1 Samuel 8-11

What I Noticed Today (1 Samuel 8-11)

1 Samuel 8-9

The Israelites demand a king. Samuel anoints Saul.

1 Samuel 8

In verses 1-5, Samuel had appointed his sons, Joel and Abijah, to serve as judges in Beer-sheba, but they were dishonest judges who perverted justice. The elders brought their behavior to Samuel’s attention and demanded that he appoint a king over them rather than letting his sons rule as judges.

In verses 6-9, Samuel went before the Lord to inquire about what he should do. The Lord told Samuel that the people were not rejecting him but had rejected Him as their King. The Lord told Samuel to warn the people about the rights of a king who would rule over them.

In verses 6-22, Samuel warned the people what life under a king would be like; harsh demands, taxes, and servitude. Yet, the people demanded a king “like all the other nations.” They wanted a king who would judge them, go out before them, and fight their battles. The Lord told Samuel to appoint a king, and Samuel told the people to go home and wait.

1 Samuel 9

In 1 Samuel 9, Saul met Samuel.

In verses 1-14, a Benjamite named Saul was instructed by his father to go and look for some missing donkeys. He was miles from home when one of his attendants suggested consulting with the man of God who lived in Zuph (about five miles from Gibeah where Saul lived). Saul decided to consult with Samuel to see where he should go.

In verses 15-27, the Lord had told Samuel the day before that the next day a Benjamite would come to him. This man was to be anointed as king over Israel.

• When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him this is the man who will save Israel from the Philistines.
• Samuel told Saul not to worry about the donkeys because they had been found three days before.
• Samuel had a ceremonial feast where Saul was seated in a place of honor.
• After the feast, Samuel and Saul spoke privately.
• The next morning before dawn, Samuel again spoke to Saul privately.

1 Samuel 10-31

The reign of Saul as king over Israel.

1 Samuel 10

1 Samuel 10 Saul is anointed as king.

In verses 1-8, Samuel told Saul privately; he was God’s choice to be king of the people of Israel.

• Samuel anointed Saul as king over Israel.
• Samuel told Saul he would meet two men near Rachel’s tomb who would tell him the lost donkeys had been found. He would also meet three men at the oak of Tabor, who would give him two loaves of bread. After that, Saul would encounter a group of prophets as he approached Gibeah.
• Samuel told Saul the Spirit of the Lord would come over him, and he would become a new person.
• Afterward, Saul was to go to Gilgal with instructions to wait seven days when they would offer sacrifices to God together.

In verses 9-16, everything Samuel prophesied about Saul’s return home came true. The Spirit of the Lord entered Saul, and he prophesied with the prophets.

• Saul told his uncle about the donkeys but didn’t say anything about what Samuel had told him.

In verses 17-26, Samuel proclaimed Saul as king over Israel.

• Samuel called the people of the Lord together at Mizpah.
• Through a process of elimination, Saul was selected as king.
• The people rejoiced shouting, “Long live the king.”
• Samuel pronounced the rights of kingship to the people, wrote them on a scroll, and placed the scroll in the presence of the Lord (at the Tabernacle).
• Saul returned home with some brave men whose hearts God had touched. But some wicked men despised Saul.

1 Samuel 11

In 1 Samuel 11, Saul’s first test came soon after he had been proclaimed king.

In verses 1-5, Nahash the Ammonite threatened the Israelites in Jabesh-gilead.

• The elders of Jabesh-gilead sent messengers throughout the land with the hope that someone would come and save them from the Ammonites.
• Saul came in from the field and was told about the plight of the people of Jabesh-gilead.

In verses 6-15, the Spirit of the Lord came over Saul:

• Saul cut up two oxen and sent pieces throughout the land; this is what would be done to anyone who doesn’t come and march behind Saul and Samuel.
• The terror of the Lord fell over the entire people of Israel, and they were united.
• Saul, through the power of the Spirit, brought the army of 330,000 Israelites together Bezek (12 miles west of Jabesh-gilead).
• Saul and the army marched all night and defeated the army of Nahash.
• Following their victory, Saul and Samuel went to Gilgal and, in the presence of the Lord, sacrificed fellowship offerings to the Lord, and the people rejoiced.

It seems that Saul was almost reluctant to assume the responsibility of the king at first. He claims to be from humble origins and even stays in the background when it is time for Samuel to announce his kingship to the people. Yet, when it came time to act, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he led the Israel army to victory.

Some thoughts for further consideration:

• How sad! God had saved these people for generations. God had conquered their enemies for hundreds of years and provided for them, yet they wanted a king to be like the very people God had conquered!
• This scenario shows just how far from God the people had fallen over the years. They didn’t care at all about the hundreds of years that God had provided and cared for them. They rejected God, in favor of a king, like other nations. One that God even warned them would make conditions miserable for them. But in their stubborn, hard hearts, they insisted on a king anyway.
• How hard do our hearts become at times? Do we reject God’s best, in favor of man’s solutions?

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.

Tomorrow: 1 Samuel 12-14:23