The Kingdom Renewed at Gilgal Text: 1 Samuel 11:14-15
Introduction: The Public Ratification
We live in an age that despises public declarations, formal ceremonies, and covenantal oaths. Our modern sensibilities prefer a private, internal, sentimental faith. We want a king in our hearts, but not one who is publicly acclaimed in the town square. We want a salvation that is between "me and Jesus," but we are allergic to the corporate, visible, and sworn allegiance that the Bible demands. But God is not the God of vague feelings. He is the God of covenants, of public testimony, of visible signs, and of corporate worship. He does not save us into a private spirituality club; He enlists us into a public army and seats us at a public table.
In the verses just prior to our text, Saul has been given a mighty victory by the Spirit of God. The Ammonites, under their serpent-king Nahash, had threatened to gouge out the right eyes of the men of Jabesh-gilead, a reproach upon all Israel. But the Spirit rushed upon Saul, his righteous anger was kindled, and he rallied Israel to a stunning victory. This was his public proving. God had already chosen Saul. Samuel had already anointed him in private. The lots had already fallen on him in public. But there were still sons of Belial who despised him, asking, "How shall this man save us?"
The victory over the Ammonites was God's definitive answer. And now, the kingdom which was initiated in private and selected in public must be formally ratified by all. It must be renewed. And it must be renewed in a very particular place, and in a very particular way. This is not just a political victory lap. This is a solemn act of covenant renewal worship. It is a national liturgy, conducted before the Lord, at a place saturated with redemptive history. What happens at Gilgal is a pattern for us. It teaches us that what God does in private, He intends to confirm in public, and that our victories should always drive us back to corporate worship and joyful fellowship before Him.
The Text
Then Samuel said to the people, “Come and let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.” So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they also offered sacrifices of peace offerings before Yahweh; and there Saul and all the men of Israel were exceedingly glad.
(1 Samuel 11:14-15 LSB)
A Summons to Covenant Memory (v. 14)
We begin with the prophet's summons:
"Then Samuel said to the people, 'Come and let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.'" (1 Samuel 11:14)
Notice who initiates this. It is Samuel, the prophet of God. The people, fresh off their victory, might have been tempted to simply parade Saul around on their shoulders. But Samuel, the covenant mediator, steps in to ensure this moment is channeled correctly. This is not to be a secular coronation based on military might; it is to be a sacred act, grounded in God's history with His people. The authority of the prophet is still directing the establishment of the authority of the king.
And where does he summon them? To Gilgal. This is not incidental. Location is theology. Gilgal was the first place Israel camped after crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land. It was at Gilgal that the reproach of Egypt was "rolled away" when the generation born in the wilderness was circumcised, renewing the covenant sign (Joshua 5:9). It was at Gilgal that they celebrated their first Passover in the land. It was at Gilgal that the twelve memorial stones, taken from the Jordan, were set up as a permanent testimony to God's miraculous deliverance. Gilgal was the place of new beginnings, of covenant renewal, of remembering God's mighty acts.
To go back to Gilgal was to go back to their roots. It was to place this new institution of the monarchy squarely in the stream of God's redemptive history. Samuel is saying, "Let us remember who we are and whose we are before we do this. This king is not a departure from our covenant with Yahweh, but must be an expression of it." They are to "renew" the kingdom there. The word implies strengthening, repairing, and confirming what has already begun. Saul's anointing was the foundation; this is the public dedication of the building. After a great victory, the first thing we ought to do is return to our "Gilgal," to the foot of the cross, to the waters of our baptism, and renew our allegiance to the God who gave us the victory.
A Kingdom Before Yahweh (v. 15)
The people's response is one of unified obedience, and their actions are deeply theological.
"So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they also offered sacrifices of peace offerings before Yahweh; and there Saul and all the men of Israel were exceedingly glad." (1 Samuel 11:15 LSB)
"All the people went." The victory and Saul's subsequent graciousness, refusing to execute the dissenters, has unified the nation. True leadership, empowered by God's Spirit, brings unity. And at Gilgal, "they made Saul king." Now, we must understand this correctly. God had already made him king by divine choice. What the people are doing here is giving their public assent and allegiance. It is their formal recognition of God's appointment. All earthly authority is derivative. God is the one who establishes thrones, and the people's role is to recognize and submit to the authority God has instituted.
And where do they do this? "Before Yahweh." This is the key phrase. This entire ceremony is an act of worship. It is done in God's presence, under His gaze, and subject to His authority. This is the fundamental principle of all Christian political theory. Every president, every king, every governor, every mayor, every father, rules "before Yahweh." There is no authority that is not ultimately accountable to God. When a nation forgets this, when it begins to think that its political processes are autonomous and secular, it has begun its slide into tyranny. To conduct politics "before Yahweh" is the only safeguard of liberty.
How do they conduct this ceremony? With "sacrifices of peace offerings." A peace offering was a communion meal. Part of the animal was burned on the altar for God, a portion was given to the priests, and the rest was eaten by the worshippers in a joyous feast. It was a symbol of fellowship, peace, and reconciliation between God and His people, and among the people themselves. After their sin in demanding a king, and after the threat of the Ammonites, this national meal signifies a restoration of fellowship. They are eating with God and with one another, in celebration of His deliverance and provision. Worship and feasting belong together. Theology is not meant to be a dry affair; it culminates in gladness.
And the result is predictable: "Saul and all the men of Israel were exceedingly glad." The Hebrew here denotes a profound and overflowing joy. This is not the fleeting happiness of a political victory. This is the deep gladness that comes from right order, restored fellowship, and corporate worship. When a people are unified, when they are rightly related to God, and when they are celebrating His goodness together, the result is joy. This is the joy of a covenant people dwelling in the presence of their God.
Conclusion: Our Gilgal and Our King
This scene in ancient Israel is pregnant with meaning for us. We too have been delivered from a serpent-king, Satan, who sought not just to gouge out our right eye, but to destroy us completely. We were helpless, like the men of Jabesh-gilead. But God, in His mercy, sent us a champion, a true King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He was anointed not with oil by a prophet, but with the Spirit Himself at His baptism in the Jordan. He won the decisive victory not by rallying an army of men, but by His own blood on the cross. And through His resurrection, God has publicly vindicated Him and declared Him to be the King of kings and Lord of lords.
And what is our response? We are called to our Gilgal. Every Lord's Day, we are summoned to "come and let us go" to the house of the Lord. The church is our Gilgal. It is the place where we remember our deliverance. It is where we see the memorial stones of baptism and the Lord's Supper, which testify to God's mighty acts. It is where we publicly "renew the kingdom," not by making Jesus king, He already is, but by renewing our allegiance to Him as our King. We do this when we confess our sins, sing His praises, hear His Word, and declare our faith.
Our worship is a public ratification of Christ's eternal kingship. We do it "before Yahweh." And our worship culminates in a peace offering, a communion meal at the Lord's Table. There we feast with our King, celebrating the peace and fellowship He purchased for us. And the result of this covenant renewal worship is that we are "exceedingly glad." The joy of the Lord is the fruit of rightly ordered worship. Let us, therefore, never neglect our summons to Gilgal. Let us come together, before the Lord, to renew our allegiance to our victorious King, and find our deepest joy in Him.