Saul, First King of Israel
a play by
Ben Chenoweth
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2009 Ben Chenoweth
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(Cover image: King Saul and David by Guercino, 1646)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Appendix One: Saul And The Judges
INTRODUCTION
The following play is an attempt to present dramatically the story of Saul drawing out the underlying narrative implications of the biblical text. However, it does this from the perspective of Samuel and Saul, so that the play will often be running at a tangent to the biblical text on which it is based, especially when David is involved.
The entire play is presented as an extended flash-back occurring during Saul’s conversation with the ghost of Samuel after he has been summoned by the witch of Endor, as recounted in 1 Samuel 28. The textual basis for a flash-back can be found in verses 16-19, where Samuel gives a precis of Saul’s life, especially the specific sin that resulted in God’s rejection of Saul as king over Israel. Consequently, this play is an extension of that precis, a recounting of Saul’s kingship seen with the benefit of hindsight.
The first act is presented in eight scenes which roughly correlate with 1 Samuel chapters 8 through to 15. There is much scholarly debate concerning these chapters, mostly surrounding presumed anti-monarchical and pro-monarchical sources. It is the belief of the author that this ‘piecemeal’ approach does not do justice to the text. It is far better to allow the text to function as a whole: the request for a king is not a problem in itself; after all provision is made in the Torah (Deut. 17). No, the problem was with the “like all the nations” which is to be understood as a rejection of Israel’s God as the supreme ruler in Israel. Thus, Saul’s appointment is fraught with tensions. The other main area of debate, the reasons behind King Saul’s fall from grace, is clarified when interpreted against the background of the Judges period. After all, the text sets up a number of explicit allusions between Saul and various Judges. This play attempts to draw these out even further. (The interested reader will also find the textual basis for these conclusions in Appendix One.)
The point at which the first act ends and the second act begins is not an arbitrary point in the play, one that happens to divide the action into two halves of approximately the same length. Rather, the division of the play into two scenes occurs at the narrative hinge of the book of 1 Samuel. 1 Sam. 16:13-14 marks the transition from Saul to David by means of the Spirit of the Lord departing Saul and residing with David. It is therefore the natural centre of the play.
The second act is also broken up into eight scenes, covering 1 Samuel 17 through to 31 (but not dealing explicitly with 21, 25, 27, 29 and 30, since these concern only David). Arguably, the interpretive key to these chapters is the succession: who will be king after Saul? Will Samuel’s prophecy come true and someone other than Saul’s son Jonathan rule? Or will Saul be able to stomp on any potential usurpers? In these chapters, Saul is constantly contrasted with David, the man after God’s own heart, who is God’s choice for the throne.
The following two scholarly works have proven of great benefit to the writing of this play. They are listed here to provide the interested reader the chance to further explore the narrative implications of one of the most fascinating sections of the Old Testament.
Sam Dragga “In The Shadow Of The Judges: The Failure Of Saul” in Journal For The Study Of The Old Testament 38 (1987), 39-46.
Gerald Eddie Gerbrandt Kingship According To The Deuteronomistic History (Atlanta, Georgia: Scholars Press, 1986), especially pages 140-158.
CAST LIST
Main Speaking Roles:
SAUL
SAMUEL
JONATHAN
DAVID
SOLDIER/ELDER/COURTIER ONE
SOLDIER/ELDER/COURTIER TWO
SOLDIER/ELDER/COURTIER THREE
Supporting Speaking Roles:
PRIEST
WITCH
MESSENGER
SAUL’S ARMOUR BEARER
AHIJAH
ELIAB
MICHAL
DOEG
AHIMELECH
A ZIPHITE
DAVID’S ARMOUR BEARER
Voice-Only Roles:
GOD
GOLIATH
Group Speaking Roles:
PEOPLE
SOLDIERS
Silent Roles:
SAUL’S SERVANT
KISH
COOK
JONATHAN’S ARMOUR BEARER
AGAG
JESSE
MERAB
BOY
ABIATHAR
PALTIEL
TWO MEN
Silent Group Roles:
GUESTS
JESSE’S SONS
PROPHETS
MESSENGERS
PRIESTS
AHIMELECH’S FAMILY
DAVID’S MEN
PHILISTINE SOLDIERS
Additional comments:
The three SOLDIER/ELDER/COURTIER characters are used to create a sameness to the extended flashback (and to provide another three main characters!) Essentially, these people will come onto stage with slightly different costumes depending on the character: the SOLDIERS can have weapons (and swords once the Philistines have been beaten in Act One, Scene Seven); the ELDERS can have beards, and long dark cloaks; the COURTIERS can have finer, more colourful cloaks. The three of them all speak quite quickly, the next coming in rapidly after the previous one finishes their line.
