Inquiry:
When did “Is Saul among the prophets?” become a proverb? Was it when Saul prophesied in 1 Samuel 10:11-12 or later, when he prophecied in 1 Samuel 19:24? Is there a contradiction?
Response:
Let me ask a question that is similar in nature to illustrate a point. When was the Beetle a best-selling car for Volkswagen dealers in North America? Was it in the late 1960s & 1970s, or was it from 1998 to 2003?
Of course, in the ’60s and ’70s, the Bug was a hit with motorists across the United States and Canada. So, we would be correct to say that it was a best-selling car in that time.
The Beetle was out of production for several years, but Volkswagen brought it back in ’98. As correct as we were to say that it was a hit in the ’60s and ’70s, it would be equally true to say it was a best-seller from 1998 till production ended in 2003.
What’s the point? A pro-duct or a saying may be popular, and then fall out of use for a time, and then be reeestablished at a later time. That is exactly what Volkswagen did.
When Saul was selected to be the king of Israel, God’s Spirit came upon him, and he began to prophesy with the prophets. It was shock-ing to the people, but true. Thus, it seems when some-thing unfamilar or odd took place, the people used the proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” It became a proverb then.
As popularity of the Beetle dwindled, it may be that use of this proverb, over time also fained. And then, as Saul chased after David seeking to kill him, God’s Spirit was upon him again, something that had not been for some time. This gave David time to escape. Again, it was something unexpected and odd, and it revived the proverb that had formerly been used, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
There is no contradiction.
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