Israel asked God for a king (see here), and he gave them what they wanted. The question was, who would be that king?
There once lived a well-off man named Kish. He was from the tribe of Benjamin, and he had a son named Saul. Saul was an impressive young man, at least to the eyes (1 Samuel 9:2). He was taller than everyone else, and he looked like someone who could be a leader one day, maybe even a king.
Early on, however, we get the idea that things with Saul are a bit off. For one thing, he was a shepherd who had lost his father’s donkeys. That isn’t a great look for someone whose job is to take care of his father’s animals. The donkeys eventually came home while Saul was out looking for them, but he wasn’t the one who found them. After looking everywhere for the donkeys, Saul said to his servant, “Let’s just give up and go back home.” His servant replied, “Hey, the prophet Samuel lives near here. Let’s go ask him for help.”
That gives us another indication that things weren’t quite right with Saul. We know that Samuel was the judge and prophet of all Israel and was known to the entire nation (1 Samuel 3:20; 4:1). He even lived near Saul, yet Saul had never heard of him. Samuel was known to everyone — except Saul.
Saul also never once asked God for help in finding his donkeys. His servant had come up with the idea of speaking to a prophet, which meant asking for help from God. The Bible gives us no indication of any spiritual sensitivity in Saul.
Even so, God was at work behind the scenes. Saul thought he was out looking for donkeys, but God was leading him to something completely different.
Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” (1 Samuel 9:15-16)
The next day, Samuel saw Saul walking toward him, and God confirmed that he would become Israel’s first king. This shepherd, who lost his father’s donkeys and didn’t even know Samuel existed, was the future ruler. Samuel told Saul not to worry about the donkeys, they’d be fine, but that God had something big in store for Saul.
Samuel then invited Saul to a banquet where Saul was the guest of honor and was given a special portion of food. The following morning, Samuel told Saul the whole story: Saul would be Israel’s king.
Imagine what it was like to be Saul. All he’s doing is looking for some donkeys, and the next thing he knows, he’s being told, “Oh, by the way, you’re going to be king.”
Have you ever sensed God calling you to a work you never imagined? How did you respond? Are you ready to drop what you’re doing and follow God when he calls you on an adventure with him? Are you in constant readiness to follow God wherever he leads, even if it means getting way out of your comfort zone?
Samuel knew Saul would need confirmation about all this, so he gave him three signs. First, Saul would meet two men who would tell him the lost donkeys are safe. Next, he would meet three men who’d give him two loaves of bread. He would then meet a group of prophets, and the Spirit of the Lord would come upon Saul, and he’d start to prophesy.
Everything Samuel said would happen did happen:
When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day. (1 Samuel 10:9)
Not only did Saul have all these encounters, but God changed his heart when the Holy Spirit came upon him. In the Old Testament, the Spirit occasionally empowered people so they could do mighty works for God. Whether Saul was saved here is subject to debate. His attitudes and behavior in the rest of the book don’t indicate that he was, but here at least, God gave him a new attitude and everything he needed to be Israel’s king. It was also a sure sign to Saul and all around him that God was with him.
Samuel called the people of Israel to Mizpah to make Saul’s kingship official. His first item of business wasn’t to announce Saul as king. He first reminded the people of their sin in rejecting God as king.
But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands. (1 Samuel 10:19)
Their rejection of God as king was a sin. God, however, said yes to their request. Sometimes when we keep asking God for whatever we want, without surrendering to his will, he gives us what we’re asking for. God already planned to give Israel a king, and from that king would come the Messiah. But that king was to come from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10). Saul, remember, was from the tribe of Benjamin.
God would later give Israel a king from Judah, but for now, God is giving the people exactly what they asked for. They will suffer the consequences of their rebellious request.
Saul’s inauguration ceremony was almost comical and provided another indication that Saul was going to struggle with trusting God. Samuel went through an elaborate procedure to announce Saul as king, but when it was time to make it official, they couldn’t find him. Saul was hiding among the supplies. His fear certainly didn’t do anything to generate confidence among those in attendance.
All was well, though, when they found him. After all, when he stood among the people, he stood a head taller than anyone else (1 Samuel 10:23). “He’s going to be a good king,” they thought, “because he looks like a king should look.” What could go wrong?
Saul started his kingship well. We must give credit where credit is due. After Saul’s kingship was made official, some wicked men said, “How can this man save us?” There were already murmurs of dissent concerning the new king. Saul heard about these men and their words, but his response was commendable:
And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace. (1 Samuel 10:27).
Saul’s first act as king is to show grace. He could have ordered their deaths, but he chose to keep quiet and let his actions speak for themselves.
Right after these events, a man named Nabash led the Ammonites in battle against Israel. They laid siege to the town of Jabesh-gilead, and the residents cried out to King Saul for help. When Saul was told what was going on, “the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul” (1 Samuel 11:6). Once again, God poured his Spirit onto Saul, giving him everything he needed to do his work.
The Bible says, “Saul’s anger was greatly kindled,” and God used that anger to bring about justice. Does sin or injustice ever make you angry? Do the things that anger God also anger you? If not, ask him to give you his heart. And if so, if you see wickedness around you and you burn with holy anger, ask God to use your anger in a positive way to help make a change.
King Saul led the army of Israel against the Ammonites, and Israel had a great victory. Only a few Ammonite soldiers survived. After the great victory, some of the people wanted once again to put to death those who had opposed Saul being named king. And again Saul refused, saying, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.” Instead of focusing on the evil of his detractors, Saul focused on the goodness and greatness of God and gave God all the glory for the victory.
Israel rejected God as their king and requested a human king just like everyone else had (1 Samuel 8:5) and one who would “go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:20). Though their request was sinful, God gave the people exactly what they asked for. Things started amazingly well, but the people will soon reap the consequences of their rejection of the Lord.
God sometimes gives us what we insist on getting, even though he knows it isn’t best for us. He does this to accomplish his long-term purposes. He’s teaching you bigger lessons. He’s teaching you how important it is, and how much better it is, to trust and obey God. The story of the rise of Saul is a reminder to us to seek God’s will over our desires.