20260805 1 Samuel 9 Wednesday Bible Study Dave Dickmann

Before we read that, is there anything, any residuals

from chapter 8 that anybody thought about in

the past week and wants to bring up or something

that needs to be said that wasn't said? Alright,

then who wants to give us our introductory summation

of what we're reading here in chapter 9? I have

this section going. From chapter 9 through chapter

10, verse 16. We won't cover all that tonight,

I don't think. But that's where the story of

Saul's, whatever we're reading about. Who wants

to summarize it for us? Well, Saul gets his dad's

donkeys go missing. So Saul goes and he looks

for the donkeys. He thinks that's what his mission

is. He winds up with Samuel. And Samuel gives

him some information about what's going on, what's

going to happen. And then in chapter 10, he becomes

a new man. The spirit rushes on him. He gets

anointed by Samuel. He goes back home. and his

uncle asks him what Samuel told him, and he doesn't

tell him the whole story. So this whole section

really is full of mystery and oddities, I guess

you would say. And so I won't tell you everything

that I got out of it, introductory, but hopefully

whoever read it, You can see, I think probably

God is the main character even in this chapter

about Saul. One other interesting thing as we

read through here is that this is, remember the

people demanded a king like all the other nations.

And so this is the story of Israel's first king,

King Saul. What word is missing in this chapter

and a half? King. There's no mention of a king.

Now how can we have this Saul guy from this obscure

Benjamite tribe, or tribe of Benjamin, and no

mention of king? So we'll have to come up with

an answer there. But as we read it, you'll notice

that there's no mention of a king. So, 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9 and verse 1. Now, there was a man of

Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel,

the son of Zeror, the son of Bekarath, the son

of Ephiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.

So, now the people have just demanded that God

give him a king. If we just stopped reading there,

what would you think? Huh? He'd be the king.

Here's this mighty man of power, this man of

valor and influence. We've got his whole, well,

not his whole, but we've got a genealogy here,

typical of Hebrew writing. But it turns out that's

not the case. 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 upwards

he was higher than any of the people. And the

asses of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And

Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the

servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.

And he passed through Mount Ephraim, and passed

through the land of Salisha, but they found them

not. Then they passed through the land of Shalim,

and there And there they were not. And he passed

through the land of the Benjamites, but they

found them not. And when they were come to the

land of Zuth, Saul said to his servant that was

with him, Come, let us return, lest my father

leave caring for the asses and take thought for

us. And he said to him, Behold now, there is

in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable

man. and all that he saith cometh surely to pass.

Now let us go thither. Peradventure he can show

us our way that we should go. Then said Saul

to his servant, But behold, if we go, what shall

we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our

vessels, and there is not a present to bring

to the man of God. What have we? And the servant

answered Saul again and said, Behold, I have

here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver.

That will I give to the man of God to tell us

our way. Before time in Israel, when a man went

to inquire of God, thus he spoke, Come and let

us go to the seer. For he that is now called

a prophet was before time called a seer. Then

said Paul to his servant, Well said, come, let

us go. So they went unto the city where the man

of God was. 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?

And they answered them and said, He is. Behold,

he is before you. Make haste now, for he came

today to the city, for there is a sacrifice of

the people today in the high place. As soon as

he be come into the city, ye shall straightway

find him, before he go up to the high place to

eat, for the people will not eat until he come.

because he doth bless the sacrifice. And afterwards

they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you

up, for about this time ye shall find him. And

they went up into the city. And when they were

come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against

them, for to go up to the high place. Now the

Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before

Saul came, saying, Tomorrow 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. And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said

unto him, Behold, the man whom I speak to this

same shall reign over my people. Then Saul drew

near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me,

I pray thee, where is the seer's house? And Samuel

answered Saul and said, I am the seer. Go up

before me unto the high place, for ye shall eat

with me today, and tomorrow I will let thee go,

and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.

And as for thine asses that were lost three days

ago, set not thy mind on them, for they are found.

And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it

not on thee and on thy father's house? 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? And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and

brought them into the parlor, and made them sit

in the chiefest place among them that were bidden,

which was about thirty persons. And Samuel said

unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave

thee, of which I said unto thee, set it by thee.

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.

