SAMUEL - Week 2

The story of Saul’s rise in 1 Samuel is packed with tension and ambiguity.

He’s chosen by God, anointed by Samuel, and even empowered by the Spirit — yet we’re left asking whether this is really what Israel needs.

The narrative begins a two part examination on the heart of a leader, first with Saul and then later David. We first meet Saul in chapter 9, introduced as more handsome than anyone in Israel (9:2).

Good for him!

This language is actually just a way of depicting goodness, and we see it used to describe others – Joseph (Gen 39:6), Moses (Ex 2:2) and later David (1 Sam 16:12). Added to Saul’s good looks is mention of being physically tall – “head and shoulders above everyone else”. Israel wanted a king “like the nations” (8:5), and God gives them someone who fits that bill externally. But from the start, there’s a subtle critique: God later tells Samuel not to look on outward appearance (16:7). The contrast between Saul and David is already being set up.

Saul’s anointing comes in private (10:1), but a public lot-casting follows (10:17–27). Scholars see this as evidence of layered traditions — two ways of narrating Saul’s rise.

One focuses on divine election; the other on national recognition.

One prophetic and personal, the other public and political — now woven together to reflect the messy reality of how leadership actually emerges.  

Then comes the moment of transformation.

In 10:9, we see that God gives Saul ‘another heart’, one befitting his role as King. With this change, “The Spirit of God rushed upon him” (10:10), and Saul joins in with the prophetic frenzy. People are astonished — “Is Saul also among the prophets?” It’s an early sign that God is at work in Saul, but it’s also a fleeting moment. This doesn’t mark a lifelong change, and the proverb becomes a kind of question mark over his calling. As later events show, charisma is not the same as character.

(Little side note - Charisma (χάρισμα) in the New Testament (especially in Paul) refers to a gift of grace — that is, a spiritual gift given by God to believers, usually through the Holy Spirit. Examples include prophecy, teaching, healing, tongues, etc. Only around the 19/20th centuries was it used to talk about a kind of charm and personal magnetism)

Finally, there’s a weird gap in the story. Chapter 11 jumps straight into a crisis with an enemy king, Nahash — but gives no explanation of who he is or why he’s attacking. Until, that is, we look at a Dead Sea Scroll fragment (4QSamᵃ if you’re interested…) and the Septuagint, both of which include a missing paragraph explaining that Nahash had been gouging out eyes and threatening tribes east of the Jordan.

 It’s gory, yes, but also useful. It gives the whole chapter much needed context and turns Saul’s victory from a random act into genuine national deliverance. Without it, Saul’s military action in chapter 11 can feel abrupt. With it, we see a fuller picture of the crisis that drew Saul into public leadership.

Saul’s story begins with promise, power, and potential.

But it also carries warning signs and a reminder that not every impressive leader is a faithful one, and not every spiritual experience guarantees spiritual maturity.

As we reflect on leadership today, Saul’s story reminds us to look deeper: beyond charisma, beyond structures, and even beyond dramatic spiritual moments.

It leaves us with the question: what kind of heart is really aligned with God?

And this is the question we’ll see unpacked over this next week or two as we enter the story of David.