17 Then Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah, 18 and said to the children of Israel, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all kingdoms and from those who oppressed you.' 19 "But you have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, 'No, set a king over us!' Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans." 20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was chosen. And Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 Therefore they inquired of the LORD further, "Has the man come here yet?" And the LORD answered, "There he is, hidden among the equipment." 23 So they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?" So all the people shouted and said, "Long live the king!" 25 Then Samuel explained to the people the behavior of royalty, and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. 26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and valiant men went with him, whose hearts God had touched. 27 But some rebels said, "How can this man save us?" So they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.
The Lord Who Was Rejected (vv. 17-19)
He Has Delivered and Saved Us
Saul has been anointed Israel’s first king, but the Lord God remains the nation’s true king. Saul will be chosen by lot, but it was the Lord who chose him – and determined the outcome of the lot (v. 24). Behind the scenes, the Lord’s word was tenaciously guiding Samuel and rebuking the people. They had rejected the Lord, but he continues to govern them. Saul hid, but the Lord was near. The Lord was teaching them that he is far preferable to any human king. He was their true and faithful King, but they could neither see nor appreciate him, for their eyes were upon the world. Israel did not love the Lord, for they did not want his spiritual reign but a worldly kingdom, like the other nations. And yet, the Lord remains gracious and merciful, longsuffering despite our many provocations, and constant in his affections and good will toward us. Like Israel, we often treat our Lord like the wicked men in his parable: “We will not have this man to rule over us” (Luke 19:14). And he is our Deliverer and bore our gory judgment upon the cross! Israel rejected the Lord who brought them up from Egypt and delivered them. He saved them from all their troubles and tribulations – all brought on by their waywardness. Still, they would not have him to rule over them. Their evil does not alter the reality that they would not have existed at all as a nation and certainly they would have had no covenant of grace with the Lord had he not redeemed and saved them. He was their true King.
We Are Stubborn beyond Measure
One thing that marks a stubborn spirit is that no matter how great the pressure to be humbled, it will not yield. A stubborn spirit can be strongly rebuked and painfully chastened, but it will not yield. Stubborn people can be treated gently, but this often encourages their stubbornness, for pride despises humility as weakness. This is what we see in Israel. Imagine being rebuked by Samuel again for rejecting the Lord, and yet persisting in that rejection. He preached the gospel of God’s sovereign grace to them in deliverance and salvation, but still they determined to go forward in their demand for a king. This is a hard picture of our nasty pride and stubbornness. Once we are set in a certain path, or believe we are right and the whole world wrong, pride will not relent. It will lead us, as it did Peter, to deny our Lord, every vow of fidelity and pledge of loyalty.
Think how many marriages die by the hand of pride and stubbornness. Denominations are sacrificed regularly upon the altar of pride and stubbornness – of being right no matter what, or thought right no matter what, or relevant, or successful, or whatever. As if any of these earthly considerations matter in comparison to the holiness of the Lord and his rightful rule over us. All that matters is that the Lord has delivered us by his grace from more trouble and sin than we can fathom, but we persist in telling him “NO!” in a thousand ways. We will not obey here or there or give up some little idol or place of pride. Someone has injured us, and we will not forgive them, no matter how much time has passed or how much the Lord has forgiven us. That even one person makes it to heaven is such a testimony to the mercy of God that we should fall on our faces and give him constant praise. We must also examine our hearts for those areas of pride and stubbornness in us, for they are wicked; they are rebellion against the Lord, like idolatry and witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23). Israel committed national suicide on the sword of stubbornness, as did Saul in but a few years. May the Lord subdue our hearts to a reverent, thankful teachableness, so that his mercies, instead of making us presumptuous and lazy, fill us with amazement at his goodness and desire for him to rule over us!