And when they were come down from the high place

into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon

the top of the house. And they arose early, and

it came to pass about the spring of the day that

Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying,

Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose,

and they went out, both of them, he and Samuel,

abroad. And as they were going down to the end

of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant

pass before us. And he passed on. But stand thou

still a while, that I may show thee the word

of God. 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? When thou art

departed from me today, then thou shalt find

two men by Rachel's sepulcher 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? Then shalt thou go on forward

from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain

of Tabor. And there shall meet thee three men

going up to God to Bethel. one carrying three

kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread,

and another carrying a bottle of wine. And they

will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of

bread, which thou shalt receive of their hands.

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. And the

Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou

shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned

into another man. And it shall be, when these

signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion

serve thee, for God is with thee. 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 show thee what thou shalt do. And it was

so that when he had turned his back to go from

Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all those

signs came to pass that day. 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. And it came to

pass, when all that knew him before time saw

that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets.

Then the people said one to another, What is

this that has come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul

also among the prophets? And one of the same

place answered and said, But who is their father?

Therefore it has become a proverb, Is Saul also

among the prophets? And when he had made an end

of prophesying, he came to the high place. And

Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant,

Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses.

And when we saw that they were nowhere, we came

to Samuel. And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I

pray thee, what Samuel said unto you. And Saul

said unto him, And Saul said unto his uncle,

He told us plainly that the asses were found.

But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel

spake, he told him not. There's some odd verses

in there, some verses that might seem a little

bit out of place. Particularly the one that talks

about the seer and the prophet. What did you

guys think when you saw that verse? Why was that

put in there? Anybody got any ideas? Who put

that in there? Nobody? Okay, well tell me what

you got out of it. Tell me what lessons you want

us all to learn. He doesn't, like he gave Samuel

a word for Saul. And he put Saul in Samuel's,

I don't know if I'm going to say like his path,

but they ran into each other like that was an

accident. Okay. What do we typically call that?

That work of God. What is it? Providence. Providence.

So this chapter is full of just really normal

everyday stuff. But the God who reigns above

is working through all these seemingly ordinary

things. The guy's donkeys go missing. Well, nobody

would say, well, now God's getting ready to work.

We're going to have a king here soon. Just this

unknown guy, his donkeys go missing. But God

who rules above and works through providence

was the one that drove those donkeys to wherever

they were going and hit them. and hid him from

Saul, that's providence. So yeah, that's all

through here. That's a good catch. What else?

Saul is kind of a great tragedy of the Old Testament.

He starts off with all this stuff where he's

prophesying the spirit of God on him. and all

this stuff, and then it turns out bad at the

end. And so that's what sticks out to me, is

all this, like, how does the Spirit of God come

upon a man and make him prophesy? But it turns

out he's not a good guy at all. That's what was

interesting to me. Well, that was the same things

that we encountered all through Judges, right?

And what did we say about the Spirit coming upon

a judge? It didn't guarantee what. I never said

that. It didn't guarantee obedience. He said

salvation. It didn't, well, salvation from the

enemy, yes, because that's what the judge was

raised up. But it didn't seem to guarantee obedience

at all, did it? It didn't, it didn't, in other

words, the spirit came upon those judges for

very specific reasons and, you know. I think

it's fair for us to say that the Spirit remained

with them, but the Spirit didn't force them to

obey every word of God. Are you filled with the

Spirit? Yeah. And do you obey God in every turn?

And do you lay that, do you charge the Holy Spirit

with some offense in that? No. So, Saul is the

same way. The Spirit came on him and he did disobey.

What? Does anybody have a guess as to why is

it that Saul couldn't get along with God? Have

you given any thought to that? Where did Saul

and God come to loggerheads? was when you tried

to do things his own way instead of God's way.

Okay. So... Is he the ultimate example of not

God's way? I mean, right in Samuel, I mean, he's

not, even though God sovereignly ordained him

to become king in a sense, but it was also, like

Brian said, I guess he was a type in picture

of not God's way. And throughout his life he

proved that he never wanted to do things God's

way. Okay. I think you and Brian said very similar

things there. Wasn't it he offered sacrifices?

To me that was like he treated it as this isn't

a big deal. Anybody can do this. I don't have

to be a... priest or anything I can offer these

sacrifices and do it myself and then afterwards

I'm just going off memory here but I don't think

he was that repentant about it you know like

David messed up a few times and David was really

broken about it and repentant and it seemed like

in my mind Saul had more of a Okay. So, when

we come to loggerheads with God, what are we

saying? When we sit, if you don't like loggerheads,

we'll say, when we sit, what are we saying? Okay,

and what? Okay, because we reject God's authority.

