Thr 81 - 1 Samuel 9–10 · Acts 8 - FeedTheGoodHorse
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Day 81: 1 Samuel 9–10 · Acts 8 · Commentary · Commentary² · Audio
The Bible text is included for reading continuity; it is accurate in substance, aligned with major modern translations, and may be read alongside any Bible you prefer.1
Special Note about the following Bible text: The following translation uses the Hebrew terms tamé (טָמֵא) and tahor (טָהוֹר) instead of the traditional “unclean” and “clean.” These terms describe ritual status in relation to sanctuary access, not moral fault, shame, or physical dirtiness. A fuller explanation will follow in a dedicated article.
1 Samuel 9
There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of standing.
He had a son whose name was Saul, a young man and good in appearance. There was no one among the people of Israel more impressive than he; from his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people.
The donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and rise, go look for the donkeys.”
He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the territory of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the territory of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
When they came to the territory of Zuph, Saul said to the young man who was with him, “Come, let us return, or my father may stop worrying about the donkeys and begin worrying about us.”
But he said to him, “Look, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man held in honor. Everything that he says certainly comes true. Now let us go there; perhaps he can tell us about the journey that we should take.”
Then Saul said to his young man, “If we go, what shall we bring to the man? The bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no gift to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”
The young man answered Saul again and said, “Look, I have in my hand a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he may tell us our way.”
Formerly in Israel, when someone went to inquire of God, he would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for the one who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.
Saul said to his young man, “Your word is good. Come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
As they were going up the slope to the city, they found young women coming out to draw water, and said to them, “Is the seer here?”
They answered them and said, “He is. Look, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for today he has come to the city because the people have a sacrifice today at the high place.
As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited eat. Now go up, for you will find him immediately.”
So they went up to the city. As they entered the city, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the high place.
Now the Lord had revealed to Samuel one day before Saul came, saying,
“About this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the territory of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be leader over my people Israel. He will save my people from the hand of the Philistines, for I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.”
When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord answered him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you. This one will govern my people.”
Then Saul approached Samuel inside the gate and said, “Please tell me where the house of the seer is.”
Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you will eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart.
As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And to whom belongs all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not to you and to all your father’s house?”
Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”
Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who were invited, who were about thirty men.
Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion that I gave you, the one about which I said to you, ‘Set it aside.’”
So the cook took up the thigh and what was on it and set it before Saul.
Samuel said, “Look, what was kept has been set before you. Eat, because it was kept for you until the appointed time, since I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
When they came down from the high place into the city, he spoke with Saul on the roof.
They rose early, and at daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, “Rise, so that I may send you on your way.” Saul rose, and both of them went outside, he and Samuel.
As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the young man to pass on ahead of us.” So he passed on ahead. “But you stand here now, so that I may let you hear the word of God.”
1 Samuel 10
Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be leader over his inheritance?
When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you went to look for have been found. Now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and is worried about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’
Then you will go on from there farther and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.
They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hand.
After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. There, as soon as you come into the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, and they will be prophesying.
Then the spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be changed into another person.
When these signs come to you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you.
Then you must go down before me to Gilgal, and look, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. You must wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do.”
As he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart, and all these signs came to pass that day.
When they came there to Gibeah, a group of prophets met him, and the spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them.
When all who had known him previously saw that he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
A man from there answered and said, “And who is their father?” Therefore it became a saying, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
When he finished prophesying, he came to the high place.
Saul’s uncle said to him and to his young man, “Where did you go?”
He said, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they were nowhere, we went to Samuel.”
Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”
Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingship, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him.
Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah.
He said to the people of Israel, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’
But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your disasters and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans.”
Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken, and Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he could not be found.
So they inquired again of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”
The Lord said, “Look, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”
Then they ran and took him from there. When he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.
Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one whom the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.”
All the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!”
Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship and wrote them in a book and set it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each to his home.
Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went strong men whose hearts God had touched.
But some worthless men said, “How can this one save us?” They despised him and did not bring him a gift, but he remained silent.
Acts 8
And Saul approved of his killing.
On that day a great persecution broke out against the assembly in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. Devout men buried Stephen and made great mourning over him.
But Saul was ravaging the assembly, entering house after house, dragging off both men and women, and handing them over to prison.
So those who had been scattered went about proclaiming the good news of the word.
Philip went down to a city of Samaria and was proclaiming the Messiah to them. The crowds paid close attention with one purpose to what Philip was saying as they heard him and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits came out of many who had them, crying out with a loud voice, and many who were paralyzed or unable to walk were healed. So there was great joy in that city.
Now a man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, claiming that he was somebody great. All of them, from the least to the greatest, paid attention to him and said, “This man is the power of God called Great.” They paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus the Messiah, both men and women were being immersed. Even Simon himself believed, and after being immersed he stayed close to Philip. Seeing signs and great works of power happening, he was amazed.
