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Israel. The first would be at the sepulcher of Rachel, beloved wife of Jacob and mother
of the warrior tribe of Benjamin to which Saul belonged. There, men would meet him
with the news that the lost asses had been found, and that his father was now sorrowing
for Saul, saying "What shall I do for my son?".
Going on from there, the second sign would occur at the terebinth tree of Tabor, where
Saul would meet three men carrying gifts on a pilgrimage to God at Bethel: one carrying
three kids, another with three loaves of bread, and the third with a bottle of wine. The
bottle would be goatskin, and therefore quite heavy. They would offer Saul two of the
loaves which he was to accept at their hands.
The third sign would befall him as he approached his home, and would be the most
important of the three. It would be at the famous holy place of prayer known as Gibeah,
or "hill of God". As he approached the hill he would be met with a company of prophets
coming down from the hill carrying musical instruments and prophesying. It was at this
place that Samuel had sited one of his colleges for the training of young men. There were
several in different parts of the country, and their foundation was one of the most notable
institutions of this noble and patriotic man of God. These educational universities
flourished during the period of Israel's monarchy, and contributed in no small measure to
the moral, cultural, and mental development of the people. The arts were cultivated, and
music was given special prominence. The four instruments mentioned in verse 5 are the
`psaltery', which was a 10-stringed lyre shaped like a 'V' and played with the fingers.
The `tabret' was a hand drum, or maybe a tambourine. The `pipe'--a flute of reed,
wood, or horn. The `harp', a stringed instrument larger than a psaltery, and played with a
plectrum (a small instrument of ivory, or quill, for plucking the strings). This last
meeting would prove a turning point in the life of Saul:
"And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them,
and shalt be turned into another man. And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee,
that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee" (I Sam. 10: 6, 7).
"They shall prophesy" and "thou shalt prophesy" in verses 5 and 6 do not necessarily
mean "foretelling", but speaking in the name of the Lord. So the Spirit of the Lord came
upon Saul as it had done upon Moses and Joshua, and on the men of Israel raised up
during the time of the judges. As a result of this Saul was now a changed man, for God
was with him.