Category Archives: Places of the Bible

Bible 911 – Judges

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Judges 9:11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? (KJV)

Judges 9:11 is part of a parable, proverb, or fable (it depends on who you read) told by a son of Gideon. The story is a prophecy/curse over the people of Shechem for killing his brothers. The drama in Judges 9 is an extension of Gideon’s life. Not everything he did was right or righteous. Yes, he had faith to free and judge Israel, for that he is mentioned in Hebrews 11.

Gideon

Judges 9 is part of Gideon’s legacy. We are taught about his faith for the fleeces and the three-hundred lights and horns; these are what we remember. The gold statue with forty years of its adoration and the seventy sons do not make Sunday School lesson plans. The ugly soap opera drama in Chapter 9 is one huge showcase of fallen humanity and really hits at how far from God Israel was at that time. Yes, the Mercy Seat was just a few miles south in Shiloh.

Gideon is descendent from Manasseh, Jospeh’s oldest son. As a tribe they had the most land because they got portions on both sides of the Jordan. We are not sure where Ophrah, his hometown, was, but he called for help from the tribes of the north that were west of the Jordan.

His initial excuses in Judges 6 had the ringing of Moses when he was first called. He claimed to be the weakest and the least, but was he? No matter how he started by the end of his life he had many wives and seventy sons and a lot of gold. When Chapter 9 ends, he had one living heir, who was in hiding.

This is not the Manasseh in 2 Kings 21. This “most wicked” king was the son of Hezekiah, one of the best kings of Israel. (Interesting name associations. Genesis 41:51)

Abimelech

He was a violent, greedy man. Please, do not blame it on his mother’s status as a concubine. Half of Jacob’s sons came from concubines. https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4585-concubinage There is no indication that Jether or any of his brothers caused a problem.

In 9:2 he claims something that is a little unusual, he identifies with his mother’s family while using his father’s legacy. Similarly, King Saul and Jonathan’s connection to Gilead and Lo Debar are probably from his grandmother’s family roots in that area (Judges 21). The mothers of Israel were and are important.

The word Abimelech is more of a title than a name, not bad for the son of a concubine. Abimelech | The amazing name Abimelech: meaning and etymology

Shechem

The town and its surrounding mountains are a foundation stone in the history of Israel. It starts with the sordid tale of the raping of the virgin daughter of Israel. It continues to the Blessings and Curses in Joshua. In the New Testament we find Jesus talking to the woman at its well and John and Peter praying for the people to receive the Holy Spirit in the same region.  Shechem is a Hebrew word that means “shoulder” or “the seat of a person’s interests”1 2.

Back to Judges 9:11

You know it is fun looking at something that happened several thousand years ago and talking about it with absolute certainty. Imagine the millions of times this account has been read and studied; now we have on-line Bible commentaries to tell us everything. Before you read the fruits of my studies, stop and think about Jotham for a minute. Now, this is the Jotham in Judges; the other Jotham is a grandson of David and in the family-line of Jesus.

Jotham’s name means Yahweh is perfect.

Abimelech had sacrificed his brothers on one stone. Apparently, he did not count well because he missed one. It is not mentioned, but I cannot imagine that just the brothers were killed. Townspeople and family members almost certainly died as well or were taken as slaves. Coups back then aimed at cleaning house with no one left to claim or complain. Jotham went from “riding high” to “hiding in a hole”. So, to brave it up and tell a story, then pronounce a curse against two towns speaks volumes about this young man.

Location, location, location is important here, well at least symbolically. Jotham climbs up Mt. Gerizim where his ancestors stood in the time of Joshua to pronounce the blessings from Deuteronomy 28. He was speaking to people (Manasseh) who were not on his mount; they probably were on the mount of the curses or in the valley surrounding a “great tree” (9:6).

Etz or plants that have a woody stem now takes center stage. I see our perfect God reusing four etz in this story that are mentioned (my opinion) when Adam and Eve betrayed God. There were other trees in Israel and the surrounding nations that could have been used: oaks, cedars, palms, pomegranates are just a few. The olive, fig, and grape all have edible fruit (or products) that were/are important in the daily lives of the people. Thorns, like grapes, have a “woody” stem, but its main product and fame was an unproductive growth that was great for burning and hurting. The olive, fig, and grape knew they would have to give up something to rule, and they felt that it was not worth it. The thorn did not have to give up anything.

