Study 12: 1 Samuel 10: 14-27: Trent Evans

This sermon explores Israel's transition from a theocracy under God's direct rule to a monarchy led by King Saul, as depicted in 1 Samuel 10. The message focuses on the people's rejection of God's kingship despite His proven faithfulness and provision, symbolized by the Ebenezer stone at Mizpah. The speaker emphasizes how God confirmed Saul's calling through specific signs, yet Saul initially hid in fear and baggage, a metaphor for how personal insecurities and past wounds can hinder our obedience to God’s assignments. The sermon challenges listeners to examine their hearts, lay down their "baggage," and choose God's leadership over self-rule, urging believers to walk in obedience and trust God's approval above human praise.

Sermon Outline

Chapter 1: Introduction and Context

⏱️ Timestamp: 0:00 – 3:20

🔑 Key Points:

• The Book of Samuel marks the transition from the period of judges to the monarchy in Israel.

• Israel moves from a theocracy (God as King) to a monarchy (human kings under God’s direction).

• Context of Saul’s introduction: son of Kish, a Benjamite, on a mission to find lost donkeys.

• God’s will and plan are central as the nation transitions.

📖 Scripture: 1 Samuel 9:25–27; 1 Samuel 10:1

Chapter 2: God’s Confirmation to Saul

⏱️ Timestamp: 3:20 – 7:13

🔑 Key Points:

• God gives Saul three confirmations:

• 1️⃣ The donkeys are found (God as problem solver).

• 2️⃣ Two loaves of bread given by worshippers (God as provider).

• 3️⃣ Spirit comes upon Saul; he prophesies (God as empowerer).

• These signs build Saul’s confidence in God’s call.

📖 Scripture: 1 Samuel 10:2–6

Chapter 3: Saul’s Encounter with His Uncle

⏱️ Timestamp: 7:13 – 14:03

🔑 Key Points:

• Saul reports the donkeys’ recovery but hides the kingship revelation.

• Only Saul, Samuel, and God know of the kingship at this point.

• Saul’s servant witnessed events but didn’t grasp their meaning as confirmation.

📖 Scripture: 1 Samuel 10:14–16

Chapter 4: The Gathering at Mizpah

⏱️ Timestamp: 16:48 – 21:46

🔑 Key Points:

• Samuel summons Israel to Mizpah, a place of past repentance and victory.

• The Ebenezer stone serves as a visible witness of God’s help.

• The people choose to reject God’s kingship despite His faithfulness.

📖 Scripture: 1 Samuel 7:12; 1 Samuel 10:17–19

Chapter 5: God’s Rescue and Israel’s Rejection

⏱️ Timestamp: 21:46 – 27:14

🔑 Key Points:

• God reminds Israel of His deliverance from Egypt and oppressors.

• Israel’s desire for a king reflects spiritual amnesia — forgetting God’s provision.

• We, too, can reject God’s rule when we seek human solutions over divine guidance.

📖 Scripture: 1 Samuel 10:18–19

Chapter 6: The Selection of Saul

⏱️ Timestamp: 27:14 – 31:57

🔑 Key Points:

• Saul chosen from the tribe of Benjamin, the least of the tribes.

• Saul hides among the baggage, symbolizing fear, insecurity, and unresolved baggage that hinders obedience.

• Baggage distorts how we see ourselves and others.

📖 Scripture: 1 Samuel 10:20–22

Chapter 7: The People’s Declaration

⏱️ Timestamp: 34:32 – 37:49

🔑 Key Points:

• People proclaim, “Long live the king!” while standing before God, their true King.

• Application: Our lives may declare “long live me” when we crown ourselves instead of God.

📖 Scripture: 1 Samuel 10:24

Chapter 8: Samuel’s Scroll of Witness

⏱️ Timestamp: 37:49 – 41:25

🔑 Key Points:

• Samuel writes the rights of the king on a scroll as a witness against Israel.

• This scroll serves as a record of what they were warned about: kings would take and oppress.

📖 Scripture: 1 Samuel 10:25; 1 Samuel 8:10–18

Chapter 9: Two Responses to God’s Call

⏱️ Timestamp: 41:25 – 43:47

🔑 Key Points:

• Men of valor, touched by God, support Saul.

• Others despise him, showing how people can hear the same word yet respond differently.

