57 – Saul’s Anointing: What Does It Mean To Be King Of Israel?

FULL MEETING WITH MIDRASH HERE

NOTE: THE TRANSCRIPT IS NOT EXACTLY LIKE THE RECORDING.

Here is a summary of last week’s teaching. Saul and his servant found Samuel in Ramah. YHVH had already told Samuel that Saul was coming. He arrived on the last day of Samuel judging in Ramah where there was going to be a sacrifice which Samuel blessed on the town’s high place. And I covered why it was legal for Samuel, and anyone else for that matter, to perform sacrifices to YHVH which were not brought to His gates. If you have not listened to this teaching, I suggest you do so.

The account will continue now and we will start by understanding that the anointing of Saul to be King was not ceremonial. It was actually a process. The start of the process was, for Saul, a pre-covenant meal with strangers.

1 Samuel 9:22 Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the guest room, and made them sit in the best place among those who were invited, who were about thirty persons. 

Samuel seated the as-yet-uncrowned prince (1 Samuel 9:16) (“prince” is what YHVH called him)) among the most important members of the city without them knowing what was going on. This situation has prophetic implications for Yeshua which I will explain later.

1 Samuel 9:23 Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Set it aside.’”

Samuel had already pre-arranged this scene even before Saul arrived.

1 Samuel 9:24 The cook took up the thigh, and that which was on it, and set it before Saul. Samuel said, “Behold, that which has been reserved! Set it before yourself and eat; because for the appointed time has it been kept for you, for I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 

Let’s talk about the thigh, the ‘shoq’ (Strong’s H7785). According to Leviticus 7:32-33, the right thigh was the priest’s portion for having officiated over an offering. This then, Saul’s portion for this meal, would have been the left thigh, a huge and most important piece of meat given as a whole piece to honored guests. It wouldn’t have been that other guests could never eat from the left thigh because it could be sliced into pieces. But giving to someone as the whole piece marked him as an honored guest.

Samuel was in control of the entire situation including who had been invited and who could eat what. The invitees, the thirty persons, probably had no idea why Saul was being honored this way but no one questioned Samuel about it.

This pre-covenant meal was similar to the last supper of Yeshua in that, in both cases, it was the night before their lives would change forever and the last night before a covenant was made. Yeshua’s last supper meal was a pre-covenant meal which was done in secret just like this meal with Saul. Yeshua’s disciples did not understand what was happening any more than these 30 guests of Samuel who were seated around Saul did not understand.

1 Samuel 9:25 When they had come down from the high place into the city, he talked with Saul on the housetop. 

The meal was eaten at the high place, not at Samuel’s house. The place was a special meeting tent or building where Samuel probably sat to judge but which could also have been used at other times such as when there was conflict between some townspeople. These buildings still exist today. In Jordan, there are in every area, a building which is set aside for official purposes. They are used to resolve conflicts and for special meetings of the elders but also for weddings and even funerals.

Samuel took Saul to his house after the dinner was over and spoke with him on the housetop. In 1 Samuel 9:19, Samuel had told Saul he would tell him what was in his heart. That was the purpose of this talk. It probably was advice on how to rule because we will find that Samuel wrote out some Kingdom regulations for Kingship in 1 Samuel 10:25 which were then “laid up for YHVH”. Samuel may have written the Deuteronomy 17:14-20 regulation regarding Kings of Israel.  

1 Samuel 9:26 They arose early; and about daybreak, Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, “Get up, that I may send you away.” Saul arose, and they both went outside, he and Samuel, together. 

The day had worn Saul out so that he needed to be awakened by Samuel. The revelation by Samuel that Saul was to be Israel’s King would have taken a toll on his mind and the all the traveling would have taken a toll on his body. The sleeping Saul is symbolic of spiritual sleep, too.

1 Samuel 9:27 As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” He went ahead, then Samuel said, “But stand still first, that I may cause you to hear God’s message.”

What was God’s message? “Hasn’t Yahweh anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?”

1 Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, “Hasn’t Yahweh anointed you to be prince over his inheritance? 

And now, the moment of anointing. The anointing of Saul was private, without public grandiosity and with Israel’s national oil, olive oil, poured over his head. It was done in secret until such time as Saul should be revealed just as the son of perdition will be revealed. The son of perdition will already have been anointed in secret for his position, like Saul, but it will take the prophets of YHVH to reveal him like Samuel revealed Saul.

Samuel kissing Saul was a sign of doing YHVH’s will by graciously accepting the situation, as bad and unwelcome as it was, to give Saul his full support. And then he asked the question, which really wasn’t a question at all, but the cultural way of making an announcement. “Hasn’t Yahweh anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?”

The word translated as ‘prince’ in verse 1 is:

H5057
נָגִד  נָגִיד
nâgı̂yd  nâgid
naw-gheed’, naw-gheed’

From H5046; a commander (as occupying the front), civil, military or religious; generally (abstract plural), honorable themes: – captain, chief, excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.

