1 Samuel 9
McGeeCHAPTERS 9 AND 10THEME: Saul is chosen as king; Saul is anointed as king
1 Samuel 9:1
SAUL IS CHOSEN AS KINGChapter 9 begins the second major section of the book of 1 Samuel. The first section dealt with Samuel; now the emphasis shifts to Saul. Saul is one of those strange individuals whom we encounter in the Word of God. Like Balaam, it is difficult to interpret him. Both in the Old and New Testaments there are several strange characters who move across the pages of Scripture in semidarkness. They come out, as it were, into the light but, like the groundhog, they see their shadow and move back into the darkness again. Saul is not a king when we first meet him. In fact, I do not think he ever was a king in the true sense of the word. Kish was Saul’s father, and he belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. Recalling the history of the twelve sons of Jacob in Genesis, the tribe originated with the youngest son, Benjamin, a favorite of his father. His mother had died at his birth and, as she was passing, she named him Benoni, “son of my sorrow.” But when Jacob looked at the little fellow, he said, “No, he is going to be the son of my right hand,” and he named him Benjamin. The boy was the favorite son and was protected by his brothers. Then in the Book of Judges, the tribe was decimated because of an episode of gross sin that took place in the tribe. It is from this tribe, Benjamin, that the first king comes.
1 Samuel 9:2
This boy Saul was handsome. Physically he looked like a king, but he was an actor that played a part. He was not a king at heart. The people, however, were choosing their king by his outward appearance and not according to his character. It is this emphasis on “outward appearance” that places our nation in such a dangerous position today. The most dangerous enemy we have is the television. The man that will ultimately control this country is the man who has a good television appearance. Why? Because we choose men by the way they look and the way they talk rather than by their character. If only we had an X-rayinstead of the televisionthat would reveal the true character of a man! The children of Israel wanted a king, and they liked Saul. He was handsome. He was tall. He was fine looking. There wasn’t a more kingly-looking man in the nation. He could have been both a television and a movie star. He looked the part and could play the part; the trouble was he was not a king at heart.
1 Samuel 9:3
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 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!
1 Samuel 9:5
Saul and his servant had looked all around for his father’s animals and could not find them. Finally Saul said, “Let’s go home because we are going to get lost too, and they will have to send out a search party for us.”
1 Samuel 9:6
Here is a little explanation inserted by the Spirit of God which is helpful:
1 Samuel 9:9
There is a change of names. Men who dealt in necromancy and spiritism were called “seers.” God wanted a different name for His man, and so he is called a “prophet.” This actually makes Samuel the first of the order of prophets. Although Moses is called a prophet, Samuel is the first of the order of prophets. Samuel, of course, is the man Saul and his servant are talking about.
1 Samuel 9:14
This does not mean that Samuel opposed Saul and his servant; it simply means that he met them on the way.
1 Samuel 9:15
The question is often asked, “Just how did God communicate in the Old Testament when it says, ‘The Lord spake’?” I think that when it says the Lord spake, He spoke. That is the way communication came. It came by words. It is the words of Scripture that are inspired, not the thoughts. We are given an inkling of how God communicated when it says, “Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear….” What I hear in my ears are words. That is the only thing that makes sense and that, of course, is what Samuel heard.
1 Samuel 9:16
Many times God answers our request when it is not the best thing for us. When we keep crying to the Lord for whatever it is we want, finally He does for us what He did for IsraelHe grants our request. When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they cried for meat. God gave them meat, but He sent “leanness unto their souls.” That is why prayer should be made in the name of Christ, which means that it must be according to His will and for His glory. All requests should hinge on that very important matter.
1 Samuel 9:17
God granted their request and gave them a king. Saul was a man that impressed even Samuel. We find out that Samuel regarded him highly and regretted the fact that he did not make good.
1 Samuel 9:18
Saul was actually not God’s 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.
1 Samuel 9:21
Saul sounds a great deal like Gideon in this verse. He sounds very humble. Gideon said, “…Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Jdg_6:15). Gideon was saying, “You can’t get any smaller than I am.” Gideon was telling the truth. He was a coward and frightened to death. Israel was at war and badly outnumbered. Saul had no reason to be afraid. Israel was not at war. He had been out looking for his father’s longeared donkeys that had already been found. His mission was accomplished. The point is that there was nothing to prompt a speech like he gave. I personally feel that his was a false humility. I think Saul felt very much like he was the one who could be king.
1 Samuel 9:22
Apparently Samuel called a small group of leaders together.
1 Samuel 9:23
We have here the formality they went through. Saul ate with Samuel that day, and they had a conference.