ANOINTING SAUL AS A KING Saul was anointed as a king and was given all possibilities to live in the fear of God, a strong leader who consummate the divine will, freely and with no obligation. 1- Anointing Saul as a king 1. 2- Samuel tells Saul what will happen to him 2 – 8. 3- “Is Saul also among the prophets? “ 9 – 13. 4- His encounter with his uncle 14 – 16. 5- Announcing his reign in Mizpah 17 – 26. 1- ANOINTING SAUL AS A KING “Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: ‘Is it not because the Lord has anointed you commander over his inheritance?’” (1 Samuel 10: 1). The prophet Samuel was annoyed when the people demanded a king like other nations; but once God accepted their request, Samuel submitted to it. After pouring the oil on Saul’s head, he kissed him and said: “Is it not because the Lord has anointed you commander over His inheritance? “. He readily and humbly kissed him, teaching us the spirit of submission; and as the apostle St. Peter says: “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of those who do good” (1 Peter 2: 13, 14). He anointed him by the flask of oil by which priests, prophets, and the kings are anointed to be counted as ‘the Lord’s anointed,’ being symbols of the Lord Christ, in whom, alone, the three positions are combined. In the old Testament, the priests were from the tribe of Levi alone; the kings were from the tribe of Judah (David and his seed); none would enjoy the two positions together. How beautiful is what the prophet Samuel says to the newly anointed king: “The Lord has anointed you a commander”. What Saul had received was a divine free gift, and not because of his own worthiness or his self righteousness. He set him a commander over His people whom He called ‘His inheritance’. The whole earth is indeed the Lord’s; but His people is His inheritance and portion, that He treasures, and for whom He cares, the way man cares for his own inheritance. 2- SAMUEL TELLS SAUL WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO HIM a- To go from there to Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin, where he would encounter two men who will tell him that the lost donkeys have been found, and that his father is worrying about him and the servant (1 Samuel 10: 2). He had to be proud of his tribe, although it had become the smallest among the tribes because of the slaughter that was mentioned in the Book of Judges 20: 46. It was becoming of him to realize that ‘Benjamin,’ who was called by his mother Rachel, ‘Ben-Onia),’ namely (son of my grief), had become (son of the right hand) for his father Jacob. And in this he refers to the Lord Christ, who was the son of His mother’s grief - the Jews who rejected Him- then sat on the right hand of the Father. In other words, it was becoming of for Saul, on his way to Rachel’s tomb, to compare Benjamin who enjoyed sitting on the right hand of His Father, even though He grieved the hearts of many. But unfortunately, Saul was keen on pleasing men -his mother - and not God; to become among the sons of the left, and not of the right hand. 2 Rachel’s tomb is about one mile north of Bethlehem (Genesis 35: 16 - 20), and about 4 miles far from the southern territory of Benjamin. As to ‘Zelzah’ mentioned here (1 Samuel 10: 2), it is probably located between Rachel’s tomb and the `southern territory of Benjamin. The prophet gave him a sign, that he would encounter two men by Rachel’s tomb, who would tell him that the lost donkeys had been found, and that his father was worried about him and the servant. Why? By this sign, he cast away from Saul’s mind any doubt, that what was happening is only by chance. He, from the time he was anointed a king, should realize that God’s hidden hand was working with him, even in simple things. b- Then he would encounter three men by the terebinth tree of Tabor (1 Samuel 10: 3), going up to God at Bethel, carrying three young goats, three loaves of bread, and a skin of wine; who would greet him, who had known nothing of his anointment as a king, and would give him two loaves of bread. What does this mean? They did not give him a goat because he was not a priest; they were going up to the house of God in Bethel, to offer their sacrifices through the priests; and did not give him wine, as it was a kind of luxury; but gave him two loaves, namely just the day necessity for him and who were with him (the servant). It is as though, as a king, it was fitting for him to keep away from interfering with priestly affairs and from seeking luxuries, but to live caring only just about the necessities, subsist, he and his men, on plain bread, and concentrate on working on account of the people of God. c- To come to the hill of God where the Philistine outpost was, to encounter a group of prophets; then the Spirit of God would come upon him, and he would prophesy with them (1 Samuel 10: 5, 6). Samuel is considered to be the founder of the school of prophets, from which the Jewish Synagogue system emerged, to provide the rabbinical education and the leaderships of the Synagogue (see Acts 3: 24; and compare 1 Samuel 10: 5 to 19: 20)1. He would encounter the prophets coming down from the height with stringed instruments, tambourines, flutes, and harps before them; and they would be prophesying, namely, praising God with joy and rejoicing (1 Samuel 10: 5). We can say that Saul - as the first king of Israel – had been instructed by the prophet Samuel, directed after getting anointed, by the following basic principles, to be successful in his reign: a- To put to death his care for trivial valueless things (his visit to Rachel’s tomb), and not to worry about the lost donkeys. b- To go up with his heart, together with the three men to the house of the Lord, to enjoy the sacrifice (the goats), the spiritual food (the loaves of bread), and the life of joy (the skin of wine). c- not to surpass his limits, by practicing priestly work, namely offering sacrifices. d- To be content with the necessities, he and his men (taking the two loaves), and not to seek luxuries (not taking wine). e- To encounter the group of prophets, to share their joy and worship, to receive their counsel, and not to do any work before seeking their prayers for himself. After presenting these three signs, that embraced the principles of successful life for the kings of Israel, Samuel said to Saul:“Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophecy with them and be turned into another man” 1 A. N. Frs, vol 7, p. 531. 