Chapter 7 ends on a positive note. The Lord has delivered the Israelites from the Philistine threat and Israel repossesses all of the disputed holdings from Ekron to Gath (7:14).

But over the course of years, Samuel grew older and was succeeded by his two sons. Their judging was characterized by dishonesty and corruption. They followed after a perversion of justice.

There is a parallel here between Samuel and Eli. They both judged Israel. They both had two sons. Their sons acted wickedly and were rejected.

Perhaps Samuel had learned his parenting skills from Eli. The good news is that he does not seem to have been partaking in their sinful behavior the way in which Eli did. Because his sons were not fit to succeed him, the Israelites perceived a need for a king.

In verse 1, Samuel had appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. Now the elders ask Samuel to appoint a king to judge them.

There are several things which ought to be mentioned in defense of Israel’s request for a king:

Nevertheless, their request was perceived as a rejection, not only of Samuel and his sons, but even of the Lord who tells Samuel that "they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them" (8:7). One of the problems with a king was that many of the surrounding nations considered their kings to be gods.

The Lord issues a warning of what it will mean for the Israelites to have a king to reign over them.

They have come and asked the Lord for a king. Before it is all over, they will come and ask God to take their king back (8:18). There is a lesson here. It is that you be careful what you pray for. You might get it.

"...a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel, from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people." (1 Samuel 9:2).

Saul comes on the scene, not seeking a kingdom or a throne, but looking for some lost donkeys. As they are about to give up on their quest, Saul’s servant suggests that they go and inquire from the local Seer about the missing donkeys.

They discuss this plan. Saul is reluctant because they have no gift to give to the Seer. But the servant has a quarter of a shekel of silver. This was not a coin, for coinage would not be invented until the 7th century B.C. This was a weight.

Meanwhile, the Lord had revealed to Samuel that a man was coming from the tribe of Benjamin who would be anointed as the deliverer of the Israelites.

Thus, when Saul arrives at the gate of the city, he is met by Samuel who informs him that the donkeys have been found and then proceeds to invite him as the guest of honor to a special dinner.

a. His anointing at the hands of Samuel.

b. Saul’s anointing by the Spirit of God.

The name "Mizpah" means "watchtower" -- literally, "place of watching." There were several Mizpahs throughout the land. This Mizpah was likely the place where the Lord had last delivered the Israelites from the attack of the Philistines (1 Samuel 7:5-11). It had since become one of the regular points along Samuel’s traveling circuit (1 Samuel 7:16).

There is a touch of irony here. When we first saw Saul, he was being sent to look for missing donkeys. Now it is Saul who is missing and the people go looking for him. They find him hiding by the baggage.

Remember, being a king was not something for which Saul had been seeking. He had come on the scene seeking nothing but a pair of lost donkeys. And now that he is chosen, he is still reluctant to take of the mantle of kingship. There will come a time when that mantle of kingship will be taken away from Saul and he will be equally reluctant to give it up.

Perhaps there is a lesson here for us. It is that we shall find it much easier to take things up and to give things up as we realize that they are given and taken by the Lord. Anything coming into your life comes via a nail-scarred hand. And anything that is taken away is taken by that same hand.

What happened after Saul had been proclaimed the first king of Israel? Did he move into the royal palace? He did not. There was no royal palace into which he could move. And so, when the celebration was over, there was nothing else for him to do but to return home. When next we see him, he will be at the south end of a northbound team of oxen.

You see, Israel at this time was nothing more than a scattered and disunited collection of tribes. This was not a unified nation. You couldn’t even get them to agree on what to eat for lunch. And they also did not agree that Saul should be their new king, no matter what Samuel had told them. But this changed dramatically when Saul led the Israelites to victory in battle.

There was bad blood between the Ammonites and the Israelites. The Ammonites were descendants of Lot through his incestuous relationship with one of his daughters (the name Ammon - - means "my father"). They occupied the territory north of the Arnon River and east of the Dead Sea.

They had joined Moab in invading Israel and taking Jericho in the days of Ehud (Judges 3:12-13).

They had also warred with Israel in the days of Jephthah and had been defeated by him, losing a number of their border cities to him (Judges 10-11).

Now they were back. The city which they were now attacking was Jabesh-gilead. By strange coincidence, this is the same city which had been destroyed by the Israelites for not joining in the punitive attack against the tribe of Benjamin following the incident at Gibeah in which a Levite’s concubine was raped and then dismembered (Judges 19-21).

The city had since been rebuilt and reinhabited. It is now being attacked, not by Israel, but by Ammon. And because of her past history, it seems doubtful that anyone will come to her aid. Except for a man from the tribe of Benjamin - Saul’s tribe. And specifically, a man of Gibeah - Saul’s city.

Just as the Israelites had been called to arms against Gibeah by the cutting up of the body of the murdered concubine, so this time two oxen are cut up and their pieces sent throughout the land as a call to arms. Gibeah which was formerly in need of the heavy hand of punishment has now become the rallying point of salvation for God’s people.

Having assembled at Bezek on the mountains of Gilboa, Saul and his force cross the Jordan River and attack the Ammonites just before sunrise. The result is an overwhelming victory.

It is noteworthy that it would be at this same locale on the mountains of Gilboa that Saul would eventually fight his last battle. And when his body is mutilated and hung up on the wall of the city of Beth-shan, it will be men of Jabesh-gilead who will rescue the body and give it a proper burial.

Flushed with their victory, the people call for the death of those who had originally refused to follow Saul as king. Saul refuses, requiring leniency, pointing out that it is the Lord who has accomplished deliverance.

Gilgal was located on the western bank of the Jordan River. It was here that Joshua and the Israelites first camped after crossing the Jordan River. They had built a monument here of 12 memorial stones. And it was here that the Israelites had renewed the covenant, circumcising all of the men in the camp. This was a place of...

Gilgal will be the scene both of Saul’s coronation, his rebuke and his ultimate rejection as king.

This call is presented in the legal terms of a covenant. Samuel begins by calling for witnesses against himself. Having shown that he is a qualified judge, he then places the nation of Israel "in the dock." The witnesses are from Israel’s past.

All are men who were used by God to deliver His people.