A Lingering Hope

The Philistines came from a strong military tradition. Their armies included disciplined soldiers, superior weapons, and chariots. The tribal confederacy of Israel was vulnerable to the Philistines. Her armies were ill trained and ill equipped. Not only that but the Ark had been captured and the priests responsible for it had been killed. It was not long before the Philistines began to occupy the land.

The time was right for another to be raised up by God to stand in succession to the judges. Samuel is not one of the judges but more like a holy man who travels to important shrines in order to decide local cases. W. F. Albright considers Samuel the founder of the prophetic movement. Whatever we choose to say about him, he carries on the tradition of one who is raised up by God.

His arrival on the scene occurs when many in Israel believed their situation was hopeless. He arrives at a time when many were calling for stronger leadership, primarily someone who could defeat the Philistines. His role caused him to play a primary part in the transition of leadership. While not a unanimous decision, Samuel anointed Saul to be king of Israel.

The initial selection of Saul as king was likely related to the spirit filled gifts of leadership he demonstrated as the judges did before him (I Samuel 11). Each one a kind of charismatic hero. It is unlikely anyone would have followed Saul if this were not true. Still, Samuel was suspicious about the new king. John Bright even suggests Samuel may have anointed Saul commander instead of king. Nevertheless, the people thought of Saul as king. Saul therefore carried on the function of the judges before him, he rallied the people against the enemy (primarily the Philistines). His popularity brought new hope into the land.

Not all things were positive with Saul. Despite minor successes, he was not able to defeat the Philistines. Saul also struggled with his own emotional stability. These things, along with Samuel’s mistrust of Saul led Samuel to eventually revoke Saul’s kingship in public.

From the beginning until Samuel, God has been king in Israel. God ruled Israel by raising up spirit filled leaders, charismatic heroes, to intervene at strategic moments. But from the time of Saul to the end of the Old Testament , Israel’s story includes a human king. This conflicts with Gideon’s statement that Yahweh was King. Bright says this is the beginning of Yahweh as King becoming a memory in Israel. Yet, there lingered the hope that Yahweh will rule Israel again one day.