Stage directions are given from the perspective of the audience.
ACT ONE
PROLOGUE
The stage is dark, with a slight lightening on the right. Into this light steps SAUL (an old man of about 70), followed by SAUL’S ARMOUR BEARER, SOLDIERS ONE, TWO and THREE, JONATHAN (about 50 years old), and a PRIEST. Suddenly, SAUL turns on JONATHAN.
SAUL: [wearily] Tell me again: how many Philistines have come against us in battle?
JONATHAN: All of them, Father. The region of Shunem is swarming with their soldiers.
SOLDIER ONE: There must be many thousands of companies…
SOLDIER THREE: And many men to each company…
SOLDIER TWO: It is no shame to say that we are out-numbered.
SAUL: No. But there is shame in defeat, and defeat seems certain since God appears to have abandoned his people. Priest! Come here.
PRIEST: [timidly] Certainly, O King.
SAUL: I make no secret of the fact that I am filled with a mortal terror such as I have never known. I can sense my life draining away before the might of Philistia. All I have worked for and fought for will be destroyed if your God doesn’t fight with us tomorrow. What does God have to say for himself?
PRIEST: He has not answered me these many days, O King. Ever since you had the priests of Nob slaughtered, I have been unable to enquire of the Lord. Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, escaped with the Ephod. I hear he is with David now…
SAUL: Enough!
SAUL looks furiously at the PRIEST and looks as though he may strike him, but doesn’t.
SAUL: [looking upwards] Very well, God. [He spits out the word with obvious distaste, then turns to the priest.] I have given your God one last chance, but he leaves me with no choice. I go to speak with one who always answered me, even though I rarely wanted to hear what he had to say.
He turns to address JONATHAN.
SAUL: Jonathan, my son and successor - wait here with the men. I will return with tidings, whether good or bad.
JONATHAN: This is Endor [looking around him]; who on earth are you here to see?
SAUL: [mysteriously] No-one on earth.
JONATHAN: What?
SAUL: [angrily] Never mind! Wait here.
He turns his back on JONATHAN, and walks across the stage to the left, pulling the hood of his cloak over his head to conceal his face. The lights fade over JONATHAN, SOLDIERS ONE, TWO and THREE, SAUL’S ARMOUR BEARER and the PRIEST (who all then leave to the right) as the lights come up left to reveal the WITCH seated on a mat in a meditative position. As SAUL approaches, she jumps up.
SAUL: Peace, good woman. I didn’t mean to startle you.
WITCH: What do you want, O noble stranger?
SAUL: I have heard it said that you are a medium.
The WITCH acts surprised.
WITCH: That’s not true! Surely you know what King Saul has done? He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land of Israel. If I were a medium, as you have been so misled to believe, I would now be living in exile, would I not?
SAUL: No, I won’t harm…
WITCH: [shrilly] You have set a trap for my life to bring about my death!
SAUL: No!
SAUL places his hands over his heart and speaks solemnly.
SAUL: As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this. I am but a man of Israel who is in a wretched state of fear and doubt, and who seeks guidance.
The WITCH looks keenly at SAUL with her head tilted slightly to one side, and narrowed eyes.
WITCH: Very well, but this shall be our little secret. Whom shall I bring up for you?
