1 Samuel 10 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 1 Sam 9:25-10:8

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.’

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, tambourines, 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.’

A. Find Out:

1. What did Samuel do to Saul? v.1
2. What reassuring thing did he say would happen? v.2
3. What provisions would be provided for Saul? v.3,4
4. What would happen to Saul? v.5,6
5. How did Samuel refer to these things? v.7
6. What did he say should next happen? v.8

B. Think:

How did the Lord provide for Saul – reassurance? – physical provision? – spiritual provision?

C. Comment:

      This is Saul’s commissioning by the Lord.

      First, he is anointed with oil by Samuel. Kings and priests in the Old Testament were anointed as a sign of receiving the Holy Spirit and God’s authority.

       Second, Samuel brings Saul a number of prophecies for the immediate future, each to act as a sign to Saul that the Lord was with him. First he will receive reassurance about the situation at home, he need not worry. Next he will be provided with food to help him complete his journey, and finally he will receive the Holy Spirit who will come upon him and transform him.

      Note in this latter instance, that the transforming enables him to do something spiritual that he wasn’t able to do before, but it doesn’t change his character.  We need to realise this as we read on.  Saul has God’s enabling but he still has free will to choose how he will act.  It is true of us also, that we also have God’s Holy Spirit within us, if we are really Christians, but that doesn’t take away the responsibility for our lives which is still ours. The wonder of this passage is the wonder of God’s provision for this man who is to become the people’s replacement for the Lord as the head of their nation. In every way the Lord is going to provide for him.  That is grace!

D. Application?

1. The Lord provides the ability for our lives to be transformed but the responsibility is ours.
2. God’s grace comes to unworthy men and women.

Passage: 1 Sam 10:9-16

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.

A. Find Out:

1. What did God do? v.9
2. What happened at Gibeah? v.10
3. Who wondered at what was happening? v.11
4. Who questioned Saul? v.14
5. What did Saul tell about? v.14,16a
6. What did he not speak about? v.16b

B. Think:

1. What part did God play in preparing Saul to be king?
2. Why do you think Saul was reticent about telling what Samuel had said?
3. What does this passage tell us about the spiritual condition of the day?

C. Comment:

     All is fulfilled as Samuel had said. The first thing that happened occurred just as Saul went to leave Samuel, “God changed Saul’s heart”.   Apparently at that moment the Lord came to Saul and did something within him that changed him. Then when they encountered a band of prophets, the Spirit of God came on Saul, and he found himself prophesying.

     This passage is highly significant in the light of all that follows! What it says is that Saul has experienced something of the power and presence of God, he knows what it is like, he knows the POSSIBILITY of the divinely supernatural life with God, he has had a taste of that, so he knows!   It is almost as if God has overruled his life so that he can know the POTENTIAL for the future IF he will be a king who follows after the Lord.

     Having done this, God will not continue to force His presence on Saul. He has shown Saul a glimpse of what could be and now it is up to Saul to look to God for guidance, leading and blessing for the years to come. Sadly he didn’t do that!

D. Application?

1. God in His love so often blesses us to encourage us to go on. Then it is up to us to respond.
2. Human responsibility is a frightening thing. Will we respond to all God’s love to us?

Passage: 1 Sam 10:17-27

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 made 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 enquired 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.

A. Find Out:

1. What did Samuel tell Israel to do? v.19
2. What was the process of choosing Saul? v.20,21
3. What did they do when Saul wasn’t there? v.22
4. How did Samuel present Saul to the people? v.24
5. How did Samuel help the people? v.25
6. Who did God give Saul? v.26

B. Think:

1. What had Samuel first of all been careful to do?
2. What was it about Saul that appealed to the people?
3. How was the Lord actively seen to be helping here?

C. Comment:

     What is remarkable about all this is that, despite Israel having rejected the Lord, He nevertheless continues to help them and actively seeks to promote and strengthen Saul. The Lord knows the people will be LOOKING for a king like other kings, and so He has chosen a big man, a man who Israel will take to straight away.  Not only that, as soon as Saul has been chosen (presumably by lot – what a “coincidence”!!!) the Lord stirs the hearts of some “valiant men” to support him. The Lord has provided for Saul both physically and spiritually, then ensured Israel ‘s acceptance of him, then given good men to stand with him. The Lord has done everything He can to ensure Saul is a success. Now it is up to Saul.

    But Saul still seems reticent, despite all the Lord’s encouragement. It even needs the Lord to bring Saul out of his hiding place. This man, despite being selected by God, is the people’s man, accepted on their criteria, their choice, BUT he has had all of God’s encouragement. There will be no excuse when he fails. In some ways Saul is a picture of Christians who have received every blessing in Christ from God to do the job of living for Him in today’s world. There is little room for excuses, God has done His bit, the rest is up to us!

D. Application?

1. We are provided for in every way.
2. We are responsible for how we now live.