Useful Bible Studies > 1 Samuel Commentary > chapter 10

Saul would prophesy at Gibeah

1 Samuel 10:6

Samuel continued to explain what would happen to Saul at Gibeah.

Until now, Saul only knew about God from the experiences of other people. However, now God would give to Saul a personal experience. Saul would know the power of God in his own life.

This is what would happen. Saul would meet a group of prophets (holy men). God’s Holy Spirit would be upon them, so that they were prophesying. Then, the Spirit of God would come upon Saul too, and he would prophesy.

This would be a great change in Saul’s life. It seems that, until that time, Saul did not care much about religion. It would astonish Saul’s friends and family to see that even Saul was prophesying (10:11).

Although Saul did not continue to prophesy, this event was necessary to prepare him for his future work.

In English, the word ‘prophesy’ usually means ‘to speak about future events’. In the Bible however, the word often seems to have a simpler meaning. It means ‘to declare words that come from God’s Holy Spirit’.

Those words may be about future events. However, often they are words to praise God and to declare his greatness. Such words may express how God is working in the world generally or in a particular situation.

It seems that Saul would be doing that here. He would declare words to praise God. Those words would not come from Saul’s own mind. They were words that the Holy Spirit would place into Saul’s own spirit.

Next part: God’s instructions to Saul (1 Samuel 10:7-8)

 

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© 2014, Keith Simons.