Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Friday,
We’ve all been to graduation or wedding or retirement ceremonies and celebrations, haven’t we? The common theme of those events is transition to a new future with a great deal of uncertainty for the people involved. I invite you to join me as we witness one of these very significant transitional events for which there was no rehearsal, no user manual, no well-worn path to follow. In fact, this was one of the most significant inaugural events of all time. We find it in 1 Samuel 10 in the Bible.
Yesterday I left you with the old prophet Samuel and a young man named Saul whom Samuel had only met a few hours before. They are standing near the edge of the town in which they have met. Samuel has been on a mission trying to find what man, in all the nation of Israel, might be the right man to be the first King of Israel. The elders had come to Samuel almost demanding a change in the governance of their nation. No longer did they want to be a people for whom the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was their King.
These elders demanded a human King so they could be like all the other nations around them. (1 Samuel 8:19,20) It was a terrible mistake, but God would not force Himself or His will upon His people, and so God had identified to His old, reliable prophet Samuel, that this young man Saul was to be commissioned by Samuel as Israel’s first King.
Saul had no idea about all this. Saul had been on a search mission looking for a herd of runaway donkeys which belonged to his father Kish. I presume these donkeys were essential in his father’s business. Saul had come to this town where Samuel was, at the urging of his servant after three days of searching had turned up no clues as to the whereabouts of the donkeys.
The servant had said to Saul “In this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected and everything he says comes true. Let’s go to him. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.” (1 Samuel 9:6) God had led Samuel to Saul and they’d had a meal together. Saul had overnighted in this town and now Samuel was about to tell Saul that God had spoken to Samuel and identified Saul as the man the elders would welcome as their King. Samuel knew it would be a shock to Saul.
Of course, Saul knew nothing about the elders’ request or that Samuel had been searching for a man suitable to be King, while Saul had been searching for donkeys! But as Samuel the prophet and young Saul stood looking out over the landscape of Israel, Samuel suddenly did an amazing and shocking thing that I’m sure took Saul’s breath away!
1 Samuel 10:1 says: “Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head saying, ‘Has not the LORD anointed you leader over His inheritance? When you leave me today, you will meet two men on the road near Rachel’s tomb… They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about donkeys and is worried about you.” For us this pouring of oil seems like a very strange thing, but for Samuel and Saul it was very significant.
In the history of Israel anointing with oil was a very sacred act setting a person or a thing aside, consecrated to God, for God’s use in whatever way would bring God great glory. Moses had done it when assembling the Tabernacle for the first time, pouring oil on all the sacred, gold fabricated, artifacts of worship. (Exodus 40:9) Moses had also poured oil on his brother Aaron’s head, consecrating Aaron as the first High Priest of Israel. (Leviticus 8:10-12)
The words Samuel spoke to Saul were very significant for such a specific, clear prediction of what would soon take place, could only be made by a prophet of God, under the anointing of God, giving Samuel both insight into the future and a very clear commissioning message from God for this man Saul.
As you read the ensuing verses in 1 Samuel 10, you’ll see Samuel gave Saul even more specific predictions for the days ahead, about people Saul would encounter, things they would say or do, and how Saul should react. Then Samuel spoke these shocking words to Saul: “The Spirit of the LORD God will come upon you in power, and you will prophecy, and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hands find to do, for God is with you.” (1 Samuel 10:3-7) I believe Samuel paused there for a few moments, allowing Saul time to absorb this remarkable prediction that would result in Saul’s transformation.
What exactly Samuel meant by the words “you will be changed into a different person” we do not know. We do know the change in Saul would be a work of the Holy Spirit of God, somewhat similar to the change which takes place as a person in our day trusts Jesus Christ to be their Savior and the Holy Spirit of God regenerates a new spiritual nature in them and comes to live within them.
This event with Saul is one of several Old Testament examples of the Holy Spirit empowering, anointing, and guiding a person for a specific work God has called them to do. It had happened 200 years before when the Holy Spirit came upon Gideon (Judges 6:34) and again several years after this time with Saul when the Holy Spirit came upon David. (1 Samuel 16:13)
As Samuel and Saul neared the end of their remarkable experience that day, Samuel gave Saul one more important instruction: “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you there, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.” (1 Samuel 10:8) This was a test. Samuel was watching to see if Saul had a spirit willing to receive God’s guidance. No human being had ever been King over Israel before.
There was no path for Saul to follow, yet Samuel was the man of God who for perhaps 60 years had been the man God guided so Samuel could be the judicial and spiritual leader of Israel. No one was more qualified than Samuel to coach Saul and give him God’s instructions in this new role of King over Israel.
What happened next is very significant: “As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.” (1 Samuel 10:9) Let’s pause right here my friends, watching Saul walk down the dirt road toward Gilgal. While we see no physical change in him, something very powerful is happening inside Saul as his mind and heart undergo a significant spiritual change. Tomorrow we’ll look more closely to see what that means, and Saul responded to God’s amazing work in his life.
For today, I have an important question… has God changed your heart recently? Is there something significant God is teaching you? Is God guiding you in your life purpose and are you following Him obediently? Here’s a worship song to help us consider what God can do in any person who yields to HIM to let God change his heart…
Today’s Scripture is 1 Samuel 10:1-9.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.