1 Samuel 9-11: Saul is Chosen as King
AS WE CONTINUE OUR STUDY IN SAMUEL WE FIND MORE AND MORE EXAMPLES OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD GUIDING HIS PEOPLE, EVEN WHEN THEY STRONGLY REJECT HIS LEADERSHIP AS KING.
CHAPTER 9 CONTAINS THE STORY OF THE CHOOSING OF SAUL TO BE FIRST HUMAN KING OF ISRAEL. IT BEGINS WITHOUT ANY CONNECTION TO WHAT HAS COME BEFORE.
IN VERSES 1-27 WE GAIN UNDERSTANDING AS TO EXACTLY HOW A KING IS CHOSEN FOR THE HEBREW NATION.
THE FIRST TWO VERSES GIVE THE BACKGROUND OF SAUL AND A PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION.
HE WAS FROM THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN WHICH WAS THE SMALLEST TRIBE IN ISRAEL.
HIS CHOICE MEANT THAT HIS CHOOSING WOULD NOT CAUSE ANY SPLIT AMONG THE LARGER TRIBES IF ONE OF THEM HAD BEEN USED TO PROVIDE THE KING.
HIS FATHER, KISH, WAS SAID TO BE A MAN OF SUBSTANCE, MEANING HE LIKELY HAD BEEN A WARRIOR AND VALIANT IN BATTLE AS WELL AS A MAN OF WEALTH.
SAUL HIMSELF WAS DESCRIBED AS HANDSOME AND TALL, AND HIS NAME MEANT “THAT WHICH HAD BEEN ASKED FOR”.
HIS FATHER HAD SENT SAUL AND A SERVANT HELPER TO FIND A GROUP OF DONKEYS WHO HAD WANDERED AWAY FROM THE FARM.
THIS SEEMED LIKE AN ORDINARY EPISODE ON A FARM BUT WILL SOON BE REVEALED AS THE LORD WORKING HIS WILL TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF SAUL BECOMING KING.
HIS SOVEREIGN WILL IS AT WORK.
AFTER MUCH SEARCHING, THE SERVANT SAYS HE KNOWS OF A MAN OF GOD WHO LIVED NEAR AND COULD SURELY HELP THEM IN THEIR SEARCH.
THE STORY DETAILS WHAT SEEMS TO BE A SERIES OF CHANCE EVENTS IN WHICH THE LARGER PURPOSE OF GOD IS AT WORK.
SAUL’S STORY IS FULL OF SURPRISES.
AS SAUL AND THE SERVANT ENTER THE CITY OF THE WISE MAN, THEY MEET SEVERAL WOMEN AT A WELL, AND THE WOMEN DIRECT THEM TO A RELIGIOUS SACRIFICE SERVICE SOON TO BEGIN IN WHICH THE PROPHET SAMUEL HAS JUST ARRIVED TO BLESS THE SACRIFICE. (9:12-13)
NEITHER SAUL NOR THE SERVANT KNOW THAT ON THE DAY BEFORE, GOD HAD APPEARED TO SAMUEL AND TOLD HIM:
“Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him captain over My people Israel.” (9:16)
SAMUEL KEEPS THE APPOINTMENT TO BLESS A SACRIFICE AND ENDS UP ANOINTING A KING.
SAUL GOES OUT SEEKING HIS FATHER’S LIVESTOCK AND FINDS A CROWN.
AS SAUL AND HIS SERVANT APPROACH, THE LORD REVEALED TO SAMUEL:
“This one shall reign over my people.” (v 17)
SAMUEL INVITES SAUL TO BE THE GUEST IN THE FEAST AFTER THE SACRIFICE AND IN VERSE 21 SAUL PLEADS UNWORTHINESS, EXACTLY AS GIDEON HAD DONE IN THE TIME OF THE JUDGES.
(JUDGES 6:15). BOTH MEN EXPRESSED HUMILITY.
SAUL SEEMED SURPRISED AT THE INVITATION TO THE FEAST, AND EVEN MORE SO AS HE WAS GIVEN THE PLACE OF HONOR BY SAMUEL, WITH THE CHOICE SERVING OF MEAT.
AFTER THE MEAL, SAUL SPENT THE NIGHT WITH SAMUEL, SLEEPING ON SAMUEL’S ROOF.
