The Anointing of Saul — Chuck Smith

Welcome to the Word for Today, the broadcast ministry of Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, California. Pastor Chuck is currently leading us on a verse-by-verse venture through the entire Bible.

And on today's edition of the Word for Today, we'll be focusing on the anointing of Saul as we pick up in 1 Samuel 10, verse 17. And now, with today's message, here's Pastor Chuck Smith.

Samuel Rebukes Israel for Rejecting God as King

And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mishpah. And he said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt. I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, out of the hand of all of the kingdoms of those that oppressed you.

He again is going to rebuke them for their demand for a king. It stung. It hurt Samuel that the people should ask for a king. And so again, he's going to preach to them a sermon and rebuke them for their request.

God brought Israel out of Egypt. God delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and all of the kingdoms of those that oppressed you. And you have this day rejected your God, who Himself saved you out of all of your adversaries and your tribulations.

And you have said unto Him, No, but set a king over us. Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands. So you've demanded a king and you've rejected God. So present yourself now before God.

This was in order that they might choose by the drawing of the lots that they might publicly now show the choice of God for their king. And so present yourself before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands.

And when Samuel had caused all of the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. When he caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken.

And then Saul, the son of Kish, was taken. So they kept narrowing it down till they came to Saul. But when they sought him, he could not be found. Saul, he inquired of the LORD further, if they should seek for another man.

Saul’s Fearful Hiding from God’s Call

And the LORD answered, Behold, he has hid himself among the stuff. He's over in the chariots, over in the carriages where you got all of your luggage and everything. When the people would gather for these great feasts, they would come from long distance with carts and so forth.

And they would more or less set them up as a defense, like the people that used to come cross country in their covered wagons, they'd set them in a circle more or less as the defense against the enemy.

The Philistines were out there. And so they set the carts and all of these things as sort of a barrier against the Philistines. And here's this guy over hiding, big old six foot five or so hiding over there among the stuff.

This is the first sign of weakness in his character. I know that you might think, wait a minute, you've already pointed out that he's a humble man. Is this not a further sign of the man's humility? No.

When God has called you to a task, to a mission, for you to try to hide from that call of God, from that mission of God is not a sign of humility. It is a sign of folly, of weakness. And so his hiding from the call of God, from being the chosen of God, seeking to hide from that was a sign of weakness.

So they ran and they fetched him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than all of the people from his shoulders and upward. And Samuel said to all the people, see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is none like him among all of the people.

And all of the people shouted and said, God save the king. Now that's the English translation because that's the typical English thing. Literally in the Hebrew, it follows more the French, vive le roi, is let the king live.

Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. So they'd had this great meeting in Mizpah, their king has now been selected and presented to them and they've had this celebration.

God’s Touch on Saul and His Supporters

And Saul also went home to Gibeah. But there went with him a host of men whose hearts God had touched. So again, of all of the things that God is doing for him in preparing him for this ministry and mission, God surrounded him with a host of men whose hearts had been touched by God.

And that is to me one of the most exciting scriptures in the Bible as far as potential is concerned. I know of no more exciting environment that you can be in than an environment of a group of people whose hearts have been touched by God.

I mean, you get a bunch of people hearts touched by God and you can turn a world upside down. Jesus touched the hearts of the disciples and they went out and turned the world upside down. And how glorious it is to gather together with people.

Our hearts been touched by God, we're ready. Whatever Lord, let's go for it. You know, let's turn our world upside down. And to get together with a group of people whose hearts are touched by God is always a thrilling, exciting experience because anything can happen.

But the children of Belial, that is those sons of Satan said, how shall this man save us? And they despised him and they did not bring him any presents. But Saul, using great wisdom rather than creating a schism, just held his peace, let him go.

Nahash and the Threat against Jabesh-Gilead

Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead. And all of Jabesh said unto Nahash, make a treaty with us and we will serve you. Now Jabesh Gilead was on the other side of the Jordan River, the area of the tribe of Gad.

