Nov. 09, 2025

Saints & Sinners

Saul

Primary Text: 1 Samuel 10: 17-27                

1) A Benjamite

1 Samuel 9:1-2, 15-21:  There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.  He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the others….  Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin.  Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines.  I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me.”  When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.” …“I am the seer,” Samuel replied… “And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father’s family?”  Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin?  Why do you say such a thing to me?” 

DQ 1) Why might God have chosen Saul as the first King of Israel?

DQ 2) What Apostle was also from the tribe of Benjamin?

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2) Empowered by the Spirit

1 Samuel 10:1, 6-8:  Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you leader over his inheritance?...  The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.  Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.  Go down ahead of me to Gilgal.  I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.” 

DQ 3) What did it mean for the Spirit of the Lord to come upon a person in Old Testament times?

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3) Kingship Proclaimed 

1 Samuel 10:17-27:  Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mizpah and said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’  But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your calamities and distresses.  And you have said, ‘No, set a king over us.’  So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.” …Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen.  But when they looked for him, he was not to be found.  So they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”  And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”  They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others.  Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen?  There is no one like him among all the people.”  Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!”  Samuel explained to the people the regulations of the kingship.  He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the Lord.  Then Samuel dismissed the people, each to his own home.  Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched.  But some troublemakers said, “How can this fellow save us?”  They despised him and brought him no gifts.  But Saul kept silent.

DQ 4) Why might Saul have been reluctant to assume the role of King of Israel?

DQ 5) What probably provoked the “troublemakers” to question Saul becoming king? 

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4) Kingship Affirmed

1 Samuel 11:1-2, 6, 11-15:  Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead.  And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”  But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.” …  When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger….  The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day.  Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.  The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’  Bring these men to us and we will put them to death.”  But Saul said, “No one shall be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.”  Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there reaffirm the kingship.”  So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the Lord.  There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.

DQ 6) Why did the people confirm Saul as King after his army defeated the Ammonites?

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5) An Evil Demand 

1 Samuel 12:12-25: “But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the Lord your God was your king.  Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the Lord has set a king over you.  If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good!  But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.  Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!  Is it not wheat harvest now?  I will call upon the Lord to send thunder and rain.  And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”  Then Samuel called upon the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain.  So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.  The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

DQ 7) Why was asking for a king so offensive to God?

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