SAUL: Bring up Samuel, the prophet of God.
WITCH: Hmmm, an interesting choice.
The WITCH sits back down on the mat, folds her hands in her lap, and closes her eyes. There is silence. Suddenly, the WITCH sits bolt upright and screams at the top of her lungs. The ghost of SAMUEL begins rising out of the floor in front of her.
WITCH: You have deceived me! You are Saul!
SAUL throws back his hood.
SAUL: Yes, but don’t be afraid. I meant what I said: no harm will come to you. Now what do you see?
SAMUEL has turned to face SAUL, but it is as if SAUL cannot see SAMUEL yet.
WITCH: I see a spirit coming up out of the ground.
SAUL: What does he look like?
WITCH: An old man wearing a robe is coming up.
By this time, SAMUEL is fully visible, and he begins to walk towards SAUL. The WITCH falls backwards, out of the light, and disappears from view. As he approaches, SAMUEL waves his hands, and SAUL is able to see him. SAUL throws himself down, and prostrates himself before SAMUEL.
SAUL: Yes, it is Samuel!
SAMUEL: Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?
SAUL: [shaking] I am in great distress. The Philistines are fighting against me yet again, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.
SAMUEL: Why have you bothered consulting me, now that the Lord has turned away from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what he predicted through me when I was still alive: he has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbours. David will be king, after you and your sons die at the hands of the Philistines tomorrow…
At this SAUL looks up.
SAUL: No, this cannot be! Why has God done this to me? I have tried my best to serve God, and this is how he repays me?
SAMUEL: Does your memory fail you? Have you forgotten your treacherous rebellion directed against the God of Israel?
SAUL gets to his feet in front of SAMUEL.
SAUL: Remind me.
SAMUEL looks at SAUL with genuine concern.
SAMUEL: Saul, you know you were the Lord’s anointed choice. It’s true! He chose you to be Israel’s king, but that choosing came with an expectation of appropriate behaviour – divinely-given job specifications if you will. But you chose your own way, and the Lord is a great respecter of free-will. He has always been in the reap-what-you-sow business: consequences follow naturally from actions. And so you have been rejected as Israel’s king.
SAMUEL pauses briefly. Then he speaks with a depth of passion.
SAMUEL: Yes, Saul, you were a disobedient fool! Too quick by half to bow to the will of the people, the people you were supposed to rule over.
SAMUEL stops, and looks thoughtful. SAUL looks up hopefully. SAMUEL continues speaking almost to himself.
SAMUEL: Yet if I remember correctly, those very people did make it hard for you: when they asked for a king, they didn’t ask with pure motives. They wanted a military leader, someone whose sons would be military leaders after he was gone. I guess they sought the security that comes with dynastic succession. Did they not know they had something far greater? Did they not realise they had the Creator of the entire universe as their protector? By asking for someone else they too committed high treason against the God of Israel.
SAMUEL moves past SAUL to the centre of the stage, then turns to face the audience, arms outstretched on both sides, as he walks backwards slowly. As he does so, the lights come up in the central part of the stage and ELDERS ONE, TWO and THREE come forward from the rear of the stage to speak with SAMUEL. As SAMUEL steps backwards, he speaks:
SAMUEL: Saul, watch and learn! See for yourself the origin of your kingship. Then watch and see how you yourself turned your back on God, to understand why he turned his back on you!
SCENE ONE
When SAMUEL lowers his arms, the ELDERS begin speaking quite quickly.
ELDER ONE: Samuel, you’re getting on a bit...
ELDER TWO: And your sons are not at all like you...
ELDER THREE: We have heard that they accept bribes...
ELDER TWO: “Justice” to the highest bidder...
SAMUEL: [speaking to SAUL] It was true - I freely admit it. I’d hoped that if I gave my sons some real responsibility, they’d get their act together. So I sent Joel and Abijah to the southern town of Beersheba. But it hadn’t worked - they had perverted the course of justice.
ELDER ONE: But before you step down...
ELDER THREE: We want you to do something for us...
