Three Signs of Saul's Anointing
Chapter 10 records the words that Samuel spoke to Saul. "The Lord has
anointed you to be Prince over Israel." Then Samuel took a bottle of oil and
anointed the head of Saul. To further assure Saul of his calling, he told him
of 3 signs that Saul would observe on the way home. The following describe
those signs:
- First, he would see two men beside Rachel's Tomb at Zelzah in the
inheritance of Benjamin. What was significant about this? Rachel
was the mother of Benjamin. She died at his birth. The Lord was
preaching a sermon to Saul. It was on mortality. Saul had just
received the promise of a crown, yet, he must also think of his
mortality. Even kings are only mortals. Saul forgot this later in
his life. The two men would reiterate what Samuel had told him
about the donkeys being found and that his father was concerned
about him.
- Secondly, he would come to the Plain of Tabor where the large oak
was. There he would see 3 men going to worship God at the Alter at
Bethel. One would have 3 goats, one 3 loaves of bread and the other
a bottle of wine. The one with the bread would offer Saul 2 of the
loaves and Saul was to take them. Now what was the significance of
this? Here Saul was to experience the "highs" and the "lows" of
mortality. The gift of bread, normally what was given to a beggar
but in this case a sacrifice fit for God. Saul would need to
remember the time when he had received alms and the time when he had
received that which was fit to be offered to God, both being the
same.
- Thirdly, he would come to Gibeath-Elohim (God's Hill) where there
would be a garrison of Philistines soldiers. He would meet there a
band of Prophets coming down the hill playing a harp, a tambourine,
a flute and a lyre. They would be preaching. (Since it was Samuel
that had just defeated the Philistines, we can only suppose that it
was he who allowed the Garrison to camp there, in a peaceful mode.
The hill, called "God's Hill", had a school for Prophets built upon
it. These Prophets were not, at this time, being used by the Lord
to prophesy. They employed themselves in the study of the Law,
teaching and acts of charity.) At the time that Saul saw the
Prophets, the "Spirit of the Lord" would come upon him. This was
similar to Pentecost. Saul was never the same after this until the
Lord removed His Spirit later because of Saul's disobedience. Saul
joined up with Prophets and together they prophesied. Word got
around about this. Like Christ, Saul was not accepted in his
hometown. "Can Saul be a Prophet with a father like he has?" All
of his life people asked, "Is Saul a Prophet too?"
All these occurred as the Prophet Samuel had said it would to Saul on his
way home.
Chapter 10 ends with the choosing of a King of Israel. God had already
chosen a king and Samuel knew it but there was a procedure that he had to go
through. Samuel called the tribal leaders together at Mizpah. There, by the
"casting of lots", the Tribe of Benjamin was chosen, then the Matrite Family
was chosen and finally, Saul was chosen. When they went to look for Saul, they
could not find him for he was hiding in the luggage. When they found him they
brought him out and Samuel declared him to be the king that God had chosen.
Then all the people shouted, "Long live the King".
Then Samuel told the people what the rights and privileges of a king were,
repeating what was written in Chapter 8:11 and he wrote it down so there would
be no excuses on the part of the people, then he sent them home.
Then Saul returned home to Gibeah and a group of men whose hearts had been
touched by the Lord, became his constant companions. But, as is often the
case, there were those who did not like him saying, "How can this man save
us". Can any good thing come out of Gibeah?
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