Reading for February 25th

Read 1 Samuel 9.15-21
In verse 16: Anointing involved smearing a person's head with scented olive oil as a way of designating the person for a particular office.
Ruler in Hebrew is "nagid," which means king designate" in this verse.
In verse 18: The gate of a city was a well-fortified  entrance to a walled city.
It was the site of commerce and the place where trials were held.
In verses 19-20: In the original tale, the seer consulted God overnight in order to address Saul's needs.
But the old tale has been transformed editorially so that Samuel has been told to expect Saul (vv. 15-17) and now goes ahead and tells him all that is on his mind by assuring him that the donkeys have been found (v. 20).
The next morning is reserved for Saul's anointing.
In verse 21: Saul's objection is typical of people wo receive a divine call in the Bible, such as Moses (Ex 4.10-17) and Jeremiah (Her 1.6).
It also shows Saul's humility and God's preference for the small and weak.