Saul’s Opportunity as King

KEY VERSE: “Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his [Saul’s] head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?” —I Samuel 10:1

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: I Samuel 9:15-17; 10:1, 20-24

SAUL DID NOT at once exercise his authority as king over Israel. But, when Nahash, the Ammonite, “came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead” and threatened to “thrust out” the “right eyes” of the Israelites, the “Spirit of God came upon Saul, … and his anger was kindled greatly,” and, taking command of an army which he quickly raised, he defeated the Ammonites.—I Sam. 11:1,2,6

Perhaps one reason Saul had not asserted himself prior to this is that “the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him.” (I Sam. 10:27) But now that he had delivered the Israelites from the oppressive hands of the Ammonites, “the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.”—vs. 12

Saul did not agree to this. He said, “There shall not a man be put to death this day: for today the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel.” (vs. 13) “Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there. And all the people went to Gilgal; and they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.”—vss. 14,15

The rejoicing of the people under the rulership of Saul was not destined to continue long. After he had reigned two years he chose three thousand men, two thousand of whom he kept under his own direct command, and one thousand were delegated to the command of Jonathan, his favorite son. Jonathan, young and ambitious, “smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it.”—I Sam. 13:1-3

Saul realized that this would stir up the animosity of all the Philistines against the Iselites, so he began to muster an army of defense. The men were summoned to Gilgal, and, seemingly, Saul had arranged with the aged Samuel to meet them there to offer sacrifice on behalf of Israel, to assure that the Lord would be with them in the coming battle against the Philistines.

But Samuel did not arrive within the time agreed upon, so Saul offered up the sacrifice himself. This was exceeding his jurisdiction as king, and was contrary to the arrangements of the Lord, and Samuel said to him, “Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart.”—I Sam. 13:13,14

It is noteworthy that from Saul’s first transgression against the commandment of the Lord, he was rejected. In this respect: no mercy, no second opportunity was given to him. Later, when Saul again disobeyed the Lord, his rejection was confirmed.

It was on that occasion Samuel reminded Saul of the time he was anointed king over Israel, “when thou wast little in thine own sight.” (I Sam. 15:17) Saul’s exaltation had, as the expression is often used today, “gone to his head.” He now imagined that he was wiser than the aged Prophet Samuel, who had given him the directives of the Lord.

Throughout the ages, many who have started out humbly in the service of the Lord, have similarly been affected by a measure of prominence with which they may have been favored by the Lord. Such proudness of heart manifests itself in various ways, and not infrequently by a tendency to be over-critical of others, and the assuming of superior judgment in matters pertaining to the service of the Lord and his people.

Saul thought that his way of serving the Lord was better than Samuel’s. It seemed obvious to him that the Lord would be pleased to have sacrifices offered to him. But he was mistaken. Samuel said to him, “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”—I Sam. 15:22,23

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