1 Samuel 10:9-16
9 Then it happened, when he turned his back to leave Samuel, that God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day.
10 When they came there to the hill, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, so that he prophesied among them.
11 And it came about, when all who previously knew him saw that he was indeed prophesying with the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
12 And a man from there responded and said, “And who is their father?” Therefore it became a saying: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
13 When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.
14 Now Saul’s uncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel.”
15 Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”
16 So Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom which Samuel had mentioned.
Prophesy by the Spirit of God
Fulfillment of the prophecies
All three of Samuel’s prophecies were fulfilled on the same day, with the last one being the most important. Therefore, the fulfillment of the third prophecy is explained in detail. (1) Saul met a group of prophets at Gibeah and there, he received the outpouring of the Spirit of God. This group of prophets were likely students from the prophetic training institute established by Samuel. (2) As soon as Saul received the Spirit of God, he began to prophesy himself. His transformation was so dramatic that those who had known him before were astonished and said, “What is this that happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” Eventually, the saying, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” became a proverb. (3) This proverb contained both a sense of awe with respect and a sense of awe with disdain. Saul had changed to such an extent.
Speaking to his uncle
When Saul returned home, hiss uncle asked him about what had transpired during their search. Saul informed him only about the prophecy concerning the donkeys, maintaining silence about his anointing as king. Saul likely thought that it is best to leave the progression of events to God and Samuel, and act as the situation unfolds. It is important not to overestimate the nature of Saul’s transformation. It was not a permanent spiritual change but rather a temporary and societal one. Apostle Saul (Paul) also experienced a dramatic transformation. Those who heard that Saul, who had persecuted believers, suddenly began proclaiming Jesus, were all amazed and said, “Is this not the one who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” (Acts 9:21). Saul and Saul (Paul) share the same name, both are from the tribe of Benjamin, and both experienced significant transformations. However, the nature of their changes was vastly different. Again, what is important is to be “born again.” Have you believed in Christ and experienced a spiritual rebirth? If not, let’s pray to God now.
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, I believe in Jesus as my Savior and the Lord of my life. Please renew me. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.