew 7:7).
Matthew 7:7:
7 ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
7 ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
While Saul and his servant did not let go of their father’s commission to continue searching for the female donkeys, little by little they drew closer to the prophetic presence of God represented by the prophet Samuel.
The Significance of the Spirit-Filled Women
The young women who were on their way to draw water played an important role in their search for prophetic guidance (cf. 1 Samuel 9:11-14).
1 Samuel 9:11-14:
11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, ‘Is the seer here?’
12 ‘He is,’ they answered. ‘He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place.
13 As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterwards, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.’
14 They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming towards them on his way up to the high place.
11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, ‘Is the seer here?’
12 ‘He is,’ they answered. ‘He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place.
13 As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterwards, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.’
14 They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming towards them on his way up to the high place.
It is very important that we as men in the body of Christ do not underestimate the importance of Spirit-filled (Note: born from above) women because they are instrumental in leading into fullness! It was not for nothing that Adam needed a female helper for his task (cf. Genesis 2:18)!
Genesis 2:18:
18 The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’
18 The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’
True spiritual life can only be produced and maintained by men and women in cooperation!
The direction of the young women in Saul’s time, who honoured the movement of the Holy Spirit and the revelatory truth of God (Note: they were on their way to draw water), led to Saul meeting Samuel with his servant and being anointed by him into a higher authority, namely that of king.
Saul entered deeper into the prophetic anointing through the commission to seek the donkeys of his father Kish, which brought him into a higher realm of authority. It was the prophetic anointing that transformed Saul into a new man (cf. 1 Samuel 10:5-6).
1 Samuel 10:5-6:
5 ‘After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.
6 The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.
5 ‘After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.
6 The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.
Saul’s search reveals to us that God, the Heavenly Father, has a greater plan for us than we think in the first instance.
His commission to us to go on a quest involves not only finding what we are looking for but entering an even higher realm of His presence and authority to administer His plans and high thoughts on earth (cf. Isaiah 55:8-9).
Isaiah 55:8-9:
8 ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.
9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
8 ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.
9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
In the right understanding of time and our responsible use of God’s times, we increasingly recognize what the Father wants for us, and to what extent we may set aside our own ideas in order to recognize the bigger picture of God’s plans in our assignment to search.
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Daniel Glimm
