Today, we are considering how Saul knows the second sign from God. Obviously all three signs were to give him clarification. They stated he had been chosen. Each sign was given to help him to prepare for being the first King of Israel.
Let me clarify something though. Saul wasn’t chosen because God was tired and wanted him to be King. God had been King of Israel since its inception. Saul was chosen so that God could give the people what they had asked for in order to allow them to learn that His judgement was so much higher than theirs.
Because the people wanted a King like all the other nations, Saul was given to them because he was just like the people. This would make Saul a “temporary” choice until the people could see the error of their ways. Once they woke up to their own mistakes of the flesh, God was going to give them a more permanent King, one God did choose to be over the people. This would be King David, the man after God’s own heart.
In the meantime, we must struggle through Saul’s appointment. God is beginning to show him signs that he is the choice for the time being.
REVIEWING THE FIRST SIGN
As we discussed in our previous lesson, the first sign took Saul to Rachael’s tomb. https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/heading-gods-signs/. There he saw the grave of one of his ancestors. This was to remind him of his own mortality. One day all this high honor of kingship would return to the ordinary dust of the earth from which it had first been formed. Saul had to realize that he was a mere man. He must know it would be only through the supernatural strength of God that he would successfully rule Israel.
We could all take this sign to heart. The kingdoms of our own little worlds will not last without the supernatural power of God. If we can’t learn to die to ourselves and live for God (as a seed that has been planted deep into the earth) we will fall.
Saul needed to heed this sign before becoming King.
SIGN NUMBER TWO
God gave Saul a second sign:
Verse 3 of 1 Samuel Chapter 10 says: “Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine.”
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Today we are looking at some passages from 1 Samuel, Chapter 10.
SAUL KNOWS THE NEXT SIGN
The above scripture passage describes the second sign Samuel told Saul to expect. It happened just as Samuel predicted.
Saul went up to the plain of Tabor.
In those days, the plain of Tabor was a significant landmark known as the home of a large oak tree under which people gathered and often experienced divine encounters. It is said that Oaks are symbols for strength and endurance. In Hebrew the word “oak” can mean a place of decision or revelation.
A PHYSICAL YET SYMBOLIC TREE
One type of oak growing in this land was called a terebinth tree. I’ve written several articles about the wondrous things that took place under the terebinth trees of this area. Here are a few links which you might enjoy reading in relation to this subject. https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/isaac-abraham-sacrifice/, JOSHUA’S FINAL TASK – The IN SEASON Lifestyle, https://dancinginseason.blogspot.com/2015/02/come-as-child-lesson-57-bush-and-well.html, https://dancinginseason.blogspot.com/2015/09/come-as-child-lesson-88-returning-to.html.
This old oak was known for many reasons. It was not far from Rachael’s tomb. Under this tree was the place where Rebekah’s nurse named Deborah had been buried. We have written lessons about this story too. You may find one here: https://dancinginseason.blogspot.com/2015/09/come-as-child-lesson-88-returning-to.html .
The scriptures which speak of Deborah’s burial are found in Genesis 35:8; Soon after this, Rebekah’s old nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried beneath the oak tree in the valley below Bethel. Ever since, the tree has been called Allon-bacuth (which means “oak of weeping.”)
WHY THE OAK OF WEEPING?
This portrays the picture of Rachel weeping for her children. When you read Matthew 2:16-18 you hear of King Herod becoming enraged because he had been tricked by the Magi. He sent out a decree to kill all the male children who were in Bethlehem, and in all its surroundings, from two years old and under. Jeremiah had declared this in prophecy. His prophecy came true. It was about a voice heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more.
Rachel’s youngest child, the one she died in childbirth with, was Benjamin. Saul was a Benjamite. Saul would rule to please the people, not to please God. He would present just the opposite leadership from Joseph, Rachel’s other son. The descendants of Rachel would be watching to see how it was that Saul could bring them to a place of peace. I’m sure they doubted a son of Kish would be able to do this.
Joseph was a shadow of Jesus. The reign of Saul would bring Rachel’s people through more grief, but later Messiah would reverse this.
Some believe that it was at Mount Tabor in a much later time period in which the Transfiguration of Christ took place. However, that was long after the days of Saul. It is interesting to note that between these two stories we can see a type of structural repetition which is prevalent throughout the book of Samuel. The writer uses many interesting literary techniques in the writing of these books. Understanding these techniques helps us to understand the storylines of the scriptures.
USE OF CHIASTIC STRUCTURE
Another type of literary structure used all through the two books of Samuel is called chiastic structure. Chiastic structure is a literary technique in narrative motifs and other textural passages which contain two ideas (A and B) together with the variants A1 and B1 being presented A,B, B1, A1. It shows parallelism by repeating words or phrases in a pattern. The inverted parallelism takes the shape of the letter X. We see this in the bible often as well as many other literary works, such as John Milton’s “Paradise Lost.”
If you are interested in literary techniques in relation to bible study, I would encourage you to look at the chiastic structures that are found in both books of Samuel. They are many. It is so much easier to understand these passages if you read the article I am linking here: (https://www.inthebeginning.org/chiasmus/xfiles/xsamuel.pdf.) Once you understand chiastic structure, you will never read the bible in the same way. This literary technique broadens your perspective of certain scriptures. The intentions of the writer will be more apparent and contain greater clarity according to their perspective.
A PLACE OF DECISION AND REVELATION
Getting back to our story, why would Samuel tell Saul to go to this place called Tabor?
It could be that Saul needed to come to a place of decision or revelation. There were three things he needed to experience before this could happen. Each sign from God gave him clarity for one of these three things.
First, Saul needed to be aware of His own mortality. He also needed to have a keen sense of his ancestors, who they were, and how God had used them in Israel. This was all clarified in the first sign. Saul experienced that sign at the tomb of his ancestors, both the graves of Rachel and the burial site of Deborah, Rebekah’s servant.
Second, Saul needed to firmly believe God was about to use him to rule Israel. His heart had to be changed and filled with God’s Spirit and ways for this to happen. The second sign helped Saul to feel the need for a change and the scriptures point out that Saul left afterward as a different man. However, and for future reference, be sure to notice the use of the word “different” as opposed to “new.”
We all feel that nudge from God’s Holy Spirit from time to time telling us of new things that God has in store for us. When this happens it is important to recognize what is happening and to listen to all that God is revealing. If it is a true sign, we need to move into that place under God’s provision with a renewed and refreshed spirit. God doesn’t just want us to change; He wants us to change in a way that helps His Kingdom to grow and flourish.