The King You Asked For Text: 1 Samuel 10:17-27
Introduction: The Gift of a Rejection
There are times in the life of a people, and in the life of an individual, when God gives you exactly what you asked for, and it is a form of judgment. We live in a democratic age that worships the will of the people as though it were the voice of God. But the Scriptures teach us that the voice of the people is very often the voice of rebellion. And in His sovereignty, God sometimes answers that rebellion not with a thunderbolt, but by simply saying, "Alright. You may have it."
This is what is happening here in 1 Samuel. Israel had a perfectly good king. They had Yahweh, the God who brought them up out of Egypt, who delivered them from every enemy, who gave them His law, and who dwelt in their midst. But this was not enough. They looked around at the pagan nations, at their chariots and their pomp and their tall, shiny kings, and they were embarrassed by their invisible King. They wanted a king they could see, a king "like all the nations." This was a profound act of spiritual adultery. It was a rejection of their unique covenant status. They wanted to trade in their glorious, set-apart identity for a cheap, worldly conformity.
And so God, through Samuel, gives them what they want. But He does not do it quietly. He gathers them together to make sure they understand precisely what they are doing. This is not a celebration of a new political arrangement. This is a covenant lawsuit. God is the plaintiff, and Israel is the defendant. Samuel is the prosecuting attorney, and the charge is high treason. They have rejected their God. And the sentence? The sentence is the king himself. God gives them Saul, a man who perfectly embodies what they were looking for, a man head and shoulders above the rest. And in giving them the king of their desires, God is setting the stage for a lesson they will never forget: a human king cannot save you. Only God can save you.
This passage is a masterful display of God's sovereignty. He sovereignly grants their sinful request. He sovereignly chooses the man. He sovereignly reveals the man when he is hiding. And He sovereignly orchestrates the beginning of a monarchy that will ultimately, after many failures, point to the only true King, the Lord Jesus Christ. But first, they must learn the hard way that getting what you want can be the worst thing for you.
The Text
Then Samuel called the people together to Yahweh at Mizpah; and he said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ But you have today rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have said, ‘No, but set a king over us!’ So now, take your stand before Yahweh by your tribes and by your clans.” Thus Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the Matrite family was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was taken; but they looked for him, and he could not be found. Therefore they inquired further of Yahweh, “Has the man come here yet?” So Yahweh said, “Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage.” So they ran and took him from there, and he stood among the people. And he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom Yahweh has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people.” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!” Then Samuel spoke with the people about the legal judgments of the kingdom and wrote them in the book and placed it before Yahweh. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house. Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him. But certain vile men said, “How can this one save us?” And they despised him and did not bring him any present. But he kept silent.
(1 Samuel 10:17-27 LSB)
The Charge of Treason (vv. 17-19)
The scene is set at Mizpah, a place of solemn assembly. Samuel gathers the people, but not for a coronation party. He comes as God's prosecutor.
"Then Samuel called the people together to Yahweh at Mizpah; and he said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ But you have today rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have said, ‘No, but set a king over us!’ So now, take your stand before Yahweh by your tribes and by your clans.”" (1 Samuel 10:17-19)
Samuel begins by reminding them of their history. This is covenant history. "I brought you up from Egypt... I delivered you." God's authority over them is not based on abstract philosophy but on concrete acts of redemption. He saved them. He is their Savior-King. This is the foundation of their relationship. All their security, all their deliverance from calamities and distresses, came from Him. He was their king in every practical sense of the word. He fought their battles. He gave them victory.
But then comes the charge, sharp and devastating: "But you have today rejected your God." They have not rejected Samuel, though their request was a slap in his face. They have rejected God Himself. Notice the word "today." This is a formal, public, covenantal act of apostasy. They have looked at their Savior, the one who saves them from "all" their calamities, and they have said, "No." It is a stark and defiant "No." It is the cry of the unbelieving heart that wants a tangible, visible savior, a human solution, rather than the invisible, all-sufficient God.
Their demand, "Set a king over us," is presented here for what it is: a direct contradiction to trusting God as their savior. They wanted a king to save them, but they already had a God who does save them. This is the essence of idolatry. It is looking to a creature to do what only the Creator can do. And so, Samuel summons them to stand before Yahweh, tribe by tribe. This is a formal arraignment. They are about to receive the king they demanded, but they must do so under the shadow of their great sin.
The Sovereign Lot and the Hidden King (vv. 20-22)
What follows is a process designed to show that even in their rebellion, God is utterly in control. He is the one who will choose their king, even the king they sinfully demanded.
"Thus Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot... And Saul the son of Kish was taken; but they looked for him, and he could not be found. Therefore they inquired further of Yahweh, “Has the man come here yet?” So Yahweh said, “Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage.”" (1 Samuel 10:20-22 LSB)
The selection is made by lot. This was a divinely sanctioned method for discerning God's will, removing it from the realm of human politics and favoritism. "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord" (Proverbs 16:33). God guides the process step by step, narrowing it down from all Israel to the tribe of Benjamin, to the family of Matri, and finally to Saul, son of Kish. God is saying, "You wanted a king? Here is the man I have selected to be the king you wanted."
But then we have this strange and revealing incident. The chosen king is missing. The man of the hour cannot be found. This is a moment of high drama and, frankly, high comedy. All of Israel is assembled, the lot has been cast, and the new king is hiding. Where is he? "Hiding himself by the baggage."
