1 Samuel 10

Previously in 1 Samuel, we saw how Saul had been chosen by the Lord to be Israel’s first king.  The Lord picked Saul, not because he was His choice, but because he was the choice of the people.  Saul was from a family of wealth, he was good looking, and of an impressive physical stature (the qualities the world values in a leader).  However, nothing was said of his relationship with the Lord.  There does seem to be some evidence that he was converted since we are told that, when he turned to leave from Samuel, the Lord gave him another heart.  however, we should probably exercise a bit of caution when a leader supposedly gets saved just prior to accepting an important position or assignment.  It could be they’re just wanting the Lord’s help with the job, trying to gain popularity with the people, or some other reason, rather than their heart being humbled by God’s law to the point of realizing they need Jesus Christ for salvation.  Again, it does seem as though Saul had a genuine conversion experience, but as we will see, the ground of his heart would not be that fertile soil bringing forth 30, 60 and 100-fold.  We also saw how the Spirit of God came upon him to equip him for the job of being king, an important event if we are called into service for the Lord.  Samuel had anointed Saul king privately, but now he will present him as king to the nation.

              Next, Samuel called all the people unto the Lord at Mizpeh, that place of separation and repentance.  There would be no repentance from the people this day, but Samuel would take the opportunity to remind them of their sin in asking for a king.  Historically, calls to repentance often go unheeded, but this did not stop Samuel from reminding the people anyway.  Perhaps they would change their minds, or more likely, after learning the hard way, would remember what he said and be more apt to listen the next time.  In this case, Samuel knew it would not turn out well for them, and this reminder was directed by the Lord.  Samuel said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all kingdoms and from those who oppressed you.’ But you have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us!’”  The Lord was reminding them that it was Him who had brought them up out of Egypt and delivered them from all their enemies, but they were rejecting Him for a man to rule over them.  They were rejecting God’s will for their own.

Samuel told them to present themselves to the Lord by their tribes and by their clans.  When they did so, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.  He then caused the tribe of Benjamin to pass before him by their families, and the family of Matri was chosen.  Of this family, Saul was chosen.  So, they looked for Saul, but could not find him.  They asked the Lord if Saul was present, and the Lord told them he was hiding among the equipment.  It is one thing to show humility in not promoting ourselves, but it is another thing to shrink away from God’s calling on our lives.  It could have been a false humility, he was embarrassed, or he was having difficulty believing all the Lord had called him to.  It is difficult to say how any of us would have responded in this situation, but it does seem to give us a bit of insight into Saul’s character, that he did not respond to situations with a heart of faith.  After all the Lord had already shown him, Saul had no reason to be in hiding.  The correct response would have been to, by faith, humbly accept the Lord’s calling when he was chosen.  They ran to bring him up in front of all the people, and when he stood among them, he was head and shoulders above all of them.   Samuel said, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?”  In other words, isn’t he exactly the one you’ve been looking for?  The people responded, “Long live the king!”  Again, there was a lot of excitement over their new king, but it was in rebellion to God and the warnings He had given them through Samuel.  Nevertheless, their choice had been made, and the Lord would now work through this form of government to fulfil His plans for the nation of Israel.  Previously, Saul was not God’s perfect will for the nation, but now that he was anointed, he is.  It is kind of like marriage, that person may not be God’s perfect will for us, but once we say “I do,” then they have just become God’s perfect will.

Then Samuel explained to them the behavior of royalty, wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord.  He then sent all the people away back to their own houses.  Saul also went back to Gibeah, and it states that valiant men went with him, men whose hearts the Lord had touched.  When the Lord is really in a movement, He rarely calls a single man or woman to do it alone.  The Lord will touch others’ hearts, with the same mind and heart to do His will and work.  Moses had Aaron and Hur, David had his mighty men, and Paul had companions who traveled with him on his missionary journeys.  There were some rebels who despised Saul and refused to bring him presents.  They said, “how shall this man save us?”  There are usually those in the crowd who will oppose or even try to stop the Lord’s work.  However, Saul chose not to react, but held his peace.  Immediately going out to squash a rebellion would probably not have been a good start to his new reign as king.  Especially if we do not know how to respond, it’s always a good idea to hold our peace and pray about it, rather than reacting in haste.  So, at this point, Saul was ruling with wisdom, a good start for a new king.

              Do we have a tendency to shrink away from God’s calling on our lives?  Some may say, “I don’t know what I’m called to.”  Whenever we do not know what our calling is, we need to go back to what we already know we are called to from the word of God.  Are we loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and are we loving our neighbor as ourselves?  Are we husbands loving our wives as Christ loves the Church and providing for our families?  Are you wives submitting to and reverencing your husbands? Are we parents loving our children and bringing them up in the ways of the Lord?  Are you children honoring your parents, and if you are still living under their roof, are you obeying them?  Are we submitting to our employers at work, or if we are a boss or manager, are we treating those under us with respect?  You see, sometimes we’re waiting for this grand calling from the Lord like Saul received, but we are neglecting some of the things the Lord has already called us to that are plainly stated in His word.  We need to be faithful in those things we know we are called to often before the Lord calls us to something greater.  We need to be faithful in the small stuff (or what we think is the small stuff) before He gives us more.  Whatever we are called to, we need to accept it with humility, yet also in confidence, because the Lord will give us the tools necessary to get the job done.  In the next chapter, we will see Saul’s first military conflict.