1 Samuel, Chapter 9 - The First King of Israel | Prophets of Israel Daily

[music] Shalom friends. Welcome to the Prophets of Israel Daily. This is 1st Samuel [music] chapter 9 brought to you by the land of Israel network at the land of Isisrael.com. Ari, how are you? >> Good. Jeremy, good to see you. >> It's good to be here. And if you're enjoying the journey through the prophets, you can find all of the Prophets Israel daily series on the land of Isisrael.com. And so now, let's dive in. This chapter, we meet the first king of Israel, Shaul, Saul. And so before we dive in, I really want to go into the essence here. In Hebrew, Sha literally means asked for as if he's the one, the king that Israel requested. Sha also means in Hebrew borrowed. And so in that way, Shaul is the borrowed king. He's a king on loan. He was never really fully owned by Israel as their true eternal king. He was given to Israel temporarily, almost like a borrowed garment of kingship. And the monarchy begins with him. His kingship is real, but it's on load. It's not really lasting. And he's strikingly good-looking. He's tall. He's head and shoulders above the rest of Israel. He's from the tribe of Benjamin, the son of Rachel. And here, I really want to talk about a prophetic template. People talk about the redemption coming in two stages, two phases, two eras. And the stories of the Tanakh, they're not just our history, but they are prophecy. And this really is the root of the prophecy of the idea of Mashiach ben Ysef and Mashiach ben Davided the Messiah son of Joseph and the Messiah son of David. That idea is rooted in these chapters of the book of Samuel. First Messiach Ben Ysef. There's King Saul from the tribe of Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, the son of Rachel. He comes first and then comes King David from the house of Judah, the son of Leia. And it's a prophetic template for our generation. And I want to learn these chapters as a guide. And we'll see that there are truly two stages unfolding in the redemption in Israel today. And the two phases are expressed themselves as prophecy in the Tanakh. And so there will be a period of Saul and only then will there be a period of David. And the two phases in this historic process, they are happening in Israel now. And we're living in the transition between the two phases. We're ending the era of Saul today in the land of Israel. And soon we'll be entering into the era of Messiah Benavid. And that's why these chapters in the prophets are so important for our generation. So let's begin. The story opens with an introduction. Verse one. There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, son of Aiel, a son of Tor, son of Burat, son of Afak, a Benjaminite, a mighty man of power. And he had a son whose name was Sha Saul, a young man and good. And there was not a man among the people of Israel more good than he. From his shoulders upward, he was taller than all the other peoples. All right. So, I want to point this out because the Hebrew is lost and a lot of times it's just lost in translation. The Hebrew says to me, most translations say that he was handsome, more handsome than anyone else in Israel. And that's just not what it says. It says to he was bakur and to he was a good young man. No one in Israel was more good than him. And so I'm not taking away from the interpretation that tove may mean good in the eyes of the nations. Tall, impressive, handsome. Okay, fine. Um, that's what a king is supposed to be. Exactly what the people imagine a king should look like. They asked for a king to be like all other nations in Sha. Here you go. You got it. But I want to point out that it's undeniable that the other person in all of Tanakh that's described as to as good is Moses when he was born. And it says to she saw him and he was to he was good. So that frame seeing Saul as good is critical because that's the truth that Tanakh is giving over. God wouldn't choose a slouch as the first king of Israel. He wouldn't choose just anyone. He chose someone good because he's good and he wants good for Israel. And it's important to see Saul really as he was at the beginning. He had a good heart and he was a good man. >> Yeah. And I think the genealogy, Jeremy, I think that matters here, too. You know, Saul is from the tribe of Benjamin, like you said, the smallest tribe, the one that was nearly wiped out in the civil war at the end of the judges, right? The catastrophe in Giva, Plegish, biga. Uh Benjamin was almost erased from Israel. And now the first king comes from there. That's not an accident. Hashem has a long memory, right? He has a he has a habit of raising things up from the very place that was considered finished. the tribe that almost ceased to exist produced the very first king. Um, and you know, just I I guess just after such a devastating event, there is something comforting in that. There's something merciful in that. Yeah, that's true. And the truth is that raim that mercy is embedded in the very structure of the story and it's going to keep on echoing throughout the chapter. But this is how the story begins. Verse three. Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And Keith said to Saul, his son, take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys. And Saul goes, he searches through the hill countries of Ephrine, through the land of Benjamin. 3 days of searching, and there's no donkeys. And it's a certain point, Shaol turns to his servant and says, verse 5, "Come, let us return lest my father cease caring about the donkeys and become worried about us." three days of searching and there's just nothing to show for it. And Saul is ready to give up and go home. And he's not dramatic about it. He's not angry. He's just being practical. He's like, "Look, we've looked everywhere. It's just time to go back." And then the servant says something that's really unique because it's the servant that has an inclination toward the spiritual and not Saul. Uh verse six, behold, there is a man of God in this city and he is an honorable man. All that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go. I think this detail adds just another dimension getting to know Saul from the beginning. And it seems like he's just not someone who naturally turns toward the divine. He's practical. He searches with his own strength for 3 days. And when that fails, he's ready to go home. And it takes someone else to redirect him toward the prophet and toward Hashem. And that pattern of Saul relying on himself, needing to be pointed toward Hashem by others, it's a hint for what's to come. And so, he's a good man, but he's not David. He's not naturally inclined after God's heart. So, then the story continues, and they're climbing up the road to the city, and they meet a young woman coming out to draw water, and they ask about the sear, and the woman gives them detailed directions. He's here. He's just arrived. There's a sacrifice today at the high place. Go quickly. You'll find him there. Verse 13. Go up for you will meet him immediately. Everything is being lined up. The lost donkeys, the three days, the servant's suggestion, the young woman at the well. Samuel happens to prepare an offering exactly as they come for a feast. and everything is seemingly a random encounter, but it's a step that's carefully being arranged in a sequence of events for Sha. And Saul thinks he's looking for donkeys, and God is preparing him to be anointed as king. >> Yeah. Actually, Jeremy, I want to zoom in on that for a second because um you know, this little piece of the story with the young women, it's it's actually a uh it's a well scene. Not well like good. I mean, well, like a well of water, a well scene. And in the Torah, every time a significant figure meets a young woman at a water source, something decisive is about to happen, right? Isaac's servant finds Rebecca at a well. Jacob meets Rachel at a well. Moses meets Sepora at a well. So, there's a well here. So, we probably need to be paying attention. Uh, these young women give Saul more information than he asked for, right? Just like you said, the timing, the sacrifice, the urgency, and and like many of us when we encounter divine signs, he doesn't recognize it in the moment. But here, talking to these young women at the water, this is a a destiny moment. And I think it's true in our lives, too, that, you know, it's happened to me. A stranger says exactly the right thing in exactly the right moment. And only later, if I'm even fortunate, do I look back and realize they were sent, right? We we rarely recognize the messengers while they're delivering the message. It looks like a coincidence from inside the moment. Only from outside when we look backwards do we really see the providence in it. And I think that's what happened here. >> Yeah. It's like a destiny moment. And he's still just asking for directions. And everything is being lined up. And so they enter the city. Hashem already spoke to Samuel the night before. God told him in 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 ruler over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines." So [snorts] Samuel's ready. He's been told, he's waiting. And when Sha appears in verse 17, you can see so when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, "There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you, this one shall reign over my people." Samuel sees him and Hashem confirms it in real time. That's the man. And then Saul walks up to Samuel, not knowing who he is, and asks him for directions to the seer's house. And Samuel says, "I'm the seer. Come with me to the high place tonight. you should eat with me tomorrow. I'll tell you what's on your heart. And right before this, the text explains that a prophet used to be called a ro, a seer. And then Samuel says, I'll tell you what's in your heart. That is the meaning of a true seer. It's not just someone who sees lost objects. Not someone who predicts events, but someone who can see the inner world of a person. And then he lets Sha know, by the way, the donkeys you lost three days ago, they've already been found. Don't worry about them. And then Samuel says something that had to