The People’s King (1 Samuel 9-14)

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MPS: God gave Israel the King they deserved, but not the King they needed.

How do Samuel and Saul meet?. (9:1-10:16)

• God created a crisis for Saul. (9:1-4)
• Saul seeks out Samuel, the prophet. (9:5-14)
• God tells Samuel that Saul would come and will be the King of Israel. (9:15-17)

15 Now the day before Saul came, sthe Lord had trevealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, uand you shall anoint him to be prince3 over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. vFor I have seen4 my people, because their cry has come to me.” (15-16)

• Samuel tells Saul that God has chosen him to be King. (9:18-10:16)

“9 When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day. 10 When they came to vGibeah,4 behold, a group of prophets met him, oand the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them.” (10:9-10)

How does Samuel crown Saul? (10:17-27)

“17 Now Samuel called the people together bto the Lord cat Mizpah. 18 And he said to the people of Israel, d“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ 19 eBut today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore fpresent yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.” 

20 Then Samuel gbrought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot;5 and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 hSo they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” 23 Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, ihe was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him jwhom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, k“Long live the king!” ” (17-24)

• Samuel gathers the people and reminds them why they are crowning a King. (10:17-19)
• Saul was absent from the casting of lots. (10:20-24)
• Samuel passes on the Law to Saul. (10:25-27; Deut. 17:18)

What is Saul’s first act as King-elect? (11)

• Saul must respond to an invasion. (11:1-1-4)
• Saul assembled an army to defend the people. (11:5-11)
• Saul is solidified as King by Israel. (11:12-15)

“12 Then the people said to Samuel, f“Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ gBring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, h“Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today ithe Lord has worked jsalvation in Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” 15 So all the people went to kGilgal, and there they made Saul king lbefore the Lord in Gilgal. There mthey sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. ” (12-15)

What’s next for Samuel? (12)

• Samuel seeks vindication from the people for his integrity as Judge. (12:1-5)
• Samuel recounts the history of God’s faithfulness. (12:6-11)
• Samuel instructs and warns Israel to be faithful to God. (12:12-25)

“14 If you will pfear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. 15 But qif you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then rthe hand of the Lord will be against you and syour king.” (14-15)

“24 gOnly fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider hwhat great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, iyou shall be swept away, jboth you and your king.”” (24-25)

Why is faithfulness to God important for leaders? (13)

• Saul raises an army against the Philistines. (13:1-7)
• Saul panics and performs an unlawful sacrifice. (13:8-15)

“8 sHe waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, 12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” 13 And Samuel said to Saul, t“You have done foolishly. uYou have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now vyour kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man wafter his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince2 over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 15 And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal3 to xGibeah of Benjamin. ” (8-15)

• Saul’s army was ill-fitted for battle. (13:15-23)

How does Saul handle success? (14)

• Jonathan leads an attack on the enemy. (14:1-23)

“Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these puncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, qfor nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”” (6)

• Saul vows that his army won’t eat for the day. (14:24)
• Jonathan breaks Saul’s vow by eating honey. (14:25-30)
• Saul seeks to punish the one who sinned against God. (14:31-44)

“43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, o“Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, p“I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.” 44 And Saul said, q“God do so to me and more also; ryou shall surely die, Jonathan.” (43-44)

• Israel stands up against Saul to protect Jonathan. (14:45-46)

“45 Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! lAs the Lord lives, sthere shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die. 46 Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. ” (45-46)

• Saul was a true warrior King. (14:47-52)

Next Steps

• Trust in God’s sovereignty
• Know that God provides
• Stand for truth