This is the first glimpse into the character of Saul. On the one hand, you could see this as humility. He is overwhelmed by the task. But given his subsequent reign, it is more likely the humility of insecurity. It is a fear of man, a lack of faith in the God who had just chosen him. God has to supernaturally reveal his location. The king they have chosen, the man who is supposed to be their great deliverer, has to be fetched from behind the suitcases. This is not an auspicious beginning. It is a divine commentary on the whole enterprise. You wanted a human king to trust in? Your new king is so full of courage and faith that he is currently cowering behind the luggage.
The People's Choice and the King's Law (vv. 23-25)
When they finally retrieve Saul, the people get exactly what they wanted: a king who looks the part.
"So they ran and took him from there, and he stood among the people. And he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom Yahweh has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people.” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!”" (1 Samuel 10:23-24 LSB)
Saul was impressive. He was tall, handsome, the very image of a pagan warrior-king. This is what they were after, a king who would impress the neighbors. They were judging by outward appearance, and Saul fit the bill perfectly. Samuel presents him with a touch of irony: "Do you see him whom Yahweh has chosen?" This is God's choice for you, the king you demanded. "There is no one like him." And the people are thrilled. They erupt in a great shout, "Long live the king!" In this moment, they have forgotten the indictment. They are swept up in the visual spectacle. They have their man.
But Samuel, the faithful prophet, immediately brings them back to reality. A king in Israel is not an autocrat. He is a constitutional monarch, and his constitution is the law of God.
"Then Samuel spoke with the people about the legal judgments of the kingdom and wrote them in the book and placed it before Yahweh." (1 Samuel 10:25 LSB)
This is a crucial step. The "legal judgments" or the "manner" of the kingdom refers back to the laws for the king laid out in Deuteronomy 17. The king was not to multiply horses (military power), wives (foreign alliances), or silver and gold (personal wealth). He was to write his own copy of the law and read it all the days of his life, so that he would fear Yahweh and not lift his heart above his brothers. The king was to be under the law, not above it. Samuel writes this down and places it "before Yahweh," likely in the tabernacle. The kingship is established, but it is established within the covenant and subject to the covenant law. This will be the standard by which Saul, and every king after him, will be judged.
A Divided Reception (vv. 26-27)
The chapter ends with the people dispersing and the new king facing a mixed reaction, which again reveals something about his character.
"Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him. But certain vile men said, “How can this one save us?” And they despised him and did not bring him any present. But he kept silent." (1 Samuel 10:26-27 LSB)
Two groups form immediately. First, there are the "valiant men whose hearts God had touched." God, in His grace, provides Saul with a retinue of loyal supporters. God is giving Saul every opportunity to succeed within the framework He has established. God touches their hearts to go with him.
But there is another group, described as "certain vile men." The Hebrew is literally "sons of Belial," which means worthless men, rebels, scoundrels. They look at Saul, perhaps from the insignificant tribe of Benjamin, and they despise him. "How can this one save us?" This is the central question of the whole affair. They asked for a king to save them, and now they doubt the king they received can do the job. Their contempt is shown by their refusal to bring him a tributary "present," an act of acknowledging his kingship.
And what is Saul's response? "But he kept silent." Again, this could be interpreted in two ways. It could be seen as prudent patience and humility, refusing to start his reign with internal conflict. Or, it could be another sign of his fearful passivity, the same impulse that sent him to the baggage train. Given his later actions, it seems to be a weakness, not a strength. He is unwilling to confront opposition and establish his God-given authority. He is silent when he should be leading.
The King We Need
This entire episode is a living parable. Israel rejected their perfect, invisible King for a flawed, visible one. They wanted a king who was tall, but they got a king who was timid. They wanted a king to save them, but they got a king who needed to be saved from his own fear. Saul is a picture of the failure of all human leadership to solve our deepest problem.
The question of the sons of Belial, "How can this one save us?" is actually the right question. And the answer is, he can't. Saul can't save them. David can't ultimately save them. No earthly king can save them. The entire history of the monarchy in Israel is a record of failure that is designed to make the people long for a different kind of king.
This story points us forward to another king from the tribe of Benjamin's neighbor, Judah. It points us to a King who did not hide from His calling, but who set His face like flint to go to Jerusalem. It points to a King who was not chosen by lot, but who was declared the Son of God with power. It points to a King who did not just look the part, but who was the very image of the invisible God.
When Jesus came, the people shouted "Hosanna!" which means "Save us now!" They wanted a king to save them from the Romans. They wanted a Saul. But Jesus did not come to be that kind of king. And when He didn't meet their worldly expectations, many of them, like the sons of Belial, despised and rejected Him. "We have no king but Caesar," they cried.
But unlike Saul, Jesus was not silent in the face of rebellion. He spoke the law of God with authority. And unlike Saul, who hid among the baggage, Jesus went to the cross, the ultimate place of shame, and took upon Himself the baggage of our sin. He is the King who truly saves us from all our calamities and distresses, because He conquered our greatest enemies: sin, death, and the devil. The valiant men and women whose hearts God has touched still follow Him today. And our response should not be a fickle shout, but a life of loyal obedience to the only one who can truly save, crying, "Long live the true King, Jesus."