People in today’s society need to learn about the life of King Saul to possibly make a change in their own lives. Saul was the son of Kish, he was a fine young man, and there was not among the children of Israel a fairer person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. (1 Samuel 9:2)
The name of Saul from a Hebrew word pronounced shaw-ool, means “asked.” Kish is from the tribe of Benjamin & Saul was raised in a well-to-do family. Saul was God’s chosen one to lead the scattered nation of Israel which was a collection of tribes that didn’t have a main leader other than God and no formal government. Prior to this, Samuel, the prophet, had been Israel’s religious leader but he was not the king. Samuel and Saul were living in turbulent times; and the people were pressing Samuel to appoint a king to rule over them. The Philistines were Israel’s sworn enemies. (1 Samuel 8:5; 1 Samuel 8:2; 1 Samuel 9: 2)
Saul’s father sent him and a servant out to find asses that were lost; Saul traveled through mount Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalisha and Shalim but they did not find the asses. They traveled onward to the land of Zuph when Saul said to his servant, come and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought of us. (1 Samuel 9: 3 – 5)
The servant said to Saul, “There is a man of God and he is an honorable man; let us continue the journey and this man will show us our way to go.” (1 Samuel 9: 6)
Saul and his servant continued into the city where the man of God was; and as they approached the city Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place. The Lord had told Samuel a day before Saul was coming, saying, “Tomorrow about this time a man out of the land of Benjamin will approach, and you are to anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry has come to me.” (1 Samuel 9: 16)
When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, “Behold the man whom I spoke to you of – this same will reign over my people.” (1 Samuel 9: 17)
Samuel then took a vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, “Is it not because the Lord hath anointed you to be captain over his inheritance?” (1 Samuel 10: 7)
It is known that it was the Lord who brought all of this about for the people had forsaken Him and served other Gods. (1 Samuel 8: 7 – 9) Saul was anointed the first king of all the tribes of Israel before it was ever publicly announced or that ever chosen by the general population. (1 Samuel 10: 7) (1 Samuel 10: 17 – 24)
Saul’s reign over Israel started in a time of peace around 1010 B.C., but peace was not to last. During his early reign there was a stand-off with the Philistine in the valley of Elah. Here the Israelites were taunted by Goliath and a boy named David slew him (1 Samuel 17). Saul became a competent military leader and again he was proclaimed king at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11: 1 – 15). He led the nation through several more military victories as his popularity was at his highest point.
Saul sought a bringing forth of a burnt offering to him, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. (1 Samuel 13: 9 -10)
After Saul had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, so that he could salute him; upon meeting Saul Samuel said, “What have you done?” (1 Samuel 13: 11, 12, 13)
This is the beginning of Saul’s downfall from his kingship. Saul responded to Samuel, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Mich-mash;” therefore I said, “The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.” (1 Samuel 13: 11 – 12)
Samuel said, “You have done foolishly: you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he the Lord have established your kingdom upon Israel forever.” (1 Samuel 13: 13)
Saul’s continued downward spiral failed to eliminate the Amalekites and their livestock as commanded by God. (1 Samuel 15: 3) Saul disregarded a direct order of God as he spared the life of King A-gag. He wasn’t truthful with Samuel, in essence, lying to God; and Saul told Samuel, “Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought A-gag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. (1 Samuel 15: 20)
Samuel said to Saul, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected thee from being kind.” (1 Samuel 15: 23)
Saul replied to Samuel, “I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and his words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.” (1 5: 24)
Saul asks Samuel for pardon of his sins and for a returning to him so that he can worship God. Saul repeats to Samuel, “I have sinned but I pray you honor me now, I pray to you, and before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God.” (1 Samuel 15: 30)
Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the Lord. Samuel didn’t come again to see Saul until the day he died and Samuel did mourn for Saul and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.
What does a person learn from Saul deceiving God and not keeping his commandments?
(1) People should obey the Lord and always seeks to do his will. All Saul had to do to be an example for future kings was to seek God and to obey His commandments and to honor God’s will and follow His guidance.
People often in their daily lives get off track and disobey God’s word and they go on their own way forgetting about God and doing as they please until a massive darkness caves in on their lives. People should obey God’s word and allow Him to guide them in the light of His Kingdom.
(2) People when God grants people power they should “never” misuse it. They must always know that God is the one who gives and provides them power and it can be taken away as quickly as it is given.
Many times in a person’s life when things aren’t going good and they feel like they are on top of the world and nothing can “stop” them, they forget who God is and they fall short of His glory and lose all of their power. They forget God is the controller of life and people have “no” power without Him.
(3) People should follow God’s word for guidance in life and they should also be as shepherds of God’s people who are in their charge by being an example to them and all those they meet in life. People need to display faith, love and kindness to all people.
People are to be followers of God’s word and rely on His guidance in their lives. A person is to be humble and good to others not having a greedy soul or a selfish heart. God love a giver and caretaker to others and a person should obey this.
Writer of this article Barbara Kasey Smith – Taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version, and in the Old Testament in verses as stated in the article.