At that time, the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. 1 Samuel 10:7 NLT
Read 1 Samuel 10 and 11.
As a young girl, I used to dream about being crowned Miss America. I fantasized about wearing a long, glamorous gown and having poofy hair like all the beautiful ladies on the stage. To hear my name called and have that gorgeous crown placed on my head would be a dream come true! My sister and I used to practice the perfect princess wave and walking on our pretend runway so we would be ready when our time came.
While it was never my destiny to be crowned a beauty queen, I do know the exhilaration of being chosen to receive a few awards and a scholarship. That surreal moment when my name was called in front of my peers and my parents brought me such a feeling of joy and elation.
As I read the description of Saul’s coronation as Israel’s first king, I imagine his utter surprise and excitement to be the one who was chosen by God Himself and anointment by the holiest man in all of Israel, Samuel. Take my personal experiences and multiply the feeling of exhilaration for Saul by the thousands! What an incredible moment this must have been for him, as well as for the nation of Israel. They finally got exactly what they had asked for!
Was that a good thing? That is yet to be determined!
I always thought their custom of pouring oil over one’s head to anoint someone as king was a strange one, but this represented to everyone watching that he was the chosen one, and he is anointed by God.
I can imagine Saul thinking, “Someone pinch me! Is this for real?” Samuel certainly had the answer, even if Saul never asked. Samuel described the exact scenes and people Saul would see upon leaving him, and everything happened exactly as Samuel described.
My favorite scene, however, was when Saul reached Gibeah and came upon a group of prophets who were prophesying and playing music. The Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and verse 6 says that he became a different person. Furthermore in verse 9, Saul received a new heart. He began prophesying with the other prophets, and that was a sign to him that God was now with him. Samuel had told him that after that happens, he would be ready to do whatever he must do because the Lord would now be with him.
Importantly, Samuel instructed Saul at that time to go to Gilgal and wait seven days for him to arrive, and he would sacrifice burnt offerings.
Meanwhile, when Saul arrived home, he said nothing to his uncle about what had happened. This news was too big to simply blurt it out! He needed a profound way to break the news.
Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet at Mizpah for a great announcement. He had them gather by clans and families, and then he eliminated them by groups, which I’m sure added some dramatic effect to the exciting news! When Saul was singled out as the chosen king, “Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!”
And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!” 1 Samuel 10:24
Samuel then explained all the duties and responsibilities of the king and wrote it in a scroll for a guide. He then dismissed the crowd. Within the groups, some accepted the appointment of the Lord, but there were others, called scoundrels in verse 27, who complained and refused to recognize Saul as king. These troublemakers will soon be changing their tune!
About a month into his reign, Saul was faced with his first major trial. The Ammonites had attacked the Isrealites in the town of Jabesh-gilead. King Nahash demanded that the right eye be plucked from each and every man in the town in order to have peace. The people of Jabesh-gilead asked for seven days to decide what they should do, and King Nahash granted it.
When the message reached Saul and the people of Gibeah about what the Ammonites had threatened to do, the people began crying and weeping and waling. I can just imagine an army of some gruff warriors on the ground crying like a room full of toddlers. Under the circumstances, however, I would have done the same thing!
When it was time for the Ammonites to return and begin eye-gouging the Israelites, Saul led his first major battle against this fierce army, and he slaughtered them all morning. 11:11 says that the army was so scattered that there were not two of them standing together. Israel had won their first battle with their new king!
There was much celebrating, but a few of the people exclaimed that the scoundrels who had opposed Saul as king should rightly be slain. However, Saul said that no one was to be executed today. This was too happy of an occasion!
From that point on, Saul was officially recognized as Israel’s king. They took him to Gilgal and held a solemn ceremony before the Lord to honor Saul as their king. What a joy filled day!
Do you remember Samuel’s command for Saul to go to Gilgal and wait for him seven days to offer a burnt offering? Remember this. It will be important in a few days!
Have a blessed day and see you tomorrow!
