Having anointed both Saul and David-the man of the people's choice and the man after God's own heart-Samuel's public work was finished. Henceforward he lived in quiet retirement at Ramah. But one thus constrained to live in quietness has not necessarily ceased to be of value to his brethren. The ministry of intercession is open to all who have the heart for it. To this ministry Samuel devoted himself until his life's end. “God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you” (1 Sam. 12:23).
Aged brethren, crippled brethren, imprisoned brethren, take courage! Although you can no longer run the Lord's errands, you can still serve the people of God at the throne of grace. Paul in his Roman prison ceased not to give thanks for his Ephesian brethren, making mention of them in his prayers (Eph. 1:16); the Philippians also he remembered, in every prayer for them making request with joy (Phil. 1:4); for the Colossians, too, he prayed regularly, and doubtless also for saints in other places, both known and unknown. Epaphras, when deprived of his liberty, labored fervently for his brethren that they might “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Col. 4:12).
The prophet who felt that he was getting old and past active service and who appointed his sons judges over the people (without a word from the Lord) lived not only to anoint both Saul and David, but also to shelter David when the persecution of his enemy became dangerous. Accordingly we read in 1 Samuel 19:18, “David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel in Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him.” But what could a feeble old man do for David in his distress? Saul quickly set his forces in motion. He was now so completely under the power of the devil that all respect for Samuel had departed from him. He would now invade his very home, and tear David thence. But the power of God was with His aged servant, and this Saul experienced in a truly remarkable way. He sent three bands of messengers, doubtless armed, to arrest David, but when they came within sight of Samuel and his group of budding prophets, the power of God so came upon them that they prophesied with them. This reminds us of Ahaziah in his rage against Elijah (2 Kings 1). He also sent three companies to take him, but the third captain of fifty humbled himself in the presence of the power of God as exercised by Elijah, and pleaded for his life. In Saul's day things were worse, for his third company were as willing to do their master's evil work as those who went before them. Then, solemn to say, Saul went himself. He braced himself up and was confident that he would be strong enough to resist the holy influence to which his messengers had succumbed. He was determined to fight things out with God! Poor blind dupe of Satan! The unhappy man is painfully suggestive of the self-willed king of the last days (Dan. 11:36), who will be found reigning
in Jerusalem when our Lord appears.
Behold the angry king then coming to “a great well that is in Sechu,” and inquiring for the whereabouts of Samuel and David. Would he kill the prophet as well as his own son-in-law? This is not clear, but it is certain that when he came within sight of Samuel and David with murder in his heart, the mighty power of the Spirit of God overwhelmed him. For many hours he lay prostrate, helpless to do what he intended. Well might observers say, perhaps sarcastically, knowing the character of the man, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
“How are the mighty fallen!” (2 Sam. 1:27). At Ramah we see the king lying low in the presence of the power of God; at Endor he is prostrate in the house of a witch (1 Sam. 28:20); and at Gilboa he is found dead on the battle-field (1 Sam. 31:4). Miserable end to an unhappy life, a life which began with every advantage that a gracious God could bestow.
The remarkable experience at Naioth in Ramah had a voice for both David and Saul. David could thereby be assured that although years of wandering lay ahead, no creature power could ever harm him, seeing that the Lord was with him. Saul might well have returned home convinced of the uselessness of opposition to God. But, alas, flesh never learns divine lessons! Another Saul did heed the voice of the Lord speaking to him out of heaven, to his eternal blessing (Acts 22). Happy Saul of Tarsus!
We are living in the day of the Spirit's personal presence on earth. The church is His habitation. From thence He pursues His gracious work for the blessing of men. The power of Satan is opposed to it, but we need have no fear. He who broke down the Saul of the Old Testament (although he was nothing the better for it) and who also broke down the Saul of the New Testament, transforming him into a bright witness for Christ, is able still to deal with every form of Satanic hostility to the work of God. Certainly our God never knows defeat.