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING, SAMUEL WAKES SAUL AND WENT WITH HIM TO THE EDGE OF THE CITY, WHERE, AFTER SENDING THE SERVANT ONWARD, SAMUEL ANOINTS SAUL AND SPOKE TO HIM THE WORD OF GOD. (V27)
UNLIKE DAVID’S ANOINTING WHICH WAS DONE AT THE HOME OF JESSE, THE ANOINTING OF SAUL HAD NO WITNESSES.
THE ACT OF SETTING SAUL ASIDE TO BE KING MERELY WAS A SYMBOL OF WHAT GOD HAD ALREADY DONE IN HIS DIVINE CHOOSING OF THIS FIRST KING REQUESTED BY THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.
1ST SAMUEL CHAPTER 9 IS THE STORY OF GOD AT WORK IN THE LIFE OF BOTH SAMUEL AND SAUL.
CHAPTER 10 WILL TEACH US OF THE ANOINTING AND ASSURING OF A KING.
SAMUEL HAD TAKEN A FLASK OF HOLY OIL AND POURED IT ON THE HEAD OF SAUL AND THEN KISSED SAUL.
SAMUEL THEN TOLD SAUL TO DEPART AND FIND TWO MEN BY THE TOMB OF RACHEL AND THEY WILL CONFIRM TO YOU THE DONKEYS HAVE BEEN FOUND, AND SAUL’S FATHER NOW WORRIED FOR HIS SON.
SAMUEL ADVISES SAUL WILL MEET MORE MEN WHO WILL HAVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND WILL BE PROPHESYING.
SAMUEL SAYS THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD WILL COME UPON SAUL AND YOU WILL PROPHECY WITH THEM AND BE TURNED INTO ANOTHER MAN.
SAMUEL SAID GOD WAS WITH SAUL, AND AS HE LEFT SAMUEL, GOD GAVE SAUL A NEW HEART.
AS SAUL RETURNED HOME TO QUESTIONS FROM HIS UNCLE, HE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM WHEN HE HAD MET SAMUEL.
THIS CHAPTER CONTINUES THE STORY THAT BEGAN IN CHAPTER 8 WITH ISRAEL’S REQUEST FOR A KING AND CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 9 WITH THE CHOOSING OF SAUL.
CHAPTER 10 DIVIDES INTO TWO PARTS, SAUL IS ANOINTED AND GIVEN SIGNS OF HIS CALLING AND THEN SAUL IS PROCLAIMED TO BE KING BEFORE THE PEOPLE IN VERSES 17-27.
SAMUEL HERE ACTS AS THE LORD’S REPRESENTATIVE.
LATER, AFTER SAUL HAD BEEN REJECTED, DAVID REFUSED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO KILL SAUL BECAUSE HE SAID SAUL WAS “GOD’S ANOINTED”.
SCRIPTURE ALLOWS NO RESPONSE FROM SAUL TO SAMUEL AFTER HIS ANOINTING.
THE SIGNS SAMUEL GAVE TO SAUL TO CONFIRM HIS CHOOSING ALL WERE SAID TO HAPPEN IN ONE DAY AS ALL CAME TO PASS AS WELL AS A NEW HEART GRANTED BY THE LORD. (V3-9)
THE EXPERIENCE GIVEN SAUL BY MEETING THE BAND OF PROPHETS GAVE SAUL ASSURANCE THAT THE POWER OF GOD WAS GOING TO BE EVIDENT IN HIS REIGN.
THE MOST IMPORTANT SIGN TO SAUL WAS THAT THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD HAD INDWELT HIM, REMEMBERING THAT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THE SPIRIT OF GOD ENTERED A MAN FOR A SPECIFIC TASK FOR A SPECIFIC TIME AND THEN LEFT HIM.
WE WILL UNDERSTAND THIS FACTOR STRONGLY WHEN WE STUDY CHAPTER 16 WHERE THE LORD LEFT SAUL AND REPLACED HIS DIVINE SPIRIT WITH AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT.
THE CURRENT EXPERIENCE INSPIRED SAUL, CONFIRMED HIM, AND GAVE HIM A VISION OF THE TASK MEANT FOR HIM.