3 (1 Samuel 10: 6). This is the great gift of God, to grant us His Holy Spirit - the gift of gifts - to dwell in us; to worship Him (to prophecy), and to have our nature renewed. Who would change Saul from a simple farmer and a shepherd to a capable king, to care for thousands of the people of God, in place of donkeys and fields, except for the Holy Spirit of God? Thus, through the work of the Holy Spirit, our nature would be renewed in the water of Baptism and enjoy the continuous renewal, to carry the image of our Christ, the King of Kings. The Holy Spirit is the power of sanctification. It is called the Spirit of holiness, as It presents holiness to all. Every human goodness is offered through the Holy Spirit. Whoever actually acquires purity on a human level, and goes to get cleansed in the Baptism of God... the Holy Spirit would make of him a dwelling place; and His exalted power would clothe him. Origen1 That is the grace of enlightenment; that our personalities would not stay as they were before being baptized. As we get baptized, we get enlightened; and as we get enlightened we become God’s children; and as children we become perfect; and as perfect we become immortal; as it is said: “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High’ “ (Psalm 82: 6). St. Clement of Alexandria2 3- “Is Saul also among the prophets”?! Having been anointed, and, “When he had turned his back from Samuel, God gave him another heart” (1 Samuel 10: 9). Though that heart got corrupted later on, having leaned upon human wisdom, in place of divine work. All those signs came to pass that day: As Saul came to the outpost of the Philistines, he encountered the group of prophets, and the Spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied among them (1 Samuel 10: 10). People who used to know Saul since his birth, that he was not that religious, as they saw him - with no prior learning in the school of the prophets - praising among the prophets as one of them, said: “Is Saul also among the prophets? “; and it became a proverb, referring to the exalted work of God in the life of believers. When Saul finished prophesying, he went to the height to worship God. As we receive the Holy Spirit in us - that continuously renews our life - our heart is inflamed to worship, and our tongue is opened to praise. The scholar Origen says: [We cannot offer a prayer, unless God the Father throws His light on it, the Son acknowledges it, and the Holy Spirit works within us3]. 4- SAUL’S ENCOUNTER WITH HIS UNCLE When Saul encountered his uncle at the height, or probably at home after his return, his uncle inquired about what the prophet Samuel said to him. He told him what he said about the lost donkeys, but kept that part about the kingdom to himself; probably because he counted that as a secret issue that ought not to be proclaimed until he was to be chosen by the people, and publicly enthroned. 1 De Principiis 1: 1: 3; Comm. Rom 1: 5; 9: 24; Comm. John 32: 7. 2 Paed, 1: 6. 3 De Prin. 2: 6. 4 5- ANNOUNCING HIS REIGN IN MIZPAH “Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah” (1 Samuel 10: 17). That is, he called the males of twenty years of age or more, to present themselves before the Lord at Mizpah; where he again rebuked them for demanding a king; then probably cast a lot and chose the tribe of Benjamin; and another on families, and finally on individuals to choose Saul the son of Kish, who was hiding among the luggage’s. We do not know why Saul hid; was it out of a feeling of unworthiness, to evade the huge responsibility, or out of fear because of the people’s rejection of God and demanding a king? God revealed his hiding place; and as they brought him to the people, they found in him the desire of their heart - his good looks and tall stature – and they shouted saying: ‘Long live the king!,’ without any thanksgiving to the Lord. The sons of Belial despised him, and, assuming that he is incapable of saving them, they brought him no present. That was probably because his tribe was the smallest, and his family was the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin... Anyway, Saul held his peace and kept silent (1 Samuel 10: 27); and by so doing, he spared the people a civil revolt because of him between the tribes. His silence was considered an inner conquest, that was followed after one month, by an outer one, when he defeated ‘Nahash’ the Ammonite and his men. Because silence, combined with wisdom, represents an inner triumph for the soul, it is often recommended by the saintly fathers. If you love the truth, you should love silence. This will make you shine in the Lord as the sun, and will save you from the deception of ignorance. Silence will unify you with God Himself. St. Isaac the Syrian1 1 The Ascetical Homilies, 64.
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