David has the “Spirit of Yahweh” since being anointed in 1 Samuel 16:13 so has no fear and in 1 Samuel 17:48 “David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine” and killed him. Saul needs the army to see him reward his new champion but is jealous of David so he publicly offers his daughter in marriage to David, but privately sent a message in 1 Samuel 18:25 “‘The king desires no bride price except for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to avenge himself on the enemies of the king.’ (Now Saul had planned to allow David to fall by the hand of the Philistines.)”. David meets the challenge, and Saul’s next attempt to have David killed also fails so David flees to Samuel. Three times “Saul sent messengers to capture David” beginning in 1 Samuel 19:20 and each time, the messengers begin to prophesy and fail to capture David. Finally, Saul himself goes in 1 Samuel 19:23–24 “and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 He also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel. He lay naked all that day and all night” and was not able to carry out his plan to kill David. 

David Ran Quickly to the Battle Line

1 Samuel 17:48-58
David is out in front of the army of Israel and the Philistine is out in front of his army. They are separated only by the battle line. You may have heard someone say, “Don’t cross that line!”. The battle line was the only thing separating these two armies from conflict and no one had dared cross it until in

1 Samuel 17:48 When the Philistine got up and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine.

but David did not come empty-handed, he took the weapon he knew, his sling and in

1 Samuel 17:49 Then David put his hand into the bag and took a stone from it and slung it. He struck the Philistine on his forehead, and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

Goliath wasn’t dead, this was certainly a severe head wound, but David had to make a sure end to this enemy so, in

1 Samuel 17:51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it from its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

Now that the whole Philistine army is fleeing away, the army of Israel finds courage and in 1 Samuel 17:52 “The men of Israel and Judah got up, raised the war cry, and pursued the Philistines”.

Even though David had stood before the king and had been called his armor bearer and we find in

1 Samuel 16:22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, because he has found favor in my sight.”

Saul was the king and there were many around him. And as it often happens with people in position and with power, Saul really had no idea who David was and it hadn’t mattered to him. Now though, David had defeated their enemy in front of everyone, now David is noticed, now Saul wants to know in

1 Samuel 17:58 Then Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

What More Can he Have but the Kingdom?

1 Samuel 18:1–9

Because Yahweh Was With Him

1 Samuel 18:10–16

 

My Hand Will Not be Against Him

1 Samuel 18:17–30
Saul is threatened by David’s success but there was also the political expectation that the one that killed Goliath would be rewarded as the men of the army had been saying in

1 Samuel 17:25 “It will be that the man who defeats him, the king will make him very rich with great wealth and will give him his daughter in marriage and will make his father’s house free in Israel.”

So Saul offers a prize to David, his “older daughter Merab” in 1 Samuel 18:17, but Saul knows their tradition and David has no dowry for a kings daughter. Saul then offers Merab to another, and we see the political mind of Saul at work. But David is still a problem for Saul so he offers his second daughter Michal and it seemed like a good arrangement for all in

1 Samuel 18:20 “Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, so they told Saul, and the matter pleased him”.

but Saul’s intention was to put David in a position where he would be killed in

1 Samuel 18:21 And Saul thought, “I will give her to him, so that she may be a snare for him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.”

Some also say that “Saul may view Michal as a snare because she practices idolatry (see 19:13)”.¹

Saul makes sure he is then seen publicly as generous by all the people but then he plots behind the scenes to destroy David. Saul sends his servants to privately convey the price that David must pay for this arrangement in

1 Samuel 18:25 Then Saul said, “This is what you must say to David: ‘The king desires no bride price except for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to avenge himself on the enemies of the king.’ ” (Now Saul had planned to allow David to fall by the hand of the Philistines.)

No one expected that David could meet this demand, but in

1 Samuel 18:27 And David got up, and he and his men went and struck down two hundred men of the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they presented the full number to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as his wife.

Now though, is a turning point, no more secret schemes, David becomes a public enemy in

1 Samuel 18:29 Saul was threatened by David still more, so Saul became a perpetual enemy of David.

He Will not be Put to Death!