SAUL THEN WENT HOME AND DID NOT REVEAL HIS CHOOSING EVEN WITH HIS CLOSE RELATIVES. (V14-16)
SAMUEL HAD INSTRUCTED HIM TO WAIT AND SAMUEL’S EXACT WORDS WERE:
“… wait till I come to you and show you what you should do.”
IN CHAPTER 10, VERSES 17-27 ISRAEL MEETS HER KING.
SAMUEL CALLS FOR A NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEETING IN MIZPAH AND CAST LOTS FROM SECTIONS TO TRIBES TO FAMILIES TO FINALLY CONFIRM THE PERSON OF SAUL CHOSEN.
ESSENTIALLY THIS WAS A CEREMONIAL PROCESS AS GOD HAD ALREADY CHOSEN SAUL AND TOLD SAMUEL SO THEREFORE THE LOTS CAST WERE GOD GUIDED TO END UPON SAUL.
IN AN INTERESTING MOMENT, AFTER SAUL WAS KNOWN TO BE THE CHOICE, HE COULD NOT BE FOUND.
VERSE 10:22 SAYS HE WAS “HIDDEN AWAY FROM THE CROWD”, PERHAPS A HUMILITY MOMENT FOR SAUL.
BUT AS HE WAS FOUND AND BROUGHT FORTH, ALL WERE IMPRESSED BY HIS PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, BEING TALLER THAN ALL OTHER MEN AND WHEN SAMUEL INTRODUCED HIM AS GOD’S CHOICE, THE PEOPLE CALLED OUT “GOD SAVE THE KING”. (V24)
ISRAEL NOW HAD A HUMAN KING, AS REQUESTED.
BEFORE SAMUEL DISMISSED THE CROWD HE ONCE MORE EXPLAINED THE BEHAVIOR OF ROYALTY THAT KINGS DISPLAY AND WROTE DOWN HIS WARNING INTO A BOOK AND PLACED IT IN THE TENT OF TABERNACLE, FOR SAFE KEEPING AND PROOF OF WHAT HAD BEEN SAID ON THIS IMPORTANT DAY.
CHAPTER 10 ENDS ON A SOMEWHAT SOUR NOTE AS SAMUEL SENT THE PEOPLE AWAY AND SAUL LEFT FOR HOME AS WELL.
THERE WERE SOME THERE WHO DID NOT ACCEPT SAUL AND EXPRESSED NO CONFIDENCE IN HIM TO DEFEAT ISRAEL’S ENEMIES.
IN CHAPTER 11 THE NEW KING IS RATIFIED.
HIS FIRST CHALLENGE WAS ARRANGED IN THE BLOOD OF WAR.
THE AMMONITES, LED BY THEIR LEADER NAHASH APPROACHED THE ISRAEL TOWN OF JABESH GILEAD IN A WARLIKE MANNER.
THE ISRAELIS ASKED FOR A COVENANT WITH HIM AND HE AGREED ON ONE CONDITION WHICH WAS THAT EVERY MAN OF ISRAEL THERE AGREED TO THE AMMONITES DEMAND THAT THEIR RIGHT EYE BE PUT OUT.
THE ISRAEL ELDERS ASKED FOR SEVEN DAYS TO CONSIDER THE OFFER.
SAUL HAD RETURNED TO HIS FATHER’S FIELDS AND HEARD MANY PEOPLE WEEPING AND GATHERED AND HE ASKED WHY THE SORROW WAS AMONG THEM.
THEY TOLD HIM THE SITUATION.
VERSE 6 ALLOWED A GLIMPSE OF THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN SAUL WHEN HIS REACTION TO THE PLEA OF THOSE THREATENED BY THE AMMONITES:
“… the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused.”
VERSE 7 ALLOWED THE QUALITY OF THE CALL FOR REINFORCEMENTS TO JOIN THE FIGHT SPOKEN IN A SPECIAL WAY:
“…join Saul and Samuel… the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.”
SAUL TOOK A TEAM OF OXEN, MOVED BY THE LORD, AND KILLED THEM, CUTTING THEM INTO PIECES AND SENDING A PIECE TO EACH AREA OF ISRAEL WITH A MESSAGE OF ANY TRIBE THAT DID NOT RESPOND TO THIS ATTACK ALONG WITH HIM WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN OXEN SO CUT APART.
