I SAMUEL 10-11 Lesson # 11
THE SPIRIT, THE CALL: PUBLIC CONFIRMATION
I. Greetings:
Last week, we saw the anointing of Saul to a leadership position by Samuel. This was privately confirmed by God to Samuel and to Saul. However, leadership is a public thing and so we will now see how the leader is publicly confirmed.
The Bible is neither solely on the side of individual religious experience, nor solely on the side of the power of the group’s decisions. It is a wise balance of both. Saul is a good person to study, because he is a quiet, non-aggressive man, whereas David is more his opposite. We will soon see this about his anointing in the up-coming chapters. Samuel, whose call we have already seen, is neither overly non-aggressive or overly aggressive. What all three “call narratives” or stories have in common is the private-public tension. Let’s see what this tension actually is….
II. Public Confirmation By Ceremony: I Samuel 10:17-27.
Q Why do we ordain ministers or install them?
An = Public recognition of the leader’s acceptance by the people.
Q Are public ceremonies like this important or necessary?
An = In some ways it is, lets see why.
>>>> Have someone read I Samuel 10:17-24.
Q What did the casting of “lots” prove?
An = God is the one who selected Saul. The lots were some type of dice that were around the priest’s neck: called the Urim and Thummim. How they worked is not known. What happened was that Saul’s tribe was selected by the lots and then his clan and then his family and then his where-abouts. What is key is that the Lord wanted Saul to have public confirmation of His private selection (given to Samuel). The people of God need to know who the Lord has confirmed.
Q Where was Saul?
An = He was hiding in the baggage (see 10:22). Saul was hesitant to say anything to his uncle in I Samuel 10:16, and he is aware of his position in society in I Samuel 9:21 by claiming that he is from the least of the tribes. We do not have a picture of an arrogant or over-confident man here. He is tall physically but not ego-wise.
>>>> Have someone read I Samuel 10:25-27.
Q Did everyone buy into Saul’s appointment? Why did they disapprove?
An = No, not everyone, because some doubted Saul’s ability to deliver them.
Q Is this normal? Have you ever disagreed with the appointment of a boss or minister or the election of a government official? Did you doubt their ability?
An = Get them to share if they will. If they will not, share a quick example of your own to get them talking.
Q Does the Bible see these men who doubted as wrong?
An = Yes it does, it calls them fools. God had selected Saul by “lot” and by Samuel. Have three different people turn to the following three texts: Exodus 22:28, Titus 3:1, and Romans 13:1-4. Have them read the three texts. One can easily find other texts.
Q Do you like what you have read?
An = Let them answer as they really feel and let them speak their mind. Add after that the Bible does not want us to be blind, stupid, in our submission to authority, but it does not want us negative towards human authority. This is not politically correct or very popular, but God’s Word is clear. We should not have a chip on our shoulders towards authority.
Q For whom is the public ceremony or public installation service: Saul or the people?
An = It would help Saul feel legitimized but maybe it is for the people, just as strongly.
Note: God touched the hearts of some of the valiant men. This is something only God can do.
Q How did Saul react to those worthless ones who did not go along?
An = He just kept silent, remember this.
III. Public Confirmation by the Spirit in Successful Ministry: I Samuel 11.
Note: It is one thing to be ordained or appointed, but it is quite another thing for someone to do their job successfully. We all have experienced ministers, politicians, or bosses at work who have done a poor job as a leader. The later half of chapter 10 has shown us that public ceremonies are not to be despised, for God is at work in them. He had worked through the casting of lots in the ceremony and He had touched the hearts of certain valiant men. In the earlier part of chapter 10 God had privately confirmed Saul to Samuel and given proof to Saul himself. However, private confirmation and public ceremony, no matter how moving, are not enough. There must be a further confirmation, it must happen in life. Here also, God is involved, as he was in the other two steps.
A. The Crisis: A Threat to the Community. I Samuel 11:1-5.
>>>> Have someone read I Samuel 11:1-5.
Q What was the crisis here?
An = East of the Jordan River 2 1/2 tribes of Israel lived. The Ammonites earlier had fought Israel for territory and the Israelites had won (Judges 11). Now it seems they not only wanted to conquer but also humiliate the Israelites by gouging out the right eye of all the males. The Dead Sea Scrolls tell us that this had already been done to other Israelites and some feel that it was common practice for the left eye to be covered by a shield, so with the right eye put out the Israelites would be effectively unable to ever put up much of a fight (Davis, p. 112).
Q Why did the messengers come to Gibeah?
An = Here we see how well the book of Judges is tied in with I Samuel. In Judges 19-21 Jabesh-Gilead had not joined the muster of troops to fight against Benjamin. This city was therefore raided and some of their women given in marriage to Benjamite men. So these two towns were related. The double irony is this: 1) Jabesh-Gilead did not come to the mustering of troops and now they needed the mustering to help them. 2) The group that was fought against for their blatant immorality (Benjamin) is now being asked to be the center of the mustering for salvation for Jabesh-Gilead. This is certainly a double twist (see Brueggemann, p. 84 and Davis, p. 115). Gibeah was the center of coarse immorality, and now it is the center of the hope for salvation.
Note: Saul is not living like a king, but working in the fields.
B. The Resolution to the Crisis: Victory for the Community: I Samuel 11:6-11.
>>>> Have someone read I Samuel 11:6-11.
Q How bold a move was this for Saul to make? What if the troops did not muster? How would Saul and his new kingship have looked?
An = He is very bold here. He risked everything.
Q What changed the timid Saul into an angry, decisive and aggressive ruler?
An = It was the Spirit of God. This goes back to an old Israelite tradition, again in the book of Judges, when the Spirit of God fell on a leader that leader never lost a battle. It was a proof of the anointing of the Spirit of God according to Israelite tradition. It may be disturbing that the Spirit of God can produce rage and anger, and then animate a man to make decisive battle plans, but this is merely one of many such examples in the Scriptures. We would call this righteous anger. The Bible does not condemn it, but says God is the author of it.
Note: What has happened here is that Saul has now been confirmed in the real “push and pull” of life. He was anointed to deliver and now he has indeed delivered the people from oppression. God has confirmed His new king in life by the Spirit. This is somewhat what I believe Chuck Smith means when he says: “If God guides, then God provides”. There has to be more to claiming an anointing than mere private religious experience and public ceremony but also solid proof of deliverance in the lives of God’s people. Leaders are not ordained to rule but to deliver.
C. After the Crisis: Mercy and Joy. I Samuel 11:12-15.
>>>> Have someone read I Samuel 11:12-15.
Q Why did Saul forgive his detractors?
An = Saul realized it was God who had given the victory and mercy should accompany the gracious flow of His mercy to His people. Even notice how when the Spirit of God has really been at work in a body of believers that they are much more likely to forgive those who have insulted them, etc. Also, it appears to say something about Saul’s feeling of security about his position. God had confirmed it. He did not need to nail any of his detractors.
Note: They met publicly again, this time at Gilgal to renew the kingdom. Now all things had been put in place. Private confirmation, public ceremony and divine confirmation in the deliverance of the people, all three were given, and so the people rejoice.
Q If you were a leader or wanting to be one, do you like the pressure of having to be confirmed? What do you think of this?