The coronation of Saul (B. C. 1095) marks an epoch in the history of
Israel. From that point, for five hundred years, the chosen people were
under the rule of kings.
I. =THE CAUSES LEADING TO THE MONARCHY.= The kingdom was not an
accidental nor a sudden event. There had been a gradual preparation for
it through all the period of the judges.
1. Note the =tendency toward settled government=. In the time of Gideon
the people desired him to become a king (Judg. 8. 22, 23). His son
attempted to make himself a king, but failed (Judg. 9). We find judges
setting up a semi-royal state, and making marriages for their children
outside of their tribe (Judg. 12. 9, 13, 14). Judges associating their
sons with themselves (Judg. 10. 4; 1 Sam. 8. 1, 2). All these show a
monarchical trend in the time.
2. Another cause was the =consolidation of the surrounding nations=. In
the days of the conquest there were few kings in the lands neighboring
Palestine. We read of "lords" and "elders," but no kings, among the
Philistines, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Phenicians (Judg. 3.
3; 1 Sam. 5. 8; Num. 22. 7). But a wave of revolution swept over all
those lands, as about the same time over Greece; and very soon we find
that every nation around Israel had its king (1 Sam. 21. 10; 11. 1; 22.
3; 2 Sam. 5. 11). The movement of Israel toward monarchy was in
accordance with this spirit.
3. There was a =danger of invasion=, which impelled the Israelites to
seek for a stronger government (1 Sam. 12. 12). They felt themselves
weak, while other nations were organized for conquest, and desired a
king for leader in war.
4. Then, too, the =rule of Samuel= led the Israelites to desire a
better organization of the government. For twenty years they had enjoyed
the benefit of a wise, strong, and steady rule. They felt unwilling to
risk the dangers of tribal dissension after the death of Samuel, and
therefore they sought for a king.
5. But underlying all was the =worldly ambition= of the people. They
were not willing to remain the people of God, and work out a peculiar
destiny. They wished to be like the nations around, to establish a
secular state, to conquer an empire for themselves (1 Sam. 8. 5-20). It
was this worldly spirit, whose results Samuel saw, which made him
unwilling to accede to the wish of the Israelites. But the very things
against which he warned them (1 Sam. 8. 11-18) were just what they
desired.
II. =THE CHARACTER OF THE ISRAELITE KINGDOM.= When men change their
plans God changes his. He desired Israel to remain a republic, and not
to enter into worldly relations and aims. When, however, the Israelites
were determined, God gave them a king (1 Sam. 8. 22); but his rule was
not to be like that of the nations around Israel. We ascertain the
divine ideal of a kingdom for his chosen people:
1. =It was a theocratic kingdom.= That is, it recognized God as the
supreme ruler, and the king as his representative, to rule in accordance
with his will, and not by his own right. Only as people and king
conformed to this principle could the true aims of the kingdom be
accomplished (1 Sam. 12. 13-15). And if the king should deviate from
this order, he should lose his throne. Disobedience to the divine will
caused the kingdom to pass from the family of Saul to that of David (1
Sam. 13. 13, 14; 15. 26).
2. =It was a constitutional kingdom.= The rights of the people were
carefully guaranteed, and there was a written constitution (1 Sam. 10.
25). Nearly all the Oriental countries have always been governed by
absolute monarchs; but Israel was an exception to this rule. The people
could demand their rights from Rehoboam (1 Kings 12. 3, 4). Ahab could
not take away nor even buy Naboth's vineyard against its owner's will (1
Kings 21. 1-3). No doubt the rights of the people were often violated;
but the violation was contrary to the spirit of the monarchy.
3. =It was regulated by the prophets.= The order of prophets had a
regular standing in the Israelite state. The prophet was a check upon
the power of the king, as a representative both of God's will and the
people's rights. He spoke not only of his own opinions, but by the
authority of God. Notice instances of the boldness of prophets in
rebuking kings (1 Sam. 15. 16-23; 2 Sam. 12. 1-7; 1 Kings 13. 1-6; 17.
1; 22. 7-17). The order of prophets was like the House of Commons,
between the king and the people.
III. =THE REIGN OF SAUL.= (B. C. 1095-1055.) 1. This may be divided into
two parts: 1.) _a period of prosperity_, during which Saul ruled well,
and freed Israel from its oppressors on every side (1 Sam. 14. 47, 48);
2.) then a _period of decline_, in which Saul's kingdom seems to be
falling in pieces, and only preserved by the prowess and ability of
David. After David's exile the Philistines again overran Israel, and
Saul's reign ended in defeat and death.
2. We observe that Saul's reign was =a failure=, and left the tribes in
worse condition than it found them. 1.) He failed _in uniting the
tribes_; for tribal jealousies continued (1 Sam. 10. 27), and at the
close of his reign broke out anew in the establishment of rival thrones
(2 Sam. 2. 4, 8, 9). 2.) He failed _in making friends_. He alienated
Samuel, and with him the order of prophets (1 Sam. 15. 35); he alienated
David, the ablest young man of his age, and the rising hope of Israel,
and drove him into exile (1 Sam. 21. 10); he alienated the entire order
of the priests, and caused many of them to be massacred (1 Sam. 22. 18).
