God’s Grace and Saul’s Rise

Military demonstration

1 Samuel 11

1 Samuel 17

In 1 Samuel 9–10, we see the private anointing and public acceptance. Samuel proclaims to Saul the “word of God” (9:27), which is that God has chosen Saul to be “prince over His heritage” (10:1, authors’ translation). Again the word nagid “prince” is used instead of melek “king,” driving home the notion that Yahweh is King and Saul will only be the undershepherd under the authority of the true Shepherd. Samuel informs Saul that he will experience certain “signs” that will verify his anointing and choosing for kingship. One of these “signs” is that Saul will prophesy (10:9-13). In the book of Samuel, the true king will be an instrument of God and speak the word of God, like a prophet. Saul looks like a prophet as king but ultimately will be shown to be a false prophet, leading God’s people away from the Lord. But for now, the appearance of true prophecy appears with the life of Saul.

Saul returned home to his father, and his father asked what happened to him. Saul told his father that the donkeys had been found and that he had encountered Samuel. But interestingly, he did not tell his father anything about the anointing or appointing as ruler over Israel. Why? Saul is passive and hesitant when it comes to following through with the command of God.

This becomes all the more relevant in 1 Samuel 10:17-27, when Saul is formally proclaimed as king and publically accepted by the people. Samuel brings all the people together and proclaims,

The Lord, the God of Israel, says: “I brought Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and all the kingdoms that were oppressing you. But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to Him, “You must set a king over us.” Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans. (10:18-19)

Samuel does not pull any punches! The reason the people are mustered to proclaim a king is because they have “rejected” their God! Nonetheless, God has granted their request. But where is the king? When Samuel called on Saul to present himself, he was nowhere to be found! In fact, in a hilarious scene, we find Saul has hidden himself in some baggage so as not to be noticed.

They cannot find him, so they “inquire” of the Lord again, to see whether the man could be found! The text is clearly playing on the name “Saul” here because the people wayyish’alu “ask” for sha’ul “Saul.” The narrative shows that they are asking for something that cannot be found! Saul eventually throws the camel bags, carpets, and blankets off of himself and appears to the people. Although Saul has just been hiding in baggage, Samuel proclaims, “Do you see the one the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among the entire population” (10:24). Indeed! One wonders if Samuel was biting his lip and suppressing a laugh when he said it.

Still, Samuel dutifully reads aloud all the rights and responsibilities of the king to Saul, presumably something that was stable and known, perhaps Deuteronomy 17:14-20. Saul was to exercise his rule under the authority of Yahweh and His word. Would he do this? The rest of the narrative in 1 Samuel 11–15 reveals that he would not. Still, that fact will be unpacked as the story progresses.

First Samuel 11 records a great victory. Just after he is installed as king, Saul fights the Ammonites and defeats them. The reason for the conflict is because, in fact, the king of the Ammonites (Nahash) shamed Saul and the Israelites. Saul wanted to make a peace treaty with them, but Nahash would only do that if every Israelite gouged out their right eye, thus bringing “shame” on Israel. That did not sit well with Saul (as you could imagine!) so he went to war with them. He mustered the Israelites into a fighting army and led them to victory.

The people are rightly pleased because of the victory, and they attribute the victory to Saul (v. 12). In one of the strongest statements in his reign, Saul boldly proclaims, “The Lord has provided deliverance in Israel” (v. 13). This is so promising, as Saul leads God’s people to attribute praise to the appropriate person—Yahweh, who gives deliverance. Where God’s people want to praise Saul, Saul leads God’s people to praise the Lord!

This is as much a victory as is anything else in this story. It is a strong reminder for God’s people:

But Saul’s victories and fidelity to the Lord are not uniform in 1 Samuel 9–14. It is good in 1 Samuel 11, but things go badly in 1 Samuel 13–14. The problem Saul faces as recorded in those chapters is the Philistine threat. The Philistines were people from the region of Greece and Crete who had sailed southeast across the Mediterranean and settled in the coastal plain in Israel. They held five major cities in the plain: Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. They had been a constant threat in the period of the Judges, and they were still a threat in the times of Saul and David.

The Philistines maintained a garrison at a little place called Geba, and Jonathan, Saul’s son, defeated it. The Philistines, in response, went to war against Saul and his armies. The Scripture records that 30,000 Philistine chariots, 6,000 cavalry, and troops like the sand on the seashore came up and encamped at a place called Michmash to engage Israel in battle. The text describes how the people followed Saul at this point: “And all the people trembled after him” (13:7, authors’ translation). They wanted a king who would lead them out in battle. Instead, they got a king they followed in fear, trembling. This is not a ringing endorsement of Saul or the people.

