nppointment ma,le hy Gori. By it he would be convinced tr.at it was not made by Aamuel merely, but by Go<l, who fulfilled his words ( eh. ix. 20); at the same time he would be taught to leave lower cares, ar:d aspire after the highest things. "In- wardly free, and consecrated to the Lord alone, he is to pursue his way upward." 2. Second sign--his royalty was an honour shared with God, and held in subordin- ation to him (vers. 3, 4). A part of the offerings that were about to be presented hefore Jehovah in Bethel would be presented to Saul, but only a part of them; the greater portion would be given to Jehovah as a sign of the supreme homage due to the invisible King of Israel, while he was to accept the lesser portion as a sign of his subordinate position under him. "That this surprising prelude to all future royal gifts is ta.ken from bread of offering points to the fact that in future some of the- wealth of the land, which has hitherto gone undivided to the sanctuary, will go to the- king" (Ewald). God commands us to "honour the king" (1 Pet. ii. 17), but the honour which is due to himself may not be usurped by man (Matt. x.xii. 21 ; Act~ xii. 23). 3. Third sign - his royalty was e.n endowment dependent upon God, and effectually administered only through his grace. Coming to the hill (Gibeah) of God, near the city (Gibeah, his home), where there stood a garrison of the Philis- tines (or perhaps a pillar erected by them as a sign of their authority), which coulrl hardly fail to impress upon him with great force the main purpose for which he had been appointed king, he would meet a band of prophets descending from the high place (of 1:1acrifice), playing instruments of music and prophesying (speaking and singing in ecstatic utterances the praises of Jehovah, declaring his greatness, and his victory over bis adversaries), and-(1) He would be imbued with a Divine power. "The Spirit of Jehovah will come upon thee." (2) He would catch the spirit of the prophets, and join them in their ecstatic utterances. "Thou wilt prophesy with them." (3) He would undergo a surprising transformation. "And will be turned into another man." When he had turned his back to go from Samuel, "God gave him another heart" (ver. 9), but the prediction of the prophet was more completely fulfilled afterwards (ver. 10). The fulfilment of these predictions shows that appar- ently accidental events are clearly foreseen by God, human affairs are under his direction and control, and "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, e.s the rivers of water: he tumeth it whithersoever he will" (Prov. x:xi. 1), and that " the teach- ings of Providence unite with the teachings of revelation and of the Holy Spirit to ebow men their duty and their destiny." Ill. ADMONISHED OF FUTURE DUTY (vers. 7, 8). In relation to-1. Circumstances. "Do thou what thy hand findeth," i. e. what circumstances indicate to be thy duty. His own judgment would have to be exercised, but he would not be left to it alone. 2. God. "For God is with thee," to observe, direct, and aid thee. The firm belief in hie presence is a mighty preservative from the neglect of duty, and a powerful incentive and encouragement to its performance. 3. Tlie propl,,et, through whom he would receive "the word of God," in obedience to which he was bourrd always to- e.et. 11 Gilgal, on the south-western bank of the Jordan, was then, from all indica- tions, one of the most holy places in Israel, and the true centre of the whole people; it had a like importance before, and much more then, because the Philistine contr'ol reached so far eastward that the middle point of the kingdom must have been pressed back to the bank of the Jordan. There the people must have assembled for all general political questions, and thence, after offering and consecration, have marched· forth armed to war" (Ewald). Thither he was to gather the people; not, indeed, immediately, but when circumstances indicated that it was the proper time to pre- pare for war with the Philistines, which was the main object of his appointment. Samuel promised to meet him there, offer burnt offerings (dedicatory) and peace offerings (eucharistic), and tell him what to do; and directed him to wait seven days, and to do nothing without him. The direction was explicit, it set a limit to his unthority, and its neglect was the first step in his disobedience ( eh. xiii. 13). When God places men in positions of authority, he teaches them the obligations which they involve; and if they fail it is not from want of knowing them.-D.
Ver. 17.-The man, yet not the man. I. THE SANCTIO~ GIVEN BY THE LoRD TO SAUL'S ll:LEVATI0N. Instances may easily be adduced in which the writers of the l 'i 4 THE FIRST BOOK OF SAJ\IUEL. [CH. IX, 1-27.