9 When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day. 10 When they came to Gibeah, behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” 12 And a man of the place answered, “And who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” 13 When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.
14 Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.” 15 And Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.” 16 And Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything. – 1 Samuel 10:9-16 ESV
It’s difficult to discern exactly what is meant by the phrase, “God gave him another heart”(1 Samuel 10:9 ESV). Over the centuries, there has been a lot of speculation and debate about what happened to Saul in that moment. Some have tied his heart change to the filling of the Spirit of God. But it seems that his inner transformation, whatever it may have been, took place the moment “he turned his back to leave Samuel” (1 Samuel 10:9 ESV).
From the overall context, it would appear that Saul walked away with a new perspective. His attitude had been transformed by his encounter with Samuel and the news that God had anointed him to be Israel’s king. When Saul first met Samuel, the prophet told him, “I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes” (1 Samuel 9:20 NLT). But this cryptic message left Saul uncomfortable and confused, prompting him to respond, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?” (1 Samuel 9:21 NLT).
Saul had no idea what Samuel was talking about and as the rest of the day unfolded, he became even more unsettled and uncertain. Things were happening so fast and it was almost impossible for him to take it all in. But the moment when Samuel anointed Saul with oil proved to be a game changer. That experience, coupled with the prophetic words spoken by the prophet, left Saul a different man. God transformed his reluctance into belief, empowering Saul to step out in faith and do what Samuel had told him to do. He obeyed the will of God and, as a result, “all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day” (1 Samuel 10:9 NLT). Had Saul refused to believe and act on Samuel’s words, the story would have ended there; none of Samuel’s predictions would have come to fruition. But the all-powerful, invisible God of Israel was operating behind the scenes, softening Saul’s heart and prompting his obedience.
As Saul and his servant entered the town of Gibeah, they encountered a group of prophets, just as Samuel had predicted. What happened next must have caught Saul by surprise and left his unwitting servant in disbelief.
Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy. – 1 Samuel 10:10 NLT
Samuel had told Saul that this would happen (1 Samuel 10:6) but experiencing it was another matter altogether. In a matter of seconds, Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy. The inference is that Saul came under the power of the Holy Spirit and was no longer in control of his actions. He became an instrument in the hands of God. There is no explanation given as to how or what Saul prophesied. When Samuel predicted this encounter, he provided an important detail: “…you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying” (1 Samuel 10:5 NLT). These men were musicians who may have been connected to the Tabernacle and assisted in the worship of Yahweh. If this is true, they would have been Levites. Their presence in Gibeah is unexplained and the exact nature of their prophesying is unclear. But it seems that they were singing God's praises under the Holy Spirit's influence. And before he could take it all in, Saul joined in. This young man from the tribe of Benjamin suddenly broke out in song and joined the procession of prophets as they proclaimed the glories of God.
This strange scene didn’t go unnoticed. The bystanders who took it all in began to question what they were seeing. Here was Saul, the son of Kish, dancing and singing along with the prophets of God. This unexpected and unprecedented behavior by this young man caused them to ask, “Can anyone become a prophet, no matter who his father is?” (1 Samuel 10:12 NLT). It reminds me of the lyrics from an old Sesame Street song.
One of these sounds is not like the others
One of these sounds doesn't belong
Can you tell which sound is not like the other
By the time I finish my song?
Saul didn’t belong in the band of prophets. As a member of the tribe of Benjamin, he had no right to take part in their God-appointed duties. But there he was, big as life, and clearly exhibiting the evidence of being Spirit-empowered, which left the people asking, “How did the son of Kish become a prophet?” (1 Samuel 10:11 NLT).
But Saul’s moment in the spotlight came to an end and he went on his way. When his uncle demanded to know where he had been, Saul chose to present a truncated and sanitized version of his experience.
“We were looking for the donkeys,” Saul replied, “but we couldn’t find them. So we went to Samuel to ask him where they were.” – 1 Samuel 10:14 NLT
This wasn’t a lie but it wasn’t exactly the truth either. For whatever reason, Saul decided to withhold some of the pertinent information regarding his encounter with Samuel. He fails to mention the banquet, his anointing with oil, or Samuel’s prophesy concerning his call to be Israel’s king. Perhaps Saul was concerned about how his family would receive this news and he wanted to be the one to tell his father and mother all that had happened. Had he told his uncle the full story, the news could have spread quickly, creating an even greater uproar than his short-term role as a prophet had caused. So, “Saul didn’t tell his uncle what Samuel said about the kingdom” (1 Samuel 10:16 NLT).
Saul’s reticence to divulge the full story was in keeping with the words of Samuel. The prophet had given him clear instructions.
“…go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.” – 1 Samuel 10:8 NLT
Saul had not been told to make the news of his anointing known to anyone, including his own family. He was instructed to go to Gilgal and wait for the prophet, and that is what he did.
This entire plan had a God-ordained schedule associated with it. Everything had to happen according to God’s well-timed and predetermined schedule. The seminal event in Israel’s storied history was not going to happen by chance or according to the whims or wishes of men. God was implementing His divine plan and nothing could stand in His way.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
