GOVERNMENT 18 – Political Leaders: King Saul

GOVERNMENT 18 - Political Leaders: King Saul

The calling and anointing of Saul, Israel's first King (1051-1011 BC)

  • When Israel demands a king, when they insist on a monarchy they depart from the elective and representative government system that God had put in place through Moses (Deu 1:13). In a monarchy leadership by definition stays within one family, so the question becomes: which family should rule ?
  • Although the people have made a choice that is not God’s desire, He will seek to bless them in their choices. God, looking for the best leadership available.
  • God indicates a young man Saul, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Sam 9:1, 1 Chr 8:29), a wealthy family, from Gibeah in Benjamin is as good a choice as it gets.
  • Saul is described in this way: “There was not a man more handsome … than he, he stood head and shoulders above everyone else” (1 Sam 9:2).
  • When his father’s Kish’s donkeys stray, Saul and a boy are sent to recover them (1 Sam 9:3-4). They travel quite far in search of the donkeys, crossing Ephraim and Benjamin territory till Zuph.
  • After three days Saul wants to return, reasonably interfering that by now his father will be more worried about them than the donkeys (1 Sam 9:5) but his boy has news of Samuel coming to town, and a coin to pay with. Saul listens and agrees to inquire of the prophet (1 Sam 9:6).
  • God instructs Samuel the day before that Saul would come and commands to anoint him ruler “He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have seen the suffering of my people, because their outcry has some to me”, an introduction similar to Moses’ calling and that of many judges.
  • Samuel invites him and says “on whom is all Israel’s desire fixed, if not on you and on all your ancestral house? Saul answered, “I am only a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel, and my family is the humblest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Why then have you spoken to me in this way?” (1 Sam 9:20-21)
  • Is this just polite, humble talk? Or inferiority? Gideon said the same, maybe there more justified? Actually Saul’s father Kish is wealthy.
  • In 1 Sam 9:17-27 Saul is invited, singled out, given honorable treatment at the sacrifice-feast there, people accommodating him. It must have been heady and scary.
  • Next morning at dawn Samuel (with no witnesses) Samuel anoints Saul, kisses him, and says “The LORD has anointed you ruler over his people Israel. You shall reign over the people of the LORD and you will save them from the hand of their enemies all around”. Saul is given his calling, his task description, the honor, love and friendship of prophet Samuel (1 Sam 10:1).
  • Saul is also given a series of highly specific predictions and instructions, what he needs to do and what he will encounter that day, including three signs (1 Sam 10:1-8). His donkeys have been found, people will give him provision, he will meet prophet and he will have a special spiritual encounter, being possessed by the Spirit of the Lord and he will be turned into a different person.
  • All fulfill to the letter (1 Sam 10:9-13). God grants him strong and supernatural confirmation, faith-building experiences and an encounter with himself.
  • ‘Saul among the prophets’ becomes a bit of a joke, a proverb, an irony, possibly a degree of ridicule – Saul doesn’t seem to have been ‘that type’ –, there is a degree of opposition, but not seriously, many are probably rather impressed.
  • Saul’s uncle Abner asks what Samuel exactly said, maybe suspecting something more behind it. Saul doesn’t share about the kingship prophecy-provision (1 Sam 10:14-16). This could be wisdom to not brag or blurt it out, or doubt, or fear, or insecurity, or simply a need for more time to process.
  • The last part of Samuel’s instruction was: “When these three signs > do whatever you see fit to do, for God is with you. And then you shall go down to Gilgal ahead of me; then I will come down to you go present bunt offerings and offer sacrifices of well-being. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do“ (1 Sam 10:7-8).

