SAMUEL AND SAUL, FIRST KING OF ISRAEL


          And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.  The name of his first born was Joel; the name of the second was Abiah:  They were judges in Beer-sheba.  His sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
          All the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel in Ramah, and said to him, Behold, you are old, and  your sons walk not in your ways:  now make us a King to judge us like all the other nations.  But the thing displeased Samuel, so he prayed unto the LORD.  The LORD said to Samuel, listen to the voice of the people in all they ask.  They have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.  According to all the works they have done since the day I brought them out of Egypt even to this day, they have forsaken me, and served other gods, and did the same to you.  Listen to their voices:  protest solemnly to them, and show them what manner of a king that will reign over them. 
          Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people, This will be the manner of the King that will reign over you:  He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen, and some will go before his chariots.  He will appoint them captains over thousands, captains over fifties, and set them to put their ear to the ground and listen, to reap his harvest, and make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots.
          He will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.  He will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, the best of them, and give them to his servants.  He will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give them to his officers, and to his servants.  He will take your menservants and your  maidservants, and your best young men, and your asses and put them to his work.  He will take a tenth of your sheep; and you will be his servants.  You will cry out because your King has chosen you, and the LORD will not hear you.
          The people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, they said, Nay, we will have a king over us.  That we be like all the other nations, and our king will judge us, and go out before us, and fight over battles.  Samuel heard the words of the people, and told them in the ears of the LORD.  The LORD said to Samuel, Listen and do what their voices are asking, make them a King.  Samuel said to the men of Israel to go every man to his city.
          There was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, a mighty man of Power.  His son's name was Saul, a choice young man, and goodly.  From his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.  Saul's father Kish, lost his asses.  He said to his son, "take a servant with you and go look for the asses."  Saul passed through Mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but didn't find them.  Then he and his servant passed through the land of Shalim and they were not there.  He passed through the land of Benjaminites and they didn't find them.  They came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, "Come let us return, less my father leave caring for the asses and come looking for us."
          Saul said, Behold there in this city, is a man of God, an honorable man.  What he says comes to pass.  Let us go to him, that he might show us the way we should go.  What shall we bring him?  We have nothing, the bread is spent, and there is nothing to give the man of God?  His servant answered, I have at hand, the fourth part of a shekel of silver, I will give it to the man of God, to tell us our way.    
          As they went up a hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water.  They said to them, "Is the seer here?"  The maidens answered, "He is.  Make haste for he came today to the city because there is a sacrifice of the people today in the high place.  As soon as you come into the city you will find him.  Get up, its about the time and you will  find him." 
          Saul and his servant went up into the city.  When they entered Samuel came out to go up to the high place.  (Now the LORD told Samuel in his ear the day before, Tomorrow about this time, I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, you will anoint him to be a captain over my people Israel.  He will save my people out of the hand of the Philistines.  My people have cried out to me.)  When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, "Behold, the man I told you about.  This man shall reign over my people." 
          Saul drew near Samuel in the gate, and said to him, tell me, I pray, where is the seer's house?  Samuel said, I am the seer.  Go up before me to the high place.  You will eat with me today and tomorrow I will tell you all that is in your heart and send you on your way.  As for your asses, don't worry, they are found.  Samuel asked Saul, on whom is all the desire of Israel?  Is it not on you, and on your father's house?  Saul answered and said, I am a Benjamite, the smallest tribe of Israel.  My family is the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin.  Why speak to me?
          Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them in to the parlour and had them sit in the chiefest place among all of them that were bidden to come.  There were about thirty people.  Samuel told his cook to take up the shoulder and set it before Saul.  He said that which is left, set it before you and eat.  This has been kept for you since I said I invited people.  So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
          Early the next morning, they arose.  Samuel called Saul to the top of the house saying, I am sending you away.  So Saul arose and they both went out abroad.  Samuel said to Saul, "Tell your servant to go on before us", and he passed on.  "Now stand still a while, that I may show you the word of God."
          Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon Saul's head, kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD has anointed you to be captain over his inheritance?  When you depart from me today, you will find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the boarder of Benjamin at Zelzah.  They will say to you, The asses that you seek are found: lo, your father has left the care of the asses and cries for you, 'what shall I do for my son?'  You will go on and come to the plain of Tabor.  You will meet three men going up to Bethel.  One man will be carrying three kids, another carrying three loaves of bread;  and another carrying a bottle of wine:  They will salute you and give you two loaves of bread; you will come to the hill of God.  There you will find a garrison of Philistines.  When you are in the city, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, tabret, pipe and a harp before them and they will prophesy.  The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you and you will prophesy with them, and you will be turned into another man.  You will see these signs, and God will be with you.  So, when Saul turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart.  All the signs that Samuel told Saul to look for, came to pass that day.
          When all that knew Saul before, saw that he prophesied among the prophets, the people said, "What is this? Isn't that the son of Kish?  Is Saul also among the prophets?"  When Saul made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.  Saul's uncle said to him and his servant, "Where did you go?"  Saul said, "I went to find the asses and when we did not find them, we went to Samuel."  Saul's uncle asked, "Tell me, I pray, what did Samuel say to you?"  "He told us the asses were found."
          Then Samuel called the people together.  He told them, "God brought you out of Egypt and out of the hands of the Egyptians and out of all the kingdoms, and them that oppressed you; you have this day rejected God, who saved you.  But you said, 'Nay, set a king over us.' "  When Samuel caused the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.  When the tribe came near their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken.  When the people looked for Saul, he could not be found.  They ran to find Saul and they brought him back.  Samuel said, "See him whom the LORD has chosen, there is none like him among all the people!"  All the people shouted and said, "God save the King." 

I have a question to think about, Why would God's people want a King and be in bondage to him?  Why did they want to be like other nations?


written by Connie James, February 12, 2025


Note:  This article is taken from the old King James Version of the Bible (not the New KJV), in the book of I Samuel chapters 8 thru 10. If you want to read it from the bible, please do so from the old KJV.   cj


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