1 Samuel 19:1–7

He Struck the Spear Into the Wall

1 Samuel 19:8–16 

They Also Prophesied

1 Samuel 19:17–24
David is running for his life after Saul’s messengers had come to kill him in 1 Samuel 19:11. So he goes to the one to the one man he trusts in

1 Samuel 19:18 So David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.

Saul is still seeking Davids life so people were looking for David so in

1 Samuel 19:19 And it was told to Saul, “David is in Naioth in Ramah.”

But as Saul had sent messengers to kill David, now “Saul sent messengers to capture David” in 1 Samuel 19:20, as they came into the presence of Samuel and the prophets, “then the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied”. Saul’s messengers were powerless to cause harm. Three times Saul sends messengers and three times the messengers fall into prophecy themselves and are not able to carry out their mission to capture David for Saul so in

1 Samuel 19:23–24 So he (Saul) went there to Naioth in Ramah and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 He also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel. He lay naked all that day and all night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Saul goes himself intent on killing David, “The king attempts to kill David approximately 16 times (see 18:11, 17, 25; 19:1, 10, 11, 15, 20–21, 22; 23:8, 15; 24:2; 26:2).²

but no one can stand in the presence of the spirit of the Lord and “The Spirit of God came upon him also, rendering him helpless, lest he should commit some dreadful crime against the one of God’s choice. So intense was Saul’s experience of ecstasy that for twenty-four hours he was unconscious, lying stripped and naked, yet he prophesied”.³

Study Verses

• 1 Samuel 17:48–58 David Ran Quickly to the Battle Line
• 1 Samuel 18:17–30 My Hand Will Not be Against Him
• 1 Samuel 19:17–24 They Also Prophesied

Today’s Reading

• 1 Samuel 17:48–58
• 1 Samuel 18:1–30
• 1 Samuel 19:1–24

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References

• 1. Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Sa 18:21). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
• 2. Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Sa 16:21). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
• 3. Baldwin, J. G. (1988). 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 8, p. 143). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Saul has been rejected by the Lord but is still on the throne as king of Israel. David has been anointed and in 1 Samuel 16:13 “the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon David from that day on”. While Saul struggles, David has favor. The Philistines continue to trouble Israel so Saul is drawn into battle formation against them but no one wants to make a move. Goliath, a giant Philistine warrior, taunts the men of Israel, but they all know he would defeat them and they tremble in fear. But the Philistines don’t make a move either. They have sometimes been defeated by this God of Israel so both sides wait. Then this boy, David, the baby of the family, the errand boy brings food for his warrior brothers. When David hears the challenge, he rises to respond, in 1 Samuel 17:47 “the battle belongs to Yahweh, and he will give you into our hands!”. David takes on the fight for all to see and wins. 

He Has Found Favor in My Sight

1 Samuel 16:14-23
Saul has been rejected as king by the Lord and Samuel has left him in

1 Samuel 15:34–35 Then Samuel went to Ramah and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel mourned over Saul, and Yahweh regretted that he made Saul king over Israel.

This was hard for Saul because in

1 Samuel 16:14 Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul and an evil spirit from Yahweh tormented him.

But Saul is still on the throne. Saul’s servants are trying to help him and of all the people in their world, David is suggested in

1 Samuel 16:18 One of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing a stringed instrument, a brave man, a warrior, prudent in speech, and handsome. And Yahweh is with him.”

David has already been anointed by Samuel in the presence of the elders of Bethlehem and his brothers. Samuel knew it was for David to receive the “Spirit of Yahweh”, to receive the power to become king but this was not disclosed, for the others, it was just an anointing of God’s blessing in

1 Samuel 16:13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. Then the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon David from that day on. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.

and now, we understand how David came into view by leaders among the Jewish people, how he may have come to be known by the servants of the king, and why Saul responded as he did in

1 Samuel 16:21–22 So David came to Saul and entered his service. He loved him greatly and he became Saul’s armor bearer. 22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, because he has found favor in my sight.”

I Defy the Battle Lines of Israel Today!

1 Samuel 17:1–11

Find Out How Your Brothers Are Doing

1 Samuel 17:12–19 

All the Men of Israel Were Very Afraid

1 Samuel 17:20-30
David is still the keeper of the sheep for his father Jesse as described in 1 Samuel 17:20. David is also still the youngest son, the baby of the family, so sent on this errand to bring food to his warrior brothers.

David had been described as Saul’s armor bearer earlier, but this was a palace title where David could “stand before me” in 1 Samuel 16:22, but now, “While Saul was fully occupied with military maneuvers he would not need his minstrel, so David was back home for a while”.¹

As David arrives, he hears “the war cry” and rushes with the army toward their “battle line, and came and asked how his brothers were doing” in 1 Samuel 17:22

Goliath continues to taunt the army of Israel as he has in previous days and in 1 Samuel 17:23 “David heard his words”.