This is important because this word is YHVH’s definition of the Kings of Israel which is not the same as the world’s definition of its Kings which is ‘sar’, nor the word for the “captain” or other rulers of Israel. ‘Nagid’ is a divinely appointed ruler over Israel whereas other rulers, ‘sar’ (Strong’s H8269) are rulers appointed by mankind.

The ‘sars’ are the princes of Pharaoh, for instance, and the captains over 1000s, 100s, 50s and 10s of Israel. But ‘sar’ also refers to the “captain of YHVH’s Host”

H8269
שַׂר
śar
sar

From H8323; a head person (of any rank or class): – captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord, ([-task-]) master, prince (-ipal), ruler, steward.

This word also refers to Yeshua in one of His pre-incarnate manifestations as the LORD of Hosts or Commander of YHVH’s Army.

Joshua 5:14  He said, “No; but I have come now as commander of Yahweh’s army.” Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and asked him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”
Joshua 5:15  The prince of Yahweh’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your shoes; for the place on which you stand is holy.” Joshua did so. 

It is the ‘sar’ of Israel, pre- and post-incarnate Yeshua, the Commander of the Heavenly Host, who has final authority. The divinely appointed ‘nagidim’ (princes or rulers of Israel which are called “princes”, and which are made to reference Israel’s Kings) were defined as simply A ruler or captain in YHVH’s Host, His army, whether heavenly or on earth.

Thus, Israel’s Kings were sometimes called ‘melechim’, and sometimes ‘nagidim’ depending on the context. He was your King, your ‘melech’ who ruled over you and could overrule your authority, if you had any, but he was also your ‘nagid’, your divinely appointed overlord, and so was not to be messed with. This is why David refused to harm YHVH’s anointed, Saul. He was both nagid (divinely appointed) and melech (King of Israel).  

YHVH has many such commanders in His Host which includes the Heavenly Host. The King of Israel was just an addition to YHVH’s Heavenly Host, with its chiefs or ruler (such as the archangels), but now as a chief or ruler on the earth under the authority of YHVH in Heaven.

This is akin to being a General in the US army. He has final authority in rank to all those under him, but he also has a Commander in Chief, the President of the United States, over him. And since the General was appointed by the Presidential authority, he is also not to be harmed in any way.

I hope all of that makes sense because it is important when it comes to Kings.

In Israel’s history, we will see that most of the Kings, YHVH’s chieftains or “Generals” in our common vernacular, usurped His position as ‘sar’, as Commander-in-Chief, to make their own decisions without and against YHVH’s Law and His approval. This is called treason. It was the same kind of coup Lucifer attempted, and is still attempting, to usurp YHVH as God and King.

Furthermore, Israel now attaining a King has further separated themselves from YHVH. The Kings were middle men, as it were, someone between them and YHVH. Moses was the first middle man, not by his doing, but by Israel’s doing. Now, they have inserted a second middle man between themselves and YHVH. Every time a person is inserted into Israel’s hierarchy, YHVH and the people become further and further from each other.

Every time Israel wanted to go her own way, YHVH stepped back just a little more and then a little more until, one day, the Kingdom was no more visible to Israel’s people. By the time Yeshua came, the Kingdom had become something you now needed to seek for because so many men had inserted themselves in the hierarchy. The Kingdom, then, had to be found. It was no longer right in front of Israel. Sin and the constant insertion of people like Moses and now the Kings of Israel, and then later the numerous Rabbis, widened the gap and prevented the people from coming into the Kingdom. The Catholic church would later impose their Pope into the hierarchy of YHVH. Israel does not seem to want to be right next to YHVH.

Yeshua said:

Matthew 23:14 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter. 

So one of the answers to the questions, “What does it mean to be King of Israel”, is to be one that has become a separator between the people and their God and King, YHVH.

The Kingdom of God is a one-to-one situation which is how it was supposed to be from beginning. When you have a personal relationship with YHVH Yeshua, you are not only a citizen of His government, but you have a personal stake in His Kingdom. If His Kingdom should fail, you die an eternal death. So you want to have that personal stake in His Kingdom and to be one of His emissaries on earth shining His light into this dark world because the light overcomes the darkness. He needs His people for this purpose.

Folks, you can’t reach the Kingdom through men like Moses or Kings or Rabbis or preachers. You personally have to seek and find and have a personal relationship with the Kingdom’s King. Judaism has tried for 2700 years to get to the Kingdom through Moses by adding and subtracting from the Law of YHVH and perverting what YHVH said and what He meant when He said it. Christians do the same thing.

The way out of these perversions is to ask Him to tell you what He said and then to reveal what He meant when He said it! Others will try to tell you what He meant, but don’t get it from anyone’s mouth but His. And that goes for this teacher. Be a Berean. When you hear or read something, verify it! If the teacher spoke Truth with a capital “T”, then you got the right message and that person might be worth listening to again. But unless, you verify, you won’t know if you have received Truth with a capital “T”.