Saul is chosen as king

  • Samuel now summons Israel to Mizpah. Restating that to want a king means to reject God, he proceeds to cast the lot for the king to be indicated by God. Among the tribes Benjamin is chosen. Among the families, the Matrites are chosen, among the Matrities, Saul is chosen (1 Sam 10:17-21).
  • Saul sees it coming and hides among the baggage. He probably feels fear, the realization of what this means hits, but probably also a sense of excitement: it’s fulfilling! It’s really happening! (1 Sam 10:21-23).
  • Saul found and brought out, he is a head taller than all, and most everybody likes what they see. The people now confirm whom God indicated: “the people shouted: Long live the king!” (1 Sam 10:24). The affirmation of the people is what makes Saul legitimate king indeed (Deu 1:13-14).
  • Samuel writes the rights and the duties of the kingship (probably law of Moses, maybe Deu 17:14-21) and lays them up before the Lord (probably in the tabernacle), meaning before the eyes of God and all Israel, indicating that the new king is legitimate, but under the law (1 Sam 10:25).
  • “But some worthless fellows said: “How can this man save us? The despised him and bought him no present. But he held his peace” (1 Sam 10:27). Saul is not vindictive, maybe he shares their concerns and feels the same. Maybe he wants to win them over, is looking for a way. Later in life he will be far more vindictive.
  • Saul returns to his home town Gibeah, with him “warriors whose heats God had touched”. God grants Saul early supporters, workers, somebody he can practice leadership on, somebody he can put to work when the challenges come (1 Sam 10:26).
  • Exact dates of the life of King Saul are difficult, as the text in 1 Sam 13:1 has a gap “… and two years”. Acts 13:21 states that Saul reigned 40 years, is accession and death year are added that would be 42 years. Dates usually given are 1050-1011 BC.

War against Ammon and Saul's Confirmation as King

  • Saul’s first challenge is when he hears of Nahash, king of the Ammonites trying to annex the area of Jabesh-Gilead, a city Tribe of Gad, mutilating people (1 Sam 11:1-4).
  • Saul, out at work farming, asks, cares, feels people’s shame.
  • The Spirit comes upon him, he gets angry, sends out a call to arms to all tribes to follow “Saul and Samuel” (1 Sam 11:5-7)
  • God gives him the initial help, surge, momentum he needs: “The terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they turned out as one man” (1 Sam 11:7) and he raises an army of 300,000 from the twelve tribes (1 Sam 11:8).
  • He leads the army to victory and Jabesh-Gilead to freedom. They will never forget him for this deliverance (1 Sam 31:1-13).
  • God grants him a decisive victory in the eyes of all Israel, he is proven by God, has won over Israel, is vindicated. This is his breakthrough, his climax, his best moment.
  • Samuel calls everybody to Gilgal and Saul’s Kingship is confirmed with joy and any civil dissent over his leadership is quelled (1 Sam 11:14-15). Saul is popular and not vindictive, but rather generous, giving God the honor (1 Sam 11:13).
  • After this, Samuel calls Israel to Mizpah, and holds his farewell address: He rebukes them yet again about the wrong choice of monarchy, but also encourages them that if they are faithful to God under the new political system, God will bless them (1 Sam 12:1-24). He makes himself accountable for any corruption.
  • Samuel models a ‘not holding on to power’, a clean exit as a former leader, an accountability to law and dependence on God.

War against Philistia and Loss of the dynasty

  • In their next military engagement Saul’s army (a mere 3000 men) is up against the Philistines with 3’000 chariots, 6’000 charioteers and soldiers too numerous to count.
  • This is the first real test of his leadership and character: an overwhelming challenge, being stuck waiting, momentum dwindling, people leaving in fear. Saul, frustrated by Samuel’s late arrival to the battle field and concerned for his army’s courage, offers the pre-battle sacrifice himself.
  • This shows that he believes more in ritual than obedience, more in religiosity than in true fear of God. Also, according to the law, fearful troops should be released anyway (Deu 20:8).
  • Samuel, now functioning in a priestly role, arrives and is furious. Saul is calling on the name of the Lord while disobeying His law: only priests are allowed to make offerings, for the king to do so is a usurping of spiritual authority or function.
  • Saul says “I forced myself and offered the burnt offerings” (1 Sam 13:11-12) which is most likely a sincere statement, but it is not repentance.
  • “You acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command” (1 Sam 13:13). Saul loses the promise of becoming a dynasty, though not his kingship. There is no record of repentance on Saul’s side.
  • Gilgal, the site of Saul’s greatest moment now becomes the site of his failure!
  • Israel is being kept in the bronze age by the Philistines monopolizing iron technology (1 Sam 13:19-22) so Saul not only has little army, they only have two good swords.
  • In the ensuing war Saul’s leadership weaknesses start to show: fear, indecisiveness, religious use of ark, making of and requiring rash oaths, and extreme measures. His lack of inner strength and follow-through is seen.
  • It is really his son Jonathan, with a very different outlook, a robust and common-sense trust in God, not to speak of great courage, that wins the battle (1 Sam 14).

