1 Samuel 11: Spirit Fills Saul/☧ to Unite & Save God's People

Rev. David Andrus, pastor of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in St. Louis and Not-Alone.net Ministries, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 11.

Why is the king of Israel working in the field with his oxen? Even though Saul was proclaimed heir to Israel’s throne in the previous chapter, Saul doesn’t actually ascend to kingship until he leads the tribes to a crucial victory in chapter 11. When Saul heard of the Ammonite incursion, the Spirit of God “rushed upon” him and sent him into a rage. The point is not that he didn’t ‘already have’ the Spirit, nor is it that God’s faithful are called to lives of zealous anger. Rather, like Christ cleansing the Temple, God gave Saul a special burst of energy to carry out this task and to deliver a message to His people: “Join or die.” In the end, Saul’s mercy points ahead to the humility of Christ, who desired not even the death of His detractors, but that His people would be one as He and the Father are one.