FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL

Study Continued

For the TEXT of the following study please see previous posting

CHAPTER 10

Verse 1

Samuel anoints Saul with oil. Up to this point only the Jewish Priests and the Tabernacle were anointed with oil. This is the way that Samuel anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel. In the Hebrew text "mashach, maw-shakh'; a prime root; to rub with oil, i.e. to anoint, to consecrate." Samuel's purpose was to "consecrate" Saul into a sacred office, and that office was that Saul would be king. Remember prior to this the duty of the judge fell on the shoulders of the high priest, the religious leader of Israel, and now the priesthood and the duties of Judge are separated into two different offices. The kiss of Samuel to Saul is this recognition.

Verse 2 – 8

There are three prophecies now foretold by Samuel: 1. Saul will meet two men by the tomb of Rachel who will tell him that his father is looking for him. This was a SIGN that king Saul could control the people that were entrusted to him.   2. Next, near the oak of Tabor three men will greet him - one with three sacrificial lambs, another with three breads and another with a wine skin. This was a SIGN that the People would offer sacrifices for Saul   3.  At Gibe-ath-elohim, Saul will meet a band of prophets and God’s Spirit will fall upon him and he will prophesy. This was a SIGN that Saul would indeed be endowed as king with God’s Spirit ( see David’s homage paid to Saul always )
These three prophecies will prove to Saul and to the people that Saul is to be king.  They also served to prove to Saul that Samuel was indeed a Judge and Prophet.
Saul is told to go to at the land of Benjamin Rachel's sepulchre is the place where Benjamin was born, for Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin. Remember that Saul was a Benjamite, and at the time of Benjamin's birth, Rachel named Benjamin, "son of my sorrow" at her death, however Jacob renamed him "Son of my right hand
Samuel had a school of prophets at Gibe-ath-elohim ( Translated as ‘Hill of God’) . This may be the town of Gibeon. Those that finished their training were called "masters". The head of the school is called the "father" as is spoken of in verse twelve of this chapter. These schools of study for the prophets were also found at Beth-el, Jericho, and Gilgal, as recorded in    2 Kings 2:3, 4; 4:38. To be declare a prophet doesn't necessarily mean that you tell the future, but it also mean that you have an understanding of those words spoken by the prophets. To prophesy means that you are a teacher of the Words and things of God.

Verse 9
I think that this is the key phrase. For although God was displeased that the People wanted a king He chose Saul. It would be at this point that God changed Saul’s heart. Up to now ( see previous posts ) Saul is not much of a kingly person – materially or spiritually. God now changes this.

Verse 12
Even the people are confused of how Saul began to prophesy. They ask who is his ‘father’ – that is who is his teacher for certainly his biological father Kish did not do this for Saul. It was God’s grace and Spirit. This was an external sign that Saul was now of God.  

Verse 16
Saul himself does not tell his uncle how he came to be. Perhaps Saul was a simpleton or that he was amazed and dumbfounded of what had just happened. Or he was humbled by it all.

Verse 17 – 18

Samuel declares Saul king.

Saul's rise to kingship over Israel took place in three distinct stages:

          He was (1) anointed by Samuel (9:1—10:16),

                      (2) chosen by lot (10:17 -27),

               and (3) confirmed by public acclamation (11:1-15).

Samuel gathers all the People of Israel at Mizpah (A place in Gilead, so named by Laban, who overtook Jacob at this spot ( See Genesis 31:49) on his return to Palestine from Padan-aram, the Plain of Aram Here Jacob and Laban set up their memorial cairn of stones. It is the same as Ramath-mizpeh- see Joshua 13:26 )
The first thing that Samuel does is to remind the People of Israel of the great events of the Exodus. In this way he is reminding them that GOD alone is KING. That He has and continues to do great things. Why do we need an earthly king ?