In 9:11 the fig did not want to give up its good fruit that was so sweet. Fig may be smug, but it was not wrong; none of the trees were. The natural importance of figs and the other etz make them ripe to be used in spiritual lessons. The fig is associated with religious works because of its debut in the Garden to hide the shame of sin from the eyes of God. Figs are mentioned several times in Numbers and Deuteronomy; the people use them for complaining and God uses them as part of the promise in the new land. Matthew has Jesus referring to them in the Sermon on the Mount and then using them twice in connection to the Sermons on Two Mounts. The last reference to figs is in Revelations when the sixth seal is broken, and they fall off of the tree because of fierce winds. My suggestion – STUDY. I saw and learned things in this study that I had not seen before.

Well, it is time to check my inner Sadducee, step over my Pharisee limitations, and quell my Zealot tendencies and rethink fig. The fig was good (tov) like everything God made in the Garden. It became the second tree (etz) that Adam and Eve tainted. They worked it into a covering to shield them from a righteous God. (Not the work they were made to do.) The Father made a sacrifice and gave them new “skins”. Many references with fig have a negative side, especially if you want to be grumpy, but the fig tree helped Zacchaeus to see Jesus. I will keep the thought of the fig and its tree representing works and remember there are religious works and works of righteousness.

Does Jotham’s parable have more than one layer? I am sure it does. Abimelech and the townspeople probably thought about it and asked questions for several years. Then reality and its truth grew thorns, stuck them, and blossomed into open hostility. Think about what groups or thoughts the four etz may represent.

These are some references that may help you study.

  1. Olives the oil honors gods and men; oil Strong’s Hebrew: 1880. דָּ֫שֶׁן (deshen) — fatness, ashes of fat, honor Strong’s Hebrew: 3513. כָּבַד (kabad or kabed) — to be heavy, weighty, or burdensome   give up oil not fruit
  2. Figs good and sweet; sweetness Strong’s Hebrew: 4987. מֹ֫תֶק (motheq) — sweetness, good Strong’s Hebrew: 2896. טוֹב (towb) — beautiful, fruit Strong’s Hebrew: 8570. תְּנוּבָה (tenubah) — fruit, produce
  3. Grapes cheer gods and men; new wine Strong’s Hebrew: 8492. תִּירוֹשׁ (tirosh) — must, fresh or new wine, rejoice Strong’s Hebrew: 8055. שָׂמַח (samach) — rejoice, be glad
  4. Thorn – get low (humble yourself) and come under my shade Strong’s Hebrew: 6738. צֵל (tsel) — a shadow

Do not leave these out of your quiet time reading, they may be appealing.  

Strong’s Hebrew: 5128. נ֫וּעַ (nua) — to quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter

Strong’s Hebrew: 6086. עֵץ (ets) — tree, trees, wood

When I branched out from Judges 9:11 I found these and thought they were interesting.

Rabbi Meir 

Forbidden fruit – Wikipedia This one is wild and has many “different” ideas.

Judges is history. In the accounts are natural and supernatural deeds and lessons, some have been okayed for Sunday School and others would require too much explaining. Four Judges are mentioned by name in Hebrews 11 and not all of those are children’s stories. It is very easy to pick and pull at them, like Chapter 9, and miss the real hero in the Book – Father God. He had a plan and a purpose, but His people had other ideas. Take your focus off of the Judges and find what God did in them and through them to carry Israel. Father wanted a righteous relationship with them just as He wants one with us now.

2 Kings 9 11

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2 Kings 9:11 Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and one said unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication. 12 And they said, It is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel. (KJV) This took place in Ramoth Gilead.

God’s love of Abraham and the covenant in Genesis 15 that extends to the Children of Jacob is the foundation for this story of obedience, fear, and respect for the Holy One of Israel. This story in 2 Kings 9:1-13 is God using His prophets to bring the land of Israel back to Himself. Elisha starts by getting a prophet with the courage to go and deliver one serious message to a leader in the king’s army. He is not the only prophet at this time, Micaiah plays an important role in the first defense of Ramoth Gilead, and the unnamed prophet in 1 Kings 20, plus the school of prophets.

