Saul’s early morning call to rise and go marks a pivotal step toward his divine appointment.
Early in the morning, we find these words woven into the unfolding story of Israel’s transition to having a king: “And they arose early; and at daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, ‘Get up, that I may send you away.’ So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.” (1 Samuel 9:26). In ancient Israel, houses often featured flat rooftops, which provided extra living space. When the verse says Samuel called to Saul on the roof, it places us in the calm, early hours of daybreak, right before a historic shift in leadership for God’s people was about to unfold. Saul, who would become Israel’s first king around 1050 BC, stands at the threshold of the purpose God has for him. Samuel, the prophet who lived during the 11th century BC, is the instrument through whom God directs this new phase in the nation’s journey.
We see in this moment a sense of urgency and adherence to the will of the Lord. When Samuel summons Saul and says, “Get up, that I may send you away,” it underscores the pivotal nature of Saul’s call to leadership. Though the verse mentions no explicit location name here, earlier passages reveal they were near a site often linked with the prophet’s home region of Ramah, which was located in the hill country of Ephraim. This area is in central Israel, a land that would become the central stage of Saul’s kingship. The morning setting is symbolic: just as the day is dawning, so is Saul’s destiny in leading the Israelites.
From a broader biblical perspective, God tends to call people in ways that change their path (as seen also with Jesus calling His disciples in Matthew 4:19). The posture of being ready in the morning for a sending or commissioning is a thread woven throughout Scripture, showing that those who respond obediently to God’s call experience His guidance and blessing. Saul’s journey, starting with the simple act of him getting up at Samuel’s word, is crucial to understanding the unfolding narrative of Israel’s monarchy, which ultimately looks ahead toward David’s kingship and the eventual coming of Jesus Christ, the final and perfect King.
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1 Samuel 9:26 meaning
Early in the morning, we find these words woven into the unfolding story of Israel’s transition to having a king: “And they arose early; and at daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, ‘Get up, that I may send you away.’ So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.” (1 Samuel 9:26). In ancient Israel, houses often featured flat rooftops, which provided extra living space. When the verse says Samuel called to Saul on the roof, it places us in the calm, early hours of daybreak, right before a historic shift in leadership for God’s people was about to unfold. Saul, who would become Israel’s first king around 1050 BC, stands at the threshold of the purpose God has for him. Samuel, the prophet who lived during the 11th century BC, is the instrument through whom God directs this new phase in the nation’s journey.
We see in this moment a sense of urgency and adherence to the will of the Lord. When Samuel summons Saul and says, “Get up, that I may send you away,” it underscores the pivotal nature of Saul’s call to leadership. Though the verse mentions no explicit location name here, earlier passages reveal they were near a site often linked with the prophet’s home region of Ramah, which was located in the hill country of Ephraim. This area is in central Israel, a land that would become the central stage of Saul’s kingship. The morning setting is symbolic: just as the day is dawning, so is Saul’s destiny in leading the Israelites.
From a broader biblical perspective, God tends to call people in ways that change their path (as seen also with Jesus calling His disciples in Matthew 4:19). The posture of being ready in the morning for a sending or commissioning is a thread woven throughout Scripture, showing that those who respond obediently to God’s call experience His guidance and blessing. Saul’s journey, starting with the simple act of him getting up at Samuel’s word, is crucial to understanding the unfolding narrative of Israel’s monarchy, which ultimately looks ahead toward David’s kingship and the eventual coming of Jesus Christ, the final and perfect King.