Readings
- 1 Samuel 9
- 1 Samuel 10
- Deuteronomy 17:14-20
Prayer
Pray… that as we learn about Saul taking on a kingly role today, that you will trust God deeply with any roles that you have to play.
Day 121 – Saul Anointed as King
King Saul & God’s laws for a king
- Welcome to the start of May, which means we’re read for four full months, and we’re officially 1/3 of the way through One Story. Really well done!
- The story of 1 Samuel abruptly changes from the start of chapter 9, introducing us to Saul for the first time. We’ll be reading about him for quite a while, so make sure you get a good grounding of today’s stories so that you know the background to him becoming the first king of Israel. The events leading up to Saul’s enthronement are not always particularly easy to understand, so read carefully and use these notes to help you.
- Which tribe did Saul come from (1 Samuel 9:1)? Do you know which famous person from the New Testament also came from the same tribe? Search online if you don’t know!
- What was Saul like, physically? What about his character and his family background? Does he sound like a good fit for a king?
- What had Saul’s father lost? After they spent several days searching, what was Saul’s servant’s idea to try and find them again?
- How was God working in this story, especially in regards to the guidance He gave to Samuel? Look at 1 Samuel 9:15 onward to find out.
- What do you think Saul would have thought and felt during the life-changing events of 1 Samuel 10? He went from being a searcher of donkeys to being a lady of a nation!
- Saul knew that he was to be king partly because Samuel’s prophecies in 1 Samuel 10:2-6 came true. How did the rest of the people in the nation find out that Saul was God’s choice? Verse 20 onward will help. What rather odd thing was Saul doing when his name was chosen, and what impression do you have of Saul because of it?
- Imagine you were to be the first king the nation of Israel had ever had. What might be going through your mind? If you loved God, what would you pray about your time of leadership?
- Hundreds of years before today’s events, God predicted, in the words of the Deuteronomy passage, that Israel would ask for a king. God listed some instructions for kings to follow. What were they? Why do you think God gave these special instructions to kings? Do you think Saul will keep these rules?
Saul, in some ways, seemed to have the attributes of a king, and indeed was chosen by God to be the first king. But you may know, and God certainly knew, that Saul wasn’t to be a great king. We’ll read all about that over the next few weeks. We can already see hints of it in today’s passages. Saul didn’t share Samuel’s prophecy about him with other people, even with his uncle in 1 Samuel 10:16. Despite the people knowing something was different about him in 1 Samuel 10:11, he kept quiet. The people needed to cast lots to work out God’s plan. Saul was already struggling with his new role, and trusting God.
Whenever we struggle with putting God, or His commands, first, the fundamental reason is usually because of our lack of trust too. Maybe this is something you can pray about carefully at this time, if it’s something you know you struggle with.
One final point. You might wonder why God ordained Saul to become king, if He himself knew that he didn’t have particularly kingly attributes, and had previously told His people that they didn’t need a human king. God isn’t changing His mind in today’s readings! The words of the ESV Gospel Transformation Bible sum it up well:
“…God conceded to the elders’ persistent demand (for a king), ultimately to teach them and us of the insufficiency of all purely human deliverance, no matter how noble and capable it may at first appear. Persisting in a demand contrary to the will of God may bring us what we ask for, even though it may be far from what we need.”
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