As we saw last week at the beginning of our reading of the book of First Samuel, the kingdom of Israel was in disarray. This book is a meditation on the nature of leadership and its opening passages describe a time when the highest authorities were misguided or inept, nearly leading to the destruction of an entire people. In today's reading, we will see the death of the priest Eli and the naming of a donkey herder called Saul to the office of king (or more accurately, "leader").
The first lesson in these chapters, roughly 5-10 of First Samuel, is a clear adjustment of the understanding of the source of power. At this time, Eli is one of the chief authorities in Israel, but as we saw last week he has run afoul of God for failing to tend to his sinful sons. For his all-talk, no-action approach to leadership, Eli presides over the repeated routing of the Israelite army by the Philistine forces. In time, the war kills his sons, sees the Ark of the Covenant captured by the enemy and eventually compels Eli himself to die in what may be an accident but could just as easily be read as a suicide.
Now would be a good time to flesh out just who the Philistines were and why they are such frequent antagonists in the later stories of the Torah. Historically speaking, Philistia was a region on the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The best archeological records indicate that the people there adopted Canaanite language and other cultural practices, but the geographical position and some minor linguistic evidence suggests that the Philistines were originally a foreign entity, potentially of the southern Greek isles. If this is true, they would have been part of the international "Sea People" influence that resulted in some fairly dramatic political shifts throughout the Mediterranean. For the firmly isolationist Hebrews, this outside force would appear to be a threat to their very way of life, including the monotheism that was so dominant in the cities.
So, when the Philistines capture the Ark, it is a symbol of a desperate loss. Because of bad leadership and general political rot, the invading outsiders may very well consume all that makes Israelite culture what it is. The lesson here is that the Jewish concept of divinity isn't one that can be harnessed at the will of human leaders. Favor from God isn't something that can be bought with sacrifice or privilege, nor is it some weapon that can be unleashed on an enemy from a holy relic. Eli and the Israelites bring the Philistine war upon themselves by failing in their earthly responsibilities.
At this point, God instructs Samuel to name a young man called Saul the new king of Israel, if only because the nation needs something of a reboot. Saul comes to Samuel with the fairly mundane question of where he can find his father's lost livestock. In addition to getting the donkeys back, Saul experiences a personal transformation and is accepted as the leader of the country. The symbolism here is plain. Saul is a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy whose first real act in life is to seek out the lost with the help of a holy man.
Saul gathers the people, proves himself in battle and posits himself as a merciful rebuilder. It's the true beginning of the story, but Israel won't be redeemed by one quick battle and a fresh face in the government. As First Samuel so often explains, making a good nation takes time and more than one man's worth of diligence.