The Reign of Saul.
I Sam. 8-31; I Chron. 10
The Demand for a King. The last period saw one tribe after another
come to the front and assert itself through some leading man as an
emergency arose, but now the tribes are to be united into a monarchy
and this, too, at their own request made in the form of a desire for a
king. Several things no doubt influenced them to make this request.
(1) From the days of Joshua there had been no strong national bond.
They were only held together by the law of Moses and the annual
assemblages at Shiloh. But the wise reign of Samuel had given an
enlarged national consciousness and led to a desire for a stable
government with the largest possible national unity. (2) The failure
of the sons of Samuel, who had been entrusted with some power and who
would naturally succeed him, led them to feel that provision for the
welfare of the nation must be made before the death of Samuel or ruin
would come. (3) The attitude of the nations around Israel suggested
the need of a strong government headed by a leader of authority. The
Philistines and Ammonites had already made incursions into their land
and threatened at any time to further oppress them. The new
organization, therefore, seemed necessary as a national protection.
(4) The faith of Jehovah was threatened. The victories of the
Philistines would be interpreted to mean that Jehovah was powerless or
else did not care for his people. This would lead them to turn to
other gods. Then too they were greatly tempted by the religion of the
Canaanite to turn from Jehovah. It was, therefore, a religious crisis
that made it essential that the Hebrews unite and in the name of
Jehovah over throw the Philistines and establish a nation that would
rightly represent to all nations Jehovah as the God of their race. (5)
The nations around them such as Egypt and Assyria with their seats of
royalty had excited their pride and they were moved with a desire to
be like their heathen neighbors-a desire which involved disrespect for
their divine king and want of faith in him.
The Principle of the Kingdom. The folly of the people did not lie in
their asking for a king to rule over them, but in the spirit of
forgetfulness of God with which they made the request. Indeed Moses
had provided for a kingdom and given the law upon which the king was
to rule (Dt 17:14-20). He was to be unlike other kings. He was not to
rule according to his own will or that of the people but according to
the will of Jehovah. He was to be subject to God as was the humblest
Israelite, and, under his immediate direction, was to rule for the
good of the people. This was a new principle that showed it self in
all the future history of Israel. Saul attempted to be like others-to
assert his own will-and disobeyed God and was deposed while David
identified himself with God and his purposes and was successful. One
represent the ideal of the people, the other that of the Scripture.
Saul the First King. He began his career under the most auspicious
circumstances. His tribe and its location as well as his fine physical
appearance gave him great advantage. He was enthusiastic and brave,
and yet in the early days he charms us with his modesty. After he was
anointed by Samuel and had been made to see the great career opening
to him he returned to his regular toil until the people were called
together at Mizpah and proclaimed him king. Samuel supported him with
his influence and the people gave him allegiance. He was for a while
subservient to the will of God and greatly prospered. But later he
became self-willed and failed to see that the nation was God's and not
his. He developed a spirit of disobedience, perverseness and evil
conduct that mark him as insane.
Saul's Great Achievements. The oppression of Israel's enemies which in
part at least made necessary their king had to be dealt with at once.
In his contest with them Saul had a very successful military career.
He was successful in the following campaigns: (I) Against the
Ammonites (I Sam. 11) in which he delivered from ruin the inhabitants
of Jabesh-Gilead on the east Of Jordan and won the love of all the
Hebrew people. (2) Against the Philistines (I Sam. 13-14) in which
Jonathan was the hero. Before the battle he disobeyed the will of God
by performing the duties of a priest and was told he should lose his
kingdom on account of it. At the close of the campaign he lost his
temper and proposed to kill Jonathan, his son, the hero of the day
because he had unwittingly disobeyed a foolish command. (3) Against
Moab, Ammon, Edom and Zobah (I Sam. 14:47) of which there are no
particulars given. (4) Against the Amalekites (I Sam. 15) in which,
though he defeated Amalek, he disobeyed God in not wholly destroying
all Amalek and his possessions and thereby lost for the time being
Samuel's help and finally his kingdom. It was after this battle that
David was anointed to become king in Saul's stead.
Saul's Decline. From Chapter 16 on the story tells of the rapid
decline of Saul and of the rise of David to the kingdom. (1) There is
given the story of the madness of Saul and the introduction of David
to the court as the king's musician. (2) The campaign against the
Philistines in which David kills Goliath, the giant that was defying
Israel, and won great honor from the king. (3) His effort to destroy
David. During many years he, with bitter jealousy and an insane
hatred, tried to destroy David who was as constantly delivered by a
divine providence. Whether on account of sickness or other reason, he
seems to have had fits of insanity during this period. (4) His last
battle and death. The Philistines arrayed themselves against Saul.
With a sense of defeat he tried to get in touch with Samuel, but
finally met a death in harmony with his life and thus ended one of the
most melancholy careers of all history. All because of his
disobedience to God (I Chron. 10:1.1-14).
Lessons of the Period. (1) God adapts his methods to the needs and
conditions of the people from tribal government to kingdom. (2) A man
out of harmony with God will certainly fail-Saul. (3) A man in harmony
with God's plan will succeed no matter how much opposed by
others-David. (4) God never forgets to punish those who oppress his
people-Amalekites. (5) The success of God's work does not depend upon
our attitude toward his will, but our condition when it has succeeded
does. (6) A righteous man can succeed without doing wrong to do it.
(7) God's anointed will suffer if they sin. (8) Kindness to
enemies-David to Saul. (9) The strength of true friendship-Jonathan
and David.
For Study and Discussion. (1) The condition that led to the
establishment of the kingdom. (3) Four statements Samuel made to Saul
and four ways by which he tried to impress him with the responsibility
to which he was called I Sam. 9:19-10-8. (3) The prophet bands or
school of prophets. (4) The story of Jonathan's exploits against
Michmash by Saul and his escape, I Sam. 14. (5) The story of David's
choice and anointing, I Sam. 16:1-13. (6) The killing of Goliath and
defeat of the Philistines. I Sam. Ch. 17. (7) Story of Jonathan and
David, I Sam. 18:1-4; 19:1-7; 20:1-4, 12-17, 41-42; 23:16-18. (8)
David's wanderings, 21:10-22-5. (9) Compare Saul and David at the time
of the anointing of each as to their chances of success. (10) David's
sojourn in Philistia with the experience of embarrassment and
advantage, I Sam. Chs. 27-28. (11) Saul's last battle and death, (a)
the appeal to Samuel through the witch, I Sam. Ch. 28, (b) the battle,
his and his son's death, I Sam. Ch.31.