Day 1024: Long live the king - 1 Samuel 10 vs 13 - 27

13-16 When Saul had finished prophesying, he came to the high place. Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.” And Saul's uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.” And Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything.

17 Now Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah. 18-20 And he said to the people of Israel, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.” 21-23 Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot; and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. So they enquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upwards.

24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!” 25 Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. 26-27 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valour whose hearts God had touched. But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace. 1 Samuel 10:13-27 English Standard Version.

While all the Bible comes from God, there are some parts where we can read a larger portion, and others where we need to study just a few verses at a time, for example, the gospels. Today's section describes the declaration of Saul, whom Samuel had privately anointed with oil, as the first king of Israel. What was said in vs 24 which through the years became a common response of people to a king, especially a new one?

“Long live the king!” Here in the UK the national anthem expresses this sentiment in the words “long to reign over us.” Now while that may be a noble request, was getting a king the best thing that happened to Israel? And, we might say, is a king the best thing for any nation? (vs 18-20)

In Israel's case, their desire and demand for a king implied a rejection of God. They forgot how He had been the one who'd saved them from all the nations who'd tried to crush them. He had constantly raised up someone in the land to give them victory over their enemies. In our days of democracy and politicians, we should never lose sight of the truth that it will always be better for any nation if they put God first.

Today's reading also gives a glimpse of what has been true through the ages when it comes to rulers. We see how Saul's uncle was curious (perhaps even suspicious) as to what Samuel had told Saul. We see too how there were people who despised the one who’d been made king. (Just as people today might despise whoever wins an election). As the years went by the Israelites would experience many more such divisions, and what we today would call ‘strong political rivalries’.

For myself, the thing that most caught my eye was Saul's hiding himself 'among the baggage'. At the start of his being called to be king he showed a lot of humilty, perhaps even a fear of the responsibility involved – despite Samuel giving the people a book of the rights and duties of a king. If Saul had continued in such humility, and had followed the rules Samuel laid out, the phrase 'long live the king' would've been appropriate. But as his life, and world history ever since has shown, the king we most need is the Lord Jesus Christ, who does indeed live forever.