The Young Man

No pressure here, right? Elisha the Man of God tells you to go and anoint the next king and gives you some very specific instructions. I can see that verses 2 + 3 were for his safety. Verses 11 + 12 give me the impression that this young man was personally known to the officers and not just a “crazy” man of God. If Elisha was at Mt. Carmel this young man walked more than seventy miles to Ramoth carrying that flask of oil. There was a war going on at the time, so tension had to be high.

It is hard to not notice that his message was much more detailed than what Elisha had said. I firmly believe that when he was obedient to the first part of his mission God poured through him the rest of the message that had started with Elijah in 1 Kings 19.   

The young man is called a “crazy fellow” or meshuga.  Strong’s Hebrew: 5288. נַ֫עַר (naar) — a boy, lad, youth, retainer (biblehub.com) and Strong’s Hebrew: 7696. שָׁגַע (shaga) — to be mad (biblehub.com)   Jehu referred to his speech as babbling or a complaint. Strong’s Hebrew: 7879. שִׂ֫יחַ (siach) — complaint, musing (biblehub.com)

The Message

Three people heard the message and repeated it to three different audiences. The reactions of those who heard are worth looking at. God spoke and things happened.

  • Elisha heard and spoke to the prophet, who believed and did what he was told, the way he was told to do it.
  • The prophet heard Elisha and more from God and spoke it out to Jehu son of Nimshi. (Once he showed his obedience the Spirit gave him more to say.) The prophet running was for his safety as those other officers may have been an issue, also he was not there to get any recognition. Jehu was dripping with oil that may have smelled nice. Did he believe? I think he did, but he did not know how the other officers would receive the message so he downplayed it. They called him a sheker or a liar. Strong’s Hebrew: 8267. שֶׁ֫קֶר (sheqer) — deception, disappointment, falsehood (biblehub.com)
  • Jehu heard the message and tells the soldiers. They quickly responded to the message by proclaiming him king. That conversation needs to be looked at. There was no hesitation because they “knew” the prophet and that he would speak the words of God.   

I found Jehu’s exchange with the other soldiers interesting.

  • 9:11 – One said, “Why has this meshuga come to you.” He knew him or could at least tell he was a prophet.
  • Jehu played off who he was and what he said, again (compare with 5 + 6). He may have been wary of the officers because they could have been loyal to the king and not the word of the Lord.
  • 9:12 – The group then called Jehu or at least what he said – sheker. There was a belief in the prophets, even in the north, that they did speak God’s word. Again, they knew him or at least associated him with Elisha. Remember that Jehu was dripping with oil and that may have smelled nice. 

Jehu son of Nimshi

His story should have started right after 1 Kings 19:16. It is not recorded that Elijah did all three (or four) of the things God told him to do. He did anoint Elisha. Please take this as an example of grace and mercy for Elijah, but God still had Jehu in His plan. 1 Kings 21 is the story of Naboth’s vineyard where Jehu received a prophecy that he talks about in 2 Kings 9:25 concerning Ahab. God was preparing Jehu even though Elijah did not anoint him. For a record of all Jehu did read 2 Kings 9 and 10. In this post, I will focus on his dynasty.

Jehu belongs to a small group of leaders who were offered a dynasty of rulers. The length of his dynasty was only four generations.

  • Jehu – 2 Kings 9 – 12. 2 Kings 10:31 records that he did not get rid of the sin of Jeroboam.
  • Jehoahaz – 2 Kings 13 He was challenged by Amaziah king of Judah to battle, 2 Chronicles 25:17.
  • Jehoash – 2 Kings 13:10 Elisha died during his reign.
  • Jeroboam – 2 Kings 14:23 Jonah was a prophet during his time as king.
  • Zechariah – 2 Kings 15:8 Isaiah, Hosea, and others were prophets by this time.

The references to this promise of a dynasty are 2 Kings 10:30+31, 15:12.

