The Life of Samuel Series - Study #4

“Samuel Anoints a King”

1 Samuel 8-11

Study #4 in The Life of Samuel Series 

INTRODUCTION:

Review:

Ø  Samuel’s marvelous birth story

Ø  His unusual upbringing

Ø  His early introduction to God’ voice

Ø  His ministry years

Ø  His influence in bringing revival to Israel (chapter 7)

v  A revival touching millions can start with one, or two, or ten. James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Samuel interceded for his nation and revival came.

Ø  He established a holy place at his house in Ramah and had a long ministry. 

TRANSITION:

When Samuel was old, he made a decision that turned out to be a bad choice. He appointed his two sons, Joel and Abijah, to be civil judges down in the southern town of Beersheba, apparently not realizing that they would prove to be dishonest and unreliable (cf. 1 Samuel 8:1-5). Apparently, Samuel failed to learn from the lessons of Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas. But did he sin against God in doing this? I do not think so; at least the text gives no indication that God held him guilty for his sons’ misbehaviors. Not every human mistake is a sin (e.g., a traffic accident, too much water or fertilizer on your houseplants, etc.). He may have thought he was just following the directions God had laid out back in Deuteronomy 16:18 when Moses spoke to Israel saying, “You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.” 

However, could this problem have been avoided? Probably so. There is no indication in the text that Samuel prayed about this decision, although he might have done. If he had sought the Lord’s guidance, I’m quite confident that the Lord would have told him not to appoint his sons to this job. It is like the old Gospel song says, “Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” 

Have you ever made decisions without first seeking God’s guidance? I have. How did it turn out for you? God promises to help us if we will just ask Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” If you find yourself on a crooked road do not blame God if you have not bothered to consult Him. 

Anyway, this debacle with Samuel’s sons turning out to be unworthy and incompetent to succeed him, and the unwillingness of the people to have his sons ruling over them, gave the Israelites the excuse they needed to start complaining about wanting a king (8:5). This hurt Samuel’s feelings because he saw it as a personal attack on him and a rejection of his years of faithful service to the nation of Israel. However, he did not speak out in anger or accuse them. He did exactly the right thing. He went directly to God and poured out his heart before the Lord. So often when we feel that we are being rejected or being unjustly attacked our first response is to strike back. Samuel did not do that, once again showing his self-control and godly character. 

But look at God’s evaluation of the situation. He comforted Samuel and told him that it was not his fault. In verse 7 God said that the people were really rejecting Him, not Samuel. Up until this time God had been their King and ruler. It was a theocratic system. But the people wanted an earthly king like the nations around them.  

Think about it… Israel had a great thing going. God was their King and He had always taken great care of them. Just look back at their history. He had provided everything they needed. He had protected them time and again. He had given them the Land of Promise for their very own. He had provided prophets to teach them His ways. He had given them the judges to lead them to victory against their enemies.  And He had asked little of them… only their love and faithful devotion to Him and their willingness to walk in righteousness and obedience. 

But is that not just like us sometimes? We want what the world has, thinking that we are missing out by following God. We, like them, sometimes think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. We think that by being a Christian we miss out on the good things in life. We start to resent God, looking at Him like the Great Policeman in the sky who wants to spoil our fun and make us miserable. But nothing could be further from the truth. 

God told Samuel to warn the people what a human king would do to them. Samuel did this in 1 Samuel 8:10-18. He said that a king would take all the best they had for himself and his government. He would enslave their sons and daughters. He would demand taxes of all they possessed. He would make their lives miserable, etc. All of this turned out to be true. 

The peoples’ answer is recorded in 1 Samuel 8:19-20:

v  No! We want a real king, a human king, not God.

v  We want to be like other nations. We want a visible leader.

v  We want a king to judge us. God is too strict and too scary.

v  We want a king to lead us in battle, one we can see, with his sword in his hand. 

