Commentary - 1 Samuel 9:1-10

Bird's-eye view

This chapter marks a pivotal transition in the life of Israel. The people have sinfully demanded a king "like all the nations," and God, in His sovereignty, has determined to give them exactly what they asked for. But God does not work in straight lines, at least not in ways that are straight to us. The anointing of Israel's first king does not begin in a solemn assembly or with a grand political maneuver. It begins with lost donkeys. This entire narrative is a master class in divine providence, demonstrating how God weaves together the mundane, ordinary, workaday problems of life to accomplish His grand, redemptive purposes. A man is looking for his father's livestock and stumbles into a kingdom. Saul, the man who will be king, is introduced to us not as a leader, but as an obedient son on a frustrating errand. It is on this wild donkey chase that God arranges a "chance" meeting with the prophet Samuel, a meeting that God had already revealed to Samuel the day before. The whole affair is saturated with a kind of divine irony. Israel wants a king they can see, a tall and handsome man, and God is about to give them the very picture of what they desire. But the way He brings it about shows that He is the one pulling every string, even the ones tied to the halters of wayward donkeys.

The central theme here is God's meticulous sovereignty over all things, big and small. The lost animals, the route taken, the depletion of supplies, the servant's timely suggestion, and the quarter shekel of silver in his pocket, all of it is orchestrated. This is how our God works. He is not a distant deity who only intervenes in crises. He is the God of the details, the God who directs the steps of a future king by first misdirecting his father's donkeys. This should be a profound encouragement to the believer. Your ordinary life, with all its frustrations and seemingly random events, is the canvas on which God is painting His masterpiece.

Outline

Context In 1 Samuel

This chapter follows directly on the heels of Israel's demand for a king in chapter 8. Samuel had warned them what a king "like the nations" would do, he would take their sons, their daughters, their fields, and their servants. He would be a taker. Despite this stark warning, the people persisted, rejecting not just Samuel, but Yahweh Himself as their king (1 Sam 8:7). God's response is instructive: He tells Samuel to listen to them and give them a king. Chapter 9 is the beginning of God's answer to their rebellious request. He is going to give them a man who looks the part in every way. The story of Saul's anointing is thus set against the backdrop of Israel's sin, but it is also a demonstration of God's grace. Even in their rebellion, God is providing a deliverer to save them from the Philistines (1 Sam 9:16). This is a mixed bag, as so much of Old Testament history is. It is a story of human sin and divine grace, of political turmoil and providential care, all leading to the establishment of the monarchy that will ultimately produce the line of David, and David's greatest Son.

Key Issues

The Donkey Chase That Founded a Kingdom

It is one of the glories of Scripture that God reveals His sense of humor, which is often a profound sense of irony. The people of Israel wanted a king they could see, a man to lead them into battle, a man of impressive stature. They were tired of being ruled by an invisible God through an aging prophet. They wanted what the pagans had. So how does God introduce this towering figure, this answer to their carnal prayers? He sends him on a bumbling, three-day search for lost farm animals. The first time we meet the future king of Israel, he is about to give up looking for his dad's donkeys. This is not how a Hollywood screenwriter would introduce the hero. But it is precisely how God works. He takes the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He begins the story of Israel's monarchy not with a bang, but with a bray. This humble beginning serves to underscore the central point of the whole narrative: God is in charge. Man proposes, but God disposes. Saul is not seeking a kingdom; he is seeking donkeys. But God is seeking a king, and He will use the donkeys to lead Saul right to the prophet who holds the anointing oil.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor.

The story begins, as many biblical narratives do, with a genealogy. This isn't just filler. It anchors the story in real history and introduces us to the family line. Kish is from the tribe of Benjamin, which is significant. Benjamin was the smallest and, after the events of Judges 19-21, the most disgraced of the tribes. That Israel's first king would come from this tribe is another mark of God's curious providence. Kish is described as a "mighty man of valor." This Hebrew phrase can mean a man of wealth, a man of standing, or a man of military prowess. It means he was a significant figure, a man of substance. The king will not come from nowhere; he will come from a respectable family.

2 Now he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

And here is our man. Saul is the very picture of what the people wanted. If you were casting for the part of "king," Saul would be your man. He is choice and handsome. The description is emphatic: no one in Israel was more handsome. And on top of that, he was a giant. He was head and shoulders above everyone else. This is precisely the kind of external qualification that impresses men. Man looks on the outward appearance, as Samuel will be reminded later (1 Sam 16:7). God is giving the people the king they asked for, a king who looked like the kings of the other nations. He is an impressive physical specimen, a man who would look good on a horse at the head of an army. The stage is being set for a great lesson in what truly makes a king.

3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to his son Saul, “Take now with you one of the young men, and arise, go search for the donkeys.”

Here the divine machinery begins to turn, set in motion by a thoroughly ordinary, even rustic, problem. The donkeys are gone. Donkeys were valuable work animals, and this was a genuine economic concern for Kish. So he does what any father would do. He sends his strapping son, Saul, to go find them. Saul is presented here as an obedient son, undertaking a mundane task at his father's command. There is no hint of destiny here, no grand calling. It is just a workaday problem. But this is the pivot on which the history of Israel will now turn. God's kingdom often advances through such humble means.

