Bible Commentaries
1 Samuel 10

Verses 1-16

Samuel Anoints Saul as King In 1 Samuel 9:1 to 1 Samuel 10:16 we have the story of Samuel anointing Saul as the first king over God’s people Israel. The previous chapter tells us how the children of Israel cried out for a king and how God decided to grant them their request. It reveals that this was not God’s perfect plan for His nation, but rather His permissive will.

The first event of Samuel anointing Saul to be king over Israel at a sacrifice foreshadows Saul’s failure later in his ministry when he refused to wait for Samuel and took upon himself the office of the priest (1 Samuel 13:8-15 a); for both events took place at a sacrifice unto the Lord.

1 Samuel 9:1 to 1 Samuel 10:16 Samuel Anoints Saul as King (Comparison of Saul and David) We are about to read the story of King Saul followed by the story of King David. Both men were given a kingship and an anointing, but both did not use these blessings in a manner that pleased God. King Saul quickly lost his blessing and anointing as a king because he was not seeking it. Saul was seeking donkeys when he was given the kingship. He did not desire it nor appreciate it when it was given. Therefore, he easily mismanaged it and God took both of them away. On the other hand, King David received this blessing and anointing many years before he actually became king. Therefore, he longed for it to come and deliver him from his hardships in exile while awaiting his calling. David appreciated his blessings while Saul despised his gifts. Note these insightful words from Sadhu Sundar Singh:

“To pray does not imply that without prayer God would not give us anything or that He would be unaware of our needs, but it has this great advantage, that in the attitude of prayer the soul is best fitted to receive the Giver of blessing as well as those blessings He desires to bestow. Thus it was that the fullness of the Spirit was not poured out upon the Apostles on the first day, but after ten days of special preparation. If a blessing were conferred upon one without a special readiness for it, he would neither value it sufficiently nor long retain it. For instance, because Saul obtained the Holy Spirit and the kingship without seeking for them he very soon lost them both, for he had set out from home not to obtain the Holy Spirit but to look for his lost asses (1 Sam. ix.3; x.11; v.13-14; xxxi.4).” [23]

[23] Sadhu Sundar Singh, At the Master’s Feet, trans. Arthur Parker (London: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1922) [on-line]; accessed 26 October 2008; available from http://www.ccel.org/ccel/singh/feet.html; Internet, “III Prayer,” section 2, part 1.

1 Samuel 9:1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.

1 Samuel 9:2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

1 Samuel 9:2 Comments - It seems as if Saul was outwardly the kind of a man the children of Israel would desire to be their King, so God gave them their wishes.

1 Samuel 9:9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)

1 Samuel 9:9 Comments - I had a dream last night in which I saw in a vision someone hiding in the upstairs of a home. I went to the owner of the house and told him what I saw, explaining that it was just a “hunch,” that I was not sure that this was in fact true. When the man opened his upstairs room, there was a man hiding up there, so he called the police. The Lord then quickened to me a passage of Scripture in 1 Samuel 9:9 with the word “seer.” I then realized that a “seer” is one who saw a vision from the Lord, then spoke it out in faith. (August 21, 1995)

1 Samuel 9:11 And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?

1 Samuel 9:11 “as they went up the hill to the city” - Comments - Cities were often built on top of hills. This gave them an advantage in case of an attack from the enemy. Therefore, water had to be carried up the hill.

1 Samuel 9:5-14 Comments Divine Providence - 1 Samuel 9:16 says that God was sending Saul, so this was not just mere chance meeting.

1 Samuel 9:16, “To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.”

1 Samuel 9:21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

1 Samuel 9:21 “Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel” - Comments - Remember that the tribe of Benjamin had been severely reduced in numbers when the other tribes of Israel fought against them for the sin committed in the Benjamite city of Gibeah (Judges 19-20).

1 Samuel 9:24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

1 Samuel 9:24 “And the cook took up the shoulder” - Comments - The shoulder was the portion of the sacrifice that was normally saved for the priests to eat (Exodus 29:27, Leviticus 7:32). Here, Samuel gave it to Saul.

Exodus 29:27, “And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering , which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:”

Leviticus 7:32, “And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.”