And as he does, he also hears the talk of the soldiers, but his is their fear talking, no one expects to go up against Goliath. In their minds, these rewards are unattainable because no one can defeat this Philistine giant in

1 Samuel 17:25 And the men of Israel said, “Did you see this man who has come up? For he is going up to defy Israel! It will be that the man who defeats him, the king will make him very rich with great wealth and will give him his daughter in marriage and will make his father’s house free in Israel.”

But David is responding, it is the anointing, the Spirit of Yahweh is on him and “In answer to his question (Did you see this man?), David learns of the threefold prize which will go to the one who will kill Goliath, including, along with riches and a royal bride, free status for his family in Israel. This last privilege, exempting the victor’s family from service to the king at court, was tantamount to bestowing equality with the king.”²

Even David’s older brother rebukes him in 1 Samuel 17:28. Who is David to be speaking boldly as if he could do anything. But David had thrown the challenge in

1 Samuel 17:26 … saying, “What will be done for the man who defeats this Philistine and removes the disgrace from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he defies the battle lines of the living God?”

Your Servant Will Go and Fight

1 Samuel 17:31-39 

The Battle Belongs to Yahweh

1 Samuel 17:40-47
David has stepped out in front of all of Israel’s army. He has rejected the kings armor and armed himself as he has as a shepherd in

1 Samuel 17:40 Then he took his staff in his hand, picked out for himself five smooth stones from the wadi, and he put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch. And with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

Goliath notices this lone boy out in front of the battle line and in

1 Samuel 17:41 Then the Philistine came on, getting nearer and nearer to David, with his shield bearer in front of him.

Though David is a boy, this Philistine is a man of war, he doesn’t let his guard down for a second. And then, in 1 Samuel 17:44-45, Goliath taunts David, his intimidation had kept the army of Israel in check for more than forty days in 1 Samuel 17:16. But instead of shrinking away, David proclaims the power of the Lord in

1 Samuel 17:45–47 “ … I am coming to you in the name of Yahweh of hosts, the God of the battle lines of Israel, whom you have defied! 46 This day Yahweh will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head! … so that all the earth may know that there is a God who is for Israel. 47 … for the battle belongs to Yahweh”.

Study Verses

• 1 Samuel 16:14-23 He Has Found Favor in My Sight
• 1 Samuel 17:20-30 All the Men of Israel Were Very Afraid
• 1 Samuel 17:40-47 The Battle Belongs to Yahweh

Today’s Reading

• 1 Samuel 16:14-23
• 1 Samuel 17:1-47

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References

• 1. Baldwin, J. G. (1988). 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 8, p. 135). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
• 2. Baldwin, J. G. (1988). 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 8, p. 136). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Saul is rash, he is courageous and a man of war, but not wise in his words or actions and also swayed by the influence of those around him. Saul returns from battle with the Amalekites saying he has done the Lords will but he has king Agag as a prisoner. Samuel must now do what Saul could not in 1 Samuel 15:33 Samuel said, “Just as your sword bereaved women, so will your mother be bereaved among women!” Then Samuel hacked Agag to pieces in the presence of Yahweh at Gilgal”. And now, Saul has lost his position in 1 Samuel 15:23 “Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has rejected you from being king!”. Samuel is sent to Bethlehem, but the elders of the city are afraid, what has Samuel come to do? He has come to sacrifice to the Lord and to anoint the next king, David. 

You Will Certainly Die Today

1 Samuel 14:44-52
Saul had decreed that no one eats on their day of battle with the Philistines, but Jonathan his son didn’t hear this command and he ate some honey. As Saul was preparing the army to fight again, they went to inquire of the Lord and in

1 Samuel 14:37 So Saul inquired of God, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him on that day.

Saul took this as the Lord saying there was sin in the camp. Saul cast lots to find the guilty party and the lot fell on Jonathan. “These verses tell us almost all we know about the way the sacred lot operated. Two possible answers, ‘yes’ and ‘no’, could be given by the two counters, which, as verse 37 shows, could also indicate ‘no answer’. The counters were kept in the breastplate of judgment worn by the high priest, which was attached to the ephod (Exod. 28:30), and were named Urim and Thummim¹

This oath spoken by Saul was binding on all even those that had not heard because Saul spoke it before the Lord. And Saul continues to hold all accountable before the Lord in

1 Samuel 14:44 Then Saul said, “So may God do to me and more, you will certainly die today, Jonathan!”

but the army protests in

1 Samuel 14:45 “As Yahweh lives, not a hair from his head will fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.”

Saul acted rashly in requiring this oath, then does not consider the value even of his son Jonathan who had initiated the battle they had just won. Reading here, we find a powerful leader in

1 Samuel 14:47 So Saul took the kingship over Israel, and he fought all around against his enemies, against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. He inflicted punishment against all who rebelled.

but though Saul was a man of war, he did not make wise decisions.

