(Read 1 Samuel 9)
THE old man, in the picture, is the prophet Samuel, called in this chapter “the seer” (see vs. 9). He is the same person whom his godly mother brought to “the House of the Lord” when he was a very little boy, and he has been the Lord’s servant ever since. Hear what is said about him in verse 6; he is a “man of God,” an “honorable man,” and “all that he saith cometh surely to pass!” We can hardly read it without thinking of One who came into the world long afterward, who was not only a “man of God,” but the God-man; “honorable” beyond everyone else, or God would not have “crowned Him with glory and Honor” in the highest place in heaven. And He could say, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:3535Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)).
The young man is Saul, and he is being “anointed” the first king in Israel. He was a choice young man and goodly,” a head and shoulders taller than the rest of the people, but in seeking some lost asses of his father’s he had lost himself, and now he and his servant want someone to tell them their way that they should go. He hears of Samuel from the young man who is with him, and they consult as to what they shall “bring” to the man of God to tell them their way, little thinking that when they came to him they would find that he wanted nothing from them, but had made abundant provision for them. Neither Samuel would ask them what they had brought in their “vessels” (vs. 7), nor need they say a word about the little piece of silver, worth seven pence, which they had settled in their minds to give to Samuel to tell them what they wanted to know (vs. 8). There is not another word about what they had for him; but a good deal said about what he had prepared for them. The seer has been getting ready for Saul since the day before, and they do not part company until Saul has been made a king!
But you will wonder how it was, if Saul was such an entire stranger to Samuel, that Samuel should know all about him; and not only receive, and feast, and anoint him when he came, but make such preparations for him before he came; inviting about thirty persons to eat with him, and telling the cook to “reserve” a special portion for him from the day before (vs. 24, margin). Saul himself must have thought it very strange. He would say, “Well, I just came to get a little help as to finding my way, and thought I must pay for that; and here I am, in the chief place at the feast, in the best room, to eat what has been kept on purpose for me from the day before I came!” It is this strange reception given to Saul that I want to talk to you a little about, for it is to my mind just a picture of that wonderful grace of God which every sinner learns in some measure when he is brought by God to meet with the Lord Jesus Christ. You will see that God had to do with this meeting of Saul and Samuel. It was God who had sent Samuel to anoint Saul (ch. 15:1). And it was the same God who was sending Saul to him to be anointed (ch. 9:16). So when a poor lost one meets with the Saviour who “receives sinners and eats with them” (vs. 19, Luke 15:2,232And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. (Luke 15:2)
23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: (Luke 15:23)), it is the same God who sent His Son, who has also drawn the sinner to that Son; as He said, “No man can come to Me, except the Father, which hath sent Me, draw him” (John 6:4444No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:44)). It is a blessed thing indeed to be drawn to Christ. It was a great day in the history of this young man, when God caused him to meet with Samuel.
He not only had a good meal when all his own food was gone, but he was anointed king when he never expected it in the least. And far greater things still than that are done for every poor needy one who comes by faith to the Lord Jesus. He not only gets present peace to his conscience in knowing that his sins are put away, and gets his heart filled with the enjoyment of “the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,” but he is made to be a “King” and a priest unto God, and he will “reign” with Christ forever! We may know very little about what it is to reign; and the people of the world would laugh at us if we told them that we were “kings,” and were going to sit with the Son of God upon His throne (Rev. 3:2121To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Revelation 3:21)). But, dear children, we may believe it, even if we cannot understand it, and there it is in the Word of God, as plain as can be. In Rom. verse 17 we read of those who “receive” the abounding of God’s grace, that they shall “reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.” Then in Revelation 1:6,6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:6) all who are “washed” from their sins in the blood of Christ (none others, mind!) are said to be made “kings”; and in the last chapter of the same book we find how long they will reign, even “Forever and ever”! (vs. 5). How wonderful is the grace of God! When His Son came down among men, and was “born King,” He was “despised and rejected of men.” He ought to have had a diadem and a throne, but He had a wreath of thorns, and a cross, and they “killed the Prince of life”! But when a guilty sinner comes to Him in faith, confessing his sins, and that he has no claim to anything except that God should judge and punish him, what does God do? The Lord Jesus deserved that they should worship Him, and they spat in His face; we deserve to be banished from His presence, yet He “lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory”! (1 Sam. 2:88He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them. (1 Samuel 2:8)). May we not well say—
“Of Him, then, let us speak and sing,
Who soon in glory shall appear;
And us in all that glory bring,
His own peculiar throne to share.”
