A.    Saul’s first meeting with Samuel.

1. Who Saul was:

a. For what did Israel have to wait (8:22) after God promised them the king they wanted (9:15,16)?

b. Why is Saul’s person so carefully described in 9:1 and 2 (cf. chap. 8:20 and 16:6,7)? Why are his generations also mentioned (Gen. 49:10, Deut. 33:7)?

c. Are there any indications of Saul’s spiritual character already in this chapter?

2. Their meeting:

a. How did God bring Saul to Samuel? Study the Heid. Cat. Lord’s Day X and the Belgic Confession, Article XIII and explain how this illustrates the doctrine of providence.

b. Do you think it is significant that God brought Saul to Samuel but later sent Samuel to David (Is. 55:3-5 and 2:2 and 3)?

c. What did Samuel mean when he told Saul (9:20) that the desire of Israel was upon him and upon his father’s house (cf. 8:20, 12:13)?

d. At the sacrificial meal to which Samuel invited Saul he made him sit in the chief seat and gave him the best portion. Why? Study I Peter 2:17 and other similar passages.

3. The significance of these things:

a. If Israel had understood what kind of a man Saul was spiritually do you think they would have received him as King?

b. Why did God give them such a king? Read Eph. 1:11b in this connection and explain what is the counsel of God’s will for Israel in these matters.

c. How does Canons V, Article 2 apply to this history and through this history to us?

B. The Anointing of Saul.

1. The event itself:

a. What was the significance of anointing (Ps. 133, Is. 61:1)? Do we have a similar ceremony today (Acts 6:6, I Tim. 4:15)?

b. In what way did Saul have God’s Spirit? In the way of Ezek. 36:26 and Col. 3:9,10? Does the example of Cyrus in Isaiah 45:1-4 and 5 help answer this question?
c. Later on, Samuel tells Saul he would be changed into another man (10:6) and that he received “another heart” (10:9). What does this mean (11:6ff, compare also 16:14 and 17:11)?

d. Why did Saul need to be instructed by Samuel even to the extent of staying with him a whole night (9:26,27)? Cf. Deut. 17:19, 20.

2. The three signs that were given to Saul:

      a. What three signs did Samuel give Saul when they parted and why did he give them?

      b. Explain the first sign in connection with Deut. 18:21, 22 and Jer. 28:9.

      c. What did the second sign of the loaves of bread show? Cf. chapter 9:20.

      d. What was the significance of the third sign? Cf. chap. 10:1.

e. Do you think the fact that three signs were needed is a commentary on Saul’s spiritual character?

f. Why were the people amazed when Saul prophesied? Explain in this connection the proverb that they made (10:12). Refer to Ps. 115:17, 18 and Is. 38:18 for an answer.

3. Conclusions:

a. In what respect is Saul’s anointing different than that of David (II Sam. 23:1-4, Ps. 78:70-72)?

b. In what way are all ungodly rulers like king Saul? Look up Rom. 13:1-4, and explain what lessons we may derive from this history.

C. Israel given their king.

1. The story:

a. What was the purpose of the lot and why did Saul still have to be chosen by lot in the presence of the whole nation (Prov. 16:33, I Sam. 10:24)?

b. Why did Samuel remind Israel once again of their sin of rejecting God as their king (Ezek. 33:1-6)? Did the people pay any attention   to Samuel?

c. Why did Saul hide when it became obvious that the lot would fall on him? Was this wrong? Look up Ps. 21:7, 31:17, and 125:1 for an answer.

2. Lessons for us:

a. What lesson can we learn from the kind of King that God gave to the nation of Israel in Saul (Jer. 17:5-8)?

b. What does all this teach us about our relation to God in the work that he gives us to do (Is. 26:1-4, John 15:4-7, II Cor. 10:3-5, Hebr. 10:36-39)?