War against Amalek and Loss of kingship

  • Saul drifts farther and farther from God during his reign. The second great disobedience is in his battle with the Amalekites. In spite of clear instruction to the contrary, after victory Saul doesn’t prevent the people taking plunder and livestock. Saul is more concerned with keeping his men happy than executing an unpopular command.
  • “Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night” (1 Sam 15:10).
  • When Samuel arrives Saul swears he has kept the word of the Lord, is defensive and making excuses, blaming the people.
  • Gilgal, the site of his greatest moment now becomes the sight of his failure.
  • “Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night … Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?” (1 Sam 15:16-19).
  • Samuel addresses the real core issue: inferiority (> popularity seeking, fear of men, compromising fear of God, no follow through, no real obedience, religiosity) and no real relationship with God.
  • Saul accepts no responsibility, still no conviction, no confession, no fear of God, rather continues his denial by saying they took the best in order to offer it to Lord.
  • “But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king“ (1 Sam 15:22-23).
  • God requires not religiosity and grand things, but fear of God and obedience.
  • By now Saul’s attitude has gone from ‘didn’t get it’ to ‘don’t want to bother’ (rebellion), not ‘sorry, I flunked it’ but ‘God is being difficult’.
  • Saul has already lost his dynasty, now he is losing God’s blessing and kingship.
  • “I have transgressed the commandment because I feared the people and obeyed their voice” (1 Sam 15:24). He finally confesses (faced with consequences).
  • “Pardon my my sin, return with me, so that I may worship the LORD”. Samuel refuses: “You have rejected the word of God”. Saul tries to hold on to Samuel and tears his robe, saying: “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel and return with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God” (1 Sam 15:25-31).
  • The shallowness of Saul’s repentance is revealed. He doesn’t really understand nor agrees with why God is offended. And his prime concern is with how things look in the eyes of other. His worship of God is a needed ritual to obtain the loyalty of the people. His need of Samuel is really for the credibility and legitimacy he bestows.
  • In this interaction Saul says “your God”, meaning Samuel’s God, not Saul’s God (1 Sam 15:21, 30). This is tragically indicative of Saul: he feels stuck with a demanding and unreasonable God: He can’t understand him, can’t satisfy him, can’t get around him.
  • “Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel. The LORD said to Samuel: “How long will you grieve over Saul? … fill your horn with oil and set out” (1 Sam 15:35-16:1). Saul is now cut off from his ‘religious crutch’, he is not getting any more instructions, presumably because he never obeyed any of the ones he got. Saul has no ‘inner devotional life’, unlike David who has a relationship with God and hears God on his own, Saul doesn’t and has depended totally on Samuel and the priestly lot (1 Sam 14:36).
  • What should Saul have done? He should have repented wholeheartedly. He should have accepted God’s verdict, taken Samuel’s advice on how to help raise up a replacement leader for himself, working toward a  gradual handover of power.
  • Saul does not even consider this, as a matter of fact he actively opposes it when God does it. His son Jonathan, however, does exactly that: He accepts God’s choice and champions the new king to come.