The other rulers who were offered a dynasty:

  • King Saul, 1 Samuel 13:13. He did not keep the Lord’s commands, if he had it would have been a lasting kingdom.
  • David, 2 Samuel 7:13-16. Verse 15 talks about God not removing His love from Solomon. Yes, this goes on to have meaning for Jesus. In my 2 Chronicles 911 post, I stated some doubts about Solomon, verse 15 does cover some of them. Isaiah 55:3 is a reference to God’s promise to David.
  • Jeroboam, 1 Kings 11:38. He was promised a dynasty to match David’s if he did right in the eyes of the Lord. He did not, he caused Israel to sin. He made idols and selected priests from anyone who wanted to be one; this practice continued in the Northern Kingdom and is one reason for its fall and deportation.

Hosea 1:4 And the Lord said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. (NASB)

This is the last reference to Jehu and it talks about his excessive bloodshed. 2 Kings 10:11 tells of the killing of the house of Ahab, as he was commissioned to do. I did not think that would qualify for the prophecy in Hosea. 2 Chronicles 22:8 is a related but different story. He kills the princes of Judah, which leads to Athaliah (she was related to Ahab) taking the throne of Judah. This should be the bloodshed that is referenced, he was not ordered to kill them.

Ramoth Gilead

This city and region were the first conquered by Israel while wandering in the desert. This is also the region that Jacob traveled through to go to Laban. It is on the east bank of the Jordan River Valley (Numbers 21:33, Deuteronomy 4:43). One of its “guard cities” is Lo Debar. Ramoth Gilead was also a refuge city (Joshua 21:38). This area is also known as the Bashan, word search that name in your favorite Bible app, it was known for its cattle and trees. If you watch The Chosen it is where the S2E2 scene of meeting Philip takes place.

The area has been a source of contention and attack since Judges 10:8, 1 Kings 22, and 2 Chronicles 18. The reason Jehu was anointed there is he was a leader in the defense of the region from northern invaders.

Ahab and Jezebel

This power couple from the Northern Kingdom is the perfect example of what not to be. Many times, I look up names and find interesting information, but trying to build your study off of just a name is not a great idea. These two are the case in point: Ahab means brother or friend of father, H256. Jezebel means chaste, H348; and G2403 gives a metaphorical meaning to her name in Revelations because of her treachery. So, the Hebrew meanings are not going to build much of a case for how bad they were. With that said I will bring Ahab’s father into the study.

Not much is said about Omri in the Bible and none of it is good, use the websites to explore more on this unrighteous man. Ahab was his son, but Athaliah was his granddaughter (apparently by another child), so in just those two he produced more evil than the kings before him (LOL). 1 Kings 16:30 has Ahab doing more evil than his father. Omri, however, had put his DNA and disregard for God into the royal line of David and the kings of the south. Yes, some kings of Judah chose to walk in the path of David, but many followed in Omri’s path away from the God of Israel.

These are some references that are for the Northern Kingdom.

  • 1 Kings 16:21 is Ormi’s start. Verse 29 begins Ahab.
  • 1 Kings 17 is the first we see of Elijah.
  • 1 Kings 19 is Jezebel’s threat to Elijah and his running away.
  • 1 Kings 21 is the story of Naboth’s vineyard.
  • 1 Kings 22:51 Ahab’s son becomes king.
  • 2 Kings 9:30 is when Jezebel was killed and eaten by dogs.
  • 2 Chronicles 22 – 23 is Athaliah’s brief and bloody rule over Judah.

Omri – Wikipedia

Who Was King Omri in the Bible and What Made Him He So Evil? – Topical Studies (biblestudytools.com)

The Names in 2 Samuel 9

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This post is a condensed reference for the names in Lo Debar – Another Look. I know I go against the popular narrative that Lo Bar was a dump, and that Mephibosheth was a pitiful, defeated individual who crawled in the dirt begging. The links are to other posts about this subject.

I like to study the names of the people and places in a story. There are times when they seem to have their own story to tell and then in other places, they are just names. I do believe it is better to not build your whole point of view on just names.  

David, H 1732 – beloved

Saul, H 7586 – desired. See 1 Samuel 9:20 for a word play on his name. See 1 Samuel 911.   

Jonathan, H 3083 – God has given

Zeba, H 6717 – statue. He was Saul’s chief steward, but as his story plays out, he was not as loyal as you may think. See 2 Samuel 16 for his chance to get all of the land that belonged to Saul, then see 2 Samuel 19:24 for the other half of the story. I think he told David in chapter 9 so he could get rid of the only heir of the land he wanted as his own.  

