King Saul

Samuel judged Israel for all the days of his life, and when he was very old, the leaders of Israel demanded a king like all the other nations had, because they did not want Samuel's sons to judge them. Samuel was not very pleased about that because the leaders did not seek God's will, it was something they wanted for themselves. But Samuel prayed to the LORD, and the LORD told Samuel that they would have a king, but because they had rejected the LORD, that king would bring only bad things to them..Samuel told the people the word the LORD had spoken to him, but the people still demanded a king.

There was a man called Kish, who had a son named Saul, who was a mighty man, there was no one in Israel quite like him. The LORD told Samuel that he was sending Saul to him, and that Samuel should annoint him to be the king that the people of Israel desired. And so when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said "Behold the man that I spoke to you about..this man shall be king over my people."

And so when Samuel met Saul, and gave him food, and the next morning Samuel said to Saul "Send your servant on ahead of us, but you stand still so I may show you the word of God." Then Samuel took a vial of oil and annointed Saul, that means he poured the oil on Saul's head, and kissed him and said "It is because the LORD has annointed you to be captain over Israel." And then Samuel gave Saul instructions where to go and what would happen to him, and that the Spirit of the LORD would come upon him, and that God would be with him and that he would speak prophesies. That is telling events that will happen in the future.

And so all things happened as Samuel said they would, and when Saul went home he was met by some prophets, and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he spoke prophesies to those that were with him.

Then Samuel called the people of Israel together, and spoke to them the word of the LORD, how the LORD had delivered them from Egypt, and how they were now rejecting their God who had saved them from all their enemies and all their trials, but instead of giving thanks, they wanted a king instead of serving the LORD. And then Samuel told them that Saul was the person whom the LORD gave them to be king, and so the people shouted "God save the king." Then Samuel sent them all home, and Saul also went home, and there went with him some men whose hearts God had touched.

But some people were not happy that Saul was king.

Memory Verse: 1 Samuel 8:6 "........and Samuel prayed unto the LORD"

Questions:
1. Why did the people of Israel want a king?
2. What did Samuel do when the people told him they wanted a king?
3. How did Samuel know who the king should be?
4. How did Samuel make Saul king?
5. What was the first thing Saul did after Samuel annointed him?
6. What did Samuel say to the people when he called them together?

Answers:
1. Because they didn't want Samuel's sons to judge them, they wanted a king like the other nations.
2. He prayed to the LORD
3. The LORD told Samuel that Saul would be coming to see him
4. He annointed him with oil (poured oil on his head)
5. He went and met some prophets, and spoke prophesies after the Spirit of the LORD came upon him.
6. He told them everything that God had done for them, and how they had rejected God, and that Saul was the king God had given them.

Vicki C. Gross

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