Join us as we journey through the anointing of Saul, Israel’s first king, unraveling the intricacies of divine providence and human leadership. From the initial reluctance to Saul’s public coronation, we explore the socio-political maneuvers and spiritual transformations that marked this crucial transition in Israel’s history, offering timeless insights into the delicate balance between divine will and human ambition.
The CEM Network is pleased to present Ronald L. Dart and Born to Win.
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Freedom is a terrible burden to bear. And it’s a sad fact of life that men are all too willing to lay down that burden in the or some other combination of social goods that are promised by political leaders. We need to think about this because the result of laying down the burden of freedom is the laying down of freedom itself. One of the times of the greatest freedom a people could ever have enjoyed was that period of time described in the Bible in the book of Judges. It was a stormy time, and Israel was terrorized by enemies from time to time. It happened to them when they let down the most fundamental principles of divine law, which are an essential to any free people. They lived under a true theocracy. That is to say, God was their only king. Problem was, God was out of sight for the most part. and they were free to do as they pleased. Which is all well and good, as long as you are the doer. It’s not so good when you are the one being done to. In the course of time, the Israelites got weary of carrying the burden themselves, and they wanted to make a change of government. Now consider this carefully. They wanted to give up a theocracy. Why would they want to give up, though, so much freedom? Why would they not want to continue under the kingship of God who gave them all but free reign as long as they remained true to him? Judges 21 verse 25 says this, In those days there was no king in Israel. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. So why on earth did they want to give that up for a different system? Well, there is a secondary definition of a theocracy. Here’s the way it’s defined in the dictionary. First, government of a state by immediate divine guidance. Or, secondary definition, by officials who are regarded as divinely guided. Now, all was well in Israel as long as that official speaking for God really was divinely guided. His name was Samuel. But there is one thing that is crucial in any government system, be it theocratic or any other. The leadership must display integrity. It came to pass, when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 1 Samuel 8, verse 1. The name of his firstborn was Joel, the name of his second, Abiah, and they were judges in Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in Samuel’s way, but turned aside after money and took bribes and perverted judgment. Samuel, well, Samuel was old and tired, and he had just not kept a rein on his sons. Israel was getting old and tired at the same time. So all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel and to Ramah, and they said to him, Look, you’re old, and your sons are not walking in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. Now why they thought a king would be less corrupt is not clear. But Samuel left them no doubt whatever about what this new centralized government was going to cost them. Now, you and I, having lived under a centralized government for all of our lives, already know a lot of these things, but they didn’t. They had been living free for a long time. Well, Samuel was very unhappy about this, and he prayed to God about it. And the Lord said to Samuel, No, listen to the people in all they say to you, because they’re not rejecting you. They have rejected me that I should not reign over them. They have done the same thing they have done since I brought them out of Egypt to this day. They have forsaken me. They’ve served other gods. And now they’re going to go walk away from you. So go ahead. Listen to their voice. But before they do this, I want you to protest solemnly to them and show them exactly what’s going to happen because of this. So Samuel went and told the people all the words of them. He said this. This is the way it’s going to be with this king that’s going to reign over you. He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen, and some of them shall run before his chariots. Now there’s something you need to know. about ancient times horses and chariots were the armored cavalry of the time they were for war horses were not used for agriculture they were machines of war they fought as cavalry so were chariots for the same purpose so what he is saying to them is if you’re going to have a king your king is going to take your sons put them in his army and take them to war He’ll appoint them captains over thousands and captains over fifty. And He’s going to do more than that. He’ll set them to ear His ground and reap His harvest and to make His instruments of war and instruments of His chariots. And He will take your daughters to be confectionaries and cooks and bakers for His armies. He will take your fields. He’ll take your vineyards. He’ll take your olive yards, even the best of them, and give them to His servants.” What he’s saying is you’re going to face eminent domain, the rights of eminent domain, whereas the government will come by and tell you, oh, no, I’m sorry, we’ve got to have your property. And we’re going to take it away from you. And we’re going to give you some kind of compensation for it. But if you think it’s going to be just compensation, dream on. So the government, your new centralized government, is going to take away your property and give it to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, of your vineyards, and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your men’s servants, your maid’s servants, your best young men, your asses, and he’ll put them to his work. He will take a tenth of your sheep, and you, you, oh, you will be his servants. And the time’s going to come when you’re going to cry out in that day because of your king, which you have chosen you. But understand this. The Lord will not hear you in that day. Folks, said Samuel, your lives are not going to be any better. They’re going to be worse. It’s going to get so bad that you will cry out to God for relief and he will not hear you. And now, in the response of the elders of Israel, the true reason of their concern comes out. It’s in 1 Samuel 8, verse 19. Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, No, we will have a king to reign over us, that we can be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us and fight our battles. Oh, really? Well, Samuel has just told them it isn’t going to be the king that goes out and fights their battles. It will be their own sons, just like it has always been, who go out and fight the king’s battles. Now, in addition, you’re going to have a king and a government you’re going to have to support with all the burdens of that government. And you will have to do it. without God fighting your battles for you. You know, in a very real sense, it was terrorism that drove Israel to lay down so much of their freedom and so much of their wealth. And having learned nothing from history, we are on the verge of doing exactly the same thing ourselves. We want to drive God out of government, out of the public square. We don’t want to hear anything about God. We don’t want to have to deal with God. And so, as we wash our hands of God, He will in turn wash His hands of us. Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel, No, no, listen to their voice. Make them a king. And so Samuel said to the men of Israel, Okay. Go every man to his city. Now, I want to be sure we understand one thing here. God did not respond to this petulantly by giving them a bad person for a king. He gave this project, he gave this new government every chance at success. Kings in those days did fight at the head of their army, so it was important that this man, this king, be a big man. So God chose them a big man. But he did even more than that. We’ll tell that story when I come back.