Makir, H 4353 – sold. He met David when he crossed the Jordan River and supplied aid to the refugees. I believe but cannot prove he was related to Jonathan. He is why Mephibosheth was hidden in Lo Debar.

Ammiel, H 5988 – my kinsman is God.

Mephibosheth, H 4648 – exterminating the idol. I believe he was sent to Lo Debar per instructions from Jonathan and that he was with family who took care of him. He was a grandson of the king who probably had family in the area starting with the last story in Judges.

Lo Debar (city) H 3810, the definition is pastureless or not a pasture. A possible reason for that name is it was built on the side of the Jordan Valley. They were a guard city for Gilead and made pottery as a source of income.

Mica, H 4316 – who is like God. This is Mephibosheth’s son; this is one reason I think he was with family, someone got him a wife.

Jerusalem (city), H 3389 – teaching of peace or foundation of peace. Different references of Strong’s have slightly different definitions, “teach” comes from a possible root word, H3384. Strong’s Hebrew: 3389. יְרוּשָׁלַ֫םִ (Yerushalaim or Yerushalayim) — probably “foundation of peace,” capital city of all Isr. (biblehub.com)  

2 Samuel 9:1 Hebrew Text Analysis (biblehub.com)

CROSSING JORDAN

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Crossing Jordan has been a metaphor for dying and going to Heaven (the Promised Land). I have heard that metaphor stems from Joshua leading the Children from the east bank to the west bank of the Jordan River. Going across the Jordan was part of life in Israel and is mentioned many times from Judges to David. There were no bridges, it seems, and people waded across at fords or shallow spots.

There are Biblical characters that crossed the river in the same direction as Joshua at key times in Israel’s history. I am looking at their stories in this post. I will start with someone who went contrary to the metaphor and had his way back blocked with a flaming sword and cherubim.

Adam and Eve – They started in Paradise and were sent to the East (Genesis 3:24). I believe there was a Garden with five rivers, and two very important trees, and Adam was responsible for tending it. God has always shown an interest in this region. Terah was sent there but he did not go, Abram did. Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God was in the area. I said that because it makes more sense to think the Garden was here because this place means something to God. Before the objections start, I live in America, and we have recycled names pinned on many cities, rivers, and regions so renaming four rivers is a high possibility. I can see Noah’s grandchildren using things he told them just to honor him. My God has mysteries that He has not shared, but the world changed after Adam and Eve ate the fruit and Noah’s Flood.

If the land of Canaan (Noah’s grandson by Ham, Genesis 9:18-24) was part of the Garden; Adam would have traveled over where the Jordan was or would be. East is an important direction in Genesis 2 and 3.

Jacob and Family – When Jacob ran from Esau, he was by himself. Genesis 28:10 says he left Beersheba to go to Haran. He stopped at Luz (Bethel) and spent the night. That is the end of his route until he is with the “eastern people” in Haran. I believe from Luz (28:18) he had three routes he may have taken: 1. The road along the seashore, 2. The highway through the mountains that went above Lake Galilee, and 3. to cross the Jordan and go through the Bashan/Gilead. I would have taken the coast road, but in Genesis 32:10 Jacob says he crossed the Jordan with just his staff.

When Jacob ran from Laban, he had four wives, eleven sons, a daughter, and a lot of possessions. After the ordeal of Chapter 31, Jacob’s camp made it to Mahanaim. There he was met by a camp of angels (reminds you of Elisha). Sometime after meeting Esau Jacob’s camp(s) crossed the Jordan and went to Shechem. Jacob had returned to his land which was part of the promise to Abraham from God. It makes me wonder what route Abram took to get to Canaan.

Thoughts on Jacob – 1. He had many experiences with angels. 2. He is older than you might expect. I had to work backward from his death and consider every timestamp that was given during his life. I made mistakes in How Old Were These Guys. I did better in the Patriarch Timeline and the Tribes of Israel Timeline. 3. Angel of the Lord or Metatron means angel of countenance this is a theophany.

Joshua and Israel – The event that gave the name of this post is found in Joshua 3 and 4. God exalted Joshua in the people’s eyes because of this event (3:7). He also dried up the Jordan to show Israel and the world His power (4:24). We tend to focus on the human aspect of this day, but I believe it was much more important to the Father. He was bringing His children home.

