1Samuel8

1 And it happened when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer-sheba. 3 And his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after money, took bribes, and perverted judgment/justice. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, came to Samuel to Ramah, 5 and said to him, Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways: make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6 But the thing was evil in the eyes of Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the LORD.

God was rejected by His people

7 And the LORD said to Samuel, Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you: for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, they have forsaken me and served other gods, they are doing the same thing to you. 9 Now listen to their voice: when you have solemnly protested against them then show them the privilege of the king that will reign over them. 10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people that asked of him a king.

• Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief: we hid our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

• Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

He warned them of mistreatment from human kings

11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that will reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some will run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to plough his ground, to reap his harvest, to make his instruments of war, and instruments for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be confectionaries, to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14 And he will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive yards, the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15 And he will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards to give to his officers and to his servants. 16 And he will take your menservants and your maidservants, your best young men, your asses, and put them to his work. 17 He will take a tenth of your sheep: and you will be his servants.

• They have rejected their Creator, the Creator of the universe who loves them enough to die for them.
• This is what they will get instead.

18 And you will cry out in that day because of your king that you have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you that day. 19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; they said, No; we will have a king over us; 20 That we may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us to fight our battles. 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he declared them in the ears of the LORD. 22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Listen to their voice and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Every man of you go to his city.

• God gave us His best, His all.
• There is nothing more that He could do for us than what He has done.

• John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him not perish, but have everlasting life.

• Revelation 3:21 To him that overcomes I wilI grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

• Revelation 21:7 He that overcomes will inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he will be my son.

                                             1 Samuel 9

1 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 man, a mighty warrior. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a young and handsome man: no man was more handsome than he among the children of Israel: from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people. 3 Now the asses of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take one of the servants with you, get up and go seek the asses. 4 And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and 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 that was with him, Come, let us return; by now my father will be more concerned about us than the asses.

God made all Samuel’s words come to pass

6 And he said to him, Look, in this city there is a man of God; he is an honorable man; all that he says surely comes to pass: let us go there now; perhaps he can show us our way that we should go. 7 Then Saul said to his servant, But look, if we go, what will we bring the man? For the bread is gone in our sacks and there is no gift to bring to the man of God: what do we have? 8 And the servant answered Saul and said, Look, I have here at hand a fourth of a shekel of silver that I will give to the man of God to tell us our way. 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said this, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a prophet was previously called a seer.)

• More important than telling the future, prophets spoke the words of God to the people.

• Amos 3:8…the Lord GOD has spoken, who can but prophesy?

• 1Samuel 3:19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

10 Then Saul said to his servant, Your word is good; come, let’s go. So they went to the city where the man of God was. 11 And as they went up the hill to the city they found young maidens going out to draw water and said to them, Is the seer here? 12 And they answered them and said, He is; behold, he is before you: hurry, for he came to the city today because there is a sacrifice of the people today in the high place: 13 As soon as you have come into the city, you will immediately find him, before he is 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 are invited eat. Now go; for you will find him about this time. 14 And they went up into the city: and when they came into the city, behold, Samuel came out opposite them going up to the high place. 15 Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, 16 Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you will anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked on my people, because their cry is come to me.

• God looked on His people and heard their cry.
• He had previously prepared Samuel.

God appoints earth’s rulers

17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, Behold the man whom I spoke to you of! This same will reign/restrain over my people.

• Daniel 2:21 And he changes the times and the seasons: he removes kings, and sets up kings: he gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

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 before me to the high place; for you will 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 you asses 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 not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak this way to me? 22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them into the parlor, and made them sit in the best place among those that were invited, which were about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, Set it aside. 24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was on it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is reserved! Set it before you, and eat: it has been kept for you for this time since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

• Samuel honored Saul by reserving this part of the sacrifice for him.

25 And when they came down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul on the top of the house. 26 And they arose early: and it came to pass about the rising of the dawn, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house saying, Up, that I may send you away. And Saul arose, and they both went out, he and Samuel, outside. 27 And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Tell your servant to pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but you stand still awhile, that I may show you the word of God.

• Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

                                           1 Samuel 10

God Anointed Saul as ruler over His people

1 ThenSamuel took a vial of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, I am doing this because the LORD has anointed you to be the leader of his people Israel. 2 When you have left me today, you will find two men by Rachel’s grave in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; they will say to you, The asses that you went to seek have been found: and behold, your father has left the care of the asses, and sorrows for you saying, What will I do for my son? 3 Then you will go on from there, and you will come to the plain of Tabor, and there you will meet three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three young goats, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: 4 They will ask peace of you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will receive from their hands. 5 After that, you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is: and when you come to the city, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them; and they will prophesy: 6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come on you, and you will prophesy with them, and will be turned into another man.

• God’s people were placed in Saul’s care.
• This was a sacred trust.
• Prophets speak forth the words of God (Amos 3:8).

God was with him

7 And when these signs come to you, do as occasion serves you; for God is with you. 8 And you will go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: wait seven days, until I come to you and show you what you are to do. 9 And when he had turned his back to leave Samuel, God turned his heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

• God gave Saul another heart.
• This is never said of David. God said David was a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).

• Hebrews 13:5 Let your behavior be without covetousness; and be content with what you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, or forsake you.

10 And when they came to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came on him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And it happened, when all that knew him before saw that he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? 12 And one in the same place answered and said, But who is their father? So it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? 13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place. 14 And Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, Where did you go? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were nowhere, we went to Samuel. 15 And Saul’s uncle said, Please tell me what Samuel said to you. 16 And Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But he did not tell him of the matter of the kingdom which Samuel spoke of.

• God gave Saul His Holy Spirit to empower Saul to do lead His people rightly.

The LORD delivers from oppressors and all troubles

17 And Samuel called the people together to the LORD to Mizpeh; 18 And said to the children of Israel, This is what the LORD God of Israel says, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: 19 And today you have rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; you have said to him, No, set a king over us. Now present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands. 20 And when Samuel caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. 21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 So they inquired of the LORD further to see if had come. And the LORD said, Look, he has hidden himself among the baggage. 23 So they ran and brought him from there: and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, Have you looked at the one the LORD has chosen; there is none like him among all the people. And all the people shouted and said, Long live the king! 25 Then Samuel told the people the duties of the kingdom, wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. 26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and a band of men went there with him, whose hearts God had touched. 27 But the children of Belial/worthlessness/evil said, How will this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

• God told them where Saul was hiding.
• God touched certain men’s hearts to follow Saul.
• God had been captain over Israel until this time. No leader is better.
• The people wanted a king that could be seen like the nations around them.
• Remember in chapter 4 they worshipped the ark of the covenant that they could see rather than the infinite, invisible God.
• Both of these choices brought trouble instead of peace and blessing.

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1 Samuel 8-10

• The LORD was rejected by His people
• He warned of mistreatment by human kings
• He made all Samuel's words come to pass
• He appoints earths rulers
• He anointed Saul as king over Israel
• He was with Saul
• He delivers from oppressors and all troubles