44. A KING FOR ISRAEL

"Behold the king whom ye have chosen"

Aim

To show how Israel wanted a king to be like the people around them instead of having God only to rule them

Synopsis

While Samuel was judge, the people of Israel settled down in their inheritance. He travelled from year to year throughout the Land, teaching them God's ways and encouraging them to worship Him with all their heart. Now Samuel was growing old and his sons were not fit to take his place. The people wanted a change and came to Samuel with their request.

1 Samuel 8, 9 and 10

GOD DISPLEASED WITH ISRAEL: 1 Samuel 8

Samuel judged Israel for many years and during this time the Philistines were subdued, for "the hand of Yahweh was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel" (1 Sam. 7:13). The elders of Israel came to Samuel at Ramah, where he lived, and said, "Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations" (v5). They wanted a new ruler, not only because Samuel's sons were wicked, but because they had seen the nations around them being led out to battle by kings, amidst great ceremony and splendour. They wanted to be like other people. They forgot that God wanted them to be different, for they were His people.

Samuel was very sad. He was sure it was not a good idea. So he turned to God in prayer. God said, "Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them" (v7). God had been their king, leading them victoriously into the battle and protecting them, but they wanted a king they could see - one they could admire and their enemies fear. God told Samuel to warn the people what would happen if they had a king. A king would take their sons to be his soldiers and workmen, and their daughters to be cooks and bakers. They would have to give the king a tenth of all their crops and animals and he would take the best of their fields and vineyards for his servants. But the people had already made up their minds. They listened to Samuel politely and said: "Nay, but we will have a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us and fight our battles" (vv19-20).

SAUL ANOINTED AS KING: I Samuel 9:1

Saul was just the kind of man the people of Israel wanted for a king, for he was taller and more handsome than most. He was of the tribe of Benjamin and his father's name was Kish. The name 'Saul' means 'asked', and he was just what the people had asked for.

We first learn of Saul when he was searching for his father's lost asses. As he could not find the animals, he decided to go to Ramah to ask help of the prophet Samuel. Now God had told Samuel that Saul was coming and what he must do to him. Next morning when Saul arrived, Samuel talked with him and then took a vial (flask) of oil and poured it on Saul's head. This was called 'anointing' and it meant that Saul had been separated by God to be king of Israel.

Then Samuel kissed Saul and said, "Is it not because Yahweh hath anointed thee to be captain over His inheritance?"

All the special workers for God were anointed. The high priest and priests, and kings of Israel were set apart from the people to show they had special duties to perform.

The young man Saul returned to his father's house wondering about Samuel's words and what would happen to him in the future.

SAUL DECLARED TO BE KING BEFORE HIS PEOPLE: 1 Samuel 10:17-25

A great gathering was called at Mizpeh. Again Samuel reminded the people of their foolishness in rejecting God, who had saved them out of all their troubles. Nevertheless, he called all the tribes to come near, singled out the tribe of Benjamin and looked for Saul the son of Kish, but he could not be found. The shy, unknown son of a farmer was overwhelmed by the importance of his selection to be the king of Israel, and had hidden himself. Finally, he was found and presented to the people. "See ye him whom Yahweh hath chosen", Samuel said (v24). God knew just the kind of man they wanted and the people were pleased. They all shouted "Long live the king".

LESSON FOR US

Israel found it hard to believe in the living God, because they could not see Him. We must have greater faith than that. We must have the same faith as Samuel who always prayed to God for help and guidance. He knew He was the true and living God even though he could not see Him. We must be like that. We must believe Him and learn to choose the ways of God, whom we cannot see, rather than the ways of those we see around us. If we put our trust in Him and wait patiently for His mercy, He will guide us safely and surely. God knows what we need most. He knows what is good for us. Whatever trials may come upon us, we will be brought at last to the glorious kingdom of God on earth.

God wants us to believe Him and trust Him. It means separating ourselves from the people around us, for their ways are not His ways. We want to walk in God's ways; so we must follow all that is good and true, as we learn from the Bible. The world will not understand, but God in heaven will see us and be pleased.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

The oil that was used for anointing was a very special oil -"a holy anointing oil". The recipe for it is found in Exod. 30:22-33 but the children of Israel were forbidden to make it or to use it - it was only to be used for anointing priests ("Aaron and his sons" Exod. 30:30); and kings ("the priests took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon" 1 Kings 1:39); and prophets ("Elisha ... shalt thou anoint to be prophet" 1 Kings 19:16). It was a holy oil; it set them apart for special work in God's service. (We learned last year that holy means "set apart" by God, eg. Holy Bible - the Book God has set apart from all others because it is His words and His thoughts). This holy oil, made according to God's recipe, pointed forward to the Holy Spirit with which Jesus was anointed at his baptism. "The Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art My beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased" (Luke 3:22). The word "Christ" means "anointed". At his baptism he became Jesus Christ: Jesus anointed by God, to be the one who would save all who believe and obey the Gospel. We will see the lesson of the anointing oil in a later lesson when David was chosen by God to be His anointed king, instead of Saul.

QUESTIONS

Short Answers

1. Why did the people want a king to reign over them?

2. Why did the people not want Samuel's sons to be judges over them?

3. Whom did God say the people had rejected when they asked for a king?

4. Did God let the people have a king?

5. What was Saul doing when Samuel found him?

6. Whom did Samuel anoint to be king?

7. What is "anointing"?

8. What does the name "Saul mean?

9. Why did the people think Saul would make a good king?

10. What did the people say when Samuel told them Saul was to be king?

11. What lesson do we learn from the story of Israel asking Samuel for a king?

Detailed Answers

1.  

   1. Complete the following verse - "They have not rejected thee, but..."

   2. Who said these words to Samuel?

   3. What had made Samuel sad?

2. The people of Israel asked for a king.

   1. Who was he?

   2. What was he like?

   3. Tell how Samuel presented him to the people.

Additional Answers

3. Samuel warned the people of the things that would happen when they had a king. What were they?

4. Saul was anointed with oil by Samuel.

   1. What does "anointing" mean?

   2. Who in Israel were anointed?

   3. How was Jesus Christ anointed?