📖 Scripture: 1 Samuel 10:26–27

Chapter 10: The Call to Obedience

⏱️ Timestamp: 43:47 – end

🔑 Key Points:

• Challenge to lay down baggage, stop making excuses, and walk in God’s assignment.

• God’s approval should be our highest aim, above applause or criticism.

📖 Scripture: 1 Samuel 10:27; general reflection

Scripture References

1️⃣ 1 Samuel 9:25–27

⏱️ Timestamp: 0:00 – 3:20

🔹 Context: Sets the stage for Saul’s private revelation from Samuel about God’s plan for kingship; introduces transition from judges to monarchy.

2️⃣ 1 Samuel 10:1–6

⏱️ Timestamp: 3:20 – 7:13

🔹 Context: Saul is anointed by Samuel; given three signs as confirmation of his calling — donkeys found, bread provision, Spirit’s empowerment through prophecy.

3️⃣ 1 Samuel 10:14–16

⏱️ Timestamp: 7:13 – 14:03

🔹 Context: Saul’s conversation with his uncle Nir; Saul reports the recovery of donkeys but conceals the kingship message.

4️⃣ 1 Samuel 7:5–12

⏱️ Timestamp: 16:48 – 21:46

🔹 Context: Samuel gathers Israel at Mizpah, site of national repentance; Ebenezer stone as a witness to God’s past deliverance, highlighting the irony of rejecting God as king.

5️⃣ 1 Samuel 10:17–19

⏱️ Timestamp: 16:48 – 21:46

🔹 Context: Samuel recounts how God delivered Israel, yet they still demand a human king, rejecting God’s kingship.

6️⃣ 1 Samuel 8:10–18

⏱️ Timestamp: 37:49 – 41:25

🔹 Context: Samuel’s warning about the demands and costs of kingship — what kings will take from the people; written as a witness against them.

7️⃣ 1 Samuel 10:20–22

⏱️ Timestamp: 27:14 – 31:57

🔹 Context: The selection of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin; Saul hides among the baggage, symbolizing fear and insecurity.

8️⃣ 1 Samuel 10:24

⏱️ Timestamp: 34:32 – 37:49

🔹 Context: People proclaim, “Long live the king!” in Saul’s presence, ironically rejecting God as their true king while standing before the Ebenezer stone.

9️⃣ 1 Samuel 10:25

⏱️ Timestamp: 37:49 – 41:25

🔹 Context: Samuel writes down the rights of the kingship and sets the scroll before the Lord as a witness against Israel.

10️⃣ 1 Samuel 10:26–27

⏱️ Timestamp: 41:25 – 43:47

🔹 Context: Two responses to God’s chosen king — some men of valor follow Saul; others despise him, highlighting how people respond differently to God’s word.

11️⃣ Deuteronomy 17:14–20

⏱️ Timestamp: 38:19 – 41:25

🔹 Context: Referenced in relation to what Samuel might have written on the scroll — God’s guidelines for kingship that were supposed to govern Israel’s kings.

Word Study

1️⃣ KING

• Original Language: Hebrew (Old Testament)

• Hebrew Word: מֶלֶךְ (melekh)

• Strong’s Number: H4428

• Pronunciation: meh'-lek

📘 Definitions:

• Simple: A king, ruler, or sovereign leader over a people or land.

• Extended: A person who holds supreme authority, often divinely appointed or recognized; used of human kings and figuratively of God as the King of kings.

🔄 Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonym: שַׂר (sar) — prince, ruler (Isaiah 9:6)

• Antonym: עֶבֶד (ebed) — servant, slave (Exodus 21:2)

📖 Other Key Uses:

• Deuteronomy 17:14-20 — God’s guidelines for kings Israel would choose.

• 1 Samuel 8:7 — God tells Samuel, “They have rejected me as their king.”

• Psalm 24:10 — “Who is this King of glory? The LORD Almighty—he is the King of glory.”

🌿 Reflection:

The word melekh frames the sermon’s tension between God's kingship and Israel’s desire for a human king. The people's cry for a melekh reflects their rejection of God's reign, despite His faithfulness. The word deepens our understanding of how our misplaced trust in human leadership over divine kingship leads to spiritual compromise.