Ammon, the Ammonites, today you call it Ammon. They came from the area of the capital of Jordan today and the capital of Jordan, Ammon, comes from the ancient name of Ammon. The Ammonites have been severely defeated by the Israelites during the period of the judges.

But now, about a hundred years later, they are rising up in power again. Nahash gathers together an army. He comes against this Israelite city of Jabesh Gilead. And the men of Jabesh Gilead, not wanting to fight, offer to surrender.

Let's make a treaty. We'll pay you tribute. We'll be your servants. We don't want to fight you. They realized that they weren't able to meet and to fight against the army of Nahash. And rather than to be wiped out, they took sort of a better red than dead kind of a concept, you know.

We'll just make a treaty with you and we'll be your servants. But Nahash, the Ammonite, perhaps remembering still the history of their defeat by Israel, said, on this condition, will I make a covenant with you that we may thrust out all of your right eyes and lay them as a reproach upon all of Israel.

So okay, we'll make a deal with you, but you know, we're going to thrust out all of your right eyes as a reproach to show our hatred of Israel, to show our disdain for Israel. And the elders of Jabesh said unto them, give us seven days respite, that we may send messengers unto all of the coast of Israel, and then if there is no man to save us, we will come out to you.

We'll let you put out our eyes and, you know, we will serve you. So the messengers came to Gibeah, where Saul was, and they told the tidings in the ears of the people, and all of the people lifted up their voices and were weeping.

Saul’s Anointing and Spirit-Empowered Anger

In other words, when they came to Gibeah with the message, you know, that these guys want to put out our right eyes, you know, or they're going to wipe us out and all, and we'll make a treaty, they want our right eyes.

And the people were all wailing over this. This was horrible. The thought of it was just something that was repulsive, and they began to wail. And Saul was coming after the herd out of the field. He had been plowing out in the field with the yoke of oxen.

Now he had been called to be the king, he had been anointed to be king, he had been proclaimed king, but he goes back out and begins to plow again in the field. I mean, he's not pushing himself into the position.

He's willing to go out and just, you know, do the normal menial thing of plowing in the field. And when he came out of the field and he heard all of the people weeping, he said, what ails the people? Why are they crying?

And they told him the tidings from the men of Jabesh. And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly. Now Saul is the kind of man that can plow and be satisfied to plow until the call of God comes.

And then he's the kind of man that can rise to the challenge and lead the armies of God against the enemy. So the Spirit of God came upon him, and his anger was kindled. And he took a yoke of oxen, and he cut them in pieces.

And he sent them throughout all of the coast of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever will not come forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent as one man.

And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were 300 ,000, and the men of Judah 30 ,000. So he had a sizable army. And they said unto the messengers that came, Go back and tell the men of Jabesh-Gilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will have help.

And the messengers came and showed it to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad. And therefore the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Tomorrow we will come out unto you, and you can do to us all that seems good to you.

You can go ahead and put our eyes out and all. And so they were stalling for one more day. And it was so on the morrow that Saul put the people in three companies, and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch.

He probably had a forced march. It was about 20 miles from Bezek to Jabesh-Gilead. So he probably had a forced march on into the evening, then bedded the men down, had them rest for the night, and then in the morning got up early to come against the men of Ammon in an early morning attack.

Took them by surprise. They came in the morning watch, and they slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day. So about a five-hour battle. And it came to pass that they which remained of the Ammonites were so scattered that not two of them were left together.

Saul’s Mercy after Victory

And the people said unto Samuel, Who is it that said, Shall Saul reign over us? Bring out those men that we might put them to death. So Saul was now pretty much established in the eyes of the people as the true leader and the king.

And they're looking now for these sons of Belial who said, Who is Saul that he should reign over us? They said, Bring those guys out here. We'll kill him, you know. And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day, for today the Lord has wrought salvation in Israel.

So again, Saul shows good judgment here. He's cool. Rather than creating now a sort of a downer. The people are exhilarated because they've defeated the enemy. Saul has led them to victory. He's an obvious leader.

