By Philippe R. Sterling
Saul was Israel’s first king. The Bible’s first mention of him paints a picture of physical perfection: “… choice and handsome…There was not a more handsome person…he was taller than any of the people” (1 Sam 9:2). His physical stature fit the ideal king’s description and was a significant factor in his selection.
Yahweh’s choosing of Saul—which was an intervention in Israel’s history—marked the beginning of Israel’s monarchy. During this phase of the monarchy, Saul’s failure to obey Yahweh led to Yahweh’s rejecting him. The divine hand in Saul’s selection and subsequent rejection is a key aspect of this Biblical narrative.
REQUEST FOR A KING
(1 Samuel 8:1-22)
When Samuel was old, he appointed his sons as judges, but they were corrupt. In response to the Israelites’ demand that Samuel give them a king to judge them, Yahweh instructed Samuel to make a king for Israel. This set the stage for Saul’s appointment as Israel’s first king. God may sometimes discipline His people by giving them what they want (Numbers 11).
PRIVATELY ANOINTED KING
(1 Samuel 9:1–10:16)
Yahweh led the physically impressive Saul to Samuel (9:1-14). Saul’s father, Kish, sent Saul and a servant to find some lost donkeys. After a long and fruitless search eventually brought them near Samuel’s home in Ramah, they encountered Samuel. They met by God’s providential arrangement. As God’s people are faithful in our ordinary affairs of life, God will providentially lead us.
At this point in his life, Saul was a humble man.
Samuel privately anointed Saul and told him that Yahweh would regenerate him (9:22–10:8). Samuel made Saul the guest of honor at the sacred feast, publicly indicating that Saul was a man of importance. After the meal, Saul and Samuel went to Samuel’s home in Ramah. There, Samuel spoke further with Saul. In the morning, Samuel poured oil over Saul’s head and explained that Yahweh had anointed him “commander over His inheritance.” Pouring oil over someone’s head symbolized a setting apart for divine service.
As confirmation that Saul was God’s choice, Samuel said that Saul would see three signs fulfilled that day as he returned home. The signs were specific as to the people he would encounter, the places where he would encounter them, the things that would be said and done, and the transformation he would undergo by the Spirit of Yahweh. He would “be turned into another man.” That change would occur as he encountered and joined a group of prophets who were prophesying. After those things happened, Saul was to do whatever the occasion required, knowing that “God [was] with [him].” Samuel told Saul to meet him in Gilgal in seven days for further instructions.
Yahweh confirmed the word of Samuel to Saul by the fulfillment of the signs Samuel had indicated (10:9-16). After Saul departed from Samuel, “God gave him another heart.” This would actually happen during his encounter with the prophets but is mentioned first because of its importance. This was an OT reference to the new birth. Saul prophesied with the prophets, was “turned into another man” (v 6) and was given “another heart.”
We may surmise that the content of the prophecies included aspects of Israel’s Messianic hope. Saul believed what was being proclaimed, and the Spirit regenerated him. Saul became a new man with a new heart. Saul, like believers of any age, believed in the Messiah for everlasting life and was born from above (John 3:1-16). People were amazed that Saul prophesied with the prophets and wondered what had happened to him. Their questions simply indicated their surprise at the sudden change in Saul.
After Saul returned home, his uncle questioned him about where he had gone and about Samuel’s words. Saul told him what Samuel had said about the donkeys but said nothing “about the matter of the kingdom.” This may have been a demonstration of wisdom on Saul’s part in not prematurely revealing his anointing to be king.
PUBLICLY ACCLAIMED KING
(1 SAMUEL 10:17-27)
Samuel gathered “the people together to the LORD at Mizpah” and reminded them that Yahweh had delivered them from Egypt and from those who had oppressed them (10:17-18). Samuel had gathered the people at Mizpah before to pray for them and to tell them of Yahweh’s intervention in subduing the Philistines (7:5-14). He now reminded the people that from the time they left Egypt until the present day, Yahweh had continually delivered them.
After proclaiming that they had rejected God by demanding a king, Samuel publicly chose by lot from the tribes of Israel a reluctant Saul to be their king (10:19-22). Saul had hidden himself. He may have been hesitant to undertake such a role. After the people inquired of Yahweh, He revealed, “There he is, hidden among the equipment.”
After the people acclaimed the physically impressive Saul as their king, Samuel explained and wrote down what a king would do and then dismissed them to their homes (10:23-25). The people acclaimed Saul, saying, “Long live the king.” This expression is still used to express the desire for the health and success of a new monarch. Samuel then instructed the people regarding what to expect from a king, wrote it down in a scroll, and deposited it before Yahweh in the Tabernacle in Mizpah. This might have been an exposition of God’s laws for a king found in Deut 17:14-20. After the instruction, Samuel dismissed the people to their homes.