2️⃣ SAVE

• Original Language: Hebrew (Old Testament)

• Hebrew Word: יָשַׁע (yasha)

• Strong’s Number: H3467

• Pronunciation: yaw-shah'

📘 Definitions:

• Simple: To deliver, rescue, or bring to safety.

• Extended: To help, defend, or give victory; in the Hiphil stem (causative), it refers to God causing deliverance by His action or through appointed means.

🔄 Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonym: פָּלַט (palat) — to escape, deliver (Psalm 18:2)

• Antonym: אָבַד (abad) — to perish, be destroyed (Hosea 4:6)

📖 Other Key Uses:

• Exodus 14:30 — “That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians.”

• Psalm 34:6 — “This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.”

• Isaiah 43:11 — “I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.”

🌿 Reflection:

The sermon emphasized that it was God (yasha) who caused victory, not human effort. This word reinforces the core theme: God alone is the true rescuer, and seeking a human king reveals spiritual forgetfulness of His saving acts.

3️⃣ BAGGAGE (used metaphorically in the sermon)

• Original Language: Hebrew (Old Testament)

• Hebrew Word: כְּלִי (keli)

• Strong’s Number: H3627

• Pronunciation: keh-lee'

📘 Definitions:

• Simple: Utensil, vessel, or equipment; by extension, belongings or baggage.

• Extended: Objects or containers for use in daily life, worship, or warfare; symbolically refers to the burdens or entanglements one carries.

🔄 Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonym: מַשָּׂא (massa) — burden, load (Numbers 4:15)

• Antonym: חָפְשִׁי (chophshi) — free, unbound (Isaiah 58:6)

📖 Other Key Uses:

• 1 Samuel 17:22 — “David left his baggage in the care of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the battle line.”

• Isaiah 10:28 — refers to the enemy’s baggage as they invade.

🌿 Reflection:

The metaphor of Saul hiding among the keli (baggage) illustrates how fear, insecurity, and unresolved personal issues can prevent us from stepping into God’s calling. In the sermon, this word invites reflection on laying down the “baggage” that distorts our view of ourselves, others, and God’s mission.

Reflection Questions

🏔 God’s Kingship and Israel’s Rejection

1️⃣ Why do you think the people of Israel rejected God as their King despite His faithfulness, as symbolized by the Ebenezer stone?

2️⃣ Are there times when I, knowingly or unknowingly, push back against God’s leadership in my life? What motivates that rejection?

3️⃣ How can I cultivate a heart that remembers and trusts God’s faithfulness instead of seeking “kings” of my own making?

📖 Reference: 1 Samuel 10:17–19, 1 Samuel 7:12

🔍 God’s Confirmations to Saul

4️⃣ Saul received clear signs confirming his calling (donkeys found, bread provision, Spirit’s empowerment). Has God given me confirmations of His calling or guidance? How have I responded?

5️⃣ Why might Saul have chosen to hide his kingship from his uncle despite these confirmations? How do I sometimes shrink back from God’s assignments for me?

📖 Reference: 1 Samuel 10:2–6, 1 Samuel 10:14–16

🎒 The Baggage We Carry

6️⃣ The sermon described Saul hiding among the baggage. What baggage (fears, insecurities, past wounds) am I tempted to hide behind instead of stepping into God’s call?

7️⃣ How does my “baggage” distort how I view myself, others, and God? What would it look like to lay it down today?

📖 Reference: 1 Samuel 10:22

🤴 Choosing Human Rule Over Divine Rule

8️⃣ The people declared, “Long live the king!” even in God’s presence. In what ways might my actions or priorities declare allegiance to something or someone other than God?

9️⃣ What are modern “kings” (success, security, relationships, control) that I am tempted to crown in place of God?

📖 Reference: 1 Samuel 10:24

📝 Two Responses: Valor or Rejection

🔟 The men of valor supported Saul; others despised him. What does this contrast reveal about how people respond to God’s choices and plans? Which response do I see in myself?

1️⃣1️⃣ How do I handle it when others don’t affirm or support God’s work in my life?

📖 Reference: 1 Samuel 10:26–27

💡 Final Challenge: God’s Approval

1️⃣2️⃣ The sermon ended with the call to seek God’s approval over human applause. What does seeking only God’s approval look like in my current season?

1️⃣3️⃣ What is one specific step I can take this week to walk in obedience, free from fear of others’ opinions?

📖 Reference: 1 Samuel 10:27 (closing reflection)