4 Thus he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.

Saul's search is diligent but fruitless. He and the servant cover a lot of ground, a wide circuit through the tribal territories north of Jerusalem. The text lists the places they went, emphasizing the thoroughness of their search. They are on a multi-day trek, and every step is a step of failure. They are getting farther from home, and no closer to finding the donkeys. From a human perspective, this is a frustrating and pointless exercise. But from God's perspective, every step is perfectly guided. They are not wandering aimlessly; they are being led to a divine appointment.

5 They came to the land of Zuph. And Saul said to his young man who was with him, “Come, and let us return, lest my father cease to be concerned about the donkeys and become anxious for us.”

After days of searching, they reach the district of Zuph, which happens to be where the prophet Samuel lives. At this point, Saul is ready to quit. He has reached the end of his rope. His reasoning is commendable; he shows concern for his father. He worries that his father's anxiety will shift from the lost property to his lost son. This is a point of decision. Left to his own devices, Saul would have turned back and gone home, and the whole course of history would have been different. He is a man who gives up. This is an early, subtle hint about his character. But God has not brought him this far to let him turn back now. Providence provides a nudge in the form of his servant.

6 But he said to him, “Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor; all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there, perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have gone.”

The unnamed servant is the hero of the moment. Where Saul sees a dead end, the servant sees an opportunity. He knows of a "man of God" in the city, a prophet whose words can be trusted because they always come to pass. This is the mark of a true prophet (Deut 18:22). The servant's faith is simple and practical. This man has a connection to the divine; perhaps he can help with our very earthly problem. He suggests they consult the prophet, not about the grand destiny of Israel, but about the location of some lost donkeys. God uses the simple faith of a servant to direct the future king.

7 Then Saul said to his young man, “But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sack, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”

Saul's response is practical, but it also reveals a certain spiritual obtuseness. His first thought is not about seeking God's guidance, but about the social protocol of visiting a man of honor. It was customary to bring a gift, a token of respect. Their supplies are exhausted, and they have nothing to offer. He sees a problem of etiquette, a logistical hurdle. It is another reason to turn back. He is not exactly straining at the leash to go see this man of God.

8 And the young man answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have in my hand a fourth of a shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God, and he will tell us our way.”

Once again, the servant has the answer. He is more resourceful and more determined than his master. He has a small coin, a quarter of a shekel, probably his own emergency funds. It is not much, but it will suffice. He offers to pay the way. The servant has the idea, and the servant has the money. Saul, the future king, is being led by the nose by his own employee. The contrast is striking. The man who looks like a king is passive and ready to quit, while his servant is faithful, resourceful, and proactive.

9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, “Come, and let us go to the seer”; for he who is called a prophet now was formerly called a seer.)

The narrator inserts a parenthetical note here for his readers. This is a helpful little tidbit of historical context. In the old days, the term for a prophet was a "seer," a man who "sees" things that are hidden from others. By the time this book was written, the term "prophet" had become more common. It is a simple clarification, but it also highlights the nature of the office. They are going to a man who can see what they cannot see, in this case, the location of the donkeys, but in the larger picture, the plan of God.

10 Then Saul said to his young man, “Your word is good; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.

With all his objections overcome, Saul finally agrees. "Your word is good." He acquiesces to his servant's plan. And so, with that simple decision, they head into the city. Saul thinks he is going to find his donkeys. He has no idea that he is about to find a kingdom, and that the God he is not earnestly seeking has been seeking him all along, arranging every last detail of this frustrating, donkey-less journey.

Application

The first and most obvious application for us is a robust confidence in the fine-grained providence of God. We are tempted to divide our lives into the "spiritual" parts and the "ordinary" parts. We think God is involved when we are at church or reading our Bibles, but that He is somehow absent or disinterested when we are fixing a leaky faucet, looking for a parking spot, or dealing with lost donkeys. This story demolishes that distinction. God is Lord over the lost donkeys. He is sovereign over the frustrating errands, the depleted bank accounts, and the chance encounters that make up our lives. He is weaving all of it, every last thread, into a tapestry that will glorify Him.

This means we should not despise the day of small things. Your current, mundane responsibilities are your primary place of discipleship. Saul was being an obedient son before he was made a king. Be faithful in the little things, because you do not know what great things God might be preparing you for through them. It also means we should be attentive to the "servants" God places in our lives. Wisdom and guidance do not always come from the people with the loftiest titles or most impressive resumes. God can speak through an unnamed servant with a quarter shekel in his pocket. We must have the humility to listen.

Finally, this story is a warning against being impressed with mere outward appearances. Israel wanted a king who was tall and handsome, and they got one. But Saul's heart was not right with God, and his reign ended in disaster. We are constantly tempted to judge by the same flawed criteria, whether in politics, in the church, or in our own lives. We are impressed by charisma, wealth, and worldly success. But God looks on the heart. The true king, Jesus, came with no form or majesty that we should desire Him. He came as a servant. And yet, He is the King of kings. Our hope is not in a king we can see, but in the one true King who reigns from heaven, and who directs all things, even our own wild donkey chases, for our good and His glory.