1 Samuel 9: Tall, Handsome, and Future King

The Rev. John Lukomski, co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Samuel 9. Find Wrestling with the Basics at kfuo.org/WrestlingWithTheBasics.

In this chapter, we meet Saul, a young man from the tribe of Benjamin, who is looking for his father’s lost donkeys. Along the way, he meets Samuel, the prophet of Israel, who has a surprising message for him. Samuel tells Saul that he is the one whom God has chosen to be the king of Israel.

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.