Flush with the recent victory over Ammon, the new king needed a history lesson at Gilgal.
At the time of Saul’s anointing (1 Sam 10), Samuel told him, “You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do” (v 8). This is not the fulfillment of that, since on this occasion Saul and Samuel went together. “Then Samuel said to the people, ‘Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there’” (11:14). Why there? It may be that Samuel wanted to remind him of Gilgal’s lesson. There was the memorial of the first Passover, remembering their deliverance from slavery. There was the pillar of boulders taken out of the Jordan, saying, We are here because God supernaturally brought us here. There was the Hill of Foreskins, declaring, As people of the covenant, our bodies bear the mark of separation to Him—out of bondage in Egypt; through the desert journey; into the land of God’s blessing. Saul, the Lord gave you the victory! So “There they made sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly” (v 15). Then Samuel gave an epic speech, reminding them of his faithful ministry to them, now rejected and replaced by a king. Likewise of the Lord’s faithfulness, and their backsliding. He then called the nation to be loyal to God, and concluded that he, like His Lord, would not give up on them: “Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you” (12:23-24). Lord, help us to be as faithful in prayer and care for those entrusted to us!