Old Testament - 1 Samuel 8 & 9 - June 13, 2022

1 Samuel 8 & 9

1 Samuel 8

Populations of people can have many different types of government. The scriptures show us that a theocracy (a government by immediate directions of God through his ministers and representatives) is His preferred government. This works wonderfully when the head of the government is righteous. Examples: Abraham, Moses, Lehi, Nephi…and with Christ’s second coming, it will be Jesus.  But at this time in 1 Samuel, it is Samuel.

It is sad to learn that just as Eli’s sons refused to follow the laws of the Lord, and did much damage to others because of their behavior, now Samuel’s sons “walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment” (v 3)  His sons were not the only ones who were pulling themselves away from the Lord. Many of the Israelites were no longer following the Lord’s commandments. They had become weak and sinful and envious of the kingdoms around them who were ruled by kings, and were now coming to Samuel, asking for a king to rule over them.

In v 7 “…the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”  The Lord will grant our good desires—but it’s up to us to be sure that our desires include following Him and His commandments. 

In v’s 10-18, Samuel is trying to remind the people of all the ways that kings can take their freedom, their fields, their children, their possessions…. And then v 19 tells us “Nevertheless the people  refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations”

Samuel goes to the Lord with his concerns about the Israelites “And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king….”

The Lord tells Samuel to grant their desires. Since they will not willing follow His commandments, they will have to learn their lessons through their own misfortune, when the easier, and safer way, would have been to follow the prophets—in their actions and their desires!

1 Samuel 9

Saul is the man chosen to be their king. He was “a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he;” And he was physically “goodly”: “from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.” (v 2) This chapter goes on to point out many of the qualities that made Saul the logical candidate to be Israel’s first king. We learn he was honest, reliable, considerate of his parents, and he had amazing physical attributes.

Saul is also the man the Lord would have to be the ruler of Israel: “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; …” (v 16)

Now Saul shows up. He is merely doing his father’s business, trying to find the asses of his father that had strayed away. He had no idea or warning that his life would soon change drastically. 

After much searching with no results, Saul went to Samuel, the prophet,  in his last effort to locate his father’s last asses, for he knew that the man of God would be able to show him the “way that we should go” (v 6)  Samuel tells him where to find the asses, and tells him that “tomorrow I will…tell thee all that is in thine heart.” 

Saul can’t understand why he is being so honored by Samuel: “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?” (v 21)  Saul is humble man, and a man who recognizes the prophet Samuel as a man of God.