Samuel had risen to be the prophet and the judge of Israel. He grew up from being a young boy dedicated fully to God, to be the man whom God would choose to lead the nation of Israel. However, in the closing years of his life, he did not manage his household well, and like Eli had wicked sons.

1 Samuel 8:3
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

Because of this, what would the Israelites do?

• 1 Samuel 8:5
  And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
• The wicked ways of Samuel’s sons was a small reason in asking for a king. Yes, they would not have been good judges because of their wickedness. But there was another reason.
• They wanted to be like the other nations around them. They wanted a figure head. Someone to follow into battle. They wanted to be more like the world. They were tired of God as their king and judge.

From a human standpoint, Samuel was upset. He felt that he was being rejected.

• 1 Samuel 8:6-7
  6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. 7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
• God told Samuel that they were not rejecting him, but they were rejecting God. They didn’t want God to reign over them anymore. They wanted to follow the way of the world.
• 1 Samuel 8:8
  According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
• God says that from the day that He brought them out of Egypt, they were always wanting to serve other gods and not follow Him. And so this was just another step away from God and more to be like the world.
• Although there had been much reform and revival come in under Samuel’s leadership, the heart of the people still desired to stray away from God.
• 1 Samuel 8:9
  Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
• Yet God in His mercy instructs Samuel to tell them what would happen if they decided to have a king.

1 Samuel 8:10-18
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. 11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. 13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

• At the very end, Samuel tells them that they would regret the choice of making for themselves a king.

But what was the people’s response?

• 1 Samuel 8:19-20
  19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; 20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
• Yet they didn’t care. They still wanted to have a king. They wanted to be just like all the other nations around them. They wanted someone to judge them and go out and fight the battles for them. They were rejecting God from being their leader and wanted a man to stand in His place.

They wanted to be just like the world.

• The Israelites didn’t realise that being unlike the world was a special privilege and blessing.
• God fought the battles for them. All they had to do was play some instruments of music and God would go ahead of them. All they had to do was walk around a city and shout at it and the walls would come falling down.
• God provided for them and gave them a land that was not theirs. A land that was flowing with milk and honey.
• God rained manna from heaven for them in the wilderness.
• They were so unlike the rest of the world in so many ways. No one got sick walking around the desert for 40 years. What a blessing came upon them because they were special and peculiar.

In the same way, God calls us to be His special and peculiar people today as well.

• 1 Peter 2:9
  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
• What makes us stand out when we choose to follow God is a blessing, not only to ourselves but to those around us as well.
• To be a blessing to the world is not striving to be different or peculiar, but striving to put God first in all that we do. When we do that, the difference between those that are God’s and those that are of the world will become apparent.

But now the Israelites wanted a king. They were tired of being peculiar. But God reserved for Himself the right to choose the first king.

• 1 Samuel 9:1-2
  1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. 2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
• The man chosen was Saul. He came from a powerful and well-respected family.
• However, the Bible highlights the physical qualities of Saul. He was taller than all the people around him from his shoulders and up! It doesn’t talk about his character.
• God was choosing someone that the people would accept. Someone that they had in mind that would look like a king. Someone that would lead them out to battle!

However, God would not just choose from a physical standpoint. He would make sure that Saul would be placed in the best position spiritually to be a good king also.

• 1 Samuel 9:3
  And the asses of Kish Saul’s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.
• When the donkey’s of Saul’s father was lost, he sent his son, Saul, to go and look for them. But they were not able to find them. By chance they came to the prophet Samuel’s house and it would be there that he would anoint Saul king.
• 1 Samuel 10:1
  Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?
• Shortly after the anointing, Samuel tells him that the Spirit of God would rest upon him.
• 1 Samuel 10:6
  And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
• Not only would the Spirit of the Lord rest on him but he would also be changed into another man.
• 1 Samuel 10:9
  And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.
• God would give Saul a new heart. And not only that.
• 1 Samuel 10:10-11
  10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
• God would give Saul the best start of any king. He received the Holy Spirit, to the extent that he even prophesied and was counted among the prophets for a short while.
• Even though the choosing of Saul would appeal to the people, God made sure to account for the other part that the people were not looking at, which was his heart. God was with Saul from the beginning as long as Saul would continue with God.

However, the anointing of Saul to be king was done in private. Not even the servants that went with Saul knew what Samuel had done. But soon it would become public news. Samuel would gather everyone to make the announcement.

