Saul Chosen

1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 2 His firstborn son’s name was Joel and his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba. 3 However, his sons did not walk in his ways—they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice. 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.” 6 When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the Lord. 7 But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king. 8 They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods.

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They wanted a king to rule over them, but they didn’t want God as their king. they wanted a different king.

1 Samuel 8:9–22 CSB

9 Listen to them, but solemnly warn them and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them.” 10 Samuel told all the Lord’s words to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “These are the rights of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and put them to his use in his chariots, on his horses, or running in front of his chariots. 12 He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties, to plow his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots. 13 He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 He can take your best fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give them to his officials and servants. 16 He can take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys and use them for his work. 17 He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you’ve chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you on that day.” 19 The people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. 20 Then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles.” 21 Samuel listened to all the people’s words and then repeated them to the Lord. 22 “Listen to them,” the Lord told Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Each of you, go back to your city.”

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They would have to obey one king or another. God or a man. They could live with great freedom under God, but under great oppression under a man. And for what? So that they could have a king, just like the other nations, that would judge them, go out before them, and fight their battles.

God already had a system in place to judge them, that they could bring their cases before him.

God already went out before them.

And God Himself fought their battles. And look at the miracles and victories He had already accomplished for them. So why give up the God of the universe for your king in order to have a mere sinful weak human as your king?

Because they had already abandoned Him by worshipping false gods. God was not leading them in battle against their enemies because they were not being faithful to Him. So instead of repent of their idolatry and sinfulness, and have God Himself lead them as their king, they would rather indulge in their sinfulness and have a human lead them as their king.

They chose to hold on to their sins and live oppressed, than to turn from their sins and live free.

So God gave them the king that they were looking for. A huge man, who would lead them into battle, and who would tolerate sin. But it would come at a cost.

1 Samuel 9:1–2 CSB

1 There was a prominent man of Benjamin named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite. 2 He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man. There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else.

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wanders after donkey and meets Samuel and Samuel tells him that God had chosen him to be Israel’s king.

1 Samuel 10:9–16 CSB

9 When Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God changed his heart, and all the signs came about that day. 10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully on him, and he prophesied along with them. 11 Everyone who knew him previously and saw him prophesy with the prophets asked each other, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” 12 Then a man who was from there asked, “And who is their father?” As a result, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” became a popular saying. 13 Then Saul finished prophesying and went to the high place. 14 Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” “To look for the donkeys,” Saul answered. “When we saw they weren’t there, we went to Samuel.” 15 “Tell me,” Saul’s uncle asked, “what did Samuel say to you?” 16 Saul told him, “He assured us the donkeys had been found.” However, Saul did not tell him what Samuel had said about the matter of kingship.

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Saul didn’t say anything about being king because he was afraid. He didn’t want to be king.

1 Samuel 10:17–27 CSB

17 Samuel summoned the people to the Lord at Mizpah 18 and said to the Israelites, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ 19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to him, ‘You must set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.” 20 Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected. 21 Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the Matrite clan was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they searched for him, they could not find him. 22 They again inquired of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” The Lord replied, “There he is, hidden among the supplies.” 23 They ran and got him from there. When he stood among the people, he stood a head taller than anyone else. 24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among the entire population.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!” 25 Samuel proclaimed to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll, which he placed in the presence of the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people home. 26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and brave men whose hearts God had touched went with him. 27 But some wicked men said, “How can this guy save us?” They despised him and did not bring him a gift, but Saul said nothing.

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Saul was afraid, God sent brave men with him to surround him and encourage him. God always gives us what we need, when we need it. But even though God is always faithful, we are not.

1 Samuel 12:6–25 CSB

6 Then Samuel said to the people, “The Lord, who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt, is a witness. 7 Now present yourselves, so I may confront you before the Lord about all the righteous acts he has done for you and your ancestors. 8 “When Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord, and he sent them Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God, so he handed them over to Sisera commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab. These enemies fought against them. 10 Then they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, for we abandoned the Lord and worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now rescue us from the power of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11 So the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived securely. 12 But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king reign over us’—even though the Lord your God is your king. 13 “Now here is the king you’ve chosen, the one you requested. Look, this is the king the Lord has placed over you. 14 If you fear the Lord, worship and obey him, and if you don’t rebel against the Lord’s command, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. 15 However, if you disobey the Lord and rebel against his command, the Lord’s hand will be against you as it was against your ancestors. 16 “Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Isn’t the wheat harvest today? I will call on the Lord, and he will send thunder and rain so that you will recognize what an immense evil you committed in the Lord’s sight by requesting a king for yourselves.” 18 Samuel called on the Lord, and on that day the Lord sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. 19 They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so we won’t die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves.” 20 Samuel replied, “Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following the Lord. Instead, worship the Lord with all your heart. 21 Don’t turn away to follow worthless things that can’t profit or rescue you; they are worthless. 22 The Lord will not abandon his people, because of his great name and because he has determined to make you his own people. 23 “As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way. 24 Above all, fear the Lord and worship him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things he has done for you. 25 However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

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Even after Israel’s idolatry, abandoning God to worship false gods, and their lack of faith that God could save them, and their absolute rejection of God as their king in favor of a man as their king when Samuel first pleaded with them to not abandon God as their king, God still pursued them in order to forgive them. God was determined to make Israel His own people. And He is just as determined to make you his own. He loves you like no one has ever loved you, and no one ever will. No one has ever pursued anyone like God has, and is pursuing us.

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