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. After coming down, they prayed for them so that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because he had not yet fallen on any of them; they had only been immersed in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give this authority to me too, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money. You have no share or portion in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. So change your mind from this evil of yours and ask the Lord if perhaps the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in bitter poison and bound by wrongdoing.”
Simon answered, “Ask the Lord for me, so that none of what you have said may come upon me.”
So after they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem and were proclaiming the good news to many villages of the Samaritans.
Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert road. So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, sitting in his chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.
The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you really understand what you are reading?”
He said, “How could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Now the passage of scripture he was reading was this:
‘Like a sheep he was led to slaughter,
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was taken from him.
Who will describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.’
The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, about whom does the prophet say this—about himself or about someone else?”
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture he proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him.
As they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, water! What prevents me from being immersed?” He ordered the chariot to stop, and both of them went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he immersed him.
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him anymore, for he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and passing through, he proclaimed the good news in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Commentary - Day 81
1 Samuel 9–10 · Acts 8
Teaching the Pattern Through Selection, Confirmation, and Scattering
Summary:
In 1 Samuel 9, Saul searches across several territories for his father’s lost donkeys, only to be led unexpectedly to Samuel, who seats him at a prepared meal set aside before he arrived. In 1 Samuel 10, Samuel anoints Saul privately and describes confirming signs—men reporting the donkeys found, travelers giving bread, and prophets playing music—all unfolding exactly as told. When the tribes gather publicly, Saul is discovered hiding among baggage, and reactions divide between support and doubt.
In Acts 8, persecution scatters believers from Jerusalem, but the movement spreads as Philip preaches in Samaria, confronts Simon who tries to buy authority, and later guides an Ethiopian official reading Isaiah, immersing him beside a desert road before continuing onward.
1 Samuel 9 begins with something that looks ordinary: lost donkeys. Saul is sent out across hill country and territory after territory searching for animals that cannot be found. The journey stretches longer than expected, and eventually Saul suggests turning back so his father will not begin worrying about them. But the servant proposes another step—to seek the guidance of the seer in the nearby city. What looks like a routine errand becomes the path that leads Saul into a role he did not plan. Even before Saul arrives, Samuel has already been told that a man from Benjamin will come and that he will be marked as leader. The meeting is arranged without Saul knowing it. At the meal, Samuel places him at the head of invited guests and serves him a portion that had been set aside in advance. The preparation happened before the traveler even understood where he was going.
In 1 Samuel 10, the private moment becomes public movement. Samuel pours oil on Saul’s head and tells him that several confirming signs will follow: men near Rachel’s tomb will report that the donkeys have been found; travelers near the oak will give him bread; a group of prophets at Gibeah will meet him with music, and he will join their speech. Each step unfolds exactly as described. The signs are not random wonders but staged confirmations, showing that what began in uncertainty is now being directed. Yet when the tribes gather at Mizpah and Saul is chosen publicly, he is not standing confidently among them. He is found hiding among the baggage. The one selected to lead is not eager to stand forward. Even after the announcement, some men despise him and refuse to bring gifts, while others gather around him with changed hearts. Acceptance and resistance appear side by side from the beginning.
The movement in Acts 8 unfolds under pressure rather than ceremony. After Stephen’s death, persecution spreads across Jerusalem, forcing believers to scatter into surrounding regions. What looks like collapse becomes expansion. Those driven from the city do not stop speaking; they carry their message into new territory. Philip travels into Samaria, where crowds gather as unclean spirits are driven out and the sick are healed. The city that once followed Simon the magician shifts attention when visible change replaces spectacle. Simon himself believes and stays near Philip, watching closely as signs continue.
But confusion emerges again when Simon offers money to obtain the same authority he sees in the apostles. He treats power as if it were a skill that could be purchased. Peter’s response cuts sharply: the problem is not technique but motive. The issue lies inside the heart, not in the outward action. Soon after, the movement continues along a desert road, where Philip is directed toward a traveling official from Ethiopia reading aloud from the prophet Isaiah. The man asks a direct question—how can understanding come without guidance? The conversation begins with the words he is already reading. When water appears along the road, he requests immersion immediately. The scene closes with separation again—Philip carried onward, the traveler continuing his journey with visible joy.
Across these chapters, the lesson unfolds through repeated forms of guidance and response. Saul moves from wandering search to chosen leader through encounters that confirm direction step by step. Some accept him, others reject him, and he himself hesitates at the moment of public recognition. Meanwhile, in Acts, scattering does not silence speech but multiplies it, sending the message into unfamiliar regions and unexpected conversations. The pattern becomes clear: direction often begins in ordinary tasks, confirmation comes through repeated signs, and resistance appears alongside acceptance from the very beginning.
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