Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio 1 Samuel 10: “Long Live the King!”
The Rev. Dr. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, FL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Samuel 10.
Samuel pours oil on Saul’s head to anoint him as King and gives him three signs to prove that God has chosen him. Samuel then gathers the people of Israel and presents Saul as their king. The people rejoice and shout, “Long live the king!” But not everyone is happy with this new arrangement. Some troublemakers question Saul’s ability and refuse to honor him.
The Book of 1 Samuel beings with the unique birth of Samuel, the last judge of Israel. Soon, the people of Israel begin to press upon the aging prophet Samuel to anoint a king over them like the other nations. YHWH assures Samuel that the people are rejecting their God, not Samuel. He advises Samuel to give the people what they want. What follows is the rise and fall of King Saul, the eventual anointing and coronation of David as king, the forerunner of Jesus. It’s a true story of political intrigue and warfare, but it’s also more than that. 1 Samuel shows us God working to save his people from their enemies and even from themselves.