The Lord Who Chose Saul (vv. 20-24)
By Lot, by the Lord
Samuel brought Saul before the people. This was not a vote, or even a public confirmation. It was an opportunity for the people to see that the Lord was providing them the king they wanted. They cast lots, which in those days before the completion of Scripture and outpouring of the Spirit was one way Israel determined God’s will in weighty national issues. Saul’s selection, therefore, was not Israel’s choice, but the Lord’s. “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord” (Prov. 16:33). In choosing Saul, he was holding up a mirror of Israel’s flaws and sins – outward blessing and beauty but lacking a heart for the Lord. The Lord will sometimes give us what the flesh craves, but the end will be bitterness. That the Lord would give them what they wanted is a sure sign of his displeasure with their worldliness and emptiness. He would never have given them Saul had they waited upon him to give them what was best for them. The same is true of us. We pray for health, but what if disease is better for us? Or less money, not more? Or troubles that lead us to pray with more serious hearts, rather than prosperity that creates presumption? Or simply being told “No,” so that we must learn to wait upon him? Ours is an age and a heart that pushes feverishly forward to obtain its desires. In the end, we shall be empty, for Jesus Christ alone has fullness and sufficiency. We are complete and satisfied only in him.
Saul Wisely Hid
As the lot identified the tribe of Benjamin, down to Kish, and then to Saul, he was nowhere to be found. The Lord had to tell them where he lay concealed – “among the stuff,” or baggage. He did not become king willingly, by pushing himself forward. This was wisely modest on his part – if only he had kept this lowliness rather than self-exulting after a few victories. It is good to feel hesitant to get married, or to be ordained to office, or to undertake some other great matter. We should doubt our own fitness, but hesitance is insufficient. We must be overcome by our utter inability, humbled by the Lord’s goodness, and determined to seek his help. If we are proud and feel our sufficiency, we shall surely fall and do little good. At the same time, the conviction of insufficiency never truly leaves a truly called man. “Who is sufficient for these things?” was not the declaration of a green pastor but the studied conviction of an apostle who had spent much time with the Lord and already endured many persecutions and hardships for his name’s sake (2 Cor. 2:16). If we do not truly feel our inadequacy without our Savior’s strength (Col. 1:29), then we shall not be very effectual parents, spouses, and disciples of Christ. We follow and serve him not because we are strong. We have no strength, no wisdom, nothing that can turn back the hosts of hell or the slightest sin. He alone is our strength and wisdom. In the end, Saul’s initial hiding is shown to be a visceral reaction to sudden elevation rather than spiritual realization of his need of the Lord’s help.
The Lord Who Guides Us (vv. 25-27)
By His Word
After Saul was found, the people admired him – for all the wrong reasons. They shouted, “God save the king.” It is remarkable after all this how little fanfare was made of Saul. Everyone returned home, almost seeming to want to be left alone in their lives – provided they had a king who could fight their battles. At heart, sinners are big government lovers and find self-government and personal responsibility distasteful. But being their true King, the Lord did not let the people off the hook quite so easily. He told the people again the matters pertaining to the king and the kingdom – likely details given in 1 Samuel 8:11-18, with perhaps other relevant details from Deuteronomy and more practical matters relating to this new institution in Israel. This was all written in a book – likely portions of our 1 Samuel – and then “laid up before the Lord,” as something of a covenant or at least a declaration that the people knew what was expected of them and how the kingdom was to be governed. By this, the Lord taught them that this all occurred not by their will, but by his, and that he was continuing to rule over them by his Word. Saul had no words; he was hiding and fearful. The Lord was calm and purposeful, wise and fatherly in his shepherding of his people – despite their rejection of him. He is so slow to anger, so full of mercy, so constant in his love.
