Saul, the First King of Israel
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saw himself as he was before God. He saw the beauty of holiness. He
was called to begin the warfare against sin and was made to feel that
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in this conflict his strength must come wholly from God. The plan of
salvation, which had before seemed dim and uncertain, was opened to
his understanding. The Lord endowed him with courage and wisdom
for his high station.
Saul Publicly Acclaimed King
The anointing of Saul as king had not been made known to the
nation. The choice of God was to be publicly manifested by lot. For
this purpose Samuel convoked the people at Mizpeh. Prayer was
offered for divine guidance; then followed the solemn ceremony of
casting the lot. In silence the multitude awaited the issue. The tribe,
the family and the household were successively designated, and then
Saul, the son of Kish, was pointed out as the individual chosen.
But Saul was not in the assembly. Burdened with a sense of the
great responsibility about to fall upon him, he had secretly withdrawn.
He was brought back to the congregation, who observed with pride
that he was of kingly bearing and noble form, being “higher than any
of the people from his shoulders and upward.” Samuel exclaimed, “See
ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among
all the people?” In response one long, loud shout of joy arose from the
throng, “God save the king!”
Samuel then set before the people “the manner of the kingdom,”
stating the principles upon which the monarchical government was
based. The king was not to be an absolute monarch, but to hold his
power in subjection to the will of the Most High. This address was
recorded in a book. Though the nation had despised Samuel’s warning,
the faithful prophet still endeavored, as far as possible, to guard their
liberties.
While the people in general were ready to acknowledge Saul as
their king, there was a large party in opposition. For a monarch to
be chosen from Benjamin, the smallest of the tribes of Israel—and to
neglect both Judah and Ephraim, the largest and most powerful—was
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a slight which they could not brook. Those who had been most urgent
in their demand for a king were the ones that refused to accept the man
of God’s appointment.