Providence Works

"Providence Works" - 1 Samuel 9:3-27 Saul and his servant were looking for the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father. Saul's father sent him to fetch the donkeys. They went for a long time in search of the donkeys, but in vain. He found a throne. Unable to find them, he decides to return to his father, who, for Saul, must have already been worried about him. The servant advised him that there was a prophet, and he could know where the donkeys were. The servant had some coins with him to approach the prophet. Since the prophet had to be approached not empty-handed, Saul accepted it.

I. God's Instruments.

A. Some young women who were going to fetch water.

1. They were able to give Saul and his servant Samuel's address.

2. They were very well informed of what Saul needed.

3. That a sacrifice would be celebrated on the high place that day.

4. That Samuel had arrived in the city that day.

5. That, that was the hour when the meeting was to be held to feast before God with the banquet of sacrifice.

6. That the people would not begin to eat until Samuel arrived, since he was the one who was to bless the sacrifice (a) not only as a common banquet, (b) but also as a religious meeting.

7. This sacrifice demanded that a special blessing be pronounced upon it, as is now the case in the "Lord's Supper."

8. Such young women were instruments of the Lord, for Saul and his servant followed the instructions of the young women, "and met Samuel as he 'came toward them,' going out to go up to the high place. (14).

9. Samuel has an extraordinary revelation, "was informed" by "God" about Saul.

10. Samuel was a seer (who sees), therefore he had to see this in a special way, befitting a seer.

11. God had told him about the day before that on this day and at this hour He would send him the man who would serve as king to Israel, for this was the kind of king the people desired.

12. (15) He had revealed it to his ear, that is, secretly, it was like a whisper to his mind, or perhaps like a "still" voice.

13. God discovered Samuel's ear (Hebrew).

14. Although He had unwillingly granted what they asked of Him, God nevertheless speaks "tenderly" about Israel.

15. Again (16-17) and again He calls them "my people." (four times); Despite being rebellious and provocative people, they are my people.

16. He sends them the man who was to be their king.

17. He does so by the interest of the people and by their cry: I have looked (16) upon my people, because their cry has come unto me.

18. (17) When Saul went up the street to Samuel, God whispered in Samuel's ear again, "This is the man of whom I spoke to you."

19. So that there would be no doubt to Samuel as to the identity of the future king, He added, "He shall rule over my people."

20. To brake, to close, to have, to hold is the main function of the magistrate.

21. Providence has brought about the meeting between Samuel and Saul, what happened at the door, at the feast, and in private.

22. (18) At the gate of the city.

23. And passing through it, Saul found Samuel and asked him the seer's address.

24. (19) Samuel answered, "I am the seer; I am the person about whom you ask."

25. Samuel knew him before Saul knew him.

26. Samuel made him stay with him until the next day.

27. Saul had nothing in mind but to find the donkeys, but Samuel takes this worry away from him and prepares him for the exercises of piety, so he says: "Go up before me to the high place."

28. (20) He tells him where the donkeys are, so that he will no longer trouble to look for them: and the donkeys that were lost to you three days ago, take no care of them, for they have been found.

29. In Saul's sight, he is looking at "the prophet of God."

30. But to whom is all that is covetable in Israel but to you?

31. Saul was the king of Israel, there was no one more fit for it than him.

32. (21) Am I not the son of Benjamin of the least of the tribes of Israel?

33. And isn't my family the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin?

34. The tribe of Benjamin had suffered an almost complete extermination in the time of the judges (Judges 20:46; 21:6) had become corrupt; for this reason, they had become the smallest of Israel, all Israel had risen to destroy them.

35. Saul makes him understand that his family was the smallest.

36. On the public holiday.

37. Samuel brought Saul and his servant to the feast.

38. Samuel now treats him, not as just any person, but as a person of "distinction and rank," to prepare him and the people for what was to follow.

39. He bestowed upon him two marks of honor (1) He placed him at the head of the guests, that is, in the place of greatest honor. (2) He reserved the best morsel for him.

40. The head of the table was Samuel's and that would be Samuel's portion at other times, so by giving it now to Saul was symbolic that he was also handing over to him the "government of the nation."

41. They went down to Samuel's house.

42. (25, 26) Both Saul and Samuel stayed that night on the roof of the house.

43. We can assume that Samuel would then tell Saul the whole story of the people's desire for a king, the reasons for that desire, and how God had "given them what they asked for."

44. Early in the morning Samuel bade him farewell, but not without accompanying him on a part of the road and asking the servant to come forward so that he could say to him alone.

45. (10:1) He anointed him and kissed him.

46. That Jehovah had anointed him prince over his people Israel.

47. By kissing him, he assured him of his affection and approval, though it diminished his own power. Amen.