ELDER TWO: Appoint a king to lead us...
ELDER ONE: One just like all the other nations round about have...
SAMUEL: [speaking to SAUL] As you can imagine, I took this personally. I might have been old, but I wasn’t totally incapacitated! It was like my many years of serving Israel faithfully were of no consequence. True, they were only rejecting my chosen successors - [resignedly] and with good reason, I grant you. [angrily] But by implication, they were rejecting me!
During this previous speech, the ELDERS move back from SAMUEL, but they appear to continue talking among themselves. SAMUEL faces the audience, and looks upwards, hands in a supplicatory position.
SAMUEL: Oh, Lord God - they’ve rejected me.
GOD: Not so! Listen closely to what they said. They haven’t rejected you, for you aren’t their king. I AM. Back in the desert, when I gave them the Law, we signed an agreement, Israel and I. I was to be their God, and they were to be my people. So it is my responsibility to provide military protection - something they desire right now - by raising someone up and empowering them by my Spirit, so that they could lead the people into battle - and then I bring about victory!
SAMUEL: That’s certainly true: even a cursory examination of recent history would prove it. You raised up for Israel such great heroes: Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, and… er… even me, when the Philistines tried to attack us during a special religious gathering.
GOD: And nothing has changed! I certainly haven’t. If a need has arisen, I will deal with it as before.
[warmly] No, the problem is not with you, my faithful judge. [coldly] The problem is these faithless people, who have continually rejected me in favour of foreign gods, ever since the day I rescued them from Egypt. They think the grass is greener on the other side of the political fence - they see that all these surrounding nations have a human king, so they want one, despite the fact that they already have a king: the Creator of the Universe.
So, Samuel, listen to them, but warn them solemnly about what they are getting themselves into. Tell them what such a king - [sarcastically] a king like all these other nations - will do...
SAMUEL: [to SAUL] So, I went back and told them what such a king would be like, based on the many little nations all around Israel, all of which had human kings who on the whole were nothing more than dictatorial despots.
The ELDERS come forward.
SAMUEL: You want a king like all the nations? If so, then this is what such a king will be like.
He will take your sons, and put them in his standing army, to run before his chariots and protect them from arrows. For horses are more valuable than people.
He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves and give them to members of his court as rewards for service.
He will take more of your sons to work his fields, to plow his ground, to reap his harvests, when they should be working your own fields.
He will take your daughters to be beauty specialists and cooks for his court.
He will take a tenth of your grain, your grapes, your cattle, and your sheep for his own use - and that’s on top of the tenth that belongs to God.
In a word, you’ll become his slaves.
[with special emphasis] And on that day, you will cry out to God for relief from this king that you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you that day!
SAMUEL turns to face SAUL.
SAMUEL: [to SAUL] I thought I’d put a pretty good case. Surely they wouldn’t still want a human king... [to the ELDERS] do you?
ELDER ONE: Yes...
SAMUEL: Ha!
ELDER TWO: We want a king over us...
ELDER ONE: Then we’ll be like all the other nations...
ELDER THREE: With a king to lead us and go before us...
ELDERS: [together] And fight our battles!
The ELDERS as if sensing this was probably not supposed to have been said out loud, look around somewhat fearfully, and retreat off-stage.
SAMUEL: [to SAUL] Well, God had read the situation correctly: it was a military concern that was behind their request. They just weren’t prepared to trust an invisible God, when all about them were nations who had visible kings. Especially since, if you recall, the king of the Ammonites had been making himself very visible indeed.
SAUL: Ah yes, Nahash with his well-earned reputation for extreme viciousness and brutality, even for these ruthless times.
SAMUEL: Yes, and if I recall correctly, his special trade-mark was gouging out the right eye of all those whom he had subjugated - a personalised signature of blood upon the canvas of war. Was it any coincidence do you think that precisely at this time, Nahash was making threatening noises near Israel’s north-eastern borders? I don’t think so. Well, I asked God what to do, and he said…
GOD: Listen to them and give them a king.
