10: If I were Saul and Samuel was telling me all the things I had to do, I'd me overwhelmed. Luckily, Samuel gives him a little break by saying God is with him. That would give me a little confidence. I wonder what all of this traveling and meeting people means. I would be so self-conscious that I would do the wrong thing. Verse 9 says God gave Saul a new heart. In Hebrew, heart is the conscious. In class, Tess brought up a good point that this might mean opening Saul's mind to bigger possibilities in the world. Things he did not think God could do are now possible.
What does it mean "it became a proverb?"
The people threw lots to choose Saul so that it would be "from the Lord." I still find this so funny. Then, Saul hides! This made some people not like him. If I had been thrown to govern the people I had lived with, knowing their mannerisms, I would be scared too.
13: Whoa! That is the first verse I've seen that actually left something out. Most of the time someone has narrowed it down to a date. It would happen, that as soon as Saul finished the offering Samuel appears. We discussed in class the motives behind Samuel's actions. I do believe that he was a jealous of Saul's authority and that at this point in time his decree from verse 13-14 is not true, that it is springing from contempt. Samuel is trying to keep his grasp on a relationship with the Lord, but Saul is slowly taking his place. The end about the weapons is interesting, as is most everything I read. The Philistines tried to prevent the Israelites from having weapons but in the end they have them anyway...
15: I wonder how Samuel felt when he was telling Saul all of the orders from God. Was he willing, or did he say them because he knew the wrath of God if he didn't? Why did he take the king? He was suppose to destroy everything and the one thing he didn't was the king and the best of all the livestock. Then when Samuel hears of Saul's disobedience he is angry probably because he thought he could have done better. I wonder though if Saul thought he was doing the right thing by keeping the best spoils to offer them before the Lord. There is no sly diction to suggest that Saul had other motives. We can read into it what we want, but there is little evidence, only that God stated what Saul did was wrong. Then Samuel deals with the subject of obedience vs. sacrifice.
It is very prideful for Saul to continue to want to be honored after God dismissed him. God was sorry He made Saul king. I find this really sad. God believed in Saul but he let Him down. Saul was unable to keep his head without Samuel there to speak to God. Did it ever say that the Spirit was with Saul?
16: Question answered. It had to have been because it just now departed. The Hebrews did not believe in an all good God; therefore, the evil in Saul was from the Lord. David was already known as being good-nature. I wonder what psychological condition Saul had that they felt was an evil spirit from God, or if the text is true and it really was an evil spirit possessing him. There is foreshadowing here, too, as David comes to Saul's aid when Saul is weak. David will soon replace Saul.
18: I think it is so sweet the relationship of Jonathan and David. In Sunday school, we learn that they are inseparable like brothers, and reading it again reiterates that relationship. Saul is so fickle. He sent David to kill these people and then is angry that David had killed more than he. Saul is super jealous of David and tries to send him into battle to get killed. Fortunately, David wins all the battles because of the Spirit of the Lord. I must keep reminding myself that it is not the Holy Spirit because that didn't exist yet. I think it is much greater than that back then because it was almost like God's physical spirit inside of them. This foreskin stuff is getting out of hand. I'm pretty sure Saul did not intend for David to actually bring them back. David, however, is happy to be able to be one step closer to the thrown by marrying Saul's daughter.
28: I love that Saul turns to a woman. After just completing the sacred assembly on "what pharaoh should have feared," women have a greater role in many of the little stories that it is hard to believe people continue to think them inferior to men in the sight of the Lord. Did this really happen? The intro said that the Samuels were stories, but this is ghostly. I think it's funny how Samuel speaks to Saul, as though the answer is obvious and Saul is seeing nothing. The women here also acts as a counselor. Saul seems so pathetic, it is sad.
28: I love that Saul turns to a woman. After just completing the sacred assembly on "what pharaoh should have feared," women have a greater role in many of the little stories that it is hard to believe people continue to think them inferior to men in the sight of the Lord. Did this really happen? The intro said that the Samuels were stories, but this is ghostly. I think it's funny how Samuel speaks to Saul, as though the answer is obvious and Saul is seeing nothing. The women here also acts as a counselor. Saul seems so pathetic, it is sad.
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