By Touching Hearts to Help
Then, they all went home. How anticlimactic! The narrative is but a summary, to be sure, but did anyone pray and seek the Lord for their new king? Was any provision made for his sustenance, his court, and his army? Perhaps, but perhaps not. It seems that Israel’s leaders were satisfied to return to their homes and lives. The new king could fend for himself. Perhaps this is what they really wanted after all. They could not bear to serve the Lord, for he asked commitment of them, demanded allegiance, and often chastened them. A king – well, we can ignore him as we please. Let him run national affairs and fight our battles. Did they envision another one-man army, like Samson? But the Lord did not leave his new king alone. He touched the hearts of some to return to Saul’s home with him. The seat of his new government would be Gibeah, Saul’s ancestral home. It was good that he sought no pomp and circumstance as the foundation of his reign. It is also a great blessing when the Lord raises up helpers for us – older parents encouraging the younger, pastors with many elders and assistants in the ministries of the church, young believers discipled by older. This is the reason he has placed us in the body of Christ, but we too little think that this is the way we grow in all ways – by the grace of Jesus Christ, given to each member of his body, as each does his part (Eph. 4:16; Col. 2:19). The family is not sufficient in itself. No single Christian should be his own counselor and support, in isolation from the body. Feelings of self-sufficiency doom us to life-long weakness, many wounds on account of our pride, and feelings of isolation from our Savior. He will be known in the fellowship of the saints, not in our personal palaces of pride and disdain of others. The Lord helps us through others that also need help, so that we all feel our common dependence upon Christ our Head and learn that everything he gives us is for the good of all, not for the aggrandizement of any, for we are all brethren.
By Helping Us to Bear Malcontents
Disdain is a destroyer of love and loyalty among men. Present that day were “children of Belial,” worthless men, who looked upon Saul with contempt. “How shall this man save us?” “They wanted something more than a handsome face, but they rejected the Lord’s choice. Despite Saul’s inadequacy to be Israel’s first king, he was the Lord’s choice. Therefore, to despise him was to despise the Lord and his anointed. The same is true of parents. Despite their many failures, children must respect them and submit to their government. Ministers may not have many gifts or much to commend them in the eyes of men, but if the Lord has chosen them, to disrespect them is to stab the Head of the church, Jesus Christ, with the spear of pride. It is hard for us to bear with malcontents. Men found fault with our Lord’s teaching, so it is certain some will find fault with us! But we should not fight fire with fire; he would have us put disdain to death by the Spirit’s power and put on his meekness and gentleness (2 Cor. 10:1). It is pointless, as Saul knew, to say anything much to malcontents or to try to appease them. He held his peace – hopefully not to wait for an opportune moment to repay them. The Lord sends praise our way, but he also sends discontent and complaining (2 Sam. 16:10). We must accept each from his hand with a humble and contrite heart. It is good for us that not all men or even most approve of us, for if we live for man’s praise and acceptance, we shall not likely have the Lord’s (John 5:44; Gal. 1:10).
By Exalting His Son to be our Lord and Christ
Instead of being malcontents and complainers under our Savior’s reign, we should instead seek to be those whose “hearts are made willing in the day of his power” (Ps. 110:3). I fear we are far too lackadaisical about the privilege of living in the reign of Jesus Christ. We serve the great, the longed-for, the blood-stained King, who is raised from the dead, “exalted, extolled, and very high” (Isa. 52:13). He has everything we need to serve him with joy. Have we lost our first love? Do we sense any privilege of being under his reign? This is a historical reality – it is not something we feel or emote our way into, as if his reign were but mythical and mystical. He is presently, bodily, enthroned in heaven. He is Lord and Christ (Acts 2:30-36). Serve him! “God save the King!” This is the beating heart – or should be – of every disciple and willing subject of Messiah the Prince. May he be exalted in his reign, by our lives, by our love and obedience, by our following him wherever he goes!
We are weaker and colder than we would be, more defeated by sin and discouraged by the world, than if we would think more constantly upon the present reign of Jesus Christ at the Father’s right hand. And we are commanded to set our affections upon him, upon his reign from heaven (Col. 3:1-3). Nothing more inspires ardor for our Master, a willingness to do and suffer the hard things for him without complaining or discontent, than love reaching for him, affections fixed upon him, thankfulness and prayer rising to him, and reverence bowing gladly before him. Our lives, our work, our families, our service, our worship – all greatly focused by hearts longing for the King, loving the King, wanting to please him more than life itself. He will help us to this kind of living, for it is the work of the Spirit given to us to form Christ in us, fix affections upon him, and enflame love and faith by adoring our King.
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