1 Samuel 9:11-21

Samuel and Saul Meet. 1 Samuel 9:11-21

Samuel and Saul Meet. 1 Samuel 9:11-21

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?

12 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:

13 As soon as ye 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.

14 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.

15 Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
16 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.

17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.
18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.

19 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.

20 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 all thy father's house?

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?

9.

Did Samuel know Saul was coming? 1 Samuel 9:11-17

On the day before the meeting, Jehovah had told Samuel that the man whom he was to anoint as captain over his people was coming to him. God in His overruling providence directed Saul's way so that he came to Samuel. God's displeasure at the desire of the people was really a displeasure with the state of their heart from which the desire had sprung. Since the Philistines were making fresh attacks upon Israel, God was directing the affairs of His kingdom so that a strong deliverer would be raised up from among them.

10.

What was the high place? 1 Samuel 9:12

The name of the town Ramah means a high place. About three miles north of Gibeah and six miles from Jerusalem a high hill rises from the right side of the road. This is crowned with the village called Er Ram. This is taken to be the site of ancient Ramah. Israel's Canaanite neighbors had high places where they planted groves and set up images and idols. There is no evidence that Israel was falling into these idolatrous practices, but no doubt they would build an altar in a prominent place. It thus would be known as high place.

11.

What city was this? 1 Samuel 9:14

Samuel evidently did not live in the town where Saul met him. He had only come to it in order to hold a sacrificial feast as he did in Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16:1). This is true even though Samuel did honor Saul by having him as his guest. They appeared to sleep under the same roof, but both were probably guests in another man's home. Some commentators assume that he had a house at his command for any time that he might be in the area, such as was provided for Elisha (2 Kings 4). The town where Saul met Samuel was probably southwest of Bethlehem.

12.

Why was Saul anointed king? 1 Samuel 9:16

God had told Samuel that he was sending a man to him. This man was to be anointed captain over Israel. God was doing this in order to save His people out of the land of the Philistines. This makes Saul's call to the office of king similar to the call of Moses to be the leader of his people when they were in captivity in Egypt.

13.

Why was Samuel in the gate of the city? 1 Samuel 9:18

The prophet was evidently greeting the people who came to the city for the sacrificial feast. The custom of the people was to congregate in the broad area near the entrance of the city. Much of their business was conducted here, and many incidental and providential meetings have occurred here (Genesis 19:1).

14.

How did Samuel prepare Saul for the anointing? 1 Samuel 9:18 ff.

At the feast that night, Saul was Samuel's guest and greatly honored. As they retired, Samuel promised that on the morrow he would tell Saul all that was on his heart. This included more than the safety of the animals for which he had been seeking, inasmuch as Samuel told Saul all these things immediately. As they talked, Samuel asked a perplexing question that brought a humble answer from Saul. Samuel said, To whom belong the desirable things of Israel? It is not to thee and to thy father's house? Saul replied that he was a member of the least of Israel's tribes and that his clan was least among his tribesmen. All this must have caused Saul a sleepless night pondering all that had taken place.