Yahweh Sent Me to Anoint You as King

1 Samuel 15:1-9

I Have Kept the Word of Yahweh

1 Samuel 15:10-17 

To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice

1 Samuel 15:18-26
Samuel reminds Saul that the Lord had given him specific instructions in

1 Samuel 15:18 When Yahweh sent you on your way, he said to you: ‘Go! You must utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and you must fight against them until you have destroyed them.’

These were not the usual rules of engagement, the Lord had said to utterly destroy the Amalekites so now Samuel asks, in

1 Samuel 15:19 Why did you not listen to the voice of Yahweh and fall with shouting on the plunder? You have done evil in the sight of Yahweh!”

Under the normal rules, the armies would take the best of the animals, gold, silver, even people as slaves and Saul is quick to defend himself by first saying “the troops took plunder” and then adding “to sacrifice to Yahweh your God” in 1 Samuel 15:21. But Samuel knows what happened and responds in 1 Samuel 15:22 “To obey is better than sacrifice” and in

1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination; arrogance is like iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has rejected you from being king!”

Now it is too late, but now it finally comes out of Saul’s mouth, he feared his men more than he feared God in

1 Samuel 15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned because I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh and your words, for I feared the troops and I listened to their voice.

Yahweh Has Torn the Kingdom of Israel From You Today

1 Samuel 15:27-35 

Have You Come in Peace

1 Samuel 16:1-7
These have been tense times between Samuel. Saul returns from battle with the Amalekites saying in

1 Samuel 15:20 “I have listened to the voice of Yahweh, and I have gone on the way that Yahweh sent me!”

But Saul was disobedient to the Lord’s command and brought King Agag as a prisoner before Samuel. So, Samuel, by his own hand, killed Agag, King of the Amorites. Now, when the Lord sends Samuel to anoint a new king, the people are afraid in

1 Samuel 16:4 So Samuel did what Yahweh said. He came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city came trembling to meet him. They said, “Have you come in peace?”

Samuel assures them that he has come in peace and as the Lord instructed in 1 Samuel 16:2, he has not come empty handed but has brought a heifer with him so now he invites the elders, Jesse, and his sons to join the sacrifice in 1 Samuel 16:5. This sacrifice was to commemorate the anointing of David as king but also as a meal for those involved as in Genesis 31:54.

Arise, Anoint Him, For This is He

1 Samuel 16:8-13

Study Verses

• 1 Samuel 14:44-52 You Will Certainly Die Today
• 1 Samuel 15:18-26 To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice
• 1 Samuel 16:1-7 Have You Come in Peace

Today’s Reading

• 1 Samuel 14:44-52
• 1 Samuel 15:1-35
• 1 Samuel 16:1-13

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References

• 1. Baldwin, J. G. (1988). 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 8, p. 118). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Saul is anointed by Samuel, then rallies the people to fight the Philistines but the Philistines respond with overwhelming forces. Saul’s army is scattering and in 1 Samuel 17:7 “followed him (Saul) trembling”. Samuel had told Saul to wait seven days for him in Gilgal, but the Philistines are right there! The army is dwindling and Saul acts in fear, he acts too soon. Samuel arrives and rebukes Saul, but there is no plan forward until in 1 Samuel 14:6 So Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come, let us go over to the garrisons of these uncircumcised; perhaps Yahweh will act for us, for there is no hindrance for Yahweh to save by many or by few”. Jonathan has no fear, knowing that the Lord will lead him. Now, as the army of the Philistines is in confusion, Saul begins his pursuit by binding his army with a curse that weakens them all in 1 Samuel 14:24 “Cursed be the man who eats any food until evening, when I will have avenged myself on my enemies!”. This is one of the greatest mistakes a leader can make, he requires that they prove their allegiance to him at the very moment they need his support the most. This is the moment when Saul should bless them, but instead, as it says in 1 Samuel 14:28–29 “the army is exhausted … “My father has brought trouble on the land!”.

