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Scripture Reading: 1 Sam. 9; 1 Sam. 10
In this message we will begin to consider the history concerning Saul. Although Saul's history is neither positive nor encouraging, I believe that our study of it will be quite encouraging to us.
In 9:1 and 2 we have a word regarding Saul's origin.
Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe (v. 1a).
Saul's father Kish was a man of wealth (vv. 1b, 2a). The Hebrew word for "wealth" here may also be rendered "valor." Kish was a man rich in wealth and perhaps rich also in valor.
The name Saul means "asked for" (v. 2b).
Saul was a handsome young man (v. 2c). The Hebrew word for "young" in verse 2 also means "choice." As a young man, or, a man of choice, Saul was a choice to people. The fact that he was handsome, or, comely, indicates that he was attractive to people. Humanly speaking, Saul was a good choice for king.
Saul became king through God's anointing. God's purpose in anointing Saul to be king was to use him as a "whip" to discipline Israel.
Saul's becoming king took place through the loss of his father's donkeys under God's sovereignty (vv. 3-10). I believe that the loss of these donkeys was arranged by God for His purpose in making Saul the king of Israel. Surely this was the only time in history that a person became king through the loss of donkeys.
When Kish, Saul's father, learned that his donkeys were lost, he asked his son to take one of the servants and go to search for the donkeys (v. 3). It was a difficult task to find the donkeys, for no one knew where they went, and it is likely that there was no way to trace them.
Saul and his servant passed through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the land of Shaalim, and the land of Benjamin, but they did not find the donkeys. When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul told the servant that they should return; otherwise, his father would stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about them (vv. 4-5). But the servant said to him, "There is a man of God [Samuel] here in this city, and he is a man held in honor; all that he says happens without fail. Let us now go there; perhaps he will tell us about our journey that we have set out on" (v. 6). I believe that this proposal, which exactly fit the need, was inspired by God. Eventually, Saul accepted the servant's proposal, and they went to the city where Samuel, the man of God, was (v. 10).
God's anointing of Saul happened by Saul's meeting Samuel under God's arrangement and God's call through Samuel (vv. 11-27).
Jehovah had foretold to Samuel that He would send Saul to him, whom Samuel was to anoint as the leader over His people Israel (vv. 15-17). The day before Saul came, Jehovah had spoken to Samuel, saying, "At about this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him as the leader over My people Israel" (v. 16a).
According to God's foretelling, Samuel told Saul that his father's donkeys had been found and that all the desire of Israel was for him and all his father's house (v. 20).
Saul was shocked by Samuel's word and answered, "Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And is not my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?" (v. 21; 15:17). Saul's humility here was a pretense. From the beginning he was a pretender. As we will see, when he knew that Samuel would appoint him to be king, he hid in "humility" (10:22). That he was not genuinely humble is seen in his being unwilling to give up the throne. Because he was altogether self-seeking, he tried desperately to keep the throne for his son Jonathan (20:30-31).
All the events recorded in 9:3-21 were under God's sovereignty. God caused the donkeys to be lost; He caused the servant to make a particular proposal; He revealed certain things to Samuel; and He sent Saul to Samuel. All these matters were used by God to accomplish something crucial — to make Saul king in order to discipline, to train, the children of Israel that they would learn not to have a king to replace God.
"Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it upon his head, and he kissed him and said, Has not Jehovah anointed you as prince over His inheritance?" (10:1). Here we see that Saul was made king by Samuel's anointing him with oil.
In 10:2-13 we are told how God's anointing of Saul to be the king was confirmed.
Samuel told Saul that he would encounter a group of prophets who would be prophesying and that the Spirit of Jehovah would rush upon him (vv. 5b-6a). This word was fulfilled later that day when a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he began to prophesy among them (vv. 10-13).
Samuel also told Saul that after the Spirit of God rushed upon him, he would "be turned into another man" (v. 6b). This word was later fulfilled (v. 9a).
When Saul's uncle checked with Saul where he had gone with his servant, Saul told him that they had gone to look for the donkeys, and when they were not to be found, they went to Samuel (v. 14). Then Saul's uncle said that he should tell him what Samuel said to him. Saul told him the part about the donkeys, but "he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom that Samuel had spoken of" (vv. 15-16).
Verses 17 through 27 give an account of how Saul was made king by Samuel.
Samuel gathered the people together to Jehovah at Mizpah (v. 17). This indicates that Saul was made king by Samuel before, in the sight of, the people of Israel.
Saul was made king by the casting of lots to prove that he was chosen by God (vv. 20-23a). Saul was chosen by lot, but he was hiding himself among the baggage, and the people could not find him. But Jehovah told them where he was hiding, and they took him from there.
Samuel then showed Saul's person to the people (vv. 23b-24). Concerning Saul, who was taller than all the people from his shoulders and up, Samuel said, "See him whom Jehovah has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people" (v. 24a). All the people shouted and said, "Long live the king!"
According to verse 25a, Samuel told the people the custom of the kingdom. He wrote it in a book and laid it before Jehovah.
Saul went to his house at Gibeah, and the men of valor, whose hearts God had touched, went with him (v. 26). This was the issue of Saul's being made king by Samuel.
Some worthless men said, "How can this man save us?" They despised him and brought him no present (v. 27). Whereas the others brought presents to celebrate Saul's kingship, these worthless men refused to participate in the celebration. But Saul kept silent.
Saul, the son of Kish, had gone to search for the lost donkeys and he returned to his father with the kingship. Regarding this, Samuel cooperated with God for His eternal kingdom, that is, for the eternal economy of God.