This day was an end and the beginning for Joshua and Israel. With years of learning to trust God behind them, they were facing a new test of their faith. They now had to fight for the land promised to Abraham for his family. In the crossing of this Jordan, they left behind the Moabites and Midianites and now had to face the giants and walled cities that had intimidated their forefathers. When we cross the spiritual Jordan, our fighting is done. Metaphors are limited and this is a good example of that.

This is a good time to compare and contrast the passage out of Egypt and the entrance into Canaan. (Please, ignore Exodus through Joshua and look at the rest of the Scriptures.) Passing through the Red Sea has more references than going through the dried-up Jordan River. I found two – Psalms 114:5 and 74:15. (If you know of others, please share.) If you use that as an indicator, leaving Egypt (baptism) is more important than the crossing at the Jordan. I have used the crossing of the Jordan as a shadow of baptism, I will not do that anymore. Israel went through two walls of the sea; the Jordan was dry. Remember, the water was stopped about twenty miles above the crossing site, they were not flanked by walls of water. You could stretch that and say the Dead Sea was on one side and the water at Adam (man or red) was on the other side. (Some bullet points.)

  • Both Crossings had enemies just before going through.
  • The oldest people at the Jordan were Joshua and Caleb. The nineteen-year-olds were now fifty-seven. It seems that the men thirty-eight and younger were not circumcised.
  • Some of the people had seen both crossings.
  • The people took memorial stones from the Jordan. Solomon may have built a memorial on the eastern side of the Red Sea.
  • The Red Sea was after Passover. The Jordan was just before. They crossed on the day they were to choose the lamb for the meal, the tenth day of the first month. (That could be a preaching point.)
  • The direction of travel was different for the two crossings.

This crossing happened at Jericho/Gilgal. Gilgal was the first campsite where they were circumcised and celebrated Passover.

David, His Family, His Officials – David and those fleeing from Absalom left the west bank and traveled east to Mahanaim, 2 Samuel 17:22. (The same city Jacob named. It was also a refuge city.) David returned, east to west, in 2 Samuel 19 and proceeded to Jerusalem. Jesus would follow the same path in Matthew 20 + 21. Both had a mess to clean up when they reached Jerusalem.

This crossing occurred at the fords or shallow spot near Gilgal. Even the king’s return caused an uproar that had to be fixed.

Elisha – Elijah and Elisha crossed the Jordan near Jericho, going west to east. Elisha, a shadow of Jesus, returned east to west at the same spot. Both of these crossings were done on dry land with the waters dividing for the men. 2 Kings 2

This set of crossings involved the fewest people and the least amount of material goods. Elisha crossed back to the west with a well-used cloak and a double anointing. The entire scene is a shadow of John the Baptist (Elijah) diminishing before Jesus (Elisha) took center stage.

Jesus, His Disciples, His Camp – Jesus’ final pilgrimage to Passover started in Matthew 19:1, Mark 10, Luke 17:11, and John 10:40. (Matthew is my main reference.) He left Galilee crossing the Jordan and went to the area across from Jericho, where he taught and healed the people. If you compile all of the Gospels, it is clear He crossed back and forth several times before going to Jerusalem for Palm Sunday.    

I blame too many movies about Jesus for the idea that just twelve men followed Jesus as He preached about the Kingdom. Mark 15:41 talks about women in Galilee, Luke 24:9 speaks of others that were with the Eleven after the resurrection and Acts 1:21+22 mentions the requirements for taking Judas’ position, so there had to be more than just the Twelve.

This parade started big with His Camp at the Jordan and got larger. The only parade for Jesus that was bigger was the one in Heaven after He disappeared in the clouds when He ascended.

Thoughts – Crossing Jordan is a beautiful metaphor. I admit that my thoughts have changed as I have grown older. But for these crossings, work, warfare, and new experiences waited for those that crossed from east to west over the Jordan.

Samuel – Saul, and the Signs

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Background

Saul’s anointing in 1 Samuel 10 follows a pattern that can be seen in the lives of other leaders.  There is a calling followed by a physical anointing/visitation, that is confirmed by “signs” with the person doing the job they have been called to do.  The reason I say “a pattern” is that every step may not be recorded in Biblical text or at least a matter of discussion between friends.  God also can individualize the pattern to fit the person and situation.  I can see this pattern in the lives of Moses, David, Samuel, and others.

