Saul and Samuel meet
9
📚Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a strong and brave man. 9:1 In this chapter and the next we have the record of how Samuel found Saul and anointed him to be the first king of Israel.⚜
2 📚And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice young man and impressive, and there was no more impressive person among the children of Israel than he. From his shoulders up he was taller than any of the people.
9:2 There is no mention here of Saul’s inner character. God chose for the people as their king a man after their own heart, a man who looked the part (1 Sam 10:23-24). Contrast this with God’s choice of a man after His own heart (1 Sam 16:7, 12).⚜
3 📚And the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, “Take now one of the servants with you and get up and go look for the donkeys”.
4 📚And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shalim, but they were not there. And he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.
5 📚When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come on and let’s go back, or my father will stop being concerned for the donkeys and start worrying about us”.
6 📚And the servant said to him, “Look now, there is a man of God 📖 in this city 📖, and he is held in honour. All that he says takes place 📖 without fail. Now let’s go there. Perhaps he can show us the way that we should go”.
7 📚Then said Saul to his servant, “But, look, if we go, what shall we take the man? For the bread is gone from our sacks, and there is no present to take to the man of God. What do we have?”
9:7 It was right that the people should have a sense of obligation in material things to the prophet who ministered to them. On his part, the true prophet did not look for any material reward. He ministered only because the Lord had called him. In the Bible those who played prophet for what they could get are condemned (Ezek 13:17-19; Micah 3:5, 11).⚜
8 And the servant answered Saul again and said, “Look, I have in hand a fourth of a shekel 📖 of silver. I will give that to the man of God to tell us our way”. 9 📚Previously in Israel when a man went to inquire from God, he spoke like this: “Come and let us go to the seer”, for one who is now called a prophet was previously called a seer.
9:9 The word “seer” in Hebrew (as in English) comes from the verb “to see”. What the seer saw was the truth God revealed in whatever way God chose to reveal it. They were enlightened to know God and to receive messages from Him. Nine persons in the Bible are called seers. Samuel was the first and doubtless the greatest. The others were Zadok, Gad, Heman, Iddo, Hanani, Asaph, Jeduthun, and Amos. All the true prophets were also seers.⚜
10 📚Then said Saul to his servant, “Well said. Come, let’s go”. So they went to the city where the man of God was.
11 📚As they went up the hill to the city, they found some young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?”
12 📚And they answered them and said, “He is. Look, he is in front of you. Hurry now, for today he has come to the city, because there is a sacrifice of the people today in the high place.
9:12 Note at Lev 26:30.⚜
13 📚As soon as you have come into the city, you will meet him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he blesses the sacrifice. And afterwards those who have been invited eat. So now go on up, for about now you will find him”.
14 And they went up into the city. And when they entered the city, there Samuel came out opposite them to go up to the high place.
15 📚Now a day before Saul came the LORD had spoken in Samuel’s ear, saying, 16 📚“About this time tomorrow I will send a man to you from the region of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be the leader over my people Israel, so that he may save my people out of the hands of the Philistines. For I have looked on my people, because their cry 📖 has come to me”.
17 📚And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, “See the man about whom I spoke to you. This is the one who will reign over my people”.
9:15-17 God had promised that when the people wanted a king He would choose one for them (Deut 17:14-15). This does not mean, however, that Saul was God’s ideal person to be king. God chose him in anger with Israel (Hos 13:11); that is, God gave them Saul with judgment and punishment in His mind. Note at v 2.⚜
9:17 An example of how God revealed things to a seer.⚜
18 📖Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is”.
19 📚And Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today. And tomorrow I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart 📖. 20 📚And as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they are found 📖. And on whom is all the desire 📖 of Israel? Is it not on you, and on all your father’s house?”
21 📚And Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And is not my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak so?”
9:21 At first, Saul seemed humble and without personal ambition (1 Sam 10:21-23; 1 Sam 15:17). He started well enough. What is more important, however, is how a person finishes.⚜
22 📚And Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall and had them sit in the chief place among those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons. 23 📚And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, put it near you”.
24 📚And the cook took up the leg and what was on it and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, “See what has been kept for you. Put it in front of you and eat. Because it has been kept for you for this time, since I said that I have invited the people”. So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 📚And when they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof of the house. 26 📚And they arose early and about the break of day, it happened that Samuel called to Saul on the roof of the house, saying, “Arise, so that I may send you away”. And Saul arose, and both of them, he and Samuel, went outside. 27 📚As they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us”, (and he went on) “but you stand still for a while, so that I may tell you the word of God 📖”.