INTRODUCTION
In 1 Samuel, the nation is now moving into a new era of governance. Initially, Israel was a Theocracy and God Jehovah was their king. In 1 Samuel 8, we notice the following:
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us, and Samuel prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now there fore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them (1 Samuel 8:1-9 KJV).
Samuel, following the instructions of the LORD, informs the people regarding the manner of the king that shall reign over them (See verses 10-18). The word “take” is used again and again to indicate what the people should expect from their newfound king. Even then, knowing the abuses their new king would place upon them, the people respond as follows:
Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us and fight our battles (1 Samuel 8:19-20 KJV).
The nation’s decision was ratified immediately following Samuel telling them what their king would be like. We should never think that God must change his program because of the actions of men. God is never taken by surprise. In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, His foreknowledge of the people’s request is seen, and His directives concerning the conduct of the king are evident.
There are two major biblical themes running through chapters 9 and 10. They are the sovereignty of God and the providence of God. Sovereignty refers to His supreme power and authority over all creation. It is the doctrine that God, as Creator and sustainer of the universe, exercises His will and control over all things, both seen and unseen. His sovereignty is clearly stated in Isaiah 46:9-10,
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.
Daniel 4:35 embellishes this thought:
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
The providence of God is defined as God’s continuous involvement with all created things, guiding them toward His intended purposes. It is the means by which God sustains and governs the universe, ensuring that His will is accomplished in every detail of life.
These biblical truths are set forth in bold display in 1 Samuel chapters 9-10.
SAUL IS THE NATION’S FIRST CHOSEN KING
In 1 Samuel 9:1-2 we read,
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 mighty man of power. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
Benjamin was the smallest tribe of the twelve, and Kish was a wealthy and influential man in that community. His son Saul was in the prime of life. He was young and strong and handsome. There was not another that could compare to Saul. He was said to be “shoulders and upward” higher than any of the people. Therefore, he was the perfect specimen for an earthly king. He had everything going for him in a natural sense. In all of Saul’s outstanding qualities, did you notice that there was one outstanding quality that was not mentioned? There is nothing mentioned as to his relationship to God his Creator. That part of Saul’s qualifications is left void.
SOVEREIGNTY AND PROVIDENCE IN ACTION
In the sovereignty and providence of God, secondary causes are constantly at work in bringing about the Creator’s ultimate purposes. One good definition is as follows:
In every event in the natural world God has completely accomplished what he willed to accomplish. He is not limited in any way by the forces of nature or by the free actions of his creatures. They act truly; but they truly act only as he has determined they shall act. . . . God makes use of secondary causes to accomplish what is in accordance with his eternal purposes (Monergism Website).
In 1 Samuel 9:3-5, a seemingly insignificant part of the narrative regarding the anointing of Saul takes place. The asses of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost, and Saul was tasked with the duty to go seek and find the lost asses. Saul was to take a servant with him, which proves to be providential. F. B. Meyer makes this remarkable statement:
But how should Saul and Samuel be brought together? A succession of trifling and ordinary events prove to be the links in the divinely constructed chain . . . All things work together to execute God’s purpose. Nothing is too trivial to be part of the divine plan.
The life of Joseph is a perfect example. Joseph understood that his brothers meant it for evil in selling him into slavery, but he also knew that God meant it for good. In Genesis 45:8, Joseph makes this amazing statement concerning God’s providential care over his life, “So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God . . .” Proverbs 16:9 states this biblical truth concisely, “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”
This is exactly the part being played by Kish’s lost asses. We can easily apply the idea of the lost asses in our own life. In this biblical narrative, the loss of the asses may seem a trivial matter. They may be a “trifling thing,” but they have their purpose. Do not ever exclude the trifling things in your life. They are instruments in the hands of the Almighty leading you to your designated destination.
SAUL’S SERVANT SAVES THE DAY
There came a point in the search for these lost asses that Saul was ready to return home. He was concerned that his father would be more concerned about them than the asses (See 1 Samuel 9:5). It is the servant that encourages Saul to continue on with the task of finding his father’s asses saying,
Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go (1 Samuel 9:6 KJV).
Acknowledging the custom of the day, Saul felt the necessity of presenting a gift to the prophet and noted that “the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?” (1 Samuel 9:7 KJV). The servant answered and said, “Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us the way” (1 Samuel 9:8 KJV). Saul was from a wealthy family, but it was the servant who had the fourth part of a shekel to give to the man of God. Once again, the providence of the Almighty stands out in stark clarity. Saul was prepared to give up the search, but the servant directed Saul to the prophet and had the necessary gift to complete the socially accepted transaction. So they went to the city where the man of God was.
As Saul and his servant approached the city, they “found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?” (1 Samuel 9:11 KJV). The maidens confirmed the prophet’s presence saying, “He is; behold he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place” (1 Samuel 9:12 KJV). They further encouraged Saul and his servant to “make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place: . . . Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him” (1 Samuel 9:12-13 KJV). God’s providential hand was upon this meeting, for verse 14 states, “And they went up into the city: and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place.” This is not accidental. This occurred according to the divine timetable, according to the divine providence of the Creator of the heavens and the earth fulfilling His purposes amongst His chosen people.
WITH THE SOVEREIGN PURPOSES OF GOD, NOTHING IS ACCIDENTAL
Immediately in verses 15-17, we read,
Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt 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 upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! This same shall reign over my people.
Samuel was expecting Saul. This is not the first time the LORD had spoken to Samuel. God spoke to Samuel when a child in Shiloh serving in the temple with the high priest Eli (See 1 Samuel 3). Then in verse 17, Samuel states to Saul, “And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found.” Samuel could not have known this except by divine revelation. This revelation affirms that the asses were part and parcel of the providence of God, trifling though they may seem to be. Samuel knew two things about this special day. First, he would see God’s chosen king that would rule over His people, and, second, he was made aware that the lost asses of Kish had been found.
We serve an amazing God Who is in control of our lives to an extent we cannot even begin to understand.
GOD IS NEVER TAKEN BY SURPRISE
God was not taken by surprise when the nation desired a king to rule over them. His omniscience includes His amazing foreknowledge. Louis Berkhof in his Systematic Theology clarifies as follows:
The knowledge of God is not only perfect in kind, but in its inclusiveness. It is called omniscience, because it is all-comprehensive. . . He knows all things as they actually come to pass, past, present, and future, and knows them in their real relations.
He knew in the long ago that Israel would desire a king to rule over them like all the other nations, and He instructed them as to how that king should conduct himself. God’s omniscience and foreknowledge regarding a king is set out in Deuteronomy 17.
When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the other nations that are about me; Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother (Deuteronomy 17:14-15 KJV).
The balance of chapter 17 contains God’s instructions for any king who would rule over His people. When Saul was anointed king of Israel by Samuel, God knew he would fail even though he had been given everything he needed to succeed. Eventually, Saul would be replaced by the sweet psalmist of Israel, David, to lead His people.
CONCLUSION
I would conclude with a quote by Louis Berkhof concerning the knowledge of God. He writes,
God has decreed all things, and has decreed them with their causes and conditions in the exact order in which they come to pass; and His foreknowledge of future things and also of contingent events rests on His decree (Systematic Theology 67-68).
First Samuel 9 gives us God’s sovereignty and providence in the selection of Saul as the first king of Israel.