SCENE TWO
SAMUEL: So you see what you were up against: the people wanted you to be their military protector in place of God. This was not a good way to begin a new chapter in Israel’s history books. If God hadn’t dealt with it in some way, things really might have got off on the wrong foot. If the people of Israel really wanted a king, it would have to be a king on God’s terms.
The only good thing about this situation was that I was the democratically-elected and divinely-sanctioned king-maker. The people still trusted me to pick the right person, whether they thought God would guide me or not.
And let me assure you, he did.
SAMUEL steps backwards away from SAUL.
GOD: Samuel, about this time tomorrow, I will send you a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people, for he will deliver my people from the hand of their enemies - even the ever-powerful Philistines! I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me.
SAUL moves behind SAMUEL as SAMUEL continues talking, this time more to the audience than to SAUL. SAUL’S SERVANT and KISH (Saul’s father) come out from stage right to meet SAUL, and begin conversing silently. (They are discussing the lost donkeys.) Then SAUL and SAUL’S SERVANT take leave of KISH, and move slowly across the centre stage, all the while searching for the donkeys. SAUL gets fed up with searching, and makes as if to return to KISH, but SAUL’S SERVANT points in the direction of SAMUEL, who is standing off to one side at this point. They approach SAMUEL just as he is saying “And then you came along...”.
SAMUEL: Now, this was classic Judgeship language. Instead of following the model of kingship ably demonstrated by those despots around us, God was instituting the new king to be just like the Judges, with one exception: the king would have a dynasty. That is, his children would succeed him as Israel’s leaders.
So, right at the outset of the Israelite monarchy, the king over Israel was to be decidedly unlike the kings of the other nations. The king would not be the ultimate ruler over Israel - he would have to be subservient to Israel’s God. After all, it was already present in the Law given at Sinai: the King must be obedient to what God commands, either in the written Law or through some divinely-appointed intermediary. If the king was disobedient, the promise of a dynasty would be revoked.
The fact that the king was to be something of a glorified Judge reveals something else: while the king was to lead the people into battle, God would still be the one ultimately responsible for bringing about victory, just as he was with the Judges.
Can you see now the tension this created? On the one hand, we have the people and their expectation that the king will be their champion of war; and on the other, we have God and his declaration that the king will be a leader, but clearly second to Israel’s God. When the new king entered the scene, there would naturally be a battle to see which version of kingship he would choose.
And then you came along...
GOD: Samuel, this is the man I spoke to you about. He will govern my people.
SAUL: Excuse me, sir. We are looking for the seer, Samuel. Can you tell me please, which of these houses is his?
SAMUEL: I am the seer. Go up to the high place over there, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and tell you all that is in your heart.
SAMUEL pauses, then he and SAUL step forwards. SAUL’S SERVANT freezes.
SAMUEL: [puzzled] Now that I stop to think about it, I’m not quite sure why God made me say that. Could it be that you had been thinking about becoming king over Israel?
SAUL: [defensively] Not at all! I was concerned with Israel’s precarious position, surrounded by enemies, vulnerable without any strong leadership. True, I had heard rumours about the Elders’ request for a king, but I had never considered myself to be in the running. I was only a Benjaminite, and from one of the lowliest clans within that shameful tribe!
SAUL’S SERVANT unfreezes as SAMUEL and SAUL step backwards.
SAMUEL: As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them, for they have been found. No, there are larger issues at stake now. For to who is the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father’s family?
SAUL: This is an honour unlooked for. Who am I? Am I not a Benjaminite, the smallest tribe in Israel, and from the least of all the clans within? Why do you say such a thing to me?
SAMUEL: Come inside and sit down.
They move across to the right of the stage to where a table is set up with a feast, with a number of other GUESTS in attendance. SAMUEL indicates the seat at the head of the table.
SAMUEL: Please, sit down here, at the head of the table.
SAUL sits down where SAMUEL indicates, and SAUL’S SERVANT stands behind SAUL’s chair. SAMUEL sits down adjacent to SAUL, then turns to the COOK.