3.) He failed _to advance religion_; left the tabernacle in ruins; left
the ark in seclusion; broke up the service; and drove the priests whom
he did not murder into exile (1 Sam. 22. 20-23). 4.) He failed _to
liberate Israel_; at his death the yoke of the Philistines was more
severe than ever before (1 Sam. 31. 1-7). The most charitable view of
Saul was that he was insane during the latter years of his life. The
cause of his failure was a desire to reign as an absolute monarch, and
an unwillingness to submit to the constitution of the realm.
IV. =THE REIGN OF DAVID.= (B. C. 1055-1015.) This was a brilliant
period; for it was led by a great man, in nearly every respect the
greatest after Moses in Israelite history.
1. Notice the =condition of Israel at his accession=. This will throw
into relief the greatness of his character and his achievements.
1.) It was a _subject people_; under Philistine yoke; its warriors
slain; many of its cities deserted; David himself probably at first
tributary to the King of Gath.
2.) It was a _disorganized people_. The tribes were divided; national
unity was lost; and two thrones were set up, one at Hebron, the other at
Mahanaim (2 Sam. 2. 4-9).
3.) It was a _people without religion_. The tabernacle was gone; the ark
was in neglect; there was no altar and no sacrifice; the priests had
been slain.
We can scarcely imagine Israel at a lower ebb than when David was called
to the throne.
2. We ascertain =David's achievements=; the results of his reign. 1.)
_He united the tribes._ At first crowned king by Judah only, later he
was made king over all the tribes, by the desire of all (2 Sam. 5. 1-5).
During his reign we find but little trace of the old feud between
Ephraim and Judah, though it was not dead, and destined yet to rend the
kingdom asunder.
2.) _He subjugated the land._ The conquest of Palestine, left
incomplete by Joshua, and delayed for three hundred years, was finished
at last by David in the capture of Jebus or Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5. 6, 7),
in the overthrow of the Philistines (2 Sam. 5. 17-25), and in the final
capture of their capital city (1 Chron. 18. 1). At last Israel was
possessor of its own land.
[Illustration: EMPIRE OF DAVID]
3.) _He organized the government._ He established a capital (2 Sam. 5.
9). He built a palace (2 Sam. 5. 11). Notice that the builders were from
Tyre, showing that the Israelites were not advanced in the arts. He
established a system of government, with officers in the court and
throughout the realm (1 Chron. 27. 25-34). Contrast all this with Saul,
who ruled from his tent, like a Bedouin sheik.
4.) _He established an army._ There was a royal body-guard, probably of
foreigners, like that of many European kings in modern times (2 Sam. 8.
18; 15. 18). There was a band of heroes, like Arthur's Round Table (2
Sam. 23. 8-39). There was "the host," the available military force,
divided into twelve divisions, one on duty each month (1 Chron. 27.
1-15).
5.) _He established religion._ No sooner was David on the throne than he
brought the ark out of its hiding-place, and gave it a new home in his
capital (1 Chron. 16. 1). The priesthood was organized, and divided into
courses for the service of the tabernacle (1 Chron. 23. 27-32; 24.
1-19). He wrote many psalms, and caused others to be written, for the
worship of God. Two prophets stood by his throne (1 Chron. 29. 29), and
two high-priests stood by the altar (1 Chron. 24. 3). This organization
and uplifting of the public worship had a great effect upon the kingdom.
6.) _He conquered all the surrounding nations._ These wars were largely
forced upon David by the jealousy of the neighboring kingdoms. In turn
his armies conquered and annexed to his dominions the land of the
Philistines (1 Chron. 18. 1), Moab (2 Sam. 8. 2), Syria, even to the
great river Euphrates (2 Sam. 8. 3-6); Edom (2 Sam. 8. 14), Ammon, and
the country east of Palestine (2 Sam. 10. 1-14; 12. 26-31). The empire
of David thus extended from the frontier of Egypt to the Euphrates
River, fulfilling the promise of Josh 1. 4. It was at least six times
the area of the twelve tribes.
7.) We may add that _he reigned as a theocratic king_. He realized more
than any other monarch the divine ideal of a ruler, and so was "the man
after God's own heart" (1 Sam. 13. 14); if not altogether in personal
character, yet in the principles of his government. He respected the
rights of his subjects, had a sympathy for all people, obeyed the voice
of the prophets, and sought the interests of God's cause.[G]
Blackboard Outline.
=I. Cau. lea. Mon.= 1. Ten. tow. set. gov. 2. Con. sur. nat. 3. Dan.
inv. 4. Ru. Sam. 5. Wor. am. peo.
=II. Char. Isr. Kin.= 1. Theo. kin. 2. Cons. kin. 3. Reg. by pro.
=III. Rei. Sau.= 1. Pros. and Dec. 2. Fai. 1.) Un. tri. 2.) Mak.
fri. 3.) Adv. rel. 4.) Lib. Isr.
=IV. Rei. Dav.= 1. Con. Isr. acc. 1.) Sub. 2.) Dis. 3.) Wit. rel.
2. Dav. Achiev. 1.) Uni. tri. 2.) Sub. la. 3.) Org. gov.
4.) Est. ar. 5.) Est. rel. 6.) Conq. surr. nat. 7.) Rei. theo.
kin.