As they encamped, apparently Samuel told Saul to wait to go into battle for seven days until he was able to get to Gilgal and offer a sacrifice (13:8-9). Samuel did not arrive on schedule. As a result, Saul offered the sacrifices himself instead of waiting for Samuel. This may not seem like a big deal, but it reveals that Saul is more concerned with his own agenda and timetable than with following the word of the Lord.

Samuel’s response to Saul is unequivocal:

You have been foolish. You have not kept the command which the Lord your God gave you. It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel, but now your reign will not endure. The Lord has found a man loyal to Him, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded. (13:13-14)

Is God’s verdict far too harsh? We may think so. But in fact, God’s verdict was absolutely just. God’s word is sure and certain, just and good. For us to think we know better than God so that we operate how we wish rather than how He wants is the definition of pride and disobedience.

This reveals a deep failure in the life of Saul. He puts on the airs of a real, authentic spiritual relationship with God, but he has none of its power. The psychologist M. Scott Peck describes how pure evil is found most prevalently around religious things. The reason is because such evil is most attracted to light and hides in it. It is the reality of Lucifer, the son of the morning: beautiful and filled with light and yet pure evil and a rebel against God. Where there is light, a lie is not far behind (Peck, People of the Lie).

This is true with Saul. He does things that look so good and holy and right:

Saul enacts worship.

Saul makes a sacrifice to God.

Saul prepares his people for battle.

It looks worthy of the Lord, filled with light and life. And yet it is a lie. Saul did nothing to bring honor and glory to the Creator. He did it for himself. Saul has the appearance of godliness but denies the Lord’s power (cf. 1 Tim 3:5). He attempts to manipulate the things of God to his own ends. This is, by some definitions, an act of sorcery.

The failure of Saul is a failure to be truly devoted to the Lord. When we have the appearance of faith without authentic faith, then we can anticipate absolute judgment. Saul’s kingdom is torn from his grasp. “The Lord has found a man loyal to Him.” God says that Saul at heart was disloyal to his Maker. The victory he experienced was short-lived because his faith in the Lord was inauthentic and did not last.

You can always tell whether a tree is rooted in the ground by seeing if it grows and bears fruit. For instance, a live Christmas tree, after it has been in the house for about a week, starts to deteriorate—the needles fall off and it bears no cones. Likewise, Saul did not bear fruits of victory and true righteousness because he was not planted in the Lord.

The rest of the story of Saul in 1 Samuel 14 highlights Saul’s son, Jonathan, more than it exalts the greatness of the king. Jonathan is one who thinks of the health and state of the warriors in Saul’s army more than his own well-being. He even dares to go up against his father and a death sentence to care for his men. We discover later in 1 Samuel that Jonathan is devoted to David and to God’s plan with David. All in all, Jonathan is a good man who loves God and loves his fellow Israelites. But he is the exception. Saul is the rule.

First Samuel 14:47-52 provides a summary of Saul’s kingship. It speaks of his victories and his family. It shows that Saul fought hard against the Philistines, as God said that he would. However, the summary statement in verse 52 is telling:

And the battle was strong against the Philistines all the days of Saul. So when Saul saw any valiant man or any brave man, he would gather him to himself. (14:52, authors’ translation)

On the face of it, this verse just indicates that Saul was a good recruiter. If he saw a warrior or brave man, he enlisted that man into his army. But the biblical narrative is sparse in its details. Why does the narrator tell us that Saul enlists men to himself? Because the text reveals that Saul enlists people into his army rather than God’s army. Again, Saul builds his name but “restrains” God’s people from embracing God’s name. We have seen that Saul uses the things of God when it is expedient—he has no real desire for his men to follow the Lord.

The conclusion to this narrative reveals ultimate goals for one’s life: Are we about building our kingdom or God’s kingdom? Saul was decidedly in favor of the former! This narrative sets the stage for Saul’s final downfall and judgment in 1 Samuel 15.

Saul’s life is tragic and in many ways mirrors Eli’s. As Eli was passive, so too was Saul. As Eli was lackadaisical with the things of God, Saul was manipulative with the things of God. Both Eli and Saul treated God’s holy sacrifices with some contempt. Both Eli and Saul had their leadership stripped from them. Eli and Saul were told that the true priest (Samuel) and the true king (David), respectively, would replace them.

Set between Saul’s victory in 1 Samuel 10–11 and failure in 13–14 are Samuel’s last words as the prophet in chapter 12. He still appears in the remainder of the narrative, but these mark his final statement concerning the people and the king. These words should be remembered for all believers because they remind us of the story of God—a God who loves and delivers, who is holy and pure, but a God who works miraculous redemption for an undeserving people.

Samuel closes his speech to the people by stating these words:

Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following the Lord. Instead, worship the Lord with all your heart. Don’t turn away to follow worthless things that can’t profit or deliver you; they are worthless. The Lord will not abandon His people, because of His great name and because He has determined to make you His own people.

As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way. Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you. However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away. (12:20-25)

What do we learn from Samuel’s final words?