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Now, there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish. He was a mighty man of power. And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice young man, goodly. There was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. And so the idea of being head and shoulders taller than something comes into our language. So we start out with a man who has all the physical assets. He is handsome. He’s tall and well built. Well, the asses of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. They’re critters. They wander around. You know how they are. Well, he said to his sons, take now one of the servants with you and arise and go look for these animals. So they took off looking and covered what must have been at least one county of our size looking for these animals. Finally, Saul says, well, let’s go home. Let’s my father stop worrying about the animals and start worrying about us. And his servant said, you know, there’s this man in a city over here, a man of God, and he’s an honorable man, by the way, which suggests that not all prophets were honorable. All that this guy says comes surely to pass. Let’s go over there. Maybe he can show us which way we should go. But Saul said, look, we can’t go over there. What are we going to give the man? For the bread’s all gone from our vessels. We’re out of food. We don’t have a present to bring to the man of God. What do we have? The servant said, look, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver. I’ll give that to the man of God to tell us our way. And the author Samuel makes a note here that before time in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said it this way, come, let’s go to the seer. For he that is now called a prophet was before times called a seer. I guess that means one who sees things. So Saul said to his servant, Well said, let’s go. So they went to the city where the man of God was. And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water. And they said, Is the seer here? And they said, Oh, yes, he’s right ahead of you. Make haste, because he came today to the city. There is a sacrifice of the people today in the high place. As soon as you get into the city, you’ll find him right away before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people won’t eat until he has come. The reason? He blesses the sacrifice, and then afterwards they eat that are bidden. So get on up there, for about this time you will find him. It’s interesting as you read along the little social tidbits that come down of the way in which things were done. Well, they went on up to the city, and when they were coming to the city, Samuel came out opposite them to go to the high place. Now something had already happened. The Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul got there, saying, Tomorrow, about this time, I’m going to send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you will anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he can save them out of the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon my people, because their cry is coming to me. The Philistines, oddly enough, that name from which we get Palestinians, these were the terrorists that were terrorizing Israel in those days. Well, when Samuel first laid eyes on Saul, the Lord said to him, Look, that’s the man I spoke to you of. This man shall reign over my people. So Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate and said, Tell me, I pray, where the seer’s house is. And Samuel answered, I’m the seer. You go up ahead of me to the high place. You’ll eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. And by the way, as for those animals that were lost three days ago, don’t set your mind on them. They have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and all your father’s house? Well, Saul heard those words, but they didn’t register with him. He said, Am I not a Benjamite, the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribes of Benjamin? How can you talk like this to me? Well, Samuel took Saul and his servant. And he brought them into the parlor and made them sit in the chief place among everyone that is invited, about 30 people there. And he said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, which I said to you, set it aside. And the cook took up the shoulder and that which was upon it and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left, set it before you and eat. For unto this time it has been kept for you. since I said I have invited the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day. And when they came down from the high place into the city, Samuel took Saul up on top of the house and communed with him. And they rose early. It came to pass about the spring of the day that Samuel called Saul up to the top of the house and says, I want you to get up that I can send you away. So Saul arose and they went out, both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Tell your servant to go on ahead of us. But you stand here a while, because I want to show you the word of God. So as the servant walked on ahead, and Samuel and Saul stood there together, Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on his head. And he kissed him and said, It’s because the Lord has anointed you to be captain over his inheritance. This is the occasion where Saul was anointed king. When you leave me this day, Samuel continued, You’re going to find two men by Rachel’s sepulcher at the border of Benjamin. And they’re going to say to you, the asses, the animals you went to seek are found. And your father has left care of the animals and is worrying about you saying, what am I going to do about my son? Then from there, you go on forward from there and you come to the plain of Tabor. And there shall meet you three men going up to God to Bethel. One of them will be carrying three kids. another three loaves of bread, another carrying a bottle of wine. These men will salute you, give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept of their hands. After that you shall come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is, and it shall come to pass, when you come to the city, you’re going to meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, a tablet, a harp, and a pipe before them, and they shall prophesy. What a scene! It’s just a brief aside, but note the musical instruments that are here. This company of the prophets coming down was a choral group, and they were singing as they went. Prophesying in the Bible is commonly associated with song, and in fact, if you don’t understand that, don’t grasp the fact that most of the prophets were musicians, most of the prophets were singers, and their prophecies were set in the form of poetry. you will tend to stumble over what they have written and not really understand the implications of it. Because we are apt to look at things like this and say, well, I’ve got to take the Bible literally. Well, whoever takes language, especially poetic language, literally. If you take it literally, you may miss entirely the meaning behind what is being said. He then goes on to say, the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you. And you will prophesy with these men, and you will be turned into another man. Now this is a crucial point in this story. Not only was Saul tall and handsome, a man to admire, a man to follow into battle if necessary, Saul was given everything he could possibly need to be a king. He was converted. The Spirit of God came upon him. He became another man. Samuel continued to say, Let it be when these signs come to you that you will do whatever the occasion serves you, for God is with you. You go down before me to Gilgal, and I’m going to come to you there to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices of peace offerings. You wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you shall do. And so it was that when he turned his back to go away from Samuel, God gave to Saul another heart. And all those signs came to pass on that day. It’s fascinating to read this because it’s telling us very clearly that God did not go away from Israel and be petulant about it, refuse to help them. He said, I’m going to give this new king of you everything he needs. We’re going to give it our best shot. We’re going to do everything possible to make it work. I’ll put my spirit on him. I’ll make him into a new man. Well, when they came to the hill, here came a company of prophets down to meet him. And the spirit of God came upon him. And he prophesied among them. Saul joined in the song that the prophets were singing. And it came to pass when everyone who had known him beforehand saw that. Look, he’s singing one of the prophets. And the people said to one another, What is this that’s come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore, it became a proverb, is Saul among the prophets? What a question. And when you have a king who is also a prophet, you’ve got everything you possibly could want to make it work. Did it work?