Verses 1-27

1 Samuel 10:1-8 Samuel Gives Saul Directions In 1 Samuel 10:1-8 Samuel gives Saul directions on what will take place on his way home. Saul and his servant had initially come to Samuel for such divine directions, and he received it after being anointed king.

1 Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

1 Samuel 10:1 Comments - Saul was anointed king by Samuel using a vial of oil, while David was anointed by him using a horn of oil (1 Samuel 16:13). Benny Hinn teaches that the vial was a symbol of judgment, as it was used in this manner in the book of Revelation. [24]

[24] Benny Hinn, “Fire Conference,” 5-6 June 2009, Miracle Center Cathedral, Kampala, Uganda.

1 Samuel 16:13, “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.”

1 Samuel 10:2 When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

1 Samuel 10:2 “What shall I do for my son?” Comments - Saul was lost. This is a type of us being lost from God and Him sorrowing for us.

1 Samuel 10:4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.

1 Samuel 10:4 “bread; which thou shalt receive” Comments - Saul was given bread to eat. This was a type of receiving of Jesus Christ, the Bread of life.

1 Samuel 10:5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:

1 Samuel 10:5 “After that thou shalt come to the hill of God” Comments - This is a type of us coming to the throne of God.

1 Samuel 10:6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

1 Samuel 10:6 Comments - The anointing of the Spirit upon Saul is a type of filling of Holy Spirit with sign of tongues and prophesying as seen in the book of Acts.

1 Samuel 10:7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

1 Samuel 10:7 “And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee” - Comments - These events are signs to confirm to Saul that his anointing was of God.

1 Samuel 10:7 “that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee” Comments - This is a type of us serving God in an obedience lifestyle, because God is with us.

1 Samuel 10:8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.

1 Samuel 10:8 “And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal” - Scripture References - Note:

Samuel 1 Samuel 11:14, “Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal , and renew the kingdom there.”

1 Samuel 15:12, “And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal .”

1 Samuel 10:8 “seven days shall thou tarry” Comments - This period of waiting seven days may be compared to tarrying for Pentecost. In 1 Samuel 10:9, God gave Saul a new heart, like He gives us a new heart. In 1 Samuel 10:10, Saul’s infilling of Holy Spirit was accompanied with signs of prophesying, just like with us.

Acts 19:6, “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”

1 Samuel 10:8 Comments - Samuel gives Saul commands to be obedient to his word. This is a type of us hearing God’s word.

Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

1 Samuel 10:10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

1 Samuel 10:10 Comments - Todd Bentley describes such an experience that he encountered.

“I had become so full of God’s presence, I had to give it away. I remember sitting with two other youth pastors in the church office and the Spirit of prophecy fell on me. Literally, a mantle fell Whap! ‘I’m going to prophesy,’ I said. I’d given little words here and there but this was like a torrent. I felt the prophetic bubble up in my spirit. I prophesied over them and I got so intense, I opened up the door and ran down the hallway into the church and said, ‘Is there anyone out here I can prophesy over? It’s flowing. Where’s the secretary?’ I was looking for more targets…I mean, people. So I prophesied over everybody there in the church. It just kept flowing people were going out under the power and they were weeping. It was like Saul when the Spirit of prophecy fell on him and he prophesied non-stop from morning to night.” [25]

[25] Todd Bentley, Journey Into the Miraculous (Victoria, BC, Canada: Hemlock Printers, Ltd., 2003), 107-8.

Note:

1 Samuel 19:24, “And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Bentley continues later in this same chapter:

“It seemed that even this prophetic anointing was being caught. The Spirit of prophecy would come on the place and youth would begin to prophesy spontaneously under my mantle, similar to the story in 1 Samuel 10:10 of Saul prophesying when he came into contact with the prophets.” [26]

[26] Todd Bentley, Journey Into the Miraculous (Victoria, BC, Canada: Hemlock Printers, Ltd., 2003), 112.

1 Samuel 10:24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.

1 Samuel 10:24 Comments - Contrast this to Samuel’s words when David was anointed King. God told Samuel not to look on his outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:6-7).

1 Samuel 16:6-7, “And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature ; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

1 Samuel 10:27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

1 Samuel 10:27 Comments - In 1 Samuel 11:1-15 God uses a battle to confirm Saul’s kingship to all the people, especially to these sons of Belial.