1 Samuel 9
BACKGROUND NOTES
DOCTRINAL POINT(S)
God is sovereign over the details of His will that He chooses to use in His plan.
God is sovereign over the details of His will that He chooses to reveal to His people.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Praise the Lord! He does not forget about the lost donkeys!
QUESTIONS
What is a theocracy?
What kind of man was Saul?
How was Saul to be brought into contact with Samuel so he could be anointed king?
How did Saul respond when Samuel told him he would be king of Israel?
Did Saul get his donkeys back?
ANSWERS
A theocracy is a government with direct rule by God. Israel was supposed to be a theocracy with God as king.
Saul was an impressive looking man. He was tall and handsome and descended from a military hero in Israel. Saul was the people’s choice to be king, but he was not a man after God’s own heart.
Through detailed circumstances that were all part of God’s plan.
He was quite humble, saying he was no one special.
Yes (verse 20).
DISCUSS/CONSIDER
God works through detailed events and circumstances – big and small – to accomplish His plan for our lives. Can you give examples of this from your life?
God revealed a number of details to Samuel about Saul, but He omitted several details that would have been easy to include. In the same way today, we don’t know why God chooses to reveal some of the details of His will for our lives and chooses not to reveal other details. Can you give examples of this as well?
CHALLENGE
While God is working to reveal His will in guiding our lives, He cares about little details as well! Praise the Lord that He does not forget about the lost donkeys!
KEY VERSES
“There was not a more handsome person than [Saul] among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.” 1 Samuel 9:2
“And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house?” 1 Samuel 9:20