Bird's-eye view
This brief narrative exchange is a masterful display of God's meticulous providence, where the grand work of establishing a monarchy intersects with the mundane details of daily life. Saul, on a wild goose chase for his father's lost donkeys, is about to stumble into his divine calling. This is not an accident. The entire scene is orchestrated by God, down to the timing of the young women going to draw water. The passage serves as a bridge, moving Saul from his fruitless search for animals to his providential encounter with the prophet Samuel. It highlights the transition in Israel from one form of leadership to another, symbolized by the people's casual but respectful reference to Samuel as "the seer." The conversation is packed with what appears to be incidental information, yet every detail, the sacrifice, the high place, the blessing, is a thread in the rope that is pulling Saul toward the throne. God is in complete control, arranging coincidences that are not coincidences at all.
What we are seeing here is the hidden hand of God at work in the gears of ordinary life. Saul thinks he is looking for donkeys, but God is looking for a king. The servant thinks they might get some directions from a local holy man, but God is about to give directions for the entire nation. The young women think they are just answering a traveler's question, but they are unwitting participants in the inauguration of a new era. This is how God works. He draws straight with crooked lines and uses the everyday stuff of life, lost livestock, fetching water, a communal meal, to accomplish His sovereign and redemptive purposes.
Outline
- 1. A Providential Inquiry (1 Sam 9:11-14)
- a. The Right Question at the Right Time (1 Sam 9:11)
- b. The Helpful Answer and Divine Timing (1 Sam 9:12)
- c. The Specific Instructions for the Meeting (1 Sam 9:13)
- d. The Appointed Intersection (1 Sam 9:14)
Context In 1 Samuel
This passage sits at a crucial turning point in the book of 1 Samuel and in the history of Israel. The people have sinfully demanded a king "like all the nations" (1 Sam 8:5), rejecting Yahweh's direct rule. God has instructed Samuel to grant their request, but to warn them of the consequences. Chapter 9 introduces us to Saul, the man God has chosen to be this king. The chapter begins with the very mundane story of Saul being sent by his father to find some lost donkeys. His fruitless search brings him, seemingly by chance, to the district where Samuel is. This section (vv. 11-14) is the hinge. It is the moment where Saul's personal errand is about to collide with God's national purpose. It immediately precedes God's direct revelation to Samuel that Saul is the chosen man (vv. 15-17) and the face-to-face meeting that will change Saul's life and Israel's future. The ordinariness of the scene underscores the sovereignty of God, who needs no grand stage to set His plans in motion.
Key Issues
- Divine Sovereignty and Human Action
- The Role of the Seer/Prophet
- The Significance of High Places
- Providence in Mundane Details
- The Transition to Monarchy
No Mere Coincidence
One of the central lessons of Scripture is that there are no "mere coincidences" in God's world. The universe is not a series of random events bumping into each other. It is a story, written and directed by a sovereign author. This passage is a case study in that truth. Saul did not just "happen" to run out of options near the town where Samuel was. He did not just "happen" to meet young women at the well who knew Samuel's itinerary. Samuel did not just "happen" to be coming out of the city at the exact moment Saul was entering. The text makes it clear later on that God had told Samuel the day before that the man was coming (1 Sam 9:16).
This is intensely practical. We are often like Saul, preoccupied with our lost donkeys, our immediate problems, frustrations, and tasks. We can get so focused on the mundane that we fail to see the larger work God is doing. But God is always working. He is arranging our steps, orchestrating our encounters, and timing our arrivals and departures to fit into His grander plan. The lost donkeys were the very instrument God used to get Saul to the place of his anointing. This should give us great comfort and confidence. Our missteps, our tedious errands, and our apparent dead ends are all raw material in the hands of a God who is working all things together for good, and for His glory.
Verse by Verse Commentary
11 As they were going up the slope to the city, they found young women going out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?”
The scene is utterly commonplace. A well outside a city was a natural gathering place, a hub of social interaction, particularly for women whose task it was to draw water. This echoes patriarchal narratives, like Abraham's servant finding Rebekah at a well (Gen 24:11) or Jacob meeting Rachel (Gen 29:9-12). These were places of significant, life-altering encounters. Saul and his servant are on their way up to the city, and they ask a simple, practical question. They are looking for the "seer." This was the older term for a prophet, a man who "sees" what God is revealing. Their question is direct and born of their immediate need, but it is the first step into a much larger world than they imagine.
12 And they answered them and said, “He is! Behold, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come into the city today, for the people have a sacrifice on the high place today.
The answer from the young women is not just a simple "yes." It is enthusiastic and full of helpful detail. "He is!" They confirm his presence and then add a sense of urgency: "Hurry now." The reason for the urgency is that Samuel's arrival is a special event. He has come specifically for a communal sacrifice on the "high place." Before the temple was established in Jerusalem, worship was often conducted at these local sanctuaries. While later condemned when they became sites of idolatry, at this stage, a high place could be used for the legitimate worship of Yahweh, especially when led by a figure like Samuel. The key takeaway is the timing. Saul has arrived on the exact day of this important event. The gears of providence are clicking into place.
13 As soon as you enter the city you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he comes because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. So now, go up for you will find him at once.”
The instructions become even more specific. The young women provide a precise window of opportunity. Find him before he goes up to eat. This reveals Samuel's central role in the community's worship. The feast cannot begin without him. His function is priestly; he must "bless the sacrifice." This is not just saying grace. It is the authoritative blessing that consecrates the meal to God and prepares the people to partake of it. Samuel is the indispensable man. This detail elevates the stakes for Saul, he is not just seeking a fortune teller to find his donkeys; he is about to interrupt the most important man in town at a major public ceremony. The women's final encouragement, "go up for you will find him at once," is another nudge from the hand of God, assuring Saul that this seemingly audacious plan will succeed.
14 So they went up to the city. As they came into the city, behold, Samuel was coming out to meet them to go up to the high place.
Here is the climax of this small scene. The obedience of Saul and the word of the young women converge perfectly. They act on the information, and as they enter the city gate, the very man they are looking for is coming out toward them. The word "behold" invites us to see the wonder of it. This is the appointed intersection. It is not luck. It is not a happy accident. It is a divine appointment. Saul, the tall, impressive son of Kish, looking for donkeys, meets Samuel, the aging prophet of God, who has already been told by God to look for a tall, impressive man who will be king. The mundane search has ended, and the redemptive-historical mission is about to begin.
Application
We need to learn to see the world as this story presents it. We live in a world that is governed down to the last detail by a wise and sovereign God, not by blind chance. This means that your "lost donkeys", your daily frustrations, your career setbacks, your confusing detours, are not meaningless. God is using them. He is steering you. He is arranging meetings you could never have planned. He is positioning you for a purpose you may not yet see.
The application is not to sit back and do nothing, waiting for providence to drop a kingdom in your lap. Saul was diligently obeying his father. He was actively seeking. The application is to do your duty, to walk the path before you, and to do it with an expectant faith. Ask the questions you need to ask. Talk to the people God puts in your path. And keep your eyes open for the "behold" moments, when you see the hand of God bringing things together in a way you never could have orchestrated. We must trust that the God who guided Saul to Samuel through a string of apparent coincidences is the same God who is guiding us today. He knows where the donkeys are, and He knows the way to the throne. Our job is to trust and obey, one step at a time.