Then God told Samuel to go ahead and anoint a king for them. This reminds me of the old saying: “Be careful what you ask for. You might get it.” In Hosea 13:11, God refers to this exact event: “So in My anger I gave you a king, and in My wrath, I took him away.” In His anger God said, “If they want a king that badly I will give them one who looks the part. I will give them what they are begging for, and we will see how long they like it.” In Psalm 106:15 we see that what was true back with Moses in the wilderness was true with Saul too, “And God gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.”   

MAIN BODY:

Saul enters the story at this point. 1 Samuel 9 begins with his genealogy. What do we know about him? Here’s the overview of Saul’s biography:

v  He was from an influential family of the tribe of Benjamin.

v  He had money and lands and was raised with all the benefits of wealth.

v  He was a “choice, prime” man = Heb. bahur, a man in the prime of life; not a teenager, for he had a young son, Jonathan, at this time.

v  He was a handsome man. In fact, he was apparently the most handsome man in all of Israel, a GQ kind of guy. 1 Sam. 10:24 says, “There is no one like him among all the people.” Physically he looked like a king, but he was just an actor playing a part. He was not a king at heart. However, the people were choosing their king by his outward appearance and not according to his character. WAIT! That kind of sounds like what happens in some of our elections! Why can’t we learn from the lessons of history?

v  He was tall with a kingly bearing, head, and shoulders taller than anyone else in Israel (9:2; 10:23). 

When we meet Saul, he is out running an errand for his dad. He and a servant went out looking for some livestock that had gotten out of the pasture and ran away (9:3). Good old Dr. J. Vernon McGee says of this passage:

“I know that the Lord has a sense of humor. You just cannot miss it because it is in too many places in the Word of God. Saul is out looking for the asses of his father, and the asses of Israel are out looking for a king. They are bound to get together, friend, and they do. The Lord must smile when a thing like this takes place. What a commentary on the human race!” 

They hunted everywhere for the runaway donkeys with no luck. Finally, Saul told his servant that they should head back to the ranch because they had already been gone for too long and his father would be thinking that something bad had happened to them. 

They were close to Ramah, and the servant had heard that there was a holy man who lived there. He suggested that they go to him to seek advice; maybe he would know where the lost donkeys were. To make a long story short the holy man turned out to be Samuel, and they met up with him as he was headed out to the place of sacrifice. 

This is where the story starts to get interesting. In 1 Samuel 9:15-16 we read, “Now a day before Saul’s coming, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel saying, ‘About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he shall deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me.’” But exactly how did God reveal this information to Samuel? I believe that God spoke to Samuel, in words. In verse 15 we find an interesting Hebrew phrase: literally, God “uncovered the ear” of Samuel. Anyway, there was no mistaking the message. And just to make sure, look what God did in verse 17: “When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, ‘Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall rule over My people.’” 

When Samuel met Saul, even he was impressed by the kingly good looks and charm of the man. And it is obvious in the story that Samuel liked Saul personally, and I am sure he, like everyone else, hoped that Saul would turn out to be a good king. But it is also obvious in the story that Saul was not God’s 1^st and best choice. That is, He gave Israel the sort of man He knew they wanted. As Saul moved among the people, they saw that he was tall, handsome, and looked like a king. When they asked for a king, God granted their request. But sometimes, when we are stiff-necked and belligerent, God answers our request in a way that is not in our best interests. When we keep crying and whining to the Lord for whatever it is we want, finally He does for us what He did for Israel—He grants our request. For example, when the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they cried for meat. God gave them meat, but it turned out to be a mixed blessing, and before long they were gagging on the stuff. Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father, Thy will be done.” We are to pray according to His will, and in Jesus’ name. 

Saul and the servant stayed overnight at Samuel’s house where the prophet treated them to the absolute best of his hospitality. The next morning, as they were getting ready to leave, Samuel told Saul to send his servant on ahead because he had something personal that he needed to share with him. 

At the beginning of chapter 10 we read that before they parted Samuel anointed Saul’s head with oil, telling him that he was going to be crowned King of Israel. By this point Samuel had already grown fond of Saul. Before they parted Samuel kissed him, a sign of personal affection. I am sure that he was hoping this story would have a happy ending. As Saul left Samuel, I think Samuel watched him walk away and said to himself, “My, he is a fine young man. He will make a great king.” But even prophets can be wrong in their personal opinions. The prophet Nathan for example, was wrong when he told King David to build for God a house of worship. God had to intervene, and Nathan had to correct himself. It turned out that Samuel, along with everybody else, was wrong about Saul. I think that he, like the rest of the people, was initially taken in by Saul’s charm and good looks. 

Of course, we do not know what went through Saul’s mind at that point. Israel had never had a king before. I am sure he had doubts and questions, wondering what would be expected of him. To confirm the word of the Lord concerning Saul, Samuel offered up a very explicit, detailed prophecy about what would happen to Saul over the next few days. This prophecy is in 1 Samuel 10:2-8. The story of the amazing fulfilment is in 10:9-12, and it proves that Samuel was a genuine prophet.         

The next step, Samuel needed to introduce Saul to the people. In 1 Samuel 10:17 we read that Samuel sent word out and called for a holy convocation for all of Israel to gather at Mizpah. When the people arrived Samuel addressed them: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’ ¹⁹ But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your calamities and distresses. And you have said, ‘No, set a king over us.’  So now present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.” By a process of casting lots they finally worked their way down to Saul. But verse 21 tells us that when they looked for him, he could not be found.

This is interesting. The man that God had already told would be chosen as the King, who had already been anointed, when the time came, he was hiding. Through Samuel they inquired of the Lord about Saul’s whereabouts. The Lord told Samuel that Saul was hiding among the baggage. Sure enough, that’s where they found him, but apparently no one thought that strange. Verse 23 says, “They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others.  ²⁴ Samuel said to all the people, ‘Do you see the man the LORD has chosen?  There is no one like him among all the people.’ Then the people shouted, ‘Long live the King!’” 

After this meeting, apparently everybody just went back home, including Saul. You must remember that at that time in Israel there was no seat of government. In fact, there was no government. There was no capital city. There was no standing army. Up until this time there had never been a need for any of those things. Frankly, that sounds good to me. I am a big believer in less government, not more. 

Chapter 11 begins with a ghastly story. The Ammonites, who were related to Israel through Lot (cf. Genesis 19:38), lived a Bedouin type lifestyle in the territory east of Gilead. They were powerful, warlike people and often caused trouble for the Israelites, along with the Philistines. Nahash, their leader, led his people to go up against the Israelite city of Jabesh-gilead. The leaders of the city, seeing they were outnumbered, asked for terms, and Nahash told them that if they would surrender, he would merely gouge out the right eye of everyone in the city and make them all his slaves, which would serve as an example to the rest of the Israelites. The loss of the right eye was intended to disable a man for war, since a right-handed man’s left eye was usually covered by his shield. It also made it nearly impossible to use a bow. Similarly, the amputation of a man’s thumbs and big toes was designed to incapacitate him for the use of the bow and to destroy his swiftness of foot (cf. Amos 1:13; Judges 1:4-7). 

The elders of Jabesh asked for a one-week truce to give them time to see if any of the other tribes would come to their rescue. Nahash, confident of his superior forces and believing that no one would come to their aid, agreed to the request. 

When word finally got to Gibeah the messenger found Saul just as he was coming in from the field where he had been ploughing with a team of oxen. When he heard the news, he was furious. In fact, verse 6 says, “When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger. ⁷ He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, ‘This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.’  Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they turned out as one man. ⁸ When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.”

Notice that Saul invoked the name and authority of Samuel when he called the people to muster for war. He probably realized that his name alone did not yet carry enough weight. However, apparently his rage and his threats frightened people enough that they did not even consider ignoring his call to arms. 

