Episode Details

Are you desperate to know God's call for your life?

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

This week, we are in 1 Samuel 10. I've titled this chapter "The Appointed But Reluctant Leader."

Today, we pick up the story where Samuel has anointed Saul, the first king of Israel. But Samuel wants Saul to know that this is not something he has made up. It is the Word of the Lord. Therefore, he gives Saul three predictive signs as confirmations on his journey home. Here are verses 2-6:

When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, 'The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, "What shall I do about my son?"' Then you shall go on from there farther and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand. After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. — 1 Samuel 10:2-6

Samuel is not your modern televangelist. He describes three extremely detailed events that confirm God's Word and Saul's appointment as king.

So today, I want to look closer with you at the three confirmations that Saul will encounter on his journey home:

The first stop was Rachel's Tomb. We might not know who Rachel was, but Saul knew. Rachel was a matriarch of Israel. She died while giving birth to the last of the sons of Israel—Benjamin. And Saul is one of her descendants. Saul is a Benjamite. Saul would stop at her tomb and meet two men there. The symbolism in the encounter at this 800-year-old tomb is profound. Just a few days ago, he left his father's home as a peasant farmer, and now he would return as the first king of the people of Israel. His livelihood as a farmer would pass away, but as he leaves his ancestor's tomb, he would be transformed into the one who would fight for God's people, leaving a permanent mark on Israel's history.

The second stop is a lone oak tree at the base of Mt. Bethel. Although the oak is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, trees like the oak and terebinth were common landmarks for travelers in remote regions. At the tree, Saul would meet three men traveling up to Bethel with supplies for a sacrifice. Upon meeting Saul, the men would offer him a portion of their food. If you recall, just a few days before, as Saul was traveling through these hills, he and his servant ran out of provisions of bread. But the journey home would be different. He would receive divine provision as God's chosen man.

The last stop is Saul's home. Yet, as Saul returns, he witnesses two odd events: a garrison of Philistines and a group of praising and prophesying prophets. This bizarre scene is the tension that would define the calling for the rest of his life—a tension between God's people and God's enemies. Upon witnessing these two groups, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, transforming him into a different man.

Remember, these three signs were confirmations