Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
1 SAMUEL 10
1 Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance? 2 When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?” ’
3 “Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to worship God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. 4 They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.
5 “After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. 6 The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. 7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.
8 “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”
Saul Made King
9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. 10 When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying. 11 When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
12 A man who lived there answered, “And who is their father?” So it became a saying: “Is Saul also among the prophets?” 13 After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place.
14 Now Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?”
“Looking for the donkeys,” he said. “But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”
15 Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”
16 Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.
17 Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mizpah 18 and said to 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 disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”
20 When Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was taken. Finally Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. 22 So they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”
And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.”
23 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!”
25 Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the Lord. Then Samuel dismissed the people to go to their own homes.
26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. 27 But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.
Application Notes
10:1 When an Israelite king took office, he was not only crowned but anointed as well The coronation was the political act of establishing the king as ruler; the anointing was the religious act of making the king God's representative to the people. A king was always anointed by a priest or prophet The special anointing oil was a mixture of olive oil, myrrh, and other expensive spices. It was poured over the king's head to symbolize the presence and power of the Holy Spirit of God in his life. This anointing ceremony was to remind the king of his great responsibility to lead his people by God’s wisdom and not his own.
10:6 How could Saul be so filled with the Spirit and yet later commit such evil acts? Throughout the Old Testament, God's Spirit “came upon” people temporarily so that God could use them for great acts. This happened frequently to Israel’s judges when they were called by God to rescue the nation (Judges 3:8-10). This was not always a permanent abiding influence but sometimes a temporary manifestation of the Holy Spirit The Old Testament also records that, at times, the Spirit even came upon unbelievers to enable them to do unusual tasks (Numbers 24; 2 Chronicles 36:22-23). The Holy Spirit gave these people power to do what God asked, but he did not always produce the other fruits of the Spirit in them, such as self-control. Saul, in his early years as king, was a different person (1 Samuel 10:1-10) as a result of the Holy Spirit's work in him. As Saul's power grew, however, so did his pride. After a while, he refused to seek God, the Spirit left him (16:14), and he turned away from a life of obedience to God.
10:10-11 A prophet is someone who speaks God's words. While God told many prophets to predict certain events, what he wanted most was for them to instruct and inspire people to live in faithfulness to him. When Saul's friends heard inspired words coming from Saul, they exclaimed, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” This was an expression of surprise at Saul's sudden enthusiastic devotion to God. It is equivalent to “What? Has he gone religious?”
10:19 God was Israel's true king, but the nation demanded another. Can you imagine wanting a human being instead of God as your guide and leader? Throughout history, men and women have rejected God, and they continue to do so today. Are you rejecting God by pushing him aside and acknowledging someone or something else as your “king” or your top priority? You may be living under a governing authority, but first and foremost you are under God as your king. Pay attention to these stories of Israel's kings so that you don't push God aside.
10:20 The Israelites chose their first king by casting lots, probably by using the Urim and Thummim, two plates or flat stones carried by the high priest. The fact that Saul was chosen may seem like luck, but it was really the opposite. Only the high priest could use the Urim and Thummim. which were designed to give only yes or no answers. God had instructed the I raelites to use the Urim and Thummim for the specific purpose of consulting him in times such as this (Exodus 28:30; Numbers 27:12-21). By using the Urim and Thummim, the Israelites were taking the decision
out of their own hands and turning it over to God.
10:22 When the Israelites assembled to choose a king, Saul already knew he was the one (10:1). Instead of coming forward, however, he hid among the supplies. Often we hide from important responsibilities because we are afraid of failure, afraid of what others will think, or perhaps unsure about how to proceed. Prepare now to step up to your future responsibilities. Count on God's provisions rather than your feelings of inadequacy.
10:24 Saul, who not long before had been a farmer searching for donkeys, was now king. Although he was tall, handsome, and wealthy, it seems surprising that he was God's first choice to be king, especially since he lacked any great spiritual heritage and was probably not a deeply religious man. But God does not always choose people according to human expectations. He may not even choose the person best qualified for the task but rather the one who will best fulfill his larger purpose. Sometimes this means choosing a poor leader to teach people a valuable lesson. God may want to use you for a great work, or he may choose someone else who seems unfit. In either case, try to look for God's greater purpose.
10:25 Unlike kings of other nations, the kings of Israel had specific duties and regulations outlined for them (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). Pagan kings were considered gods; they made their own laws and answered to no one. By contrast, Israel's kings had to answer to a higher authority—the lord of heaven and earth. The Israelites now had a king like everyone else, just as they wanted. But Samuel, in his charge to both the king and the people, wanted to make sure that the rule of Israel's king would be different from that of his pagan counterparts. “Deposited it before the LORD” means that Samuel put the scroll, as a witness to the agreement, in a special place at Mizpah.
10:26-27 Some men became Saul's constant companions, while others despised him. Criticism will always be directed toward those who lead because they are out in front. At this time, Saul took no notice of those who seemed to be against him, although later he would become consumed with jealousy (19:1-3: 26:17-21). As you lead, listen to constructive criticism, but don't spend valuable time and energy worrying about those who will always oppose you. Instead, focus your attention on those who are ready and willing to help, and choose your friends and advisers wisely.
10:26 Since Israel had no political capital at this time, Saul returned to Gibeah, his hometown, which eventually became the first capital of the united kingdom of Israel. Saul's move to Gibeah marked the first time that the political center of Israel was separated from the religious center. During this time, the religious center was in Ramah.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)