have hit Sha hard. Verse 20. And to whom does all that is desirable in Israel belong. Is it not to you and your father's house? And he's like giving him a sneak peek. Everything belongs to you, the kingdom of Israel, all of it for you, for your house. And Saul's response is just obviously just genuinely humble. Verse 21. Am I not a Benjaminite from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why have you spoken to me in this way? And he doesn't say, well, you know, I've always knew that I was meant for something great. He's not like I He has no idea of the potential that he has. And he tells Samuel, "You have the wrong man. I'm from the smallest tribe, the humblest clan. Why are you talking to me like that?" >> And Jeremy, I want to say that, you know, here is where the story uh breaks your heart a little bit. At least my heart. Because this Saul, you know, the Saul of chapter 9 is genuinely just beautiful. He's a beautiful person. He's humble. He's not ambitious. He wasn't seeking power. This came to him. It happened to him. He didn't ask for it. He was looking for donkeys. He defers to his servant. He worries about going home to his father. He's in this moment. actually what you would really want in a leader. And yet we know reading ahead what this man is going to become. Which is exactly why this chapter matters so much because we need to see this. We need to hold on to this image of Saul and who he was at the beginning. Not so we can mourn him but so we can understand him correctly. He was he was never an evil character. He was a tragic one. And there's a world of difference between those two things. The seeds of greatness are right here and they're fully present. But somewhere along the road from chapter nine to the end of the story, something in Saul is going to harden and close. But not yet here. He's still open, right? He's still soft. He's still genuinely asking, "Why me?" Yeah, why me? You know, it's asked in humility here, but that question is going to look very different later, but just not yet. Anyways, so Shol, he's been wandering for three days. He ran out of food. And now Samuel brings Saul and his servant into the hall where 30 guests were invited already gathered for sacrificial meal. And he sits Saul at the head of the table. The best portion set aside by the cook. It's placed before him. Samuel tells him it was reserved for you. It's been waiting here. And I know I'm just so curious what was going on through Sha's mind right now during the meal. He's like, what is going on here? And then the chapter ends with Samuel and Saul going up to the roof together. They talk there in the open air, just the two of them. And that's actually my favorite part of the chapter. Samuel and Saul develop a deep relationship. Samuel is broken and mourns when Saul loses the kingdom. And it's a kind of relationship that King David never has with Samuel. And it all starts here. And it doesn't tell us exactly what they talked about, but this is where Samuel's love for Saul started. And so Samuel said he would talk to him about his heart. And now they're actually having a heart-to-he heart conversation. And I think it's important to point out that Samuel brings him to the roof. And in Hebrew, the verse says Sha al-hag. And in Hebrew to he speaks to him on the roof, Alhag. In Hebrew, it's it sounds like he's speaking to him al aag, the king of the Amalachites that ultimately brought the downfall of Saul. So that heartto-he heart goes very deep. I mean all the way to the core. And in the morning, Samuel calls Saul to rise and walks with him to the edge of the city and he sends his servant to go ahead and he says, "Stand here. I have a word of God for you." And the chapter closes with that cliffhanger. The beginning of the kingdom is one breath away. But for that, you're going to need to tune in tomorrow for chapter 10 with Ari. And so I just want to end with this one thought. And I think about all the moments in our lives that felt like just wasted time. The detours, the dead ends, the three-day searches that turned up nothing. And Samuel chapter 9 says, you know, there may be seasons in life where you feel lost, but remember with Hashem's guidance, those three days of wandering in the wrong direction, they may deliver you exactly to the right place, exactly at the right time. And so sometimes the donkeys had to be lost so that you would end up exactly where God needed you to be. And so if you followed us this far into the journey toward the kingdom of Israel, there is a community, a global community that comes together every week. We talk about it all the time and I see that more and more people that are learning the prophets with us keep on joining because we are doing nothing less than building the kingdom of Israel together in the land of Israel from around the world. Come on and join us at the land of Israel fellowship. You can find out everything you need to know at the [music] land of Isisrael.com my friends. We will see you [music] tomorrow for 1st Samuel chapter 10 when the oil is poured and Shaul becomes the king of Israel.