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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - 1 Samuel 10:14 - 10:27
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Saul Chosen King by Lot
v. 14. And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, upon their return home, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel.
v. 15. And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you, he was anxious to have a detailed account of the visit.
v. 16. And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found, hoping therewith to dispose of this matter. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not, for it was evident from Samuel's entire manner that the matter was not yet to be made public.
v. 17. And Samuel called the people together unto the Lord to Mizpeh, for a great popular assembly;
v. 18. and said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all kingdoms and of them that oppressed you, these were the mighty deeds performed by God under the old order, when He was still the only acknowledged King of the nation;
v. 19. and ye have this day rejected your God, who Himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations, all the evils and oppressions which they suffered from the very kingdoms after which they now intended to pattern their state; and ye have said unto Him, Nay, but set a king over us. This was a last warning regarding a step the taking of which they might some day bitterly repent. Now, therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands, the divisions of the people by the command of the Lord, Num_1:16. This solemn act took place in the presence of Jehovah, before the altar which had been erected in Mizpeh.
v. 20. And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, in order that lots might be cast or drawn, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
v. 21. When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come nearby their families, the largest subdivision of the tribe, the family of Matri was taken, and, after the father-houses had been treated the same way and the individual heads of families came forward, Saul, the son of Kish, was taken; and when they sought him, he could not be found, his shyness having caused him to hide himself, since he knew the outcome of the selection.
v. 22. Therefore they enquired of the Lord further, through the Urim and Thummim of the high priest, if the man should yet come thither, whether they should search for Saul at home or elsewhere. And the Lord answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff, the traveling baggage of the great assembly.
v. 23. And they ran and fetched him thence; and when he stood among the people, having been obliged to overcome his diffidence, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward, he extended above them, head and shoulders, a magnificent specimen of physical manhood, truly kingly in appearance.
v. 24. And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, the election being the confirmation of the previous divine choice, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, in a cry of salutation and homage, God save the king! literally, "May the king live!"
v. 25. Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, the relation of the temporal monarchy to the theocracy, the rule of God, for it was Jehovah's purpose to rule through Saul as His instrument, Cf Deu_17:14-20, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord, to be preserved for future generations, the Lord Himself being a witness of the act. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
v. 26. And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men whose hearts God had touched, of their own free will they constituted themselves his body-guard, his escort of honor. They represented the majority of the people, who were willing to bow under the authority of the man whom God had chosen as their leader.
v. 27. But the children of Belial, the worthless, vain rabble, said, How shall this man save us? They questioned his fitness for the office and declared their unwillingness to submit to his authority. And they despised him and brought him no presents, gifts which were a part of the regular income of the princes. But he held his peace, literally, "he was as a deaf man," paying no attention to these foolish attacks, and thus showing great foresight and prudence. To this day men in the public office of the Church are subjected to mocking attacks by vain and foolish people. The best way of meeting such a situation is by ignoring attacks of this kind; for the truly faithful, men whose hearts God has. touched, will be on the side of right and justice.