We finished our last study on a high: the Israelites had turned back to God, Samuel was established as their leader, and
‘the Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines.’
(1 Samuel 7:13)
Having said that, the Philistines were still a force to be reckoned with and they also maintained outposts (1 Samuel 10:5) – just in case Israel decided to break the truce.
So during Samuel’s lifetime there was an uneasy peace and the people relaxed. But all good things come to an end, and Samuel grew old.
Read 1 Samuel 8:1-5.
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
Why was that? Why did Samuel’s sons follow the same pattern as Eli’s?
‘Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely’ (Lord Acton).
It is a sad thing that children often turn against the good example set by their parents.
4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, ‘You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.’
Look at that last phrase again ‘appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.’
Why was that such a terrible thing to ask?
God himself was their King. He had made and carried out covenant promises with them. They were God’s chosen people, a Holy Nation.
But, just like Adam, they told God: ‘we want to do what we want to do, we don’t want to do what you want us to do’. That has been the response of every sinful heart, and was the response to the coming of Jesus: see John 1:11 ‘He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.’
(See also the parable of the talents in Luke 19:11-27.
Read 1 Samuel 8:6-9.
6 But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.
Samuel felt rejected, but the Lord told him ‘it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me’. From the very time that he had led them out of Egypt (Exodus 14:12, 16:3 etc.) they had rebelled against him. They had done so throughout the desert wanderings, they had worshipped other gods during the times of the Judges. Now they are rejecting God’s leading: ‘Give us a king to lead us’.
9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.’
All God had claimed as his rights were that his people would love him. (Deuteronomy 6:5)
(There could be discussion here! How does obedience inspired by love differ from forced obedience? What can we give to God that he doesn’t own already?)
Here God tells Samuel that he needs to spell out the brutal consequences of having a worldly king ruling over them.
Read 1 Samuel 8:10-18
10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, ‘This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: he will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.
12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plough his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.
15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use.
17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.’
Look back over verses 10-17. Call out all the king’s requirements – but in your own words
(You could make a list – the whole idea is that people come to understand the oppressive requirements of a king).
Now look again at verse 18 and feel the strength of the Lord’s warning.
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. ‘No!’ they said. ‘We want a king over us. 20 Then we shall be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.’
21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, ‘Listen to them and give them a king.’
Then Samuel said to the Israelites, ‘Everyone go back to your own town.’
The people had decided; Samuel needed time to consider his response.
Meanwhile, read 1 samuel 9:1-5.
1 There was a Benjaminite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. 2 Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.
3 Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, ‘Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.’ 4 So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
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5 When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, ‘Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.’
So far this is no more than the everyday story of country life.
In those days few people bothered to build walls unless for a night-time enclosure. Animals were allowed to roam freely but usually they never went far.
For those searching for them, now that their food had been eaten, it was time to complete their circuit and return home.
Read 1 Samuel 9:6-14.
6 But the servant replied, ‘Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.’
7 Saul said to his servant, ‘If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?’
8 The servant answered him again. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.’ 9 (Formerly in Israel, if someone went to enquire of God, they would say, ‘Come, let us go to the seer,’ because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)
10 ‘Good,’ Saul said to his servant. ‘Come, let’s go.’ So they set out for the town where the man of God was.
Here is another paradox – we have complete free will, but the Lord still guides us. Donkeys wander off – a young man and a servant are sent to find them. Which way to go? Arbitrarily they headed north-east. Being aware how much they had in the way of provisions they then turned west and began the return journey until they got to Ramah. The servant had a bright idea – let’s ask the Man of God to help.
11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, ‘Is the seer here?’
12 ‘He is,’ they answered. ‘He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. 13 As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterwards, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.’
14 They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming towards them on his way up to the high place.
Great! Now they can ask about the donkeys and return home.
Really? God had other plans:
Read 1 Samuel 9:15-18.
15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16 ‘About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.’
17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, ‘This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.’
What a wonderful relationship Samuel had with his Lord that he could speak to him naturally like this, and for Samuel to naturally accept what he had been told, and to obey without question.
Of course Saul still had no idea . . .
18 Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, ‘Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?’
He just wanted to find the donkeys and go home.
Read 1 Samuel 9:19-21.
19 ‘I am the seer,’ Samuel replied. ‘Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?’
Can someone explain v19 ‘and will tell you all that is in your heart’?
What secret ambitions did Saul have that he had never told anyone?
What did Saul understand the last verse to mean: ‘to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line’?
21 Saul answered, ‘But am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?’
Poor Saul – matters have been taken out of his hands and they are becoming very confusing. Beside which he suddenly feels very small.
Does anyone remember Gideon’s response to the Lord?
Judges 6:15 ‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’
Is there a recurring theme here? Why? Choosing someone who was powerful in their own sight might mean they would think they can act without the Lord’s help.
Read 1 Samuel 9:22-27
22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited – about thirty in number. 23 Samuel said to the cook, ‘Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.’
24 So the cook took up the thigh with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, ‘Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion from the time I said, “I have invited guests.”’ And Saul dined with Samuel that day.
Who would the thirty other guests have been? Probably local elders and important officials.
25 After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. 26 They rose about daybreak, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, ‘Get ready, and I will send you on your way.’ When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, ‘Tell the servant to go on ahead of us’– and the servant did so – ‘but you stay here for a while, so that I may give you a message from God.’
I’m fascinated by what Samuel talked with Saul about. Obviously they didn’t talk all night (v26) but there was still more to say – this time a message direct from God.