It is God Himself who brings this about for all those who believe in His gospel about His dear son, as we read in 1 Corinthians 1:9,9God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9) and 2 Thessalonians 2:1414Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:14); He calls us to share the glory of the blessed One who is at this moment at His right hand in heaven! He does it because He chooses to do it, and though we may ask, “Why was I made to hear thy voice?” as Saul does in this chapter (vs. 21) we find that no answer is given. God “delighteth in mercy,” and that is why He does what He does, and we know another thing. It went all wrong with Saul after, for he disobeyed God, and “The Lord repented that He had made him king over Israel” (ch. 15:35). But what God does for those who belong to Christ He does according to the “good pleasure” of His own will” (Eph. 1:5, 115Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (Ephesians 1:5)
11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:11)), and never will He repent of it.
But, dear child, have you met with this blessed Son of God? You may know there is such a Person, as Saul did when his servant had told him about him. And you may have heard still more about him, and where He is to be found, as Saul did about Samuel, when the little girls urged him to “make haste now,” that he might not miss him. But have you gone to Him for yourself It is “the Lord Himself” you need to know, and “behold He is, before you” (vs. 12). You have not to go to heaven to bring Him down, He has come down in love to you. You have not to go to the grave to bring Him up, “God raised Him from the dead,” and there He is in heaven today, a living Saviour for all who will have Him. And He is very “nigh unto all that call upon Him!” Psalms 145:18,18The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. (Psalm 145:18) Romans 10:8,8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; (Romans 10:8) &c).
Saul was now really in earnest to find Samuel, and the very next person he met was Samuel himself! He “knew him not” (as John 1:31,31And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. (John 1:31) verse 13, 9:36, &c.), but Samuel knew him, and could tell him all that was in his heart (John 2:24, 4:29, &c.) And so they met. Samuel knew Saul, though Saul knew not him; as we read of Joseph in Genesis, “Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him” (ch. 42:8). And was there not another Saul, who was met in his path by One whom he knew not? A voice from heaven said “Saul, Saul,” and he could only answer, “Who art Thou, Lord?” What a turning point that was in the life of that other “young man whose name was Saul!” He had hated Jesus, and loved to take the lives of those who followed Him. Now he would follow Him himself (1 Cor. 11:11Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)), and either live for Him here, or gladly lay down his own life to depart and be with Him yonder (Phil. 1:2020According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. (Philippians 1:20) to 23): And that blessed Son of God whom he had learned to love, was so precious to him, that when he was chained to a soldier in prison, and could no longer preach and teach, as he had loved to do, instead of being vexed and fretful, he was full of joy, and wrote a letter to the Philippians, which has more about “rejoicing” in it than any other part of the Bible. He says, “I joy and rejoice with you all,” and I want you to “joy and rejoice with me!” (chs. 2:17,18). That was the man in prison, who had “suffered the loss of all things,” had now lost his liberty, and did not know any day but he might lose his life. Yet he says, “I have all, and abound; I am full.” What a reality it is to be able to look up and say, “Christ Jesus, my Lord!”
Jesus, Thou art enough,
The mind and heart to fill,
Thy life, to calm the anxious soul,
Thy love its fear dispel!
Just one more word I want to say to you, dear young reader. It was from his servant that Saul first heard of Samuel; but Samuel said the servant must “pass on,” that he might speak to Saul alone, and he did so. (vs. 27.) In the picture you see him with his back towards you, and Saul “stands still awhile,” alone with the “man of God.” Now, dear child, it is a good thing to be “left alone” with Jesus. (Gen. 32:24,24And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. (Genesis 32:24) John 8:99And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. (John 8:9).) We may have heard words spoken to Him, or about Him, but He Himself speaks to us, when we are really alone with Him. It may be the very person whose preaching or writing has been the means of our meeting with the Lord; let them “pass on,” that we may hear what the Lord Himself will speak to us. When Philip had “preached Jesus” to the Eunuch in Acts 8, and he had believed on Him, the Lord caught His servant away, but the man went on his way “rejoicing.” He had learned to know One who would never be caught away, and his heart was filled with the joy of knowing him. May you, too, find yourself in the Lord’s presence, alone with Him. He will not pour oil on your head, but true and holy and abiding joy into your heart, and you will be blessed indeed. W. TY.