SAMUEL: Bring the piece of meat I gave you. You know, the one I told you to lay aside.
The COOK sets in front of SAUL most of a roasted leg of lamb.
SAMUEL: Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, for it has been set aside for you for this very occasion.
SAUL begins to eat. SAMUEL and the other GUESTS follow suit.
SAMUEL: And with that meal, I was pledging my friendship to you, and you agreed to reciprocate that friendship by eating. From that moment on, there was a sacred bond between us, for you had been a guest at my table.
SAUL: But just how much do you think your friendship was worth, when you went on to treat me so badly!
SAMUEL: If my actions have truly been dishonouring to our friendship, may they demonstrate the seriousness of your own actions. [heartfelt] I have mourned your choices, Saul! Remember, that as a fellow leader of Israel, I must follow a much higher authority than you: my ultimate allegiance is to the Lord, the God of Israel, and if he is against you, then so am I. But you have brought this upon yourself!
SAUL jumps up from the table with a grunt, and turns his back on SAMUEL still sitting at the table. SAUL’S SERVANT follows SAUL.
SAMUEL: In the morning, you went on your way.
SAMUEL stands up taking a flask of oil from the table, and approaches SAUL and the SERVANT.
SAMUEL: Before, you go, I have a message for you from God. Send your servant on ahead, so we can converse alone.
SAUL: [to the SERVANT] You heard the seer - I’ll catch you up down there.
SAUL’S SERVANT leaves the stage. Then SAMUEL takes the flask of oil, and pours it on SAUL’s head.
SAMUEL: The Lord has anointed you leader over his people Israel.
SAMUEL kisses SAUL on both cheeks.
SAMUEL: You will reign over the Lord’s people and save them from the power of their enemies round about. Don’t be afraid - the Lord has chosen you. And to prove it, when you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, who will tell you that the donkeys have been found, but that now your father is worried about your safety.
Then, when you continue on to the great tree at Tabor, three men going up to the shrine of Bethel will meet you. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. They will greet you, and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept - for since you are the Lord’s anointed, you are permitted to eat sacred food.
After that, you will return to your home town, but as you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps, and they will be prophesying. Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you and you will prophesy with them - and you will be changed into a different person.
Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. But if and when you decide to attack the Philistines, go down to Gilgal, where I will come to you after seven days, so that I can sacrifice to God, and give you directions for the battle.
SAUL makes as if to leave the stage, but instead slowly returns to where SAMUEL is standing, wiping his hands on a cloth to get rid of any oil. SAMUEL hands SAUL the cloth, who starts to wipe the oil off his head.
SAMUEL: Again, God made me say that last bit about the Philistines, but it didn’t really make sense to me at the time.
SAUL: [gloomily] Or to me.
SAMUEL: After all, the immediate threat was not the Philistines but Nahash, and those blood-thirsty Ammonites with their penchant for eye-gouging.
Anyway, all those signs came true, didn’t they? You met the two men who told you the donkeys were found, you met the three men with the sacred bread, and you also met the prophets. And the Spirit of God did come upon you.
SAUL looks up from cleaning himself with a “far-away” look in his eyes.
SAUL: I still remember that day vividly. I’d secretly hoped you’d flipped over into rampant senility, and that the whole thing about me being the king was some horrible joke. But when all those things started to come true, I really freaked out.
SAUL starts pacing back and forth.
SAUL: Had I really been chosen? Out of all the people of Israel, was there no one else who could do the job?
And then, when the prophets came along...
A group of PROPHETS comes out from the left of the stage, and approaches SAUL. They are playing [silently] on their instruments, waving their arms in the air, and singing [again, silently]. SAUL is looking at them with puzzlement.
SAUL: I felt something deep inside. It was a warmth, that began in my heart, but quickly spread throughout my entire body.
SAUL stands, holding his hands to his chest. There is a look of wonder on his face.
SAUL: When the warmth reached my mouth, I began to sing, prophesying words that did not originate in my mind. I remember falling to my knees...
