1 Samuel Chapter 10 Part One (Verses 1-16)

Saul anointed and proclaimed king

A. Saul is anointed as king over Israel

1. (1 Sam 10:1) Samuel anoints Saul
Then Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, "Has not the LORD anointed you a ruler over His inheritance?"

Then Samuel  took the flask of oil: No where in the Bible do we read a protocol given by God for the anointing of kings. But as seen in several places in the Old Testament, anointing an official in the designation of prophets, priests and kings was the usual rite of passage. It is interesting to note in the Hebrew, it reads "the flask of oil". This leads many to conclude that this flask was the same flask which was filled with the holy oil used for the anointing of the priests. (For a detailed account of the holy oil used for anointing the priests, please read Exodus 30:23-33.) However, the idea of anointing is a much bigger concept. In the Bible, oil represents the Holy Spirit. What happened to Saul's head and body was simply an outward representation of what God was doing to him spiritually. The Holy Spirit was being poured upon Saul, equipping him for the enormous job of being king over Israel.

According to Jewish tradition, anointing was only necessary when a new dynasty came to the throne or the succession was disrupted. Henceforth, we only find mention of it in the case of Saul; David (1 Samuel 16:3, 2 Samuel 2:4, 2 Samuel 5:3); Absalom (2 Samuel 19:10); Solomon (1 Kings 1:39); Joash (2 Kings 11:12); Jehoahaz, who was not the oldest son of Josiah (2 Kings 23:30); Jehu (2 Kings 9:3). Similar coronation ceremonies are still observed in England. The anointing is performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the kiss of homage is given by the Archbishop, bishops and the premier.

Kissed him: This is a customary sign of reverential homage and not a sign of affection. ("Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him" (Psalm 2:11-12).)

His inheritance: That is God's chosen people. "For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance" (Deuteronomy 32:9). "He also chose David His servant and took him form the sheepfolds; from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance" (Psalm 79:70-71).


2. (1 Sam 10:2) Samuel tells Saul of a sign to confirm what God has done
"When you go from me today, then you find two men close to Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, 'The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. Now behold, your father has ceased to be concerned about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, "What shall I do about my son?"'"

When you go from me today: Here follows Samuel's careful description of three signs which would meet Saul as he traveled from Ramah to his father's home in Benjamin. Each of these signs was meant to strengthen Saul's faith and contained a solemn lesson.

Two men close to Rachel's tomb: Rachel was one of Jacob's wives and was the mother of Benjamin. Benjamin was the ancestor to the mighty war tribe Benjamin. Saul's family lineage was through the tribe of Benjamin. This sign reminds Saul about his roots to the patriarchs.

The donkeys which you went to look for have been found: The two men meeting Saul telling the whereabouts of his father's lost sheep symbolize that from now on, Saul was to dismiss all lower cares and give himself up to higher, more important matters. A king must take counsel and thought for the entire nation. Saul must put aside now and forever more all consideration for himself and his family. God, who had chosen Saul, would provide for these things, as He had done in the case of the lost donkeys.


3. (1 Sam 10:3-4) Samuel tells Saul of another sign to confirm what God has done
"Then you will go on further from there, and you will come as far as the oak of Tabor, and there three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of wine; and they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hand."

The oak of Tabor: Nothing certain is known about this place, but there are several traditions. The word "tabor" is thought to be a dialect variation for the name Deborah. It is conjectured that this is the oak under which Rebekah's nurse was buried. ("Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; it was named Allon-bacuth" Genesis 35:8.)  It is also conjectured that this was the tree between Ramah and Bethel under which Deborah judged Israel. ("Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment" Judges 4:4-5.)

Going up to God at Bethel: The three men appear to be going up to worship and sacrifice to the LORD. The town of Bethel (formerly called Luz) is one of the most sacred spots in Israel since the time of the patriarchs. Near Bethel, Abraham built one of the first altars in the Bible, and there he "invoked the name of the Lord" (Genesis 12:8). After Abraham fled to Egypt to escape a famine in Israel, he returned to the same place near Bethel, and once again invoked the name of the Lord (Genesis 13:1-4). When Jacob was fleeing from the wrath of his brother Esau, he stopped for the night at Bethel. It is here where he encounters God in a dream in which he saw a stairway to heaven, with angels of God ascending and descending on it (Genesis 28:10-22). Bethel was one of the first places in Israel where the Ark of the Covenant was set up and where the priests offered sacrifices and inquired of God (Judges 20:18, 26-28; Judges 21:2).

Three loaves of bread: This is the minchah, or the meal offering, which would accompany the meat from the animal sacrifice. ("Now when you bring an offering of a grain offering baked in an oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers spread with oil" Leviticus 2:4).

Another carrying a jug of wine: This was for the drink offering. The fourth part of a hin of wine being required for each kid (Number 15:5).

They will greet you: The three pilgrims would greet Saul, i.e., give him the usual friendly greeting of travelers, and would then present to him, a stranger, two loaves of bread intended for their offering at Bethel. By doing this, the men would acknowledge Saul as their lord (See 1 Samuel 9:7 for more commentary about gift giving.). Secondly, this sign indicated that the king would henceforth share with the sanctuary the offerings of the people. And Saul was to receive from the pilgrims' hands his present, as being now due to him, because Samuel had anointed Saul as king. As king, Saul will receive gifts. Henceforth, this was a way to confirm to Saul his position as king.


4. (1 Sam 10:5-7) Samuel tell Saul of a third sign to confirm what God has done
Afterward you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute and a lyre before them, and they will be prophesying. Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man. It shall be when these signs come to you, do for yourself what the occasion requires, for God is with you.

