Saul Is Installed As King

The people had demanded a king, rejecting God’s plan.  Instead of forcing them to follow his plan, God had directed Samuel to allow them to do things the way they wanted.  Even in their sin, God still directed who he wanted to serve as their king, directing Samuel to anoint Saul.  Samuel then gathered the people, reminding them that their demand for a king was effectively placing the king in God’s place.   They didn’t understand that in the future those kings would put their own desires ahead of God and lead the people to disobey him.     

 

He explained that because they had demanded one, God would choose a king for them.  I Samuel 10:17-21 describes the way God designated who was to be the king.  “And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh; And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.  And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.  When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.”

 

Though God had shown multiple signs that Saul was to become king, he really didn’t believe Samuel, and hid himself, but was soon exposed, in I Samuel 10:22-24.  “Therefore they inquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.  And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.  And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.” The people had wanted a king who could go fight for them, and Saul was nearly a foot taller than anyone else.  His size would give him an advantage in a fight, and most of the people readily accepted him.

 

Before he let them go, Samuel reminded the people about God’s commands, including the instructions as to how the king was to conduct himself, writing it all down in special book, as I Samuel 10:25-26 describes.  “Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.  And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.”

 

 

God had clearly designated Saul to be the king, and there were many who God directed to support him, but he did not have the support of all the people.  There were a group who were nto serving God, but the devil, who refused to support him, as I Samuel 10:27 describes.  “But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.”  At this point, Saul was following God, and he took no action to get rid of those who opposed him.  It is important to understand that opposition does not mean god has not called one to fulfil a particular calling.  Paul faced this in I Corinthians 16:8-9, saying, “But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.  For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.”