1 Samuel 10:17-27 | Part 17
1 Samuel 10:17-27 CSB
Saul Received as King
17 Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah 18 and said to the Israelites, “This is what 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.’ 19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to him, ‘You[f] must set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”
20 Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected. 21 Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the Matrite clan was selected.[g] Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they searched for him, they could not find him. 22 They again inquired of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?”
The LORD replied, “There he is, hidden among the supplies.”
23 They ran and got him from there. When he stood among the people, he stood a head taller than anyone else.[h] 24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among the entire population.”
And all the people shouted,[i] “Long live the king!”
25 Samuel proclaimed to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll, which he placed in the presence of the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people home.
26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and brave men whose hearts God had touched went with him. 27 But some wicked men said, “How can this guy save us?” They despised him and did not bring him a gift, but Saul said nothing.[j][k]
1 Samuel 10:17-27 CSB
Saul Received as King
17 Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah
Why Mizpah?
1 Samuel 7:16 CSB
16 Every year he [Samuel] would go on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and would judge Israel at all these locations.
City of Mizpah was a regular stop for Samuel
1 Samuel 7:6b CSB
They fasted that day, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.
They are confessing, repenting, fasting
They are returning to the LORD with all their heart
1 Samuel 7:8 CSB
8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, so that he will save us from the Philistines.”
Who is going to save them from the Philistines?
1 Samuel 7:9-10 CSB
9 Then Samuel took a young lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him. 10 Samuel was offering the burnt offering as the Philistines approached to fight against Israel. The LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel.
The LORD saved the Israelites from their enemies!
1 Samuel 7:12-13a CSB
12 Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer [Stone of Help], explaining, “The LORD has helped us to this point.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israel’s territory again.
17 Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah
Mizpah is the place where they returned to the LORD with all of their hearts
Mizpah is where the LORD answered
Samuel set up a big rock of remembrance in Mizpah…
An Ebenezer…A “Stone of Help”
What are they going to Mizpah to do?
17 Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah 18 and said to the Israelites, “This is what 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.’ 19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to him, ‘[No], You[f] must set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”
What are they doing at Mizpah?
They are rejecting the LORD
Samuel is pronouncing a prophetic judgment here
Do you see the irony? Contrast?
Now, The LORD will answer again & give them what they ask for.
How are you feeling about the Israelites right now?
20 Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected. 21 Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the Matrite clan was selected. [LXX adds And he had the Matrite clan come forward, man by man.]
Samuel is casting lots to allow the LORD to publicly select Saul as king.
Why don’t we ever cast lots for things?
Acts 1:26 CSB
26 Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias and he was added to the eleven apostles.
Do you really believe that God is sovereign?
RC Sproul would say something like: “If there is even one molecule in the entire universe that God is not in control of, then God is not God.”
Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they searched for him, they could not find him. 22 They again inquired of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?”
The LORD replied, “There he is, hidden among the supplies.”
Saul doesn’t seem to have much faith in Yahweh, or fear of Yahweh.
23 They [the Israelites] ran and got him from there. When he stood among the people, he stood a head taller than anyone else.[h]
Comedy
Irony
24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among the entire population.”
Maybe this is revealing a character flaw within Samuel
SIDE NOTE: Later in Chapter 16 when David is being anointed as the next king, Samuel is visiting Jesse to pick one of his sons and he sees the eldest son, Eliab:
1 Samuel 16:7 CSB
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the LORD sees, [God does not see as a man sees] for humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.”
I think this is a flaw within Samuel
More concerned with outside than inside
1 Samuel 8:1, 3-5 CSB
1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
3 However, his sons did not walk in his ways—they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.
4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.”
And all the people shouted,[i] “Long live the king!”
Wow.
Genesis 3:5 CSB
5 “...God knows that [on the day] you eat [the fruit] your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
And all the people shouted,[i] “Long live the king!”
25 Samuel proclaimed to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll, which he placed in the presence of the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people home.
‘Manner of the king’ – mišpat hammelek (Chapter 8)
‘Manner of the kingship’ – mišpat hammêlukâ
‘Rights of the king’ vs. ‘Rights of kingship’
26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and brave men whose hearts God had touched went with him. 27 But some wicked men said, “How can this guy save us?” They despised him and did not bring him a gift, but Saul said nothing.[j][k]
Again! Saul says nothing!
Jesus wasn’t like Saul at all.
Jesus spoke up.
Jesus got it done.
He’s a good king.
He’s worthy of it all.
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