Now that we know the 2 Hebrew words for “King”, let’s understand what the King of Israel was supposed to do. First, he was supposed to follow orders which Samuel gave him, as we shall see next week. (Later on, we will see that Saul failed the “taking orders” test which would have qualified him and his line to succeed forever). Furthermore, the prophets of YHVH were used as instructors to the Kings of Israel by the Great King, YHVH. Samuel was a prophet to both Samuel and David. Then, Nathan stepped in to be the prophet to David. Isaiah was the prophet to Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Jeremiah was the prophet to Josiah and Zedekiah.

Second he was to be a prophet which we will see next week. The King was to be a prophet besides also hearing the instructions of the prophets as they were sent by YHVH to speak. The only 2 Kings that prophesied were Saul and David. Saul, because YHVH’s Holy Spirit came over him to teach him to prophesy, and David, because he had the Holy Spirit dwelling within.

Solomon is said to have been a prophet, however, we learned last week that one who receives dreams and visions is a seer (1 Kings 3:5-14), not necessarily a prophet. A prophet hears the voice of YHVH. Solomon had one dream wherein he encountered YHVH.

Third, the King of Israel had the job of commanding on the battlefield and leading the fight. He wasn’t there just to bark orders as the fight raged. He was also to be engaged in it. Yeshua will fulfill this role nicely at Armageddon.

Being a King of Israel was a hazardous job. Some Kings would not go to the battlefield and would pay a price for it (for instance, David, whose absence from the battlefield made it sin with Bathsheba possible). And then there would be Kings who would fall in battle (Saul, Ahab and Josiah). Courage was a necessary quality of a King. Some had it, others didn’t.

And fourth, another job of a King was judging people. The Kings replaced the judges. Saul replaced Samuel. When there were no battles, the King of Israel’s time was taken up from morning to evening with being a judge.

In effect, Israel’s King had no life of his own. He went to war, judged people and produced heirs, princes, who would succeed him when he died. That was his entire life. So boring as it was, Israel’s Kings made themselves important by making treaties with nations YHVH had said not to. Solomon was so bored he played riddle games with Hiram of Sidon. So while Kingship seems glamorous, it really wasn’t, and it was less so when the King was disobeying YHVH because YHVH kept sending prophets to scold and try to turn the Kings back to YHVH and His Law.

This never went well for either party. The King would be irritated and would have itching ears for the false prophets and the true prophets would eventually be killed for prophesying. Thus, being a prophet to a disobedient King was hazardous. And when the King and his prophet were in disagreement, things didn’t go well for either one.

These were all new concepts not often taught regarding Kings of Israel. But we must understand this so we can see how the Kings misunderstood their limitations and didn’t fulfill their offices. Keeping these things in mind will help us as we begin to study Israel under Kingship. And this, starting with Saul himself! Remember he “slept” and Samuel had to awaken him. But you know, a “sleepy” person almost never understands through their sleep fog. This was the case with Saul. He never fully awoke even though, as we shall see next week, YHVH tried to awaken him.

Last thing, let’s talk about the covenant between YHVH and the ‘nagid’, the anointed prince. There is a principle about Kings in scripture that is not said in scripture as such. You have to read the Book to see this principle. The principle was that if the King would rule righteously, the King would be credited with Israel’s righteousness. If the King led Israel into idolatry, the King was credited with Israel’s rebellion. One thing about having the King between YHVH and the people is that there was only one guy to place the national blame on. Notice that it was the national blame or the national righteousness.

In a way, the King was like a husband. In fact, YHVH called Himself the husband of Israel. So, like a husband, all the responsibility for the success or failure of the family falls on him.

This is not to say that the people were absolved, though. This is simply about the reputation of the nation before YHVH and the nations. But also, it was the people’s duty to keep their King on track by following YHVH’s prophets. So when we see men like Joab, who was not a prophet but just a citizen serving the King, who also corrected the King, this is why he could do that. YHVH set up this checks and balances system but with most of the weight on the King’s shoulders.

The people usually didn’t correct their King. Thus, the King and the people suffered together because both had benefit of hearing the prophets of YHVH.

We know the King is where the final national responsibility lay because Yeshua, our King, took the final responsibility for Israel, didn’t he? Yet, we are still individually responsible for our own sins before our Heavenly Father by repenting individually because we comprise a body. If there is one sin in the body, then the entire body is corrupted. So, it is important to understand the difference between what is national and what is individual, and then to do something about it if the situation is unrighteous. Nothing needs to be done when righteousness abounds.  

The insertion of the King into the hierarchy between Heaven and earth, between Israel and YHVH, really complicated the culture hereafter because so much rode on the King’s shoulders and it is hard to distinguish between the national and individual responsibilities, and also because the people now had 2 entities to deal with. They now had to choose which to obey. They didn’t have this problem before.

The insertion of a human King was like the result of an earthquake that splits the ground. The insertion of the King revealed a crack in the foundation.  

It was these things that Samuel likely spent that night on the housetop teaching Saul; things that Saul had to hear before Samuel poured olive oil on his head. We will continue with the process of making Saul into a King next week, God willing.