Hill of God: A better translation would be "Gibeah of God". Gibeah is a term used to denote bald rounded hills of central Israel. This place was distinguished as Gibeah of God, for there was a well-known place of worship on its summit. Many believe this was the same place which would later become Saul's place of residence, which was called Gibeah of Saul.

The garrison of the Philistines: A military post established by the Philistines to main their hold upon the Israelites.

A company of prophets: These young men probably belonged to one of the seminaries called "schools of the prophets" which were founded by the prophet Samuel for the training of young men. The founding of these schools in different parts of the country was one of the greatest works of Samuel. These schools seemed to have flourished during the time of the kings. Some of the youth who received training in these schools became public teachers of the Word. The main duty of a prophet's calling was to proclaim God's Word rather than foretell future events. Members of prophetic bands were often young (2 Kings 5:22), they frequently lived together (2 Kings 6:1-2), ate together (2 Kings 4:38), and were supported by the generosity of their fellow Israelites (2 Kings 4:42-43). Samuel provided guidance and direction for the prophetic schools in their early years, while Elijah and Elisha continued the schools during their lifetimes.

They will be prophesying: The word has nothing to do with prediction here, but rather it denotes the expression of religious feeling under the influence of inspiration in hymns. Elsewhere in Scripture, the word prophesying can also mean to chant.

The Spirit of the LORD will come mightily upon you: The Hebrew wording here is very strong and implies the Spirit will come upon you with such force it will overpower you. Although Saul was anointed with oil (an outward symbol of being anointed with the Holy Spirit), here the Holy Spirit will actually come upon Saul and dwell within him. The same Hebrew is used to describe the Holy Spirit coming upon Samson: "Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily, and he [Samson] went down to Askelon and killed thirty of them and took their spoil and gave the changes of clothes to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father's house" (Judges 14:19). "When he [Samson] came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily so that the ropes that were on his arms were as flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds dropped from his hands" (Judges 15:14).

You shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man: Before this time, Saul never seems to have been a spiritual man. So for him to prophesy--that is to break forth into praises of God and utter divers truths--was evidence that God had turned Saul into another man.

When these signs come to you: When these various circumstances happened to Saul, then he could be sure that the splendid and glorious life foretold by Samuel will indeed lie in Saul's near future. God will surely cause these things to happen and will indeed install Saul as king over Israel.


5. (1 Sam 10:8) Saul is commanded to wait for Samuel at Gilgal
"And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do."

You shall wait seven days until I come to you: This is an important command for Saul. By the nature of their office, kings do not wait for anyone. On the contrary, the king's subjects are expected to wait patiently for the king. However, Samuel commands Saul to wait for him because the prophet of God had more authority than the king had over Israel. Saul had to know that even though he was a king, he had to submit to the LORD, and the LORD'S prophet. Failing to wait for Samuel will get Saul into trouble on a future occasion.


6. (1 Sam 10:9-13) The signs come to pass
Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day. When they came to the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them. It came about, when all who knew him previously saw that he prophesied now with the prophets, that the people said to one another, "What had happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" A man there said, "Now, who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb: "Is Saul also among the prophets?" When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

God changed his heart: This is a remarkable lesson for us. No matter what we do, we cannot change our own hearts, and we cannot change others' hearts. Only the Spirit of the LORD can change a man. In Scripture, "heart" means the center of a person--his spiritual life, desire, thought, feelings, etc. Saul's new heart was a gift from God.

Is Saul also among the prophets: This phrase became a proverb describing the astonishment that someone became a devout follower of the LORD. Saul was a non-spiritual man who became very spiritual at the time when the Spirit of the LORD came upon him. This proverb makes me think about drug abusers and alcoholics who hear the Gospel and turn their lives around to become devout Christians. When their family and friends hear of their conversion, they often think it is a joke or a game. "You can't be serious!? You go to church? You read the Bible? You stopped drinking/gambling/beating your wife?" Profound disbelief and astonishment accompany these questions. When the Spirit of the LORD comes mightily upon a person, their whole lives change.

Now who is their father: The meaning of the question asked by the man is: You asked about the son of Kish. But, what has birth to do with prophecy? None of these young men have inherited these gifts, and if Saul can take part in the prophesyings, why should he not? Kish, Saul's father, is no worse than the other prophets' fathers.

He came to the high place: After Saul had spent time prophesying with the company of prophets, the prophets continued on their way, descending from the high place. Saul decides to go up to the high place to offer prayers and praises to God.


7. (1 Sam 10:14-16) Saul hides his experience from his family
Now Saul's uncle said to him and his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they could not be found, we went to Samuel." Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me what Samuel said to you." So Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found." But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom which Samuel had mentioned.

Saul's uncle: Most probably, this uncle was Abner. Kish, the father of Saul, was evidently content that his donkeys were found and that his son had returned safely back home. No questions or dialog about his son's journey is recorded. Abner, on the other hand, was a very ambitious and restless man. He very likely sensed a change about Saul since the last time he saw him. Perhaps, Abner also may have questioned Saul's servant about the journey and found out about the high honors Samuel bestowed upon Saul and to a lesser extent on the servant as well.

But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom: Most likely, when Samuel revealed God's revelation to Saul regarding his future, he underscored the importance that this information was for him alone. Remember, Samuel did not even allow Saul's servant to hear the revelations, but requested for the servant to walk ahead of Saul and Samuel. God would in His own time, reveal Saul as king of Israel. It was important for Saul to keep his future a secret, especially from Abner--a man known for scheming and devising ways to trick people. If Abner would have had any information about Saul's future as king, who knows what kind of stunts and ploys he may have developed to further his family's status.