SAMUEL IS A PIVOTAL FIGURE in one of the most critical historical periods in the rise of Israel to national status, as the four-hundred-year rule of the judges swiftly transitions from a theocracy to a monarchy. He is simultaneously priest, prophet, and judge. His life and mission are inextricably interwoven with the lives and missions of both Saul and David, Israel’s first two kings, during the 11 th and 10 th C. B.C. Samuel is also human, with strong feelings associated with his relationships with both men. Additionally, he is torn by his feelings of responsibility before God.
Saul was God’s choice to put in place as king when the people came to Samuel and demanded one: “Appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” (1 Sam. 8:5) Samuel was not in favor of this, but “the LORD told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.’” (1 Sam. 8:7) Despite his earlier misgivings, Samuel blesses Saul per God’s command. He “took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you leader over his inheritance?” (1 Sam. 10:1)
Saul had misgivings, but later, after Samuel told Saul of what was to come, “God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying.” (1 Sam. 10:9) Still later, when it was time for Saul to be revealed, strangely, he had “hidden himself among the baggage. They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others. Samuel said to all the people, ‘Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.’ Then the people shouted, ‘Long live the king!’” (1 Sam. 10:23-24) And the people got what they asked for.
Saul rose in power, gaining some initial small victories that consolidated his early reign, followed by larger triumphs that extended his power, and his tenure—he eventually ruled for forty years. But along the way, he lost Samuel’s confidence, especially after failing to carry out the prophet’s direct word from God to Saul. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” (1 Sam. 13:14-15)
The next events occur less than half-way through Saul’s reign as king. With them begins a long and twisted tale of three lives. First, Saul fails once again to carry out a word from the Lord, and God has had enough. “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” (1 Sam. 15:11) Samuel confronts Saul in the midst of his excuses. “Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” (1 Sam. 15:16) And after reciting a full litany of Saul’s many failures, he says, “Why did you not obey the Lord?” (1 Sam. 15:19) And, finally, he delivers the Lord’s judgment: “Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” (1 Sam. 15:23)
Samuel’s mixed emotions uncharacteristically left him—always a strong leader—not knowing what to do. Then, “The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel?’” (1 Sam. 16:1a) This was the clarification Samuel needed, and he was then ready to hear God’s command. “Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” (1 Sam. 16:1a) Samuel begins to interview the sons, the first being Eliab, whose height apparently initially influenced Samuel, perhaps because Saul had been so tall. But God said, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7) Samuel interviews all the sons, but the Lord is silent. “So he asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have? There is still the youngest,’ Jesse answered, ‘but he is tending the sheep.’ Then the Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; he is the one.’ (1 Sam. 16:11, 12b) Samuel does what the Lord has sent him to do. “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.” (1 Sam. 16:13)
From this day forward, Saul becomes a tormented man, and, since he is king with unrestricted powers, a very dangerous man. Samuel begins to walk a very fine tightrope. He continues to try to influence Saul’s decisions for the benefit of the nation, even knowing that David is to be the future king, “a man after God’s own heart . ” (1 Sam. 13:14) Samuel arranges circumstances for David to receive favor in Saul’s court, even though this poses a real danger to David, and therefore also to him; it is, however, necessary in order to bring David not just to prominence, but to national prominence in order to further God’s plan, something Samuel is very sensitive to. David kills Goliath, and his heroic story immediately receives national attention. He has successes in battle, and at first Saul is pleased, but a song begins: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” (1 Sam. 18:7) In a drunken rage, Saul throws a spear, intending to kill David. And so begins a power struggle, and who is it to be? Saul, the present king, David, the future king, or God, king over all? And Samuel is at the center of it all.
It is a vivid story that does not so much capture our attention, but commands it. Woven through it all is the theme of knowing and doing God’s will, something that is imperative as much in our age as in this time of Israel’s history, or at any time in all of history. And sometimes, either you or I may be at the center of something that calls for a careful examination of God’s will, and the part we play in it. Let this be our guide: “Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.” (Psa. 119:2)
Q. Am I vacillating in responding to God’s anointing over my life?
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