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We’ll talk about that after this brief message. For a free copy of this radio program that you can share with friends and others, write or call this week only. And request the program titled, The Book of Samuel, Number 4. Write to Born to Win, Post Office Box 560, White House, Texas 75791. Or call toll free 1-888-BIBLE44. And tell us the call letters of this radio station.
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When Saul had finished prophesying, he came to the high place, and Saul’s uncle met him and said to his servant, Where have you people been? And he said, Well, we went out looking for those animals, and we couldn’t find them anywhere. We went over and saw Samuel. Saul’s uncle, a perceptive man, said, Tell me, what did Samuel say to you? And Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the animals were found. But as a matter of the kingdom that Samuel had spoken to him, he didn’t tell him about that. So Samuel called all the people of God together to Mizpah. Because up until this time, this has been a pretty private matter between Samuel and Saul. But now the time has come for what? The coronation or the public naming. And Samuel needs to establish the fact before Israel that this man is God’s selection, not his own. And I suppose in a way that’s essential because of the loss of confidence that people had expressed in Samuel because of Samuel’s allowing his sons such free reign, free reign to become corrupt. So Samuel called all the people together to the Lord to Mizpah. And he said to the children of Israel, this is what the Lord God of Israel says. I brought up Israel out of Egypt and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you. And you have this day rejected your God. who himself saved you out of all your adversities, all your tribulations. And you have said to him, to your God, No, but set a king over us. Now, therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands. So, through whatever means, whatever organized structure, Samuel caused all the tribes of Israel to come near. And the tribe of Benjamin was taken. Now, I don’t know how this was done. It’s not explained. It may have been something along the lines of choice by lot, so that they could tell God was making this choice, not Samuel. So then he caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near, one family at a time. And the family of Matri was taken. And then finally they brought that family before them, man by man, and Saul, the son of Kish, was taken. And when they looked for him, they couldn’t find him. So this was being done not by the man standing there, but by the names of the people who were involved. But when they looked for Saul, he was nowhere to be found. So they looked and inquired of the Lord further if the man should come yet hither. And the Lord answered, Oh, he’s hid himself among the stuff. Go look for him there. So they ran and fetched him. And when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of them from his shoulders and upward. And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see this man whom the Lord has chosen? that there’s no one like him among all the people. And all the people shouted and said, God save the king. So Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and he wrote it in a book, and he laid the book up before the Lord. And he sent all the people away, every man to his home. And Saul went home to Gibeah, but there went with him a band of men whose hearts God had touched. But there were people who were naysayers. The children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no presents, no gifts.
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But Saul held his peace. The Born to Win radio program with Ronald L. Dart is sponsored by Christian Educational Ministries and made possible by donations from listeners like you. If you can help, please send your donation to You may call us at 1-888-BIBLE44 And visit us online at borntowin.net It’s been said from time immemorial that those who cannot learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them.
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And I have this sinking feeling that we are in the process of repeating some old, old, painful lessons of history all over again. Up until now, An awful lot of American people have wanted to keep God in our lives and in our public lives. But as time goes by, we’re losing that more and more. And as we rule God out of our governance, He rules Himself out as well. I hope you’ll get in touch with us and ask for the program. We depend on hearing from you in order to know which stations we’re going to keep. And we also depend on you for the financial support that keeps us on the air. So get in touch or write to us at Post Office Box 560, White House, Texas 75791. And until next time, I’m Ronald Dart.
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Christian Educational Ministries is happy to announce a new full-color Born to Win monthly newsletter with articles and free offers from Ronald L. Dart. Call us today at 1-888-BIBLE44 to sign up or visit us at borntowin.net.