• 1 Samuel 10:17-19
  17 And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh; 18 And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: 19 And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.
• Samuel reminds them of the goodness of God and their rejection of Him. But now he is about to present Saul to them.
• 1 Samuel 10:20-22
  20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. 21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.
• The tribe was chosen, then the family, and finally Saul, but Saul was nowhere to be found. He was probably overwhelmed with the situation of becoming the first king of Israel.
• 1 Samuel 10:23
  And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
• So the people went to look for him and finally brought him. He stood a head higher than everyone around him.
• What was the reaction of the people when they saw him?
• 1 Samuel 10:24
  And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.
• All the people were impressed of the man that God had chosen. They all shouted together, God save the king!
• However there were some that were not accepting of Saul as king.
• 1 Samuel 10:27
  But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

Soon after his coronation as king, there would come a situation that would test his mettle as the first king of Israel.

• 1 Samuel 11:1-3
  1 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. 2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. 3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.
• Nahash the Ammonite came to attack the people in Jabesh. The elders asked for time to see if any would come to their help.
• The messengers would come to Saul and he would respond in kind.
• 1 Samuel 11:6-8
  6 And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly. 7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent. 8 And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
• God rallied the armies of Israel around Saul and they came to the aid of the people of Jabesh and slew the Ammonites.

Upon seeing the leadership of Saul as their new king in responding to the emergency, and leading such a great army of people, the people wanted to put to death those that were not accepting of him as their king in the first place.

• 1 Samuel 11:12
  And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.
• How did Saul respond?
• 1 Samuel 11:13
  And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.
• Here Saul gave evidence of the change of his character. Instead of being offended by the disrespect from those who had rejected him at first and exacting revenge, he showed a spirit of compassion and forgiveness.
• Here was unmistakable evidence that the Spirit of God was dwelling in his heart. This is the same evidence that God’s children will have if God’s Spirit is in our heart also. No situation, no matter how bad it gets, or how hurtful it may be, will cause us to act out of line of God’s character.
• It is not the magnitude of the trial that comes upon us, but rather whether we are filled with His Spirit or not.

Right away, Samuel proposed to make a public assembly of confirming Saul as king.

• 1 Samuel 11:14-15
  14 Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there. 15 And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

However, all was not finished yet. There was a clear transition of Samuel their leader in the past to Saul their new leader in the present. And with Samuel still alive, he had to make that transition clear.

• 1 Samuel 12:1-5
  1 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. 3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. 4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand. 5 And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.
• It’s not that Samuel is trying to justify himself. But his life has given them no reason to request for a king. He had not been corrupt. In fact, the nation of Israel had prospered under his leadership. But it was the wickedness of their own hearts that they had requested for a king.
• But now Samuel calls God to witness that what they had done was not right.
• 1 Samuel 12:16-18
  16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. 18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
• God answered and confirmed that they done wickedly in asking for a king.
• In humiliation, the people now confessed their sins, the very sin of which they had been guilty.
• 1 Samuel 12:19
  And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

Samuel does not leave them in a state of discouragement.

• 1 Samuel 12:20
  And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;
• Even though the people had sinned and had done wickedly, he encourages them not to turn aside from following God. He warns them to continue to serve the Lord with all their heart. God would still be with them as long as they remained faithful to Him.
• 1 Samuel 12:23-25
  23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: 24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. 25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.
• Samuel reassures them that he would continue to pray for them.
• However, if they would turn away from God and be unfaithful, then they would be consumed, they would be left to their own wicked hearts and God would not intervene.

Such were the circumstances that surrounded the coronation of the first king. Whilst there was rejoicing that God had chosen a man for them, yet they were also reminded that they had done wickedly in asking for a king to lead them and in the process they rejected God as well. But all was not lost if they and the king would remain faithful to God.

We need to consider our lives today as well. All of us have made wrong decisions and gone in wrong directions against God at some point in our lives. But there is comfort that God will forgive and help us to make the best of the situation if we remain faithful to Him.

We have a wonderful God who is bountiful in mercy and compassion. He will not leave us or forsake us if we turn not to the left or the right keep our eyes firmly fixed on Him. Let us find comfort in the stories of the faithful kings that God will still work through circumstances that was not of His choosing but because He loves us so much.