What role does obedience play in the events of 1 Samuel 9:13? Passage at a glance “‘As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he arrives, because he must bless the sacrifice. Afterwards, those who have been invited will eat. Now go up, for about this time you will find him.’” (1 Samuel 9:13) Setting the scene • Saul and his servant have been searching for lost donkeys. • The servant suggests seeking “the man of God” in Ramah (vv. 6–10). • Young women at the well direct them to Samuel and urge haste so they will catch him “about this time” (vv. 11–12). • Verse 13 records the final instructions and highlights obedience right at the threshold of Saul’s divinely arranged encounter with Samuel. Observations about obedience in this verse • Timely obedience is critical: “As soon as you enter… Now go up.” Delay would miss Samuel before the sacrifice. • Communal obedience: “The people will not eat until he arrives, because he must bless the sacrifice.” Everyone submits to God’s order by waiting for the prophet to consecrate the meal. • Sequential blessing: Obedience precedes enjoyment—only “afterwards…will eat.” Layers of obedience on display • Saul obeys his servant, then the young women, positioning himself for kingship. • The townspeople obey Samuel’s spiritual authority, honoring God’s pattern for worship (Numbers 6:23–27). • Samuel himself is obeying God’s earlier word that he would meet the man to be anointed king that very day (1 Samuel 9:15–17). Spiritual principles emerging from the verse • God weaves ordinary acts of obedience into His larger redemptive plan. • Prompt obedience aligns us with God’s timing (“about this time you will find him”). • Blessing flows on the far side of obedience—mirrored later when Saul learns that “to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). • Community flourishing depends on shared submission to God-given leadership (Hebrews 13:17). Supporting Scriptures • Proverbs 3:5-6—Trusting and acknowledging the Lord directs paths, as with Saul. • Deuteronomy 28:1-2—Obedience brings covenant blessing. • Luke 5:5-6—Peter’s obedient response to Jesus precedes a miraculous catch, echoing “obey first, blessing follows.” Takeaway for today Obedience in the seemingly small instructions—“go up now,” “wait for the blessing”—becomes the gateway for God’s larger purposes. Choosing immediate, wholehearted obedience positions believers to witness His providence and to receive what He has already prepared. |
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