1 Sa. 10: Long Live the King

1 Samuel 10:9 "As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day."

As Samuel is anointed king by Samuel, Samuel tells him that his dad is now worried about where he is, just as Saul thought previously. Was this because Saul knew his dad was predisposed to this, or because God made it happen. If so, why? Then Saul is instructed to go to Tabor, Gibeah, and Gilgal, because his next steps had been planned out. He was to join a group and start prophesying with them. I don't really know what that means. They were just talking amongst themselves about God? They were telling the future to each other? To the people? I don't know. Doesn't say. With the presence of musical instruments, I'd imagine they were causing a scene, and wanted to entice people to pay attention to them...

Then God changed Saul's heart. As if Saul wasn't completely on board, or was kind of unsure about this whole being king deal. And it was a big deal. Not only was he going to be king, he was going to be a man of God, with abilities sent from God. We're talking major upheaval in the life of someone who was probably otherwise destined to become a donkey-finder for hire, and an unsuccessful one at that. This change in Saul was so great, that even his friends noticed when they saw him prophesying. Admittedly, that seems like a pretty noticeable change.

At the assembly to announce Saul's kingship, Samuel again relates the message from God about how God was rejected even though it was the LORD who brought them through all their trouble and calamity and distress. This didn't appear to phase Israel, who probably thought of God as the one who got them into those calamities to begin with. "Long live the king!" They shouted. They were going to force their way through whatever it took. We'll see what happens.