1 Samuel 10

1 Samuel 10:1

SAUL IS ANOINTED AS KINGSamuel anoints Saul as king and then kisses him, which was probably an act demonstrating his personal affection for Saul.

1 Samuel 10:2

As far as Kish is concerned, his son Saul is lost. But Saul is engaged in serious business. Samuel has anointed him king near the tomb of Rachel, which is in the territory of Benjamin near Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 10:5

This is what Saul is to encounter on his way back home.

1 Samuel 10:6

Here again we have a question: Was Saul converted? Is this verse the proof of his conversion? Certainly it is not a final proof. I do not believe that he was converted. If I sound like I am prejudiced against Saul, I will tell you why. It is not because of the material we have already covered concerning him but what is coming that makes me believe that Saul was not genuine, and certainly not genuinely converted at all. Someone is bound to say, “But the Spirit of God came upon Saul and he was a different man.” Yes, but it does not say that he became a new man. After all, didn’t the Spirit of God come upon Balaam? And we have no proof that he was converted. What about Judas? Christ sent out twelve disciples, and we are told that all of them performed miracles. Did Judas perform miracles? Certainly he did. Would you say that Judas was converted? So let us withhold making a final decision about Saulalthough I seem to have already made one.

1 Samuel 10:9

When Saul left Samuel, I think Samuel watched him walk away and said, “My, he is a fine fellow.” But even a prophet can be wrong. The prophet Nathan was wrong when he told David to build God a house. God had to intervene, and Nathan had to correct himself. Samuel was wrong about Saul. As he looked at this young man Saul, he saw a big, husky, fine-looking fellow. He would have been able to play in the line of any professional football team. But he was no king at all.

1 Samuel 10:10

The Spirit of God came upon Saul and he prophesied. Everyone who had known him before knew that something had happened to him. They asked, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” God was giving Saul an opportunity. God never withheld anything from him, and yet he failed.

1 Samuel 10:16

He kept quiet about that.

1 Samuel 10:17

When the children of Israel asked for a king and took Saul, it meant they were turning their backs upon God. We need to note that their reception of Saul as king meant their rejection of God.

1 Samuel 10:21

When the time came for Samuel to introduce Saul to the crowd as their king, he could not find him. This great big fellow, Saul, acted just like a little child. He ran and hid, and they had to find him and bring him out. Again, in my judgment, this is an evidence of false modesty. The anointing oil has been poured upon him, and if he is given an opportunity to be king and serve God, then let him step out in the open and act like a king.

1 Samuel 10:24

And God save the people also! This was the first time this cry “God save the king!” was uttered. As you know, it is still used in modern England.

1 Samuel 10:25

“Then Samuel told” the children of Israel about “the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book.” On the basis of this we believe that Samuel wrote the first part of the book of 1 Samuel.