Chapter 9
Some genealogy of Saul's father, Kish, is given. We know that Kish is a wealthy man, so Saul grew up with plenty.
2024 - Kish was also a "mighty man of valor", and so likely had a reputation as a man of war, a good man to have on your side in conflict. A man well respected by other men.
Saul, the most handsome of all Israel, and the tallest by his head and shoulders. A very tall, good looking man. Doesn't say how tall exactly, but head shoulders has to be at least 8", more likely 12" taller than any person in the land.
Saul's father sends him and a servant to look for some lost donkeys. They travel a long long way looking. I'm thinking these donkeys are stolen, but I still don't know how they knew in what direction to go looking for them? They get to the end of their rations, and Saul wants to turn back but the servant wants to inquire of a local seer in Zuph. They have a long talk about what to give the Seer in return for his services. Somehow, this servant - this "young man" with Saul - has a quarter of a shekel of silver. Seems rather odd. And if that is all they have, how will they provision themselves for the trip home?
2024 - Also this verse:
6 But he said to him, "Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go." [1Sa 9:6 ESV]. ALL that he says comes true. This is the mark of a true prophet. It was how you knew back then, it is how you know today. Prophets who are correct 60% of the time are false prophets.
There is also this little parentheses:
9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, "Come, let us go to the seer," for today's "prophet" was formerly called a seer.) [1Sa 9:9 ESV]
It seems to have been inserted at some later time to explain to readers what a seer was. Kind of implies that when this book was written, the seers had disappeared and there were only prophets. I need to go back and review the MSB book notes for this book - and also for Ruth, since I took no notes that day.
This also:
12 They answered, "He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place. [1Sa 9:12 ESV]
So they are offering sacrifices at other than Shiloh. If I am reading this right, at this time, the Ark of the Covenant is in Kiriath-jearim. But the altar and the tabernacle and presumably the priests are still in Shiloh. Maybe God has not yet put his name on a place...no...He's told them they can only sacrifice at the tabernacle. So what is this all about?
The MSB note on this verse says the high place was essentially Canaanite in background. He says the high place was used for sacrifices until the temple was built. So It may be, after all, that God has not yet set his name on a place that is to be exclusively used for sacrifices to God. Next, it says that this seer is to bless the sacrifice.
The seer turns out to be Samuel. God has told Samuel, and now confirms, that Saul is to be king.
Note this verse:
16 "Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince (hmm...prince and king interchangeable?) over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me." [1Sa 9:16 ESV]
The last sentence is similar to the kind of thing that preceded the judges previously appointed by God. They were raised up in response to a cry of the people, when they turned back to God, put away the false gods of Baal and the Ashtaroth, and promised to be faithful to God if He would deliver them. Now these same words are used of Saul. I have read other places that Samuel is the last of the judges. So that office is to be replaced by a king. The role previously occupied by a judge will now be performed by a King. But God didn't want Israel to have a king. We have that long section where Samuel warns the people of all the drawbacks and problems and taxation and such that a king will bring that a judge will not. Perhaps God is against the a man being enriched by the people he is supposed to serve! Eventually this will lead to an undercurrent of resistance and antagonism that is not helpful for this role. Wow...this rings true to me. The judges were not supported by the people, but were revered by them. There was no tax due to the judges, no palace to maintain, no fields to plow...judges were just guys, and based on the above, they made enough to support themselves from those who sought their "judgements". A king is a very different thing.
Saul is from the humblest clan of the humblest tribe (Benjamin) of Israel. Recall that this whole tribe was nearly wiped out in the last few chapters of Judges, and only survived by dubious strategies and means. This tribe, descended from the second son of Rachel, and arguably Jacob's favorite, has become the least of all his brothers. Here is what Moses said about Benjamin just before he died:
12 Of Benjamin he said, "The beloved of the LORD dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders."
Samuel gives Saul the choice piece of meat at the banquet, then lets him sleep on his roof for the evening. Samuel wakes him up and walks with him out of town early the next morning.