Study In1 Samuel

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Saul Anointed King

Chapter 9v1-27

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IntroductionWe saw in our last study that Israel

rejected the theocracy by which she had been governed since being constituted a

nation at the foot of Mt. Sinai. It was not enough that God was their

leader! They did not want to be different from other nations. They wanted a

monarchy with all the trappings and a leader whom they could showcase and who would be instrumental in repelling

their enemies.

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The Chosen ManIsrael thought Saul an ideal candidate for kingship.

He is a man of great stature, gift and charisma. Outward appearance can be deceptive. George Verver was due to speak in Glasgow. Three men

walked onto the platform. Two were built like American football stars, the third was a small, frail, bespeckled man carrying a briefcase. The audience

believed him to be Verver’s personal assistant. When the speaker was introduced it was the

bespeckeled man who got up to speak. And what a word he preached. For many the sub text of his

address was 'Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart’.

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The Chosen ManSaul belonged to the tribe of

Benjamin, which acted as a buffer tribe between two powerful rivals Judah and Ephraim. We need to

understand the significance of this. It would not have been easy for either of these great tribes to accept a king who came from their rival tribe. But a Benjaminite was more likely to gain

the acceptance and approval of both the larger tribes. They clearly would not feel threatened by such a king.

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The Chosen ManSaul seemed promising material; he was

obedient v4, thoughtful v5, teachable v10 and humble v21. He would have been described as 'a

good man'. But morality is not the same as spirituality. When 'a good moral man’ comes

under pressure, or when circumstances change, the 'goodness' that survived in a quiet ordered

world can evaporate like the morning mist. Think of the things character witnesses say in court; “For years he was the best neighbour a man

could ask for but then he got a promotion, won the lottery, lost his job, lost his wife ... and he

became a completely different man”. This is what happens to 'goodness' that is divorced from God.

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The Chosen ManPrior to this incident, Saul does not seem to have heard of Samuel. This

seems quite remarkable. For a comparison imagine someone in America saying they have never heard of Billy Graham! The fact that Saul has

not heard of Samuel surely reveals something about Saul's disinterest in

religious things?

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God’s ProvidenceThe incident of the lost donkeys reminds us

that there are no such things as coincidences in life.

The loss initiated an important journey. Saul was poised to give up the search for the family donkeys when he learned that the prophet Samuel lived in that region,

someone able to help. Saul's servant clearly knows about Samuel and even where he

stays v6. Note that God had a man in place to help

with what was to be a significant encounter.

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God’s ProvidenceSaul had no gift for Samuel and was

about to give up on asking for his help, when the servant puts his hand in his

pocket and says, ‘Heh boss I've got money you can use’ cf v8 . The prophet

just happened to have arrived home from his regular travels that day! And

Saul just happens to bump into Samuel at the gateway of the town v14.

Is this an interesting series of coincidences? No they point to God's sovereign and providential control!

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God’s ProvidenceWe do not always understand God's providence. It must have been

irksome to Saul to chase a bunch of donkeys around the countryside. Our lives can be surrounded by irksome circumstances. It is difficult to

see ‘all things working together for good’. John Flavel wrote, 'Sometimes providences like Hebrew letters, must be

read backwards'. As Saul made his way home did the newly anointed king of Israel, read back from the time of his anointing to the time when

the donkeys were lost and his irksome task of finding them?

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A King Marked OutSaul's arrival did not take Samuel by

surprise. God had already prepared him v16-17. This knowledge was given to Samuel only the day before Saul's arrival. If God gives us long term notice about what he is planning we can easily be distracted from service we

have to carry out in the present. One of the most helpful principles of

guidance I’ve ever read is, “While seeking to discover God's will get on with the job in

hand”.

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A King Marked OutThe issue of the donkeys v20 is almost

skipped over as the more central issue of kingship is grappled with. Saul is surprised to learn that he was 'the desire of Israel'. Saul

was not accustomed to being treated as someone special.

However, as the years advance Saul would come to view his kingship and a royal

dynasty as his inalienable right. Power and authority can so easily erode humility.

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A King Marked OutSamuel was concerned to anoint

Saul in secret v27. Why? Perhaps in the interests of Saul's safety or, more probably, to await God's timing for a

public revealing of the king to the nation. It is significant that not only Israel's high priest but also her king

were anointed to office.

What then was the significance of the anointing?

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A King Marked OutAnointing was not only a sign of God's

choice, but a reminder that the king was not an absolute monarch. He was a vassal

king ruling as God's man, dependant upon God's grace and power, ruling only

by God's pleasure. Sadly, as Saul worked his way into the role

of king, he forgot the symbolic significance of his anointing. He was

reluctant to acknowledge God’s Lordship over his life.

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