Saul is Anointed as King
December 24, 2019
Commentary
When an Israelite king took office, he was both crowned and anointed. The coronation was the political act of recognizing the new king as ruler of the people. The anointing was the religious act of making the king God’s representative to the people.
As this chapter opens, we find Samuel pouring oil (a mixture of olive oil, myrrh and other expensive spices) over Saul’s head to symbolize the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in his life (v. 1). When Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head, this act represented God’s approval of Saul as a leader of His people. Another purpose of this ceremony was to remind the king of his great responsibility to lead his people by God’s wisdom and not by his own. While this ceremony is going on Saul’s father thinks he is lost and is looking for him (v. 2). Samuel now gives instruction to Saul as to what he will encounter on his way home (vv. 3-5). The Spirit of God will come upon Saul and he will began to prophecy (vv. 6-8). This gave Saul confidence in himself, as he could see what Samuel said was true, and it also helped the people to trust in Saul as their king and know that God had, in fact, chosen him.
After Saul left Samuel these promised signs came to pass (vv. 9-13). When a group of prophets met him the Spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied to them. This does not suggest, of course, that Saul became part of the prophetic ministry led by Samuel, but only that he was able to exercise a prophetic gift, at least on this occasion, though never having received prophetic training. However, this was a remarkable and convincing sign of God’s presence and power in Saul’s life. Everyone who had known him before knew that something had happened to him. God was giving Saul an opportunity. God never withheld anything from him, and yet he failed.
You might be wondering how Saul could be so filled with the Spirit and later commit such terrible acts. It is because often, in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit only came upon a person temporarily. In Saul’s case, he was a different person in his early years as king because of the Holy Spirit’s work in him. Then, as his power grew so did his pride and, after a while, he refused to seek God and the Spirit left him (16:14). Just as Saul has a personal and experiential evidence of the truth of God’s word that had been spoken to him, so do we as converts to Christianity have the same sanctifying power of the Gospel in our lives, but the Holy Spirit will never leave us as it did the OT Saints.
Application
Just as Saul rejected God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, men and women continue to do this today. I must never reject God by pushing Him aside and putting someone or something else ahead of Him? If I do the price may be very high!
1 Samuel 10:1– 13 (NET)
1 Then Samuel took a small container of olive oil and poured it on Saulâs head. Samuel kissed him and said, âThe Lord has chosen you to lead his people Israel! You will rule over the Lordâs people and you will deliver them from the power of the enemies who surround them. This will be your sign that the Lord has chosen you as leader over his inheritance. 2 When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachelâs tomb at Zelzah on Benjaminâs border. They will say to you, âThe donkeys you have gone looking for have been found. Your father is no longer concerned about the donkeys but has become anxious about you two! He is asking, âWhat should I do about my son?ââ
3 âAs you continue on from there, you will come to the tall tree of Tabor. At that point three men who are going up to God at Bethel will meet you. One of them will be carrying three young goats, one of them will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and one of them will be carrying a container of wine. 4 They will ask you how youâre doing and will give you two loaves of bread. You will accept them. 5 Afterward you will go to Gibeah of God, where there are Philistine officials. When you enter the town, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place. They will have harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying. 6 Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.
7 âWhen these signs have taken place, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God will be with you. 8 You will go down to Gilgal before me. I am going to join you there to offer burnt offerings and to make peace offerings. You should wait for seven days until I arrive and tell you what to do.â
9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed his inmost person. All these signs happened on that very day. 10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a company of prophets was coming out to meet him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied among them. 11 When everyone who had known him previously saw him prophesying with the prophets, the people asked one another, âWhat on earth has happened to the son of Kish? Does even Saul belong with the prophets?â
12 A man who was from there replied, âAnd who is their father?â Therefore this became a proverb: âIs even Saul among the prophets?â 13 When Saul had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.