Saul’s public proclamation as king attracted valiant men to his side and repelled others, whom he chose to ignore for the time being (10:26-27). As Saul went home, some “valiant men went with him, whose hearts God had touched.” God provided everything that Saul needed to rule successfully, such as the enablement of the Spirit, the guidance of the Law, and the assistance of brave people. God provides all that those who believe in Him need in order to successfully serve Him (2 Pet 1:2-11). There were some rebels who despised Saul “and brought him no presents.” Saul was aware of those who refused to honor him with the gifts typically given to a king, but he wisely chose to ignore them. Thus far, Saul had shown the admirable qualities of humility and forbearance. By relying on God’s help, Saul could be a successful leader of God’s people.
INITIAL OBEDIENCE AND SUCCESS
(1 Samuel 11:1-15)
The divinely authorized Saul successfully led Israel in war against the Ammonites and gave God the credit.
Nahash the Ammonite came and besieged Jabesh Gilead (11:1-3). The Ammonites, descendants of Lot, occupied territory east of the Jordan. Jabesh was an Israelite city in the region of Gilead east of the Jordan. After the men of Jabesh offered to serve Nahash, he made the gouging out of their right eyes a term of their servitude. This would humiliate them, render them unable to fight, and bring reproach on all Israel. Nahash agreed to their request of seven days to see if a leader of Israel would come to their aid. Perhaps he thought that was an unlikely outcome and wanted to avoid taking the city by force.
Messengers from Jabesh Gilead went to Gibeah west of the Jordan to inform them of their plight (11:4-8). The people of Gibeah cried in despair, not knowing what to do. When messengers told Saul of the matter, “the Spirit of God came upon [him].” Although Saul had been appointed king, he had not yet assumed governmental authority. The Holy Spirit came upon him and empowered him to deliver the Israelites from their enemies. In a dramatic way, Saul called the Israelites to arms. He dismembered a pair of oxen and sent the pieces to all the tribes. This functioned as both a call to arms and a threat should they fail to come (cf. Judges 19–21). The fear of Yahweh came upon the people, and they rallied to Saul in great numbers. The fear of Yahweh is a faithful awareness of who He is, which should lead to worship and obedience. Three hundred thousand came from the tribes of Israel, including thirty thousand from Judah.
Under Saul’s leadership, Israel defeated the Ammonites (11:9-13). Saul employed good military tactics by dividing his troops into three companies that simultaneously attacked at dawn after giving the Ammonites a false sense of security. The victory over the Ammonites elicited the tribes’ full allegiance to Saul. They even suggested executing all those who had earlier opposed his rule. Saul wisely declined to do so and attributed the victory to Yahweh. This was the highlight of Saul’s life. He was empowered by the Spirit, expressed mercy, and gave full credit to Yahweh. We are at our best as believers when we rely upon the Holy Spirit and give glory to Christ for whatever we achieve (Acts 3:11-16; 14:8-18).
As a result of the victory, the tribes of Israel gathered at Gilgal and enthusiastically endorsed Saul’s kingship (11:14-15). Samuel called the tribes to Gilgal to renew the kingdom. After the victory over the Ammonites, the nation—before Yahweh—joyfully affirmed Saul’s kingship by making “sacrifices of peace offerings.” The peace offering was an offering celebrating that all was right between God and His people, with a portion of the offering given to God and the rest enjoyed in a fellowship meal (Lev 7:11-15). When believers today partake of the Lord’s Supper, they look forward to the kingdom of Christ and enjoy fellowship with each other (Matt 26:26-29).
PRAYER FOR THE NATION AND THE KING
(1 Samuel 12:1-25)
Samuel addressed the nation. He warned about the future and promised to pray for the nation.
The people of Israel affirmed that Samuel had been righteous in his dealings with them. There were no grounds for accusing him.
Samuel reviewed how, since the Exodus, Yahweh had faithfully raised up leaders to deliver the people of Israel and had now set a king over them. He explained that their premature and wrongly motivated request for a king was, in essence, a rejection of Yahweh as King. Samuel emphasized the seriousness of that through a display of God’s power that elicited the fear of Yahweh. The nation could either fear Yahweh and serve Him or rebel against His commandment and experience the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness (Deut 28:15-68). The success of the newly instituted monarchy would depend on the nation’s continual “fear of the LORD” and obedience to His commands.
Samuel encouraged the people to serve Yahweh and promised to pray for them and teach them to honor Yahweh lest they and their king be “swept away” through continual wickedness. Intercessory prayer is a responsibility of all believers and especially of spiritual leaders (Eph 6:18; Jas 5:13-18; 1 John 5:16-17).
LESSON: FINISHING WELL IS VITAL
Saul began his reign well. He believed in the Messiah for everlasting life, and the Holy Spirit regenerated him and enabled him to lead the nation against its enemies.
Saul was initially obedient to Yahweh. He then became disobedient to the point that Yahweh would reject him as king. Yahweh granted him the kingdom and later took it from him.
Believers must finish well in their service to Christ to not be disqualified from ruling with Him in the ages to come. The Apostle Paul expressed this concern in 1 Cor 9:24-27:
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
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Philippe Sterling is the pastor of Vista Ridge Bible Fellowship in Lewisville, TX. He and his wife of 45 years, Brenda, live in Denton, TX, near their daughter, Sarah, son-in-law, Ben, and grandkids.