Okay, that's what Brian is talking about. That's

what Jake is talking about. God sits as the authority

and God says, this is what I expect from you.

This is what you should do. If you want to worship

me, worship me in this way. If you want to be,

if you're going to be a father, be a father in

this way. Whatever. Whatever part of your life,

every part of your life, God speaks into and

gives you direction. And when you say, well,

like Brian said, well, I don't think this is

a big deal. Then what you're saying is, God,

you don't have authority in this part of my life

to tell me what to do. I think that my way is

pretty good. And so I'm going to do that. That

was Saul's problem. Saul, now. Saul always thought

that kingship meant what? A king like all the

other nations. I'm looking out here and I'm seeing

these kings. And I've even listened to what Samuel

told everybody was going to be a king. Everything

in the land belongs to me. The people belong

to me. There's no what? There's no authority

over me. So when you're reading through this,

and you're studying it, one of the things that

you're confronted with is that it doesn't seem

that Saul is taking that kind of a dominant position

here in this chapter from the very get -go. And

why is that? Like Saul sits down at the prime

place at the table. Why? Did anybody think about

that? Why did Samuel sit him there at the head

of the table, in the best place? What do you

think? It wasn't because what? Okay, it wasn't

because Saul was a head taller than everybody.

It wasn't because he was this goodly man that

we're told all about. It wasn't because he had

maybe a prominent father back in the Benjamite

territory. It was because what? God put him there.

So what does that show? Who's in charge? Who

has the authority? Who tells somebody to sit

at the prime place of the table? Who? And in

this case, he did it through the means of who?

Samuel. So Samuel said, sit here. That was a

word from God. That was God putting Saul right

there at the head of the table in the prime spot.

When he gets anointed, What did Samuel say? Was

it Samuel that was anointing him? Mike? Who was

anointing him? Okay, and God used Samuel with

the anointing oil. But it was God that was doing

the anointing. Now, who does the anointing? Okay,

that's fine. Put it in your head. Don't forget.

Who does the anointed? Well, do they just call

the servant girl? Do they just call the lowest

of the low? Hey, we're going to anoint somebody.

Let's go out in the fields and find a field worker.

Is that who does the anointed? Somebody with...

Somebody with authority does the anointing. And

who's doing the anointing? That's right, not

Samuel, it's God. So all through this chapter,

what you should be seeing, or what I should be

seeing, is that there is a king over all. And

that king, in this case, is going to name an

earthly king to administer justice, restraint.

among the people of Israel. But it's God who's

ruling and reigning. Now that's, we said this

I think last week. Essentially that was what

the judge did. So Saul, and I think when you're

reading this, if you remember back to what we

read in Judges, it sounds an awful lot like a

judge. An enemy comes up, in this case the Philistines,

and God raises up a judge and the judge goes

out and defeats the enemy and restores. peace

and freedom in Israel and then the people turn

their backs and they go their own way and it's

a recurring cycle throughout the book that's

what that's what's going on here so it's not

that if there's a king then God can't be king

over him Saul just never recognized the authority

over him whether it came from Samuel or whether

he recognized it as a word from God, Saul was

a king and an authority unto himself. And so

that, I think, as you study this and as we talk

about it, if you remember that, it will start

to make a little bit more sense to you. Now,

go ahead, Jacob. What's your question? Does it

say of any of the other judges, or of any other...

Yeah, so what do you think that means? Don't

know. Anybody else give any thought to that?

Want to venture a guess or offer an opinion for

us? Emma, you look like you're ready. Okay, that's

fine. Well, one thing we have to be cautious

of, especially when we're studying the Old Testament,

is to read into the Old Testament New Testament

language. So, God promises in the New Covenant

that he's going to give all of his people a new

heart. They're all going to know me. So, the

question that I think is on your mind, and probably

everyone else's, is this. some version of the

new covenant before the new covenant was established.

And so Saul was getting the new covenant treatment

way back here in the Old Testament. Right? It

can't be that. But I mean, that's what we tend

to think. Is that right? Yeah, for sure. Okay,

so it's not that. So what does the word heart

mean in the Old Testament? So the center of his

being, I think in the Hebrew part, could mean

all kinds of things. But essentially, it means

the center of a person. So something did change

about Saul, without a doubt. Otherwise, the verse

is meaningless. But we can't read into it that

he was regenerated by the Holy Spirit. That would

be to read into the Old Testament, New Testament

language. Before we got here to Samuel, or maybe

we took a break here, but we talked about change,

right? And how does a Christian change? And what

are the means that God gives us for change? And

one of the things we noticed is that in the Old

Testament, that work of the Spirit, that transforming

work of the Spirit that's changing you and me

progressively into to look and to act, to look...

to others by our actions more and more like Jesus.

