How did Saul become king?

Did he pull a sword out of a stone?

That is a great question! We read the details of this process in 1 Samuel 10. Well, this is where most of the details are found. You should really read Chapters 9-11 to get the fuller picture. 1 Samuel 10:1-8 is the longest recorded speech to one individual, made up of 147 words in the original Hebrew. In this speech, Samuel does three things.

1. Reveals that Saul is God’s choice to be Israel’s first king.

2. Laid out for Saul a series of confirmatory signs.

3. Intimated Saul to the proper relationship between king and prophet in Israel.

A Series of Validating Events

Saul’s confirmatory signs would take the form of three encounters with three successively larger and religiously more significant groups of people.

1. Two men near Rachel’s tomb would inform Saul of the return of the donkeys and his father’s concern for his safety.

2. Three men on their way to worship God in Bethel would present Saul with food designated for someone who is anointed. By accepting the bread Saul would also be accepting the legitimacy of his own anointing.

3. In the presence of a group of prophets, the Spirit of the LORD would come upon Saul in power and he would prophesy with them.

The proper relationship between king and prophet.

Under God’s inspiration, prophets had the right to prescribe royal behavior, that is, the king was subordinate to the prophetic word.

You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do.”
- 1 Samuel 10:8 NKJV

In Israel the king’s authority was derived and secondary, the king was always under the authority of God. Since God spoke through the prophets, the prophets were functionally superior to royalty. God set limits to the power of the kings and those limits were made known through the prophets. When a king was out of line God would send a prophet with warnings and guidelines. Here we see the beginning of an enduring struggle between human political desires and divinely inspired guidelines. (Bergen, Robert D. 1, 2 Samuel. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1996. Print.pp128-129)

A Partial Truth

When Saul’s uncle asks him about his trip Saul tells him everything except what Samuel had said regarding the kingdom. (1 Samuel 10:14-16) I interpret this to be an important sign that Saul was not making political maneuvers. No one could accuse Saul of making himself king or of “campaigning” for the position.

A Public Proclamation

Meet me at Mizpah!

Samuel called the people to gather to the LORD at Mizpah. I think it is interesting to note that Israel had previously come together at Mitzpah to discuss the extermination of the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 20:1-11) and now they were gathering there to make a Benjamite their king. There is so much going on here. I see signs of God’s mercy and willingness to forgive, I also see the people gathering to seek God’s will but their reason for gathering is also due to their rejection of God as their king (my post on that).

Thus saith the Lord

Samuel now behaves like a prophet and delivering a prophetic judgment from God. However, prophecy is not necessarily about the future, it is about what God is doing, and what God did. Samuel then tells a brief history of Israel highlighting God’s saving acts. It should be clear to everyone how foolish it is for them to turn away from their deliverer, their God, and choose a man to lead them. Nevertheless, God guides and chooses who will be the first king of Israel. It is clear that there is no room for human manipulation in this process, the king is clearly selected by divine prerogative.

Another interesting aspect of the manner in which Saul was chosen as king is that it is very similar to how Achan was found out. (Joshua 7:16-18) So this event also brings to mind divine judgment against Israel for rebellion/disobedience.

Saul, oddly enough, is hiding when he is chosen as king. However, God points out where Saul is hiding.

“And the Lord answered, “There he is, hidden among the equipment.”
- 1 Samuel 10:22b NKJV

The fact that no one knew where Saul was and that he was named king even though he was hiding shows that he did not become king by political moves. Clearly God chose Saul to be king.

Deciphering God’s Will

Here are some questions that I believe are worth pondering.

Did God choose Saul to be the king of Israel? This 1 Samuel 10:1-16, 20-24 sure supports an affirmative answer. Saul experienced a series of validating events and the people witnessed Saul being chosen from all the children of Israel.

My next question is, was it God’s plan for Saul to be king over Israel? This is the question that has really got me thinking. 1 Samuel 10:17-19 indicates that by asking for a king the people were rejecting God. Even though Israel was rejecting God, God was still answering their request for a king like all the other nations. So because God in His mercy chooses a king for Israel, does it mean that He wants them to have a king?

Making it Practical

The biggest question that I have been asking myself and praying over since studying this passage is, “Am I following God’s will, or simply asking Him to bless my will?”

In other words, am I being faithful to God with how I live my life, or am I like Israel asking for a king then feeling happy that God is guiding in choosing the king while failing to realize that I should not have asked for a king in the first place. Am I confusing God’s great mercy towards me as evidence of me faithfully following His will for my life?

I have since started praying more earnestly for God to show me His plan for my life, expressing to Him my desire to follow His will, and not simply have Him bless my will, especially when I am making a choice that is less than Ideal.

Does that make sense? I hope I am being clear as I write this post. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Feel free to leave your comments below.