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THE KING’S BUSINESS
the condition of real accomplishment. The reason why some never “hear the Word of God” is that they never “stand still” and listen to God long enough for Him to speak to them. Even in their prayers they rat tle through with their requests and then jump up and never wait long enough for God to speak to them in reply to their prayer. After every prayer when we speak to God we should be silent for a time to hear what God has to say to us. Ch. 10:1. “Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head." Samuel “poured oil” upon Saul’s head because God had chosen him to be king and the anoint ing was a necessary preparation for his kingship. Prophets, priests, kings, cleansed lepers (i. e. all who are set apart as be longing to God in a peculiar way) were anointed, according to the law given to Is rael (Lev. 8:12; 14:2, 16-18; 1 Kings 19: IS, 16; Isa. 61:1). The oil itself was a type of the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20 R. V.; 1 Sam. 16:13; Acts 10:38) and the anointing a symbol of consecration to God, or setting apart for God (Lev. 8:10-12). The thought therefore that underlay the anointing of a king was that the true king' was God’s man and must be fitted for the work to which God had called him. It is true that the kings of Israel very poorly realized this thought, but the anointing act is smybolic and pointed forward to the real King who was to come, the Messiah. “Mes siah” means “anointed”-—that King, not Samuel but God Himself, would anoint, that King God Himself would anoint with the “oil of gladness” (beautiful and won derful symbol of the Holy Spirit (Ps. 45: 7). In Saul as the anointed king we have a type (though a very inadequate one) of Christ Himself. Thus anointed Saul was “to be j>rince” (R V.) over God’s inheri tance. As prince he was to save G°d’s people (ch. 9:16 cf. Acts 5:31). The only one who can save God’s people is God’s anointed and the One whom God anoints surely will save (Isa. 61:1-3). So Saul, whom Samuel at God’s command anointed to be king over Israel to save them out of
to the housetop to commune with our Samuel. v. 26. “And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of i the house (rather, called to Saul on the house top) saying, Up that I may send thee away.” It is evident from the Revised Version that Saul passed the night on the housetop. So wondrous and joyous were the tidings that had come to Saul there on the housetop that he might naturally have desired to linger there and to learn more of his com ing glory, but duty now calls him else where and both he and Samuel arose early and Saul must now descend from the house top of revelation and take up his march toward the throne which had been, there foretold. Oftentimes God takes us up to some quiet place where He speaks to us of the glory He has in store for us, but he does not allow us to linger long there, the summons soon comes to arise that He may send us away upon the missions of service that lie between us and the prom ised throne and crown. v. 27. "Stand thou still awhile that I may show thee (rather, cause thee to hear) the Word of God.” There were yet some things that Saul needed to know before he took up his work and these things God re vealed through His servant Samuel. If Saul wished to know them he must "stand still” and give attention. While there are times when God calls us to up and away about the duties which He sets before us, there are always times when He bids us to stand still and to hear His Word. This message, “stand still and hear the Word of God,” is just the message that most of us need in this busy, hurrying, self-confident age. The thought of the average Christian is “I must hustle, hustle, hustle.” But if we would hustle successfully, we must first “stand still.” When we have fully heard “the Word of God” then we are ready to hustle and our hustling will accomplish something. Time spent in the study of the Word of God and prayer never detracts from our accomplishment. Indeed, it is
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