What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 10:24? Samuel said to all the people Samuel, the prophet-judge, calls the gathered tribes to attention. By speaking “to all the people,” he publicly authenticates what God has already revealed to him in private (1 Samuel 9:15-17; 10:1). • Samuel’s role is to relay God’s word without alteration—just as he did at Mizpah when he interceded for Israel (1 Samuel 7:5-9). • The scene underscores that leadership in Israel is not secured by human politics but by divine appointment, exactly as the Lord had promised centuries earlier (Deuteronomy 17:14-15). • The crowd’s presence means they are eyewitnesses; no rumor or secret deal shapes this moment (Acts 26:26 reminds us that God often acts “in the open”). Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? The spotlight shifts from Samuel to Saul, but the emphasis is on “the LORD.” • God had already singled out Saul: “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man” (1 Samuel 9:16). • By asking, “Do you see…?” Samuel invites the people to recognize God’s handiwork, echoing the call in Psalm 66:5—“Come and see what God has done.” • Their demand for a king (1 Samuel 8:5) is met, yet the Lord retains control. Saul is not a concession alone; he is divinely commissioned, anointed with oil (1 Samuel 10:1), and confirmed by prophetic signs (10:6-7). • The phrase also anticipates Christ, the ultimately “Chosen One” (Luke 23:35), teaching that every earthly ruler points forward to the perfect King. There is no one like him among all the people Samuel notes Saul’s exceptional qualities. • Physically, Saul “was a head taller than anyone else” (1 Samuel 9:2), an outward sign that matched Israel’s desire for a king who could “go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:20). • Socially, Saul comes from the least clan of Benjamin, highlighting God’s pattern of exalting the humble (1 Samuel 9:21; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29). • Spiritually, God has “changed Saul’s heart” (1 Samuel 10:9), equipping him for the task. Though later failures will emerge, the initial declaration is true: at this moment, no one else combines these God-given traits. • This uniqueness prefigures David’s later description—“a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)—and ultimately Christ, of whom Revelation 5:2 declares, “Who is worthy?” Only One. And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!” The crowd’s acclamation seals Saul’s coronation. • “Long live the king” becomes Israel’s royal salute, reappearing in 1 Kings 1:25 and 2 Kings 11:12. • The unanimous shout signals covenantal agreement: the people accept Saul just as they earlier accepted the Lord’s thunderous victory at Mizpah (1 Samuel 7:10-12). • National unity emerges; the tribes that were once fractured in Judges 21 now rally under a single monarch. • Yet their cry also carries prophetic tension. Psalm 72:17 prays that the king’s “name endure forever,” ultimately satisfied only in Messiah Jesus, whose kingdom “will never end” (Luke 1:33). summary 1 Samuel 10:24 records a watershed: God publicly presents Saul, the people affirm him, and the monarchy in Israel formally begins. Samuel highlights divine choice, Saul’s distinctive suitability, and the nation’s enthusiastic consent. The verse teaches that leadership originates with God, that He equips those He appoints, and that human affirmation should echo divine selection. While Saul’s reign will reveal human frailty, the passage points beyond him to the unfailing reign of Christ, the true and everlasting King. |
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