SAUL falls to his knees as the PROPHETS quickly depart to the right, passing on either side of SAMUEL.
SAUL: And when I came to, I discovered a crowd of people standing around laughing at me: all my friends and relatives, who had been working in the fields. They’d come over to see what all the fuss was about.
SAMUEL goes over and helps SAUL to his feet.
SAUL: [bitterly] I can still hear their taunts: ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’ as if such a thing was gloriously incongruous. Was this what being God’s king was all about? Facing ridicule and contempt? If so, then I didn’t want it.
SAUL angrily pushes SAMUEL’s hands away.
SAUL: When my father questioned us about where we’d been, I mentioned we’d been to see you, but I said nothing at all about the anointing. If I didn’t say anything, perhaps it would go away...
SCENE THREE
SAMUEL: Well, you were Israel’s new king as far as I was concerned, whether you liked it or not. However, you had to be seen as God’s choice in the eyes of all Israel. So I called for a gathering of the people.
A large number of PEOPLE come out of the wings, including ELDERS ONE, TWO and THREE, and surround SAMUEL, with the ELDERS in the front of the crowd. SAUL moves off to the right, still visible to the audience.
SAMUEL: Everyone came.
SAMUEL steps forward and speaks loudly to the gathered assembly.
SAMUEL: This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you. But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your calamities and distresses. And you have requested a king to be placed over you. So now present yourselves before the Lord according to your tribes and clans.’
Everyone starts to move backwards, and SAMUEL walks off to the left slightly. SAUL crouches down behind a box.
SAMUEL: One by one, the tribes were brought forward, and the lot fell upon the tribe of Benjamin.
A group of PEOPLE can be seen, stepping forward from the large group.
SAMUEL: Then, clan by clan. And Matri’s clan was chosen.
A very small group is now to the fore. The rest step back.
SAMUEL: Then the members of this clan were named, and the lot fell upon… Saul!
The very small group also step back, looking at one another in puzzlement, and there is a brief pause.
SAMUEL: But you weren’t there.
Immediate sensation. Above this, the ELDERS can be heard.
ELDERS: [together] Where is he?... What has become of Saul?... Where’s the king?... etc.
SAMUEL steps forward, back into the centre.
SAMUEL: Quiet! I’ll ask God.
The noise quickly subsides.
SAMUEL: Lord, has the man come here yet, Saul of the clan of Matri of the tribe of Benjamin?
GOD: Yes, he has hidden himself in the baggage.
Only SAMUEL hears this [i.e. no-one else reacts]. He speaks to those standing by.
SAMUEL: He has hidden himself in the baggage. Quick, go find him!
A number of PEOPLE rush off to the right of the stage, and drag out SAUL, who is looking decidedly sheepish. They bring him to SAMUEL, then step back.
SAUL: So my supposedly glorious coronation day was ruined by my own sense of worthlessness! What a laughing stock I must have been to all the kings in the area. [mockingly, with a silly voice] ‘He didn’t even show up to his own inauguration ceremony! What a loser!’
SAMUEL: But you didn’t understand! The fact that God had chosen you was the only qualification you needed. The whole point of being Israel’s king is not that you bring your own expertise to the job; rather, that God works through you.
And don’t forget: the people acclaimed you king...
[loudly] Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people. Look, he is a head taller than anyone else here!
General cheering. However, a small group moves off to one side looking decidedly unhappy and refuse to join in the cheering. They talk quietly among themselves.
ELDERS and PEOPLE: Long live the king! Long live the king! ...etc.
SAMUEL gradually quietens the PEOPLE.
SAMUEL: So, you now have a king. But please do not forget that you are not like the rest of the nations: you are the people of Israel, and the Lord is your God. As such, the king is not to behave like the kings of all the nations, who act as if they are the ultimate authority in their little worlds. Rather, in Israel, God is the High King, and Saul is his Vice Regent. So when the king leads the people to war, the Lord your God will go before you and bring about victory.