And they begin to recognize him as an obvious leader. And rather than now having a slaughter of their own people, bringing, you know, division within, he says, No, no, let them go, you know. God has been with us.

God has wrought his victory. And he acknowledged the Lord's hand in their victory. Then said Samuel to the people, Come, let's go to Gilgal, and we will renew the kingdom there. This is the Gilgal that was just inside of the border down near Jordan, where the people first camped when they first crossed the Jordan River.

And he brought them down there, the armies, to renew the kingdom. And all of the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. And they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Great celebration as they now receive and accept and acknowledge Saul as their king. And this time of sacrifice and great rejoicing. And so Samuel now addresses the people, and this is pretty much his swan song.

Samuel’s Farewell and Integrity in Leadership

It's obvious that he no longer is to have the position of leader over the people of God. He humbly steps down that Saul might now assume the position of king over Israel. This is Samuel's last public message to the people of Israel.

Now, it is defending himself. As I said, he seemed to be quite sensitive over the fact that they rejected Samuel. He continued to take it rather personally. And so he shows it in this final speech as he talks to the people about the kingdom that they have desired.

Samuel said unto all of Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that you said unto me, and I have made a king over Israel. And now, behold, the king is walking before you, and I am old, gray-headed, and behold, my sons are with you, and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

Sort of the end of the career for Samuel. You remember that when he was just weaned, he was brought by his mother according to her covenant with God, and he was placed there with Eli in the temple of God, and he began ministering in the temple, doing errands.

Now, he's an old, gray-haired man. All of his life, he has walked before the people and before the Lord. He said, Witness against me this day before the Lord, and before his anointed, that is Saul who had been anointed as king, whose ox have I taken, or whose ass have I taken, or whom have I defrauded, whom have I oppressed, or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind my eyes therewith, and I will restore it to you.

And they said, You have not defrauded us nor oppressed us, neither have you taken ought of any man's hand. And he said unto them, The Lord is the witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand.

They answered, He is witness. So he's again affirming the fact that, Look, I was fair, I was honest in my leadership. I want you to testify to that. They said, We testify to that. He could have received, and rightfully so, wages from the people, but he did not.

As we saw earlier, he was sort of a circuit-riding preacher. He would go from Bethel to Gilgal to Shiloh in a circuit ministry. And yet he did not charge the people. And then Samuel said unto the people, It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

God’s Place in Israel’s History

He's going to give them a brief synopsis of their history, but in the proper setting, in the proper light. He's going to show the place of God in their history. I think that it's always good for us to see the place of God in our history.

The history of the United States, what a tremendous place God had in the history and in the birth of this nation. It's tragic when we forget that. It's tragic when we misinterpret our history and we begin to attribute our greatness to something other than God.

We owe our greatness to God. And thus, Samuel is seeking to point out the place of God in their history. It was the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

We'll return with more of our verse-by-verse study of 1 Samuel in our next lesson. As Samuel gives his farewell speech to Israel. And we do hope you'll make plans to join us. But right now, I'd like to remind you that if you missed any part of today's message, or perhaps you'd like to order a copy for that special friend or loved one, you can do so by simply contacting one of our customer service representatives, and they'd be more than happy to assist you with the ordering details.

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That's right here on the next edition of The Word for Today. And now, once again, here's Pastor Chuck Smith.

Applying Saul’s Anointing to the Christian Life

We pray that God will help us to apply now the lessons to our own lives, that we will learn the importance of heeding the warnings of God and learn the importance of obeying God completely, that we might indeed reckon our old life, the nature of the flesh, to be dead, crucified with Christ, that we might experience the anointing of God's Spirit upon our lives and walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh.

May God bless you as you walk with Him this week, and may you indeed yield to the Spirit of God as you face the issues of life, and may you be anointed and strengthened and empowered by that Spirit that He might conform you into the image of Jesus that you might become all God wants you to be as you walk with the Lord this week.

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