All Israel Did Hear

1 Samuel 13:1-4 

I Saw That the Army Was Scattering

1 Samuel 13:5-14
Saul had a small victory over the Philistines who generally occupied the area West along the Mediterranean sea. Now they had made an incursion through Israel to place a garrison at Micmash. And now, the Philistines had the numbers in

1 Samuel 13:5 And the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and an army as numerous as sand which is on the seashore. And they came up and encamped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.

This was an overwhelming show of force and in

1 Samuel 13:6 When the men of Israel saw that it was too difficult for them, because the army was hard pressed, the people hid themselves in the caves, in the thorn bushes, in the cliffs, in the vaults and in the wells.

but some in 1 Samuel 17:7 “followed him (Saul) trembling”. It is a relatively short distance from Micmash to Gilgal, maybe ten miles, and Samuel has told Saul to wait for him there in

1 Samuel 13:8 “He waited seven days according to the appointed time Samuel determined, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the army started to slip away from him”.

Fear is taking over, and rather than wait for Samuel to give them the word of the Lord and the blessing of the Lord, Saul “offered up the burnt offering” in 1 Samuel 13:9. Samuel responds in 1 Samuel 13:14 “Yahweh has sought for himself a man according to his own heart” and Saul has not passed this test. We must trust the Lord. He is faithful. He will deliver if we can hold on to our trust in him even with an army at our door.

There Was Not a Sword or a Spear Found

1 Samuel 13:15–23 

Perhaps Yahweh Will Act For Us

1 Samuel 14:1-11
Saul is struggling to pull the men of Israel together and in

1 Samuel 14:2 “Now Saul was staying at the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that was in Migron, and the troops that were with him were about six hundred men”.

While Saul seems to be paralyzed, his son acts in

1 Samuel 14:6 So Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come, let us go over to the garrisons of these uncircumcised; perhaps Yahweh will act for us, for there is no hindrance for Yahweh to save by many or by few.”

and as they encountered the Philistines, Jonathan said in

1 Samuel 14:10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for Yahweh has given them into our hand, and this will be the sign for us.”

The Lord used their action of faith to route the enemy.

On That Day Yahweh Delivered Israel

1 Samuel 14:12-23 

Saul Had Made the Army Take an Oath

1 Samuel 14:24-34
Saul has made a series of mistakes. He attacks the Philistines and provokes an overwhelming response of force from them. He impatiently offers a sacrifice to the Lord, not honoring Samuel the prophet because he was fearful of losing the few remaining men in his army. Now, in the heat of battle, as the Lord has confused the enemy and this small army of Saul’s is fighting with all of their strength, Saul binds them with a curse in

1 Samuel 14:24 “Now the men of Israel were hard pressed on that day, because Saul had made the army take an oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats any food until evening, when I will have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the army tasted any food”.

Why would he say this? We can only guess, but it seems he was insecure and required an affirmation from his men so he knew they would follow. This curse only weakened his men making it harder for them especially as their bodies burned through their stored carbohydrates and needed sugar to re-energize. The warriors knew what this oath meant in

1 Samuel 14:28–30 “the army is exhausted. 29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has brought trouble on the land! … 30 How much more could have been done if the troops had eaten freely”.

Let Us Draw Near to God Here

1 Samuel 14:35-43

Study Verses

• 1 Samuel 13:5-14 I Saw That the Army Was Scattering
• 1 Samuel 14:1-11 Perhaps Yahweh Will Act For Us
• 1 Samuel 14:24-34 Saul Had Made the Army Take an Oath

Today’s Reading

• 1 Samuel 13:1-23
• 1 Samuel 14:1-43

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The elders of Israel are afraid because there are armies around them. The Philistines have been a long-standing threat and now they fear the Ammonites so they come to Samuel and asked for a king. In their minds, a king would establish an army and protect them, but they have forgotten, they have the best protection possible, the Lord is on their side. Samuel reminds them in 1 Samuel 10:18–19 “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ But the Lord listens and chooses Saul who is anointed as king and Samuel reminds them of the covenant, God’s promise to them in 1 Samuel 12:14 “If you will fear Yahweh, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not be rebellious against what Yahweh says, and both you and the king who rules over you will follow after Yahweh your God, all will be well”. Then Samuel closes with a final reminder, in 1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear Yahweh and serve him faithfully with all of your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you”. 

You Today Have Rejected Your God

1 Samuel 10:10-19
We don’t find out why until later, but the elders of Israel have asked Samuel to appoint a king. Samuel asks the Lord in

1 Samuel 8:7 Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “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”.