Saul's downward progression and the conflict with David

  • Saul continues to spiral. The Spirit of the Lord departs from Saul making room for an evil spirit from God to torment him (1 Sam 16:14).
  • How can an evil spirit be from God? Most likely this is simply consequences of choices, to reject the word of God is to listen to falsehood, is to invite lies, is to bring down negative consequences of choices on oneself.
  • David becomes Saul’s musical therapy (1 Sam 16:22-23). Before Saul’s eyes God sets somebody who could show Saul what he really needs: the presence of God, obedience, inner life.
  • Saul has many opportunities to respond, but he continually chooses to ignore the voice of God and conscience, embracing rather jealousy, resentment, injustice, murder.
  • David is thrown into the limelight when he kills Goliath (1 Sam 17) and Saul’s son Jonathan becomes his mentor and best friend.
  • Saul initially loves David greatly (1 Sam 16:21), puts him over his army with everyone’s approval (1 Sam 18:5) but when David is more and more popular, Saul is drawn into comparison and jealousy (1 Sam 18:6).
  • Saul is afraid of David (1 Sam 18:12, 29) and stands in awe of him (1 Sam 18:15), because David is what Saul was meant to be: a leader with the presence and favor of God on him.
  • Saul does not listen to conscience and lets things spiral into more and more anger, resentment, fear and finally: murder attempts.
  • Twice Saul tries to spear David while making music (1 Sam 18:11) which is sort of covered as ‘depression attacks’.
  • Then he unsuccessfully tries to have him killed indirectly by the Philistines while collecting the dowry or 100 Philistine foreskins (1 Sam 18:20-29).
  • When that also fails Saul starts to outright plan to kill David. Jonathan speaks some sense into him (1 Sam 19:1-7) and Saul swears not to touch David, an oath he breaks.
  • After a third attempt to spear David while playing music, David flees with the help of a ruse by Michal. Saul challenges Michal, calling David “my enemy”. Michal lies and says she was threatened by David. Unlike Jonathan she isn’t honest.
  • When Saul hears David is with Samuel, he twice sends messengers to get David, but the messengers fall into a prophetic frenzy before Samuel and a company of prophets. Thwarted, Saul goes himself, and it’s his turn to be in a prophetic frenzy (1 Sam 19:28).
  • This crazy story shows, that God is still trying to reach out to Saul’s heart by a supernatural experience, by touching him one more time by the Spirit of God coming on him (1 Sam 19:23), by reminding him of his calling when everything was fresh and new (1 Sam 10:10), wooing him back to a relationship with him.
  • God lets him know one more time that he is judging David falsely, that God himself protects David (how more obvious can it be made?) and that a different choice is still possible. But Saul keeps rejecting the voice of God.
  • David seeks to know the reason for Saul’s commitment to kill him. Jonathan, confident that Saul is honest with him, denies it, yet – given the risk – is willing to test it (1 Sam 20:1-10). Jonathan operates of an earlier knowledge of Saul, which shows that Saul’s transformation was slow.
  • The fact that Saul is by now deceptive even to his own trustworthy and transparent son shows that Saul is further choosing to silence the voice of truth, choosing lies over truth, and an increasing willingness to use power unlawfully. Saul is making his heart a ‘murderers’ den’.
  • In the agreed test situation Saul does not only betray his intention to kill David but furthermore insults Jonathan (and his mother) and tries to spear him (1 Sam 20:30-31).
  • Anger at being thwarted yet again makes Saul honest: “For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die” (1 Sam 20:31).
  • Saul clings to power and rejects God’s will again. It has here the label of ‘care for his firstborn’ but that label falls quickly: Saul spears his own son when he speaks truth and fairness.
  • Saul also thinks Jonathan will agree to the murder “bring him to me”, which shows he doesn’t know his son, rather he projects his own ‘logic’ and attitude on others (‘anyone reasonable would do this’). He has so given his heart to corruption, he doesn’t believe it to be wrong anymore, not does he believe somebody could choose differently.
  • The fact that Jonathan is still appealing to reason, facts and character “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” (1 Sam 20:32) speaks more for Jonathan’s character rather than Saul’s.
  • No more unclarity, no more appearances, no more fairness: the hunt is officially on.

