提要
上帝的帶領以及祂至高無上的旨意，在揀選掃羅為以色列之王的整件事上至為明顯。掃羅父親丟了幾頭驢，使得掃羅到靠近撒母耳服事的鎮上尋找，這絕非偶然。掃羅的僕人曉得撒母耳是「神人」，「凡他所說的全都應驗」（9：6），也並非湊巧。他的僕人身上帶著足夠的謝禮就更非巧合了（那是當時求先見指引時的習慣性奉獻）。一個真先知的記號之一是他所說的話都不落空，另一個記號是，他所說的合乎上帝的律法（參申13：1~3；18：20~22）。撒母耳證明他自己是個可敬的真先知，因為我們在三章十九節讀到：「耶和華……使他所說的話，一句都不落空。」
上帝已經告訴撒母耳依從以色列民立王的要求，因此撒母耳一定一直在尋求上帝的旨意要立誰為王。上帝預先告訴撒母耳，祂要揀選掃羅，所以撒母耳也預備好迎接掃羅的到來。當時一般人稱先知或神人為先見，因為他們常常透過異象或異夢從上帝得著先見之明。撒母耳因著他的先見，待掃羅為筵席中的上賓，讓他享用在他還未到達之前就預先為他存留的祭司的上肉。謙虛、單純的便雅憫人掃羅一定非常訝異於這份意想不到的款待（9：24）。
撒母耳陪掃羅走了一段短短的路程送他回家。然後在一個私下的典禮中，用油膏掃羅的頭，明示他上帝已揀選他作「祂產業的君」（10：1）。這話顯示，人君是在上帝之下，作上帝國度的管家。如同過去膏立祭司一樣（出28：41），用油膏頭的儀式表明受膏之君是被分別為聖來服事上帝，並象徵上帝的靈降在他身上。受膏及上帝賜掃羅一顆新心（10：9）的理由是要預備掃羅，賜給他力量、勇氣，及其他作王所需的品質，把以色列民從敵人手中救出來。
撒母耳給掃羅三個記號，確認上帝已經揀選了他（10：2~7）。三個記號都在當天全部應驗了，特別是上帝的靈使掃羅受感說話這件事（10：10），一定使掃羅產生信心，相信自己的確是被上帝揀選來作以色列的新王。不過，當在米斯巴正式任命的日子來到，上帝也已使籤抽中掃羅，這位高大、英俊的年輕人卻害羞的躲藏到器具中（10：22）。不過，在公開宣告掃羅為王之前，撒母耳也不忘提醒以色列眾民，他們得脫離埃及人的手，以及以色列多次的得救，都是來自上帝的恩眷。 我們帶著敬畏的心肅立在上帝至高無上的旨意之前，祂在人類的歷史上動工，以完成祂救贖的計畫。掃羅只是去尋找幾頭失落的驢子，卻得著了一個國家。
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Overview
The providence and sovereign will of God is clearly evident in the whole situation surrounding the appointment of Saul as Israel's king. It was not by accident that his father's donkeys were lost and his search took him near the town where Samuel was performing his sacred duties. Nor was it by chance that Saul's servant knew Samuel was "a man of God" and "all that he says surely comes to pass" (9:6). It was also no coincidence that the servant had with him enough money for the customary offering that the prophet received for his guidance (9:8). One of the marks of a true prophet is that his words come to pass, and the other is that his words be in accord with the law of God (cf. Deuteronomy 13:1-3; 18:20-22). Samuel proved himself to be an honourable and true prophet of the Lord because, as we read in chapter 3:19, "the Lord.. .let none of his words fall to the ground."
Since God had told Samuel to heed the voice of the people concerning their request for a king, he must have been seeking the Lord's will on the selection of that king. God had foretold him about His choice of Saul, and therefore Samuel was prepared for Saul's coming. At that time, in the language of the common people such as Saul, the prophet, or man of God, was called a seer, since it was often through dreams or visions that he received foreknowledge from God. Because of Samuel's foreknowledge, he treated Saul as the guest of honour at the sacrificial feast, giving him the specially selected and prepared priestly portion of the meat that had been set aside for him even before he arrived (9:24). Saul, a humble and simple Benjamite, must have been surprised by this unexpected special treatment (9:21).
Samuel accompanied Saul a short distance to see him off on his journey home. Then, in a private ceremony, he poured the anointing oil over Saul's head and revealed to him that he had been chosen by God to be "commander over His inheritance" (10:1). These words indicated that the human king was to be under the divine King and act as the steward over His kingdom. As with the anointing of the priests in times past (Exodus 28:41), this ritual indicated that he was set apart and consecrated for service to God and symbolized the Spirit of God upon him. The reason for this anointing and the change of heart that God gave Saul (10:9) was to prepare him and give him the strength, courage, and other qualities needed to be king and bring deliverance from their enemies.
Samuel gave Saul three signs to confirm that God had chosen him (10:2-7). Their fulfillment all on that same day, especially when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in prophecy (10:10), must have given Saul confidence that he had indeed been chosen by God to be the new king of Israel. Yet when the day of his appointment at Mizpah officially came and God had divinely directed the lot to come to Saul, this tall, handsome young man was shy and humbly hiding among the equipment (10:22). Before Saul was publicly proclaimed king, however, Samuel reminded all the people that their deliverence from Egypt, and all other times of salvation, had come from God.
We stand in awe and marvel at the sovereign will of God who acts in the history of mankind to accomplish His divine plan and purpose. Saul had gone out to find the lost donkeys but instead found a kingdom.
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