Scripture Helps
1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–16
The Israelites wanted a king like other nations. Samuel was troubled by their request, but the Lord instructed him to grant it. He revealed to Samuel that Saul was to be king. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul after he was anointed by Samuel, and the Lord guided Saul in leading Israel. However, not long into his reign, Saul disobeyed the Lord by performing a burnt offering instead of waiting for Samuel to do so. Later Saul disobeyed the Lord’s command to completely destroy the Amalekites. The Lord rejected Saul as king and declared that He would seek a man after His own heart to take Saul’s place. The Lord then directed Samuel to anoint David as the next king of Israel.
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Background and Context
Why did the Israelites want a king?
Samuel served as prophet, priest, and judge over all of Israel for many years. As he grew old, he appointed his sons as judges, but their wickedness made them unfit leaders. The elders of Israel approached Samuel and requested a king, hoping to “be like all the nations.” They thought that having a king would help them in their battles. This desire for a king was likely intensified by the rising threat of the Philistines, who were gaining power and influence in the region.
Samuel was troubled by their request, not necessarily because having a king was wrong, but more likely because of their reason for wanting one. The Lord Himself had promised to fight the Israelites’ battles when they remained faithful to Him. The request for a king demonstrated their lack of trust in Jehovah’s promises and their covenant relationship with Jehovah. God responded to the people’s desire by telling Samuel, “They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”
President Jeffrey R. Holland observed: “The painful irony here is that they already had a king who went before them and fought their battles. He was Jehovah, King of all, but no longer would they have Jehovah to rule over them. No longer would they have Him to fight their battles. And consistent with the theme of so many history lessons, painful consequences came when it was too late to avoid them. The people later lamented, ‘We have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king’ (1 Samuel 12:19).”
Israelites Desire a King, by Paul Mann
Why did the Lord allow Israel to have a king?
President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “God has to work through mortals of varying degrees of spiritual progress. Sometimes he temporarily grants to men their unwise requests in order that they might learn from their own sad experiences. Some refer to this as the ‘Samuel principle.’ The children of Israel wanted a king, like all the other nations. … So God gave them a king and let them suffer. They learned the hard way. God wanted it to be otherwise, but within certain bounds he grants unto men according to their desires.”
What is a seer?
A seer is “a person authorized of God to see with spiritual eyes things that God has hidden from the world.” As explained in the Book of Mormon, seers are revelators and prophets. They are given power from God to “know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come.” Today, members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are sustained and ordained as prophets, seers, and revelators.
What were “high places”?
“High places” were mountains, hilltops, or elevated platforms where the Israelites built altars to Jehovah. The Canaanites also used high places to build altars or monuments to their false gods. The Lord commanded the Israelites to destroy the Canaanite high places during the conquest of the promised land. A few centuries after the time of Samuel, King Josiah ordered high places to be removed because of corrupt religious practices associated with them.
Why did Samuel anoint Saul with oil?
See “1 Samuel 16:1–13. What was the purpose of David’s anointing?”
What was the “company of prophets”?
The Old Testament occasionally mentions groups or companies of prophets. These groups may have consisted of righteous individuals who joined together during times of Israelite apostasy to strengthen and uplift each other.
How many Philistine chariots were prepared for battle?
Most scholars agree that the figure of 30,000 Philistine chariots is inaccurate. Some Bible translations change the number to 3,000. Errors of this sort appear in the Bible for a variety of reasons, including mistakes in translation and possibly exaggerations from later scribes.
Why was it wrong for Saul to perform a burnt offering?
The prophet Samuel told Saul that he was to go to Gilgal and wait seven days for Samuel to come and offer sacrifices to the Lord. Saul did not have the priesthood authority required to perform burnt offerings. However, when the appointed day came and Samuel had not yet arrived, Saul became impatient and made the offering himself. This act demonstrated that Saul’s heart was not in line with the Lord’s will as it had once been.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then a member of the First Presidency, taught:
“The prophet Samuel recognized a critical weakness in Saul’s character. When pressured by outside influences, Saul did not have the self-discipline to stay on course, trust the Lord and His prophet, and follow the pattern God had established.
“The difference of a few degrees, as with … Saul’s failure to hold fast to the counsel of the prophet just a little longer, may seem minor. But even small errors over time can make a dramatic difference in our lives.”
Why was Saul commanded to “utterly destroy” the Amalekites?
The Amalekites were a people who did not fear the Lord. They also ambushed the children of Israel, who were camping in the wilderness during the Exodus, and killed many of the most vulnerable Israelites. In response, the Lord declared that the Israelites should eventually “blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” We do not know all the reasons why God commanded Saul and his army to destroy all the Amalekites and their animals. However, we do know that God cares deeply for all of His children and that He takes “no pleasure in the death of the wicked.” He is all knowing and perfectly just and merciful.
See also “How do we make sense of instances of violence in the scriptures?,” in Topics and Questions, “Religion vs. Violence,” Gospel Library.
Why was the Lord displeased with Saul?
Elder Robert D. Hales explained:
“Saul did not follow the Lord’s commandment. He practiced what I call ‘selective obedience.’ Relying on his own wisdom, he spared the life of King Agag and brought back the best of the sheep, oxen, and other animals. …
“… Because Saul did not hearken with exactness—because he chose to be selectively obedient—he lost the opportunity and the agency to be king.”
Samuel Instructing Saul, by Ted Henninger
Did the Lord need to repent?
See “Genesis 6:6. What are we to understand from the phrase ‘it repented the Lord’?”
What was the purpose of David’s anointing?
Anointing with oil was a common practice in the Old Testament. It symbolized “a change in status or setting apart to a divinely inspired calling” for the sacred offices of prophet, priest, and king. Olive oil was associated with purity, healing, and the Holy Ghost. It was often carried in a horn, which represented strength or power.
Like Saul’s anointing previously, David’s anointing was followed by the reception of the Spirit of the Lord. David and others who were anointed in ancient times were sometimes called “anointed ones.” In this way, David foreshadowed his future descendant, Jesus Christ, whose title of Messiah means “anointed one.”
The Prophet Samuel Anoints David, a Teenager, among His Family in Bethlehem to Be King over Israel, by Balage Balogh
What was the evil spirit that came upon Saul?
The Joseph Smith Translation clarifies the evil spirit that came upon Saul was not from the Lord. While Saul may have been directly influenced by an evil spirit, it is also possible that he was experiencing a spirit of discontent because of his sins.
Learn More
The Israelites’ desire for a king
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Jeffrey R. Holland, “Choose the Lord and His Prophet,” Liahona, June 2022, 4–9
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Peggy Furniss Lee, “A King for Israel,” Ensign, June 2002, 21–23
Saul’s disobedience
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Robert D. Hales, “Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 24–27
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Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “A Matter of a Few Degrees,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 57–60
Media
Images
Illustration of Samuel blessing Saul
Saul Leading Israel against Their Enemies, by Robert T. Barrett
Saul Tears Samuel’s Robe, by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
David Playing the Harp before Saul, by Charles-Nicolas Cochin le Jeune