That work didn't go on in the Old Testament.

We don't have any, well, I guess I can't say

that definitively. What I can say is that we're

not given any evidence of it in the Scriptures.

So maybe it happened, but it wasn't important

enough for us to know about it, and that's fine.

But I think if it was a work of the Spirit in

the Old Testament, I think we would see evidence

of it. Even in the life of David, we don't see,

What you're seeing in the life of Saul. We see

some similar things. In the life of David. He

ends his life. In a pretty bad way. So I mean.

And all the judges. None of them did. What we

would expect them to do. So I want to be. I want

to be a little bit more cautious than you are.

In saying Saul is this bad guy. Or you know.

Of course there's hope for Saul. I mean. Samuel

mentions Jephthah, the guy that sacrifices his

daughter. Jephthah is in the hall of faith in

Hebrews. If there's hope for him, there's hope

for Saul. Saul never did go through with killing

God's anointed, David, even though he chased

him down for years. Are you expecting to see

Saul in heaven when you go? I refuse to pass

judgment on him. I would have to say I'm not

expecting it. Okay. Thankfully, it's not given

to us to be the judge, the jury, and the executioner.

So I'm probably a little more optimistic than

your grandpa. But I'm optimistic even of all

the judges. Left a legacy of chaos. Okay, what

else? Yes. Yeah, I mean, he was a changed man.

Remember, now, the word, I don't know what the

word is in the King James about the spirit coming

on you. When Samuel makes that declaration to

Saul. In verse 6 of chapter 10. Yeah, so he says

the Spirit will come upon him. Yeah, and then

in verse 10 it says, And the Spirit of God came

upon him. There's only three people in the Bible

where that is said. The word literally, and probably

easier, is rushed upon him. So who are those

three people? Anybody know? We've already studied

one of them back in... Samson is one. Saul is

the second. And who's the third? David. Now,

you remember what happened when the spirit rushed

upon Samson. What did he do? Okay, he killed

a bunch of people with what? And then he found

what? A wild and roaring lion that he tore into

pieces. So, what was your question? Okay. So

when the spirit rushed upon Samson, he changed.

Okay. He saw that lion and he tore it to shreds.

Now, was that a lifetime of slow progressive

change? Was that a change that lasted for the

rest of his life? That's where we get into the

question of whether or not we expect to see Saul

in heaven. But he did change. And when Saul changed

here, what did he do? He prophesied. So the change

is evident, and I think it's, but some things

didn't change. But there was a change that happened.

What did everybody else think when it said that

Samuel is going to tell them tomorrow that something

else is on Saul's mind? Did you guys catch that

in chapter 9? In verse 19, For ye shall eat with

me today, and tomorrow I will let thee go, and

I will tell thee all that is in thine heart.

And as for thine asses that were lost three days

ago, set not thy mind on them, they've been found.

What was on Saul's mind? The donkeys? It wasn't

the donkeys. Yeah, the desire of all Israel.

Right. That's right after. That's in verse 20.

19 and then verse 20. No, so that wasn't on his

mind. But that was Samuel's answer to him in

that day. What does that mean? You got any idea

for us? The end of verse 20. And on whom is all

the desire of Israel. Is it not on thee and on

thy father's house? Did we just lose the mic

again? Okay. I'll speak louder. So what does

that phrase mean? So they're fixing their desire

on... They're seeing Saul as the answer to their

demand for a king. I think that's probably most

likely what it is. So it seems peculiar, at least,

that Samuel says to Saul, I'm going to tell you

everything else that's on your heart, and I'm

going to give you a foretaste now that all of

Israel is looking to you as the answer to their

demand for a king. So I'm suspecting that somewhere

in Saul's heart, this idea had already come upon

him that he was going to be a significant figure

in the history of Israel. And he had his eye

on the throne. That's my guess. And the closest

thing to king that we have in this whole section

that we read is when Samuel responds to his uncle

and he says, All he told me about was where the

lost donkeys were. But the narrator tells us

he didn't tell him anything about what Samuel

had told him about the kingdom. Now, so whose

perspective is that from? When you're reading,

you've got to know whose eyes am I seeing this

thing through? And we go back and forth. At the

beginning, we're seeing it through Saul's eyes.

