that seemed to them strange; and so we may take it that it was just up to the level of their own conceptions,

though to us it appears very different from what a hero of God would have done.108

And so the newly -found king was brought back to the assembly. And when Samuel pointed to him as he

stood there, "from his shoulders upward" overtopping every one around, the people burst into a shout: "Let

the king live!" For thus far Saul seemed the very embodiment of their ideal of a king. The transaction was

closed by Samuel explaining to the people, this time not "the right of the king" (1 Samuel 8:9, 11), as claimed

among other heathen nations whom they wished to imitate, but "the right of the kingdom"  109 (10:25), as it

should exist in Israel in accordance with the principles laid down in Deuteronomy 17:14-20. This was put in

writing, and the document solemnly deposited in the tabernacle.

For the moment, however, the establishment of the new monarchy seemed to bring no change. Saul returned

to his home in Gibeah, attended indeed on his journey, by way of honor, by "a band whom Elohim had

touched in their hearts," and who no doubt "brought him presents" as their king. But he also returned to his

former humble avocations. On the other hand, "the sons of Belial" not only withheld such marks of homage,

but openly derided the new king as wanting in tribal influence and military means for his office. When we

bear in mind that these represented a party, possibly belonging to the great tribes of Judah and Ephraim, so

strong as openly to express their opposition (1 Samuel 11:12), and sufficiently numerous not to be resisted

by those who thought otherwise, the movement must have been formidable enough to dictate as a

prudential measure the retirement of Saul till the time when events would vindicate his election. And so

complete was that privacy, that even the Philistine garrison in Gibeah remained in ignorance of the fact of

Saul's new office, and of what it implied; and that in the east, across the Jordan, the Ammonite king who

waged war with Israel was apparently wholly unaware of any combined national movement on the part of

the people, or of any new center of union and resistance against a common enemy.

This expedition on the part of Nahash, king of the Ammonites, to which we have just referred, is otherwise

also of interest, as showing that the desire of Israel after a king must have sprung from other and deeper

motives than merely the age of Samuel, or even the conduct of his sons. From 1 Samuel 12:12 it appears that

the invasion by Nahash commenced before Israel's demand for a king, and was, indeed, the cause of it; thus

proving that, as Samuel charged them, distrust of their heavenly Leader was the real motive of their

movement. The expedition of Nahash had no doubt been undertaken to renew the claims which his

predecessor had made, and to avenge the defeat which Jephthah had inflicted upon him (Judges 11:13, 33).

But Nahash had penetrated much farther into Israelitish territory than his predecessor. His hordes had

swarmed up the lovely rich valley of the Jabesh, laying bare its barley-fields and olive plantations, and

wasting its villages; and they were now besieging the capital of Gilead - Jabesh-gilead - which occupied a

commanding position on the top of an isolated hill overhanging the southern crest of the valley. In their

despair, the people of Jabesh offered to surrender, but Nahash, in his insolence, insisted that he would

thrust out their right eyes, avowedly to "lay it as a shame upon all Israel." Terrible as these conditions were,

the "elders" of Jabesh saw no means of resisting, and only begged seven days' respite, to see whether any

were left in Israel able and willing to save them. In the foolhardiness of his swagger, Nahash consented, well

assured that if Israel were, as he fully believed, incapable of a combined movement for the relief of Jabesh,

the whole land would henceforth be at his mercy, and between Philistia in the west and Ammon in the east,

Israel -their land and their God - would lie helpless before the heathen powers.

It is, to say the least, a curious coincidence that Jabesh was the only town in Israel which had not taken part

in the exterminating warfare against the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 21:9). But it was not on that ground, but

because tidings had no doubt reached them of the new royal office in Israel,110 that their messengers went

straight to Gibeah. It was evening when Saul returned home "behind the oxen," with which he had been

The tidings which the men of Jabesh had brought had filled the place with impotent lamentation, not roused

the people to action. So low had Israel sunk! But now, as he heard it, once more "the Spirit of Elohim seized

upon Saul." He hewed in pieces the "yoke of oxen" with which he had just returned, and sent -probably by