1 Samuel 9:1 – 27 “Now there was a Benjamite, a powerful man, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. And he had a son named Saul, choice and handsome, without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the people.
One day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.” So Saul passed through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the land of Shalishah, but did not find the donkeys. He and the servant went through the region of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they went through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.
When they reached the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, “Come, let us go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.” “Look,” said the servant, “in this city there is a man of God who is highly respected; everything he says surely comes to pass. Let us go there now. Perhaps he will tell us which way to go.”
“If we do go,” Saul replied, “what can we give the man? For the bread in our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said “I have here in my hand a quarter shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God, and he will tell us our way.”
(Formerly in Israel, a man on his way to inquire of God would say, “Come, let us go to the seer.” For the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.) “Good,” said Saul to his servant. “Come, let us go.” So they set out for the city where the man of God was. And as they were climbing the hill to the city, they met some young women coming out to draw water and asked, “Is the seer here?”
“Yes, he is ahead of you,” they answered. “Hurry now, for today he has come to the city because the people have a sacrifice on the high place. As soon as you enter the city you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him.” So Saul and his servant went up toward the city, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel coming toward them on his way up to the high place.
Now on the day before Saul’s arrival, the LORD had revealed to Samuel, “At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him leader over My people Israel; he will save them from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.” When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke; he shall rule over My people.”
Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?” “I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today. And when I send you off in the morning, I will tell you all that is in your heart. As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them, for they have been found. And upon whom is all the desire of Israel, if not upon you and on all your father’s house?”
Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of Benjamin? So why would you say such a thing to me?”
Then Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them into the hall, and seated them in the place of honor among those who were invited—about thirty in all. And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you and told you to set aside.”
So the cook picked up the leg and what was attached to it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “Here is what was kept back. It was set apart for you. Eat, for it has been kept for you for this occasion, from the time I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul dined with Samuel that day. And after they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof of his house.
They got up early in the morning, and just before dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get ready, and I will send you on your way!” So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went outside together.
As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for a while, and I will reveal to you the word of God.” So the servant went on.”
The Israelites have demanded a king, and God is going to grant that request. The first man God selects as king is Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was one of the smaller tribes; however, Saul is tall, handsome, and extremely good – looking. God wants to make sure the Israelites will not reject Saul on the basis of his appearance. Saul LOOKS like a king!
Why does Saul’s servant talk about giving the seer bread or money? Traditionally, anyone requesting a prophecy or prayer would give the prophet some token of appreciation. While a quarter of a shekel of silver doesn’t seem like much, it was actually 2.85 grams of silver. At today’s prices, the value would be $2.97. Evidently, it’s the intention that counts and not the actual amount.
God has already informed Samuel that He will bring a man from the land of Benjamin, and when Saul shows up, God confirms to Samuel that Saul is the future king of Israel. Saul has already saved back part of the meat from the sacrifice and now invites Saul to eat with him, seating him in the place of honor among thirty invited guests The portion of meat reserved for Saul is described by many commentators as the royal portion, or the portion of honor. The right shoulder was reserved for the priests, so the left shoulder might have been Samuel’s portion. Samuel is already honoring Saul as God’s choice for king even before he informs Saul of that fact.
APPLICATION: What must Samuel have felt like when God told him to select Saul and to honor Saul as he did? Samuel was the prophet, the seer, the one for whom everybody waited. Samuel had ministered for years. Now Samuel was honoring Saul, a young man he’d never even met until now.
Today the world is full of self – styled prophets who are fond of pronouncing “Thus says the Lord” in quavering voices, particularly when backed up by a keyboard player emphasizing every word with a different chord or arpeggio. But the test of a true prophet is whether or not the prophecy comes true, and whether or not the prophet honors the Lord more than he/she honors himself/herself. God has chosen Saul to be king of Israel, and Samuel is already obeying God by honoring Saul, even before anointing him as king. Samuel has given Saul the seat of honor and the best portion of the animal sacrifice. What must those other 30 people in Samuel’s dining room have thought when they witnessed this? Did some of those city elders later remember this day when Saul was actually anointed as king?
The late Kathryn Kuhlman had a fantastic ministry of healing that also included prophecy; however, she always gave credit to God for anything good that happened during her crusades. One individual described a Kathryn Kuhlman service this way:
“Kathryn Kuhlman—Hundreds have been healed just sitting quietly in the audience without any demonstration whatsoever. None. Very often not even a sermon is preached. There have been times when not even a song has been sung.
“No loud demonstration, no loud calling on God as though He were deaf. No screaming, no shouting, within the very quietness of His presence. There were hundreds of times when the presence of the Holy Spirit was so real that one could almost hear the rhythm as thousands of hearts beat as one.”1
In this rapt silence a voice speaks, “I—ah…belieeeeeeeve—ah—in—ah merrrrrrricals—ah!” Suddenly the applause is deafening as thousands watch a tall, slim figure emerge from the shadows in a white, frothy gown. She glides to center stage, and another Kathryn Kuhlman miracle service is underway.
In her international ministry, Miss Kuhlman laid a foundation for the workings of the Holy Spirit in the lives of countless thousands throughout the world. Her unique ministry shifted the focus of the body of Christ from the outward show of the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit back to the GIVER of the Gifts, the Holy Spirit.”
“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” From the time Samuel was a young boy, he always listened and obeyed God promptly, even when it was difficult. Some people have criticized Samuel because his sons were rascals; however, throughout the ages, there have been faithful believers whose children have rebelled. Now near the end of Samuel’s ministry, he was demonstrating once more that God’s will was all – important and that he refused to allow his ego to interfere with carrying out God’s commands.
There is a temptation associated with aging – the temptation to demand respect, whether or not it is deserved. But how many of us would be willing to follow Samuel’s example and honor someone young and unknown simply because God said so? May God help us to follow His leading, no matter what the cost to our egos!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to listen for your voice and to obey, no matter the cost. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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