The ark takes a sabbatical and kings aren’t trump, jokers are

1 Samuel Chapters 8, 9, and 10

- With Eli gone and now the ark of the covenant out of the picture you would think that the Israelite’s would learn that GOD is not limited by weak spiritual leaders or objects of assumed importance. This is a common problem and not just for the Israelite’s, we tend to put our faith in people or objects (things) rather than in GOD.

- Samuel’s boys follow in the ways of Eli’s sons and not after Samuel or GOD.

- Samuel was not corrected by GOD for this problem like Eli had experienced. This could have to do with the fact that 1) Samuel was not part of the Priesthood 2) He may have confronted the boys early for their ways and they chose to ignore him 3) GOD had not promised any prophetic status or rights to any of Samuel's kids. This was not the line of the High Priest.

- The Elders got together approached Samuel, told him he was old and his sons didn’t walk in his ways so, they wanted Samuel to give them a king to rule over them. (hopefully they were a bit more tactful then whats written)

- Samuel prayed and talked to GOD about this and GOD told Samuel it was him they were rejecting not Samuel. GOD was their King, but they didn’t see it that way.  They wanted to be like the other nations, while GOD wanted them to be an example to other nations. Israel was supposed to do for the nation’s, the ones disowned at the Babel event, what GOD did for them in Egypt. Rescue the peoples of other nations out of bondage and redirect them back to GOD.

- GOD told Samuel to warn the people that a King would take the best of what they had, their children and their resources and use them for himself and his kingdom and they would be his slaves. Fast forward just for a moment and compare this type of Monarchy to what Jesus tells his disciples after they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest. - And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”Mark 9:35

GOD’s kingdom is the polar opposite to mans way of thinking.

- The Israelite's wanted a king to judge them and fight their battles, which is what GOD had been doing for them all along. Samuel dismisses the people and waits on GOD for “king’s quest.” (not the game)

The people asked for a king and GOD gave them what they deserved.

 Remember to be careful what you pray for, you just might receive it.

Saul was a Benjaminite, handsome, tall, and from a rich family. All the outward trappings of judging a book by it’s cover, this was off to a good start.

GOD told Samuel the day before it happened that he was sending a man from Benjamin who Samuel would anoint as Prince (ruler, king).

- Saul went looking for information about his father’s lost donkeys and his servant aware of local seer, in a nearby city thought he could help them. When they finally met Samuel he told Saul not to worry about the donkey’s, they had already been found.

- He asked them to stay and have a meal with him and about thirty others. They stayed that night and the next day before they left, when Samuel was alone with Saul he anointed his head with oil and said that the LORD had anointed him Prince of his people Israel. Saul would save them from their surrounding enemies.

- These things were to be signs for Saul that the LORD had indeed anointed him.

1) He would meet two men by Rachel’s tomb that would tell him the donkey’s he was looking for were already found and his father was now worried about his well being.

2) He would continue on further and meet three men by the oak of Tabor, on their way to worship God at Bethel. One man would have three young goats, the next, three loaves of bread and the last a skin of wine. They would greet Saul and give him two of the three loaves of bread. Strange.

3) finally his journey would take him to gibeath-elohim (the hill of God), where there is a garrison of the Philistines. In the city at the bottom of the hill he would meet a group of prophets coming from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying.

Samuel tells Saul Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you. 1 Samuel 10:6-7

- After all this was done Saul was to meet Samuel at Gilgal, he was to wait seven days for Samuel there.

- when Saul turned to leave Samuel it is written that GOD gave Saul another heart. All the things that Samuel told Saul came to pass, but Saul did not do anything notable after these signs were completed. “Do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you.”

I believe Saul failed in this part of the task. My reasoning for this is later on we read about Saul’s son Jonathan and his young armour bearer, in 1 Samuel 14:6  They were sneaking around a philistine garrison by themselves while Saul and his mighty men were hiding at a place on the outskirts of Gibeah. The Philistine garrison was on a hill and Johnathan formed a plan with his armour bear, they would show themselves to the Philistines and if they said to them, “come up to us” then that was a sign the LORD had given the Philistines into their hands. Johnathan and his armour bear went up and killed twenty-five of them, there was a panic in the camp, then a earth quake (coincidentally) and then the philistines really panicked. I believe this garrison was the objective for Saul to do all by himself (with GOD’s help) to prove like Johnathan the LORD was with him. I believe this tall, good looking, rich, Benjaminite was a coward. He believed and respected Samuel to a point, but it would always be Samuel’s God not Saul’s.

- Samuel calls the people together at Mizpah, Samuel goes through the motions of casting lots to determine who will be King. It gets narrowed down to the tribe of Benjamin, then to clans and then finally the family of Kish, then by son and the lot fell on Saul, surprise ending right? The bigger surprise was he wasn’t there, he was hiding among the luggage. Some commentaries I’ve read attribute this to Saul just being humble and unsure, but I think he was indeed the opposite of the future King of Israel David in every way. David was a young, small shepherd boy as fierce as a lion and Saul was not.

- After the “Long live the King” speech Samuel writes down in a book all the rights and duties of Kingship and lays it up before the LORD.

It wasn’t for the LORD’s benefit it was a written as a reminder of what they had just agreed to and all the power and authority the king had over Israel. The new king was not excepted or loved by all, but some things don’t change in regards to kingship or politics or making people happy.

Next – Renewal, Retirement, and Rejection