Samuel is nearing the end of his time as a judge of Israel and the leaders come to him asking in 1 Samuel 8:5 “appoint a king for us to judge us, like all the nations”. While this was never Gods plan, as Samuel prays, the Lord tells him in in 1 Samuel 8:7 “Listen to the voice of the people … they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them” and then the Lord says again in 1 Samuel 8:9 “listen to their voice. However, you must earnestly warn them; you must explain to them the custom of the king who will rule over them.” Then the Lord brings Saul and we find an example of the transforming power of the anointing as this young man begins to prophesy and becomes king and warrior, a leader of men.
Up To Here Yahweh Has Helped Us
Appoint a King For Us
1 Samuel 8:1-10
Samuel was a faithful servant of the Lord and in
1 Samuel 7:15 “Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life”.
And now, as he is getting old, in
1 Samuel 8:1 “When Samuel grew old he appointed his sons as judges over Israel”.
But “the elders of Israel … came to Samuel” in 1 Samuel 8:4 and asked for a king in
1 Samuel 8:5 They said to him, “Look, you are old and your sons do not follow in your ways. So then appoint a king for us to judge us, like all the nations”.
It was never God’s plan for Israel to have a man as their king. Israel was established as a “Theocracy, the form of government among the early Israelites in which God was their supreme ruler, and his laws their laws. The covenant at Sinai established the theocracy Ex 19:5-6 See also Ex 19:8; 24:3,7-8; Dt 5:27”1.
The Lord was always to be their King, their leader, and protector. So, Samuel “prayed to Yahweh” in 1 Samuel 8:6 and the Lord responds with great grace, as he always does, and says in 1 Samuel 8:7 “Listen to the voice of the people concerning all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them”. Then the Lord says one more thing in
1 Samuel 8:9 “And so then, listen to their voice. However, you must earnestly warn them; you must explain to them the custom of the king who will rule over them.”
The Lord tells Samuel to “listen to the voice of the people” and then repeats himself saying again “listen to their voice”. We sometimes forget that God has given us free will. We can have what we ask for and the Lord won’t stop it. This is why Jesus told his disciples in
Matthew 18:18–20 “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven. 19 Again, truly I say to you that if two of you agree on earth about any matter that they ask, it will be done for them from my Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.”
The People Refused to Listen
Let Us Go Up To The Seer
1 Samuel 9:1-9
Saul is introduced as the son of “a very wealthy man” in 1 Samuel 9:1 and in 1 Samuel 9:2 “a young and handsome man … taller than all the people”. But Saul was on a mission from his father in 1 Samuel 9:3 “Please take one of the servants with you and get up; go and seek the female donkeys.” that were lost. Saul and his servant traveled a broad loop, searching for several days until he decides he should report back to his father in 1 Samuel 9:5 “Come, let us return, lest my father cease caring about the female donkeys and worry about us!” But the servant suggests in
1 Samuel 9:6 “Look, a man of God is in this town, and the man is honored. All that he says certainly comes true. So then let us go there; perhaps he will tell us about our journey on which we have gone”.
What seemed to Saul like a random mission to find his lost donkeys is actually a God directed moment to bring Saul before Samuel. And now, Saul is seeking to hear what Samuel has to say. This is often how the Lord works as it says in
Proverbs 19:21 Many plans are in the heart of a man, but the purpose of Yahweh will be established.
Anoint Him as Leader Over My People
1 Samuel 9:10-17
To Make Known to You the Word of God
The Spirit of Yahweh Will Rush Upon You
1 Samuel 10:1-9
Samuel invites Saul to join him in 1 Samuel 9:19 because in 1 Samuel 9:15 “Yahweh had revealed this to Samuel the day before Saul arrived”. Samuel doesn’t tell Saul what the Lord has planned for him, he assures Saul the donkeys have been found in 1 Samuel 9:20. Samuel invited them for dinner and “gave them a place at the head of the invited guests” in 1 Samuel 9:22. Samuel “spoke with Saul on the roof” in 1 Samuel 9:25 and then called Saul aside, sending his servant on ahead saying in 1 Samuel 9:27 “stand here a while, so that I can make known to you the word of God.” Then Samuel anointed Saul and instructed him what to do next.
Samuel is a wise man, and has carefully measures his words to Saul. Saul is a young man and is completely unprepared for what is about to happen. Samuel has been gently raising Saul’s understanding from their introduction when Saul asked in 1 Samuel 9:21 “Why do you speak to me in this way?” Now, Saul is given several events to look for, things that will happen as confirmation of the anointing that Samuel has just bestowed. Saul is ready to leave as he came, a young man on a mission for his father, but now he has an expectation in
1 Samuel 10:6–7 “Then the Spirit of Yahweh will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will turn into a different person. 7 When these signs come to you, do for yourself what your hand finds to do, for God will be with you”.
And as Saul turns to go, in
1 Samuel 10:9 “Just as he turned his shoulder to depart from Samuel, God changed his heart. And all these signs were fulfilled on that day”.
Study Verses
- 1 Samuel 8:1-10 Appoint a King For Us
- 1 Samuel 9:1-9 Let Us Go Up To The Seer
- 1 Samuel 10:1-9 The Spirit of Yahweh Will Rush Upon You
Today’s Reading
- 1 Samuel 8:1-22
- 1 Samuel 9:1-27
- 1 Samuel 10:1-9
References
- 1. Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.