Verse 20 – 25
The rather curious presentation of Saul as the first king of Israel.
Samuel selected the tribe of Benjamin by the use of the Urim and Thumim."Was taken" in the Hebrew text, meant that it was selected by lot. The Urim and Thimmim were two precious stones that were placed in the breastplate of judgement that was worn by the High Priest. When there was a question that needed God's help in selection, these stones or lots were drawn out of their bag, and cast to give instructions of Gods judgement on the matter. The words, "Urim and Thimmim" mean "lights and perfection", and then cast to the ground, the judgements would be such as yes and no, gilt or innocent. In the making of a selection, the High Priest was the only one that decided whether the stones would be taken from the bag and used for a decision.  The Israelites even used these stones to determine who gets what land, and how the land would be divided [by lot], and it was from these stones that our lots of today are determined. Samuel used the Urim and Thimmim to decide which tribe, which family of that tribe and the man from that family that would be the king that God selected. For the lots, or stones fell as God would have the choice be made. The tribe was Benjamin, the family was Matri, the son of Matri was Kish, and the son of Kish was Saul.

Verse 21
Saul is declared king – and yet he is nowhere to be found ! Even after the anointing with oil, the three-fold prophecy and the sending of the Spirit into the heart of Saul he still hid himself on the day of his ‘corination‘. Was he overwhelmed or afraid or humble ? Perhaps he was wisely reluctant.

Verse 24
All the People of Israel shout a very familiar proclamation – Long live the king!  Now they have an earthly king like all others. How sad.

Verse 25
The first thing that Samuel did after the king was selected, was to write the manner or the constitution of the government that would exist under their king. The king would rule by the guidelines of God's laws that were stated in that constitution, and it was presented before God and to the people. The people now had a king, and a constitution that they would be governed by. Then Samuel sent the people back home.

Verse 26

Samuel is given a small band of men to protect him. Right away we know there will be harsh times for King Saul. King Saul went to his home at Gibe-ah. The ancient tell (archaeological mound) of Gibeah now stands three miles north of the old city of Jerusalem, the buildings of which are clearly visible from Gibeah. It is now a northern "suburb" of Jerusalem.

Verse 27
There will be harsh times indeed starting right here – beginning with the “children of Belia”. Belia is one of the four crown princes of Hell. That is why they did not give Saul gifts. They shall attack and be amongst Saul’s reign. Let us see Saul’s kingship.......

QUESTIONS

1. Did they need a king ?  Do we need a king ?

2. The Kingship of Saul was marked thus far with unity ( he settled the issue of the lost donkeys ),  sacrifice ( the offerings for him ) and the spirit of God ( his prophecy ).  Can you name some leaders that exhibit one or more of these ? And you ?

3. King Saul was given prophetic visions. Can you name some prophets of our times ?  

FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL

Continued

CHAPTER 10

 1 Samuel Chapter 10

1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said, "Has not the LORD anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the LORD and you will save them from the hand of their enemies round about. And this shall be the sign to you that the LORD has anointed you to be prince* over his heritage. 2 When you depart from me today you will meet two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, The asses which you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the asses and is anxious about you, saying, "What shall I do about my son?"' 3 Then you shall go on from there further and come to the oak of Tabor; three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three kids, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. 4 And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand. 5 After that you shall come to Gibe-ath-elohim, * where there is a garrison of the Philistines; and there, as you come to the city, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. 6 Then the spirit of the LORD will come mightily upon you, and you shall prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 7 Now when these signs meet you, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. 8 And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I am coming to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do." 9 When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all these signs came to pass that day. 10 When they came to Gibe-ah, * behold, a band of prophets met him; and the spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11* And when all who knew him before saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, "What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" 12 And a man of the place answered, "And who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" 13 When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place. 14 Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To seek the asses; and when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel." 15 And Saul's uncle said, "Pray, tell me what Samuel said to you." 16 And Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the asses had been found." But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything. 17 Now Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah; 18 and he said to the people of Israel, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of 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 have this day rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said, No! but set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands." 20 Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the family of the Matrites was taken by lot; finally he brought the family of the Matrites near man by man, * and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 So they inquired again of the LORD, "Did the man come hither?" * and the LORD said, "Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage." 23 Then they ran and fetched him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? There is none like him among all the people." And all the people shouted, "Long live the king!" 25 Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship; and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. 26 Saul also went to his home at Gibe-ah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. 27 But some worthless fellows said, "How can this man save us?" And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.