Then we're seeing it through Samuel's eyes. And

then we get the chances to see it also through

God's eyes. And at the end, what we're seeing

is that the perspective from Saul's eyes is that

he withheld from his uncle the information that

he had on his heart about what was going to happen

with the kingdom of Israel. So the only mention,

the closest mention of king, Comes from Saul's

own mind. So. I you know. Why is this all kind

of like. I won't say confusing. Because I don't

think it's confusing. But it's all like mysterious.

And kind of. Not in black and white. Why is that?

Anybody give any thought to that? Why no king?

Why doesn't Samuel just come right out when Saul

walks up like he did when he saw David and say,

behold, the first king of Israel. Why doesn't

he do that? Nobody gave him any thought to that.

Well, I think there's a couple reasons. Number

one, the role of a king in Israel was... What?

Ill -defined? Do we want to use that terminology?

I mean, we had those verses back there in Deuteronomy,

and then Samuel gave instruction. We have allusions

to it back even in the Garden, and then to Abraham

and to Sarah. But, you know, it's yet to be defined.

So what you're seeing here in these chapters

is the very beginnings. of a definition of what

it means to be a king in Israel. And God in his

mercy and in his long suffering just gave opportunity

after opportunity after opportunity to Saul to

reckon himself to the idea that God was the king

and he was going to mediate God's rule to the

people through Saul. So that's what's going on

here. The reason it isn't just come right out

and said is because Saul didn't have any idea

what a king was supposed to be any more than

probably 99 % of the rest of the Israelites.

There was undoubtedly a few that had remembered

or oral traditions that had passed down about

Deuteronomy 17 and expected that... There would

be a king and that king would have the law of

God on his right hand side that he had written

and that everything he did he would check according

to that revealed will of God as he led the people.

So that's one of the reasons that it's kind of

a little bit blurry and doesn't come right out.

What's the other reason? I think probably because

The people demanded it, and they demanded a king

like all the other nations, and they had this

idea in their head the same way that Saul did,

that he was going to be the only authority. And,

you know, I won't say it wasn't God's will, because

we've already heard that God was providentially

working to bring to pass the installation and

the anointing of Saul as king in Israel. But

it wasn't... God's revealed will for the people,

for kingship to come about in this way. And so

I think that's why we don't see just this overwhelming

declarations of joy and glory and rejoicing that

kingship had come to Israel. That's my guess.

It's all full of mystery. Does anybody see any

irony in any of this? I'm so glad you said Paul

because I don't know how many times in my head

I've said Paul. I mean there's nothing in there.

There's nothing in the text that would lead us

to believe that this was some kind of false humility.

I think he probably, I mean, I think he believed

it. Kish was a mighty man of influence. Oh, Kish,

his father was. Yeah, but what do we know about

the tribe of Benjamin? What? They're the worst.

If Saul traced his lineage back, it would be,

how many options would he have for a father?

I think it was 50, right? There was 50 men left

in Benjamin because what? Because they killed

the, where was that guy from? The Ephraimite?

Yeah. Remember? And then all of Israel came upon

him and they killed them all. And they said,

hold on a minute. We got to have 12 tribes here.

And there was 50 of them left, but there was

no women left. And so what was the solution?

They said, sneak up that way. There's going to

be a party. And you 50 guys just go in there

and trick everybody and make them think that

you're here for the party. And then when nobody's

looking, snag you a woman and get back down there

to Benjamin. Now, that's where the tribe of Benjamin

came from. So, I mean, if Saul wouldn't have

been a little bit like just a few hundred years

ago or just a little while ago, all of Israel

was against us, and it was just 50 of us. And

now, yeah, we've lived there, but it's kind of

easy to make money when there's only 50 of you

in this big old territory. All 50 of us are landowners

now. So I think it was probably legitimate. I

don't see any reason for us to question it. It's

the same type of declaration that we've heard

from who? Not in this book necessarily, not in

Samuel, but as you've read your Bible. Who else

said something similar to that? Okay, and who

else? Okay, so those are two pretty good. And

they've said the same thing that Saul has said.

It's been presented to us in the same way as

Moses was. It's 802. Somebody should have hollered

at him. Alright, so next week we will get further

into it. So now you've got some thought. Maybe

you've organized it in your mind a little bit.

And then come prepared. We'll get some good application.

answers, hopefully.