PART VII

THE REIGNS OF SAUL, DAVID, AND SOLOMON,

AND THE GREAT DISRUPTION

The Reign of Saul-40 years.

[Saul's private Election as King by Samuel. The people 1 Sam. 9, 10. had asked for a king, and God had promised to grant them their

The

request.
At this point of the narrative Saul appears.
asses of his father Kish had gone astray, and Saul, accompanied
by a trusty servant, went in search of them. After passing
through various districts, and being unsuccessful in their search,
they came into the land of Zuph. The servant suggested that
they should consult the 'man of God' who lived at Ramah,
with a view to complete the object of their journey. Saul
consented, and as they entered the gate of the city they met
Samuel on his way to the high place.

God had told Samuel the day before that he would send him a man out of the land of Benjamin who should be the prince over his people Israel'; and as soon as Samuel saw Saul he took him to his house and entertained him honourably at the sacrificial feast. In the evening he communed with him on the top of the house, and at early morning he called to him saying, 'Up, that I may send thee away.' He then accompanied him to the outskirts of the town, and bidding him send the servant on before, took a vial of oil and poured it on Saul's head, and with the kiss of salutation announced to him, 'that the LORD had anointed him to be prince over his inheritance.']

[To confirm his words Samuel predicted that three incidents would happen on Saul's journey homeward: (1) That he should meet two men by Rachel's sepulchre, who should inform him that his father's asses were found, and that his father was anxious about him; (2) That at the oak of Tabor he should meet three men going up to Bethel, who should salute him and give him presents; (3) That when he came to Gibeah of God he should meet a company of prophets, engaged in religious services, and that he should join with them. All these things happened as the prophet had predicted, and the Writer adds that from that

1 Sam. 11.

day God gave Saul another heart'. After this Saul appears to have retired to his own home, and resumed his agricultural labours.]

over us.

The public Election of Saul as King at Mizpah. And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpah; and he said unto them, 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, I brought you up 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: but ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saveth you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.'. So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken 1. And he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families, and the family of the Matrites was taken and Saul the son of Kish was taken; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. And Samuel said to all the people, 'See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?' And all the people shouted, and said, 'God save the king.' Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom2, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and there went with him the host, whose hearts God had touched. But certain sons of Belial said, 'How shall this man save us?' And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace. Saul's Victory over the Ammonites. King is solemnly ratified at Gilgal. Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-Gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, 'Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.' And Nahash the Ammonite said unto them, ‘On this condition will I make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.' And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, 'Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the borders of Israel: and then, if there be

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1 was taken, i. e. by casting lots.

His Election as Then Nahash the

2 the manner of the kingdom, i. e. the rights and duties of a king.

3 a reproach, i. e. because none of your nation came to help you in your distress.

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none to save us, we will come out to thee." Then came the
messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and spake these words in the
ears of the people and all the people lifted up their voice, and
wept. And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the
field; and Saul said, 'What aileth the people that they weep?'
And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. And the
spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those
words, and his anger was kindled greatly. And he took a yoke
of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all
the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying,
'Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so
shall it be done unto his oxen.' And the dread of the LORD fell
on the people, and they came out as one man. And he
numbered them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were
three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand
And they said unto the messengers that came, 'Thus shall ye
say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, To-morrow, by the time the
sun is hot, ye shall have deliverance.' And the messengers
came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. There-
fore the men of Jabesh said, 'To-morrow we will come out
unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto
you.'
And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people
in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp
in the morning watch, and smote the Ammonites until the heat
of the day and it came to pass, that they which remained were
scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

And the people said unto Samuel, 'Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.' And Saul said, 'There shall not a man be put to death this day for to-day the LORD hath wrought deliverance in Israel.' Then said Samuel to the people, 'Come and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.' And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD; and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

[The three stages in the election of Saul should be carefully noticed ;-(1) his private election by Samuel; (2) his public election at Mizpah; and (3) the solemn ratification of that election by all the people at Gilgal.

The assembly at Mizpah marks the close of the Period of the Judges and inaugurates the New Monarchy.

Samuel's farewell Address. Before he resigned his judge- 1 Sam. 12.

1 Sam. 13. 14.

ship, Samuel called all the people together and gave his farewell address. He challenged them to impeach his official conduct as their judge, reminded them of the great things God had done for them, advised them to serve the LORD with all their heart and concluded his address by saying that if they did wickedly they would be consumed, both they and their king '.]

[Revolt of the Israelites under Saul against the Philistine Oppression. The Philistines are routed at Michmash. The country was at this time in a most deplorable condition. The Philistines occupied the very heart of the land, and the Israelites had no standing army. To Jonathan, Saul's son, belongs the honour of striking the first blow for independence. He smote the garrison of the Philistines at Geba, whereupon Saul summoned all the Israelites to prepare for a general revolt. But the attempt was premature. The Philistines collected an immense host and overran the whole country, and so severe was their oppression that the Israelites ‘hid themselves in caves, in thickets and in rocks, and in high places and in pits.' Moreover they ordered a general disarmament of the Israelites, with the result that neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of any of the people' except Saul and Jonathan.

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Jonathan's second attempt was, however, attended with more favourable results. He and his armour-bearer captured the Philistine outpost at the Passage of Michmash under circumstances of the greatest difficulty, whereupon so sudden a panic fell upon the Philistine host, that 'every man's sword was against his fellow', and the whole army fled in headlong flight. Saul and his little band of men seized the opportunity and were soon in hot pursuit, but fearing lest his men would allow the Philistines to escape he imposed a rash vow upon them; 'Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies.' But while passing through a wood, Jonathan, ignorant of the vow, put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his bodily powers were strengthened.' When Saul heard what Jonathan had done he said that he should surely die. The people, however, interposed in his behalf and rescued him. Shall Jonathan die,' said they, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid; as the LORD liveth there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. Then Saul went up from following the Philistines and the Philistines went to their own place.']

Saul is commissioned to destroy Amalek. And Samuel 1 Sam. 15. said unto Saul, 'The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. I have marked that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not.' And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and laid wait' in the valley. And Saul said unto the Kenites, 'Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt.' So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou goest to Shur, that is before Egypt. And Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and all that was good; but all the people and every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

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Saul's Disobedience. Then came the word of the LORD
unto Samuel, saying, 'It repenteth me that I have set up Saul
to be king for he hath not performed my commandments.'
And Samuel was wroth; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, 'Blessed
be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of
the LORD.' And Samuel said, 'What meaneth then this bleating
of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which
I hear?' And Saul said, 'They have brought them from the
Amalekites for the people spared the best of the sheep and of
the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we
have utterly destroyed.' Then Samuel said unto Saul, 'Stay,
and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night.'
And he said unto him, 'Say on.' And Samuel said, 'Though
thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the
head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed thee king
over Israel; and the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go
and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against
them until they be consumed.
obey the voice of the LORD,
And Saul said unto Samuel,

Wherefore then didst thou not
but didst fly upon the spoil?'
'Yea, I have obeyed the voice of