Like an onion, this story has several layers that can be viewed, but all of them are presented as one solid story.  Josephus and Matthew Henry were used in this study and they exposed layers in this story that I had not noticed.

I have said before the anointing of Saul was a “faith-building situation” for the old prophet Samuel.  Samuel’s “building” part started the day before Saul arrived in his town.  (NOTE: Many of the places in chapters 9 and 10 are unknown.  It would be fun to be able to follow Saul’s exact footsteps but that is not a reality.)  If this was Samuel’s hometown, this took place in Ramah.  Most maps put this in southern Benjamin near Jerusalem.  So for the Lord to say, “I am sending you a Benjamite” could be viewed as vague.  Samuel took this information and reserved a “royal” portion of the meat; he also knew about the donkeys.

I think these “words” were also given for building faith in Saul, in order to prepare for the anointing the next day. How specific the “words” were is a reflection of God trying to build up Saul, who may have been a little weak in his understanding of God.  I say this because of his need to “reward” the prophet for his time, the timing of when he calls for a fast, and his need to do the work of Samuel with respect to the offerings.

After the physical oil was poured on Saul, he was told that three very specific things would happen: at Rachel’s tomb he would get news of the donkeys, he was required to take bread, and that he would join in the activities of a group of prophets.  I wonder if 10:8 was not a fourth thing that needed to be done.  Verse 7 and 9 talk about his heart being changed before the trip to Gilgal could take place, and some resources put this reference to another time.  Gilgal was where Joshua circumcised the men before the conquest of the land could begin.  The “seven days” may represent the work/rest cycle (Genesis and the Law) before the new time in Israel’s history was to begin.

First Sign – verse 2  This sign has several interesting layers.  Saul being a Benjamite and starting at Rachel’s tomb begins the symbolism.  Benjamin was the thirteenth child of Jacob/Israel and the second child of Rachel.  The only child of Jacob born in Canaan and this tomb was the starting place of the Tribe of Benjamin.  Zelzah may mean “a cover for his bright spot”, and its exact location is unknown, the text is also rendered “south border.”   There is a traditional Rachel’s tomb near Jerusalem.  This was Saul’s “pull back” to “present problems.”  The men confirm Samuel’s word that the donkeys were found, but that Kish was worried about him.  Saul and the servant may have been gone for a while because it would seem they went north, came in a large arc to the south covering a lot of territory.  Family is the theme that unifies the first sign. This includes past and present.

Second Sign – verse 3 and 4  Saul and his servant were moving toward home.  The next place they were going was the “great tree of Tabor.”  Tabor means brokenness; this shadows Jesus on the cross. Here he would meet three men going to the House (Bethel) of God.  What they are carrying (young goats, bread, and wine) indicates these would be an offering.  Saul was to accept part of their offering; this is stated in such a way as to suggest he might have refused it.  Again there could be several things here that God is working on.  First, it was an immediate provision for them to finish their journey.  Second, pride could have been a factor; in taking the offering it was doing a work in him.  Also, it would seem that God was willing to share His offering with them.  The theme here is a personal work done in Saul.   

Third Sign – 5 to 7 The two wanders move now to Gibeah of God.  Gibeah and several variations refer to “hill.”  Here at Gibeah Saul is to meet prophets and join in the prophesying. Samuel tells him that he will be changed as he prophesies because of the Spirit of the Lord.  He is now ready (supposedly) to act as king.  There is still some narrative before he is introduced to the people in verse 24.  The sign’s theme is spiritual change.

Observations – 1.  The Philistine outpost on or near the Hill of God should disturb us.  They let God’s people worship and did not try to stop them, but they were still in charge and keeping an eye on them.

  1. People noticed the change. Saul’s uncle was curious.  Both Josephus and Matthew Henry comment on this and Saul’s incomplete answer; they feel that if he had told what happened, jealous and ill feelings would have started in the family.
  2. Saul did continue to prophesy. 1 Samuel 18: 10

4. His hiding in the baggage could be seen as him going back to the “old Saul.”