330,000 MEN CAME FORWARD UNDER SAUL’S REQUIREMENT AND SAUL MADE THE ARMY INTO THREE COMPANIES AND IN THE NEXT DAY ALMOST THE ENTIRE AMMONITE ARMY WAS DESTROYED.
VERSE 11 SAYS THE DEFEAT WAS SO COMPLETE THAT THERE WERE NOT TWO AMMONITES LEFT TOGETHER.
THE COMBINATION OF A COMMON ENEMY AND A NEW LEADER HAD DONE A NEW THING FOR ISRAEL, WHICH IS TO UNITE THEM.
TWO SIGNIFICANT THINGS HAPPENED IN THIS MOMENT.
FIRST, THE PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO ACCLAIM SAUL AS THEIR NEW KING AND SECOND, THE PEOPLE HAD ACCOMPLISHED THEIR RECENT DESIRE FOR A HUMAN KING, NO LONGER HAVING GOD AS BOTH THEIR SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL LEADER.
IN THE LATER VERSES OF CHAPTER 11, THERE WAS A CRY FROM THE PEOPLE TO FIND ALL THOSE WHO HAD QUESTIONED THE LEADERSHIP OF THE NEW KING AND JOIN THE ARMY.
THE CRY WAS FOR THESE PEOPLE TO BE PUT TO DEATH. (V12)
IT IS SAUL, NOT SAMUEL, WHO ANSWERED THAT SUCH ACTION WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE AND HIS REPLY IN VERSE 13 WAS SURELY A LEADERSHIP REPLY:
“…for today the Lord has accomplished salvation in Israel…”.
SAMUEL JOINS IN ON THAT DIFFICULT MOMENT WITH A DEEPER SUGGESTION WHICH IS THAT THE PEOPLE GATHER AT GILGAL TO
“RENEW THE KINGDOM” WHICH THEY DID IN A GREAT ACT OF WORSHIP, BEING REMINDED THAT GOD WAS STILL ON THE THRONE.
(V14)
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER THAT EXACTLY AS WE LEARNED IN ACTS 9 WHERE PAUL DID NOT CHOOSE GOD BUT RATHER GOD CHOSE HIM, SAMUEL DID NOT CHOOSE SAUL.
WHEN SAUL APPROACHED SAMUEL FOR HELP IN LOCATING THE MISSING DONKEYS, SAMUEL HAD ALREADY BEEN TOLD BY GOD THAT SAUL WAS HIS CHOICE FOR KING. (V9:16)
THE DONKEYS WERE THE INSTRUMENT USED BY GOD TO BRING SAUL TO THE PROPHET.
THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS IN GOD’S WILL.
SAUL WAS CALLED OF THE LORD FOR HIS PURPOSE TO GRANT THE CRY OF THE PEOPLE FOR A KING TO MAKE THEM LIKE OTHER PEOPLE RATHER THAN PEOPLE RULED BY GOD.
VERSE 10:1 TEACHES US THAT WHEN SAMUEL ANOINTED SAUL WITH OIL, HE SAID THAT SAUL HAD BEEN CHOSEN BY GOD.
GOD’S PLAN WAS IN MOTION AND SAUL WAS USED BY HIM TO UNFOLD THE PLAN.
SAUL ROSE TO BE KING IN FOUR WAYS:
1. HE WAS CHOSEN BY GOD.
2. HE WAS ANOINTED BY SAMUEL.
3. HE WAS CONFIRMED BY LOT.
4. HE WAS ACCEPTED BY THE PEOPLE.
HIS BEGINNING WAS THE DIVINE PLAN FOR ISRAEL BEGINNING.
HIS PERSONAL CHARACTER WILL SHOW FORTH IN THE COMING CHAPTERS AS HE BECAME ARROGANT AND NO LONGER WILLING TO TRUST AND OBEY THE LORD.
HE LET HIMSELF LAPSE INTO SIN.
HE BEGAN A LONG SLOW SLIDE INTO DESPAIR, ALLOWING THE SIDE OF HIMSELF WHICH WAS CARNAL & OF THE FLESH TO RULE HIM.
ULTIMATELY SUCH THINGS WILL COST HIM HIS CROWN.
AS LATER CHAPTERS WILL TEACH US, SAUL WAS NOT GOD’S FINAL SETTLED CHOICE FOR KING.
THAT WILL BE DAVID, A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART.