Reflections on 1 Samuel 10

1 Samuel 10 (Contemporary English Version)

1. Samuel took a small jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head. Then he kissed Saul and told him: The LORD has chosen you to be the leader and ruler of his people.
   
2. When you leave me today, you'll meet two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They'll tell you, "The donkeys you've been looking for have been found. Your father has forgotten about them, and now he's worrying about you! He's wondering how he can find you."
   
3. Go on from there until you reach the big oak tree at Tabor, where you'll meet three men on their way to worship God at Bethel. One of them will be leading three young goats, another will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and the last one will be carrying a clay jar of wine.
   
4. After they greet you, they'll give you two loaves of bread.
   
5. Next, go to Gibeah, where the Philistines have an army camp. As you're going into the town, you'll meet a group of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They'll be going along prophesying while others are walking in front of them, playing small harps, small drums, and flutes.
   
6. The Spirit of the LORD will suddenly take control of you. You'll become a different person and start prophesying right along with them.
   
7. After these things happen, do whatever you think is right! God will help you.
   
8. Then you should go to Gilgal. I'll come a little later, so wait for me. It may even take a week for me to get there, but when I come, I'll offer sacrifices and offerings to the LORD. I'll also tell you what to do next.
   
9. As Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God made Saul feel like a different person. That same day, everything happened just as Samuel had said.
   
10. When Saul arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. The Spirit of God suddenly took control of him, and right there in the middle of the group he began prophesying.
    
11. Some people who had known Saul for a long time saw that he was speaking and behaving like a prophet. They said to each other, "What's happened? How can Saul be a prophet?"
    
12. "Why not?" one of them answered. "Saul has as much right to be a prophet as anyone else!" That's why everyone started saying, "How can Saul be a prophet?"
    
13. After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the place of worship.
    
14. Later, Saul's uncle asked him, "Where have you been?" Saul answered, "Looking for the donkeys. We couldn't find them, so we went to talk with Samuel."
    
15. "And what did he tell you?" Saul's uncle asked.
    
16. Saul answered, "He told us the donkeys had been found." But Saul didn't mention that Samuel had chosen him to be king.
    
17. Samuel sent messengers to tell the Israelites to come to Mizpah and meet with the LORD.
    
18. When everyone had arrived, Samuel said: The LORD God of Israel told me to remind you that he had rescued you from the Egyptians and from the other nations that abused you.
    
19. God has rescued you from your troubles and hard times. But you have rejected your God and have asked for a king. Now each tribe and clan must come near the place of worship so the LORD can choose a king.
    
20. Samuel brought each tribe, one after the other, to the altar, and the LORD chose the Benjamin tribe.
    
21. Next, Samuel brought each clan of Benjamin there, and the LORD chose the Matri clan. Finally, Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.
    
22. The people prayed, "Our LORD, is Saul here?" "Yes," the LORD answered, "he is hiding behind the baggage."
    
23. The people ran and got Saul and brought him into the middle of the crowd. He was more than a head taller than anyone else.
    
24. "Look closely at the man the LORD has chosen!" Samuel told the crowd. "There is no one like him!" The crowd shouted, "Long live the king!"
    
25. Samuel explained the rights and duties of a king and wrote them all in a book. He put the book in a temple building at one of the places where the LORD was worshiped. Then Samuel sent everyone home.
    
26. God had encouraged some young men to become followers of Saul, and when he returned to his hometown of Gibeah, they went with him.
    
27. But some worthless fools said, "How can someone like Saul rescue us from our enemies?" They did not want Saul to be their king, and so they didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept calm.
    

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    The people of Israel may have insisted on a king against God's wishes, but He was still directing events. Chapter 9 tells of God's orchestration of events to bring Samuel and Saul together to show Samuel God's selection for king. The opening verses of chapter 10 tell of Samuel anointing Saul as king in a private ceremony between the two of them. To provide validation for Saul, Samuel told him of three events that would take place on his trip home, and then instructed him to go to Gilgal and wait seven days for Samuel to join him there. When Saul left Samuel "God changed his heart." (10:9) Later, when Saul met the prophets at Gibeah, "the Spirit of God took control of him." (10:10) Though Saul had little to commend him as king, God gave him what he needed for the assignment, just as He does each of us who are willing to take on His mission for us. The three signs Samuel described to Saul also came about that day.
    
    In the intervening seven days that Saul was to wait for Samuel, "Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah." (10:17) On the appointed day, when all had gathered, Samuel reminded them "you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to Him, 'You must set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans." (10:19) As the tribes and clans presented themselves before the Lord, the tribe of Benjamin was selected, then the Matrite clan, and finally Saul son of Kish was selected. Samuel said to the people, "Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among the entire population." The people responded saying, "Long live the king!" (10:24)
    
    Samuel concluded the ceremony by proclaiming to the people "the rights of kingship" and presenting them a scroll with these rights written on them. (10:25) Then he sent the people home, and Saul also went to his home accompanied by "brave men whose hearts God had touched." (10:26) It would be military action that began to initiate Saul's role as king.