So the Lord tells Samuel to anoint Saul, which he does first privately in 1 Samuel 10:1, and then Samuel gives Saul four signs that will confirm that the Lord has named him King over Israel. The last of these is that in

1 Samuel 10:8 Then you will go down before me to Gilgal. Look, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to make fellowship offerings. You must wait seven days until I come to you. Then I will let you know what you should do.”

So Saul goes on his way, and in

1 Samuel 10:17 “Then Samuel summoned the people to Yahweh at Mizpah”

It is important to understand here, the reason the people were asking for a king. They were afraid, in

1 Samuel 12:12 “And when you saw that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king shall reign over us,’ although Yahweh your God is your king”.

Now, Samuel speaks what the Lord has said to him, and it is that He, the Lord, delivered them from “all the kingdoms that were oppressing them”. How is it that they could reject the Lord and ask for a king? Yet this is exactly what they did so in

1 Samuel 10:18–19 and he said to the Israelites, “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ 19 But you today have rejected your God who always delivers you from all of your calamities and your distresses. You have said to him, ‘No, but you must appoint a king over us!’ So then present yourselves before Yahweh by your tribes and by your clans.”

Do You See Him Whom Yahweh Has Chosen

1 Samuel 10:20-27

The Spirit of God Rushed Upon Saul

1 Samuel 11:1-7

Yahweh has Provided Deliverance

1 Samuel 11:8-15

Take Your Stand so That I May Judge You Before Yahweh

1 Samuel 12:1-7 

Here is the King You Have Chosen

1 Samuel 12:8-18
As Samuel is rehearsing their history to them, he reminds them that in the past in

1 Samuel 12:10 So they cried out to Yahweh and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yahweh and have served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hand of our enemies and we will serve you!’

and the Lord delivered them. But now, instead of recognizing their error, they, in 1 Samuel 12:12 “you said to me, ‘No! A king shall reign over us,’ although Yahweh your God is your king”. Now, Samuel says in

1 Samuel 12:13 “So then look! Here is the king you have chosen, for whom you have asked! Look, Yahweh has placed a king over you!

But the Lord is not looking to destroy them because they have rejected him, Samuel reiterates the covenant that they have with the Lord with one addition, the covenant is now for “you and the king who rules over you” in

1 Samuel 12:14 If you will fear Yahweh, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not be rebellious against what Yahweh says, and both you and the king who rules over you will follow after Yahweh your God, all will be well.

but there is one consequence of their actions, and Samuel says to them, in

1 Samuel 12:16 “So then take your stand again and see this great thing that Yahweh is going to do before your eyes”.

Samuel calls for a demonstration of the power of the Lord in a way that they will understand. As it says in 1 Samuel 12:17 “Is the wheat harvest not today?” and certainly Samuel knows that it is. He then calls for “thunder and rain”, which would damage their harvest, especially because “That season in Palestine occurs at the end of June or beginning of July, when it seldom or never rains, and the sky is serene and cloudless … The people regarded it as a miraculous display of divine power, and, panic-struck, implored the prophet to pray for them”.¹ 

Serve Yahweh With All Your Heart

1 Samuel 12:19-25
Finally, the people understand their offense in rejecting the Lord as their king in

1 Samuel 12:19 Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God so that we will not die, because we have added to all our sins by requesting a king for ourselves.”

So Samuel teaches them, that the Lord is not intending evil toward them, he is looking for them to honor him and follow him, in

1 Samuel 12:20-21 “Do not fear! You have done all this evil; only do not turn aside from following Yahweh. But you must serve Yahweh with all your heart. 21 “And do not turn aside …”

Here is what the Lord thinks in

1 Samuel 12:22 “For Yahweh will not forsake his people for the sake of his great name, because Yahweh has decided to make you his own people”.

and Samuel makes this promise in

1 Samuel 12:23 Also, as for me … to pray for you! I will instruct you in the good and righteous way”.

but in the end, it is up to them to choose and in

1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear Yahweh and serve him faithfully with all of your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you”.

Study Verses

• 1 Samuel 10:10-19 You Today Have Rejected Your God
• 1 Samuel 12:8-18 Here is the King You Have Chosen
• 1 Samuel 12:19-25 Serve Yahweh With All Your Heart

Today’s Reading

• 1 Samuel 10:10-27
• 1 Samuel 11:1-15
• 1 Samuel 121:1-25

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References

• 1. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 182). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

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

1 Samuel 7:12-17 

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

1 Samuel 8:11-22 

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

1 Samuel 9:18-27 

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

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References

• 1. Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.