I also think that we need to stop and look at this phrase in verse 6: “When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger.” What are we to make of this? Was Saul a saved man? Was he converted? Back in 10:6 Samuel prophesied that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon Saul and that he would prophecy. Samuel said, “The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them [a group of prophets that he would meet]; and you will be changed into a different person.” The fulfilment of this is recorded in 10:10, “When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying.” 

What are we to make of this? Is it possible for the Spirit of God to come upon someone who is unsaved? Is it possible for an unconverted person to prophesy? The answer is, YES. In Numbers 22-24 we read how the Spirit of God overshadowed and spoke through Balaam, an evil false prophet. And we have no proof that he was converted. In fact, God even spoke through Balaam’s donkey, and I do not think she was saved either. And in the New Testament we read that Judas Iscariot was numbered among the twelve and that he went out with the others, preaching the Gospel, performing miracles, healing the sick, and casting out demons. But was he saved? No. And I have my doubts about whether Saul was converted either. We’ll withhold judgment for now. 

So, what happened? Saul ordered that they take a count of the fighting men. They numbered 330,000 men, 300,000 from Israel and 30,000 from Judah. Then he divided his troops into three armies and attacked the Ammonites from three different directions at the crack of dawn. By noon, the enemy was routed and destroyed, leaving only a few stragglers who ran back home like whipped dogs. 

After that victory, Saul was accepted by everyone. He was the toast of the town. He was the darling of Israel. Someone suggested they should go back and kill all those who had spoken up against Saul being chosen as king. However, he magnanimously vetoed the idea saying, “No one shall be put to death today, for this day the LORD has rescued Israel.” 

Chapter 11 ends with these words: “Then Samuel said to the people, ‘Come, let us go to Gilgal and there reaffirm the kingship.’ ¹⁵ So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.” 

I wish this story could end here at the close of chapter 11. What a wonderful ending it would make. Unfortunately, the story goes on, but it goes downhill from here. Samuel had high hopes for Saul and for the future. Saul had high hopes that he would be a good king. The people had high hopes that Saul would lead them on to success and glory and prosperity. However, God knew all along what would happen. He knew that Saul, although handsome and having all the right stuff on his résumé, was really a man made of straw, lacking the skills and the character to be a good king. But dang! He sure looked good! 

CONCLUSIONS:

So, are there any spiritual lessons for us from this text?

1.    When you are feeling rejected or being attacked, do what Samuel did. Namely, take it to the Lord in prayer. He is our Shield and Defender, and the Lifter of our head. He is the One who vindicates His servants. Vengeance belongs to Him. He will repay, saith the Lord.

2.    Something is always going to be king in your life. God wants to be in that place, and He should be. It is His rightful place. However, if you reject Him as King, anything else you put in that spot will be a loser in the end, no matter how good it looks in the beginning.

3.    There is an adage that says, “You cannot judge a book by its cover.” It means, do not judge people by their looks or their labels. In the end character is what counts.  Beauty is only skin deep, but I am here to tell you that stupid, dishonest, devious, and vain go all the way to the bone. Saul had it all going for him in the looks department, but he was hollow on the inside.

4.    Even good and godly people can make big mistakes and bad decisions if they forget to consult God first. We need to keep Him in the loop, even in the smallest decisions of life, but certainly in the big things. It will save us from a lot of grief later.

5.    If after you have done your best to raise your kids right in the fear and admonition of the Lord but they still turn out to be scoundrels or screw-ups, do not beat yourself up too much. Even Samuel’s kids were no prize. Yet God did not rebuke him for their bad behavior. And remember, even some of God's “sons” turned out bad [i.e., Satan, 1/3 of the angels, and Adam and Eve].

·       King David’s kids, Absalom and Amnon, were both stinkers!

·       Billy Sunday had 3 wild, dissolute sons.

·       Billy Graham’s son, Franklin, for many years was walking far from God in rebellion and disobedience, but Praise God! he repented and turned back and is now serving the Lord.