Saul hunting David and further deterioration

  • While fleeing Saul, David has taken priestly show bread and the sword of Goliath from the priests of Nob who guard the tabernacle (1 Sam 21:1-9).
  • Saul first upbraids his own officers for conspiring against him and not informing him that his own son (Jonathan) made a covenant with David. He even charges his son with stirring up David to lie in wait for him. He does so by threatening and offering financial gain to his loyalists (1 Sam 22:1-10).
  • Saul by now sees anyone not blindly obedient as conspirator, he thinks Jonathan and David are trying to kill him and he thinks anybody can be bought with money. His words betray paranoia. There is not even an attempt at truth or fairness.
  • Saul calls the priests and takes testimony from the (high) priest Ahimelech. He charges him with conspiracy: they have intentionally deceived Saul and ‘armed the opposition’. Ahimelech (who probably took his clues from David’s guarded communication earlier) testifies that nothing spoke of conspiracy, but that they assisted David as they had done before as an emissary of the king (1 Sam 22:14-15).
  • Though there no clear evidence of conspiracy, Saul charges them with not having informed him of David’s flight, a ‘crime’ which in any case carries no death penalty, and even less so for every last of the 85 priests. Saul severely misuses his judiciary function.
  • Saul commands to execute the entire family of the priests. When his own army refuses to lay hands on the priests, he has a foreign sycophant and opportunist, Doeg the Edomite, do it (1 Sam 21:18-19).
  • Saul now starts brings out troops to hunt for David (using military against lawful citizens) even though David has done nothing that warrants a death penalty.
  • He does so repeatedly: when David is in Keilah (1 Sam 23:1-14), Ziph (1 Sam 23:15-29), En-gedi (1 Sam 24) and Ziph again (1 Sam 26).
  • One effect this has is drawing attention away from actual enemies and troops away from border protection. The Philistines attack and raid the land (1 Sam 23:1, 23:27).
  • In two famous stories David has the chance to kill Saul, but refuses to do so, one time in a cave in the wilderness of En-gedi (cutting Saul’s robe), another time when in the wilderness of Ziph (stealing Saul’s sword).
  • David twice goes for open communication (at a safe distance though) “I have not sinned against you though you are hunting me to take my life. May the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall no be against you” (1 Sam 24:11-12, similarly 1 Sam 26:21-25).
  • Saul is moved, weeps, confesses to David’s righteousness, blesses him, declares that he knows David will be king and asks him for an oath to spare his descendants (1 Sam 24:16-22).
  • Saul’s answer shows, that he still hears conscience, he still has knowledge of right and wrong, he knows God to be behind everything … but he has consistently chosen against it and will (after a short break) choose consistently against it till the day of his death. Clearly his is not lack of knowledge or understanding, but a lack of submission and obedience.
  • Saul is probably sincere as far as it goes, but since he has no habit of keeping word nor fearing or obeying God, he is not trustworthy.
  • Knowing this David stays in the wilderness (1 Sam 24:22, 26:25) and eventually moves to Philistia for safety (1 Sam 27-30).

Saul's Death

  • Yet another battle with Philistia looms and Saul is desperate for a word of guidance: Samuel is dead and “When Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, not by dreams, or by Urim or by prophets” (1 Sam 28:6).
  • Why would God not speak? Probably because it would make no difference, it hasn’t made a difference ever since the beginning of Saul’s reign, he barely ever actually obeyed anything God said (specifically) nor has he kept the Law (generally).
  • Saul then consults a medium or witch (that he earlier banned 1 Sam 28:9), in another breach of law, and asks her to bring up the dead Samuel.
  • Something appears but tells him nothing new (Samuel’s time is over), just a repetition of what he already painfully knows: his disobedience and his rejection from kingship.
  • The only new thing (and also that really takes no prophet) is that Israel will be defeated by Philistia and that Saul and his three sons will be dead shortly, a message of utter hopelessness, the very hopelessness Saul wanted to escape by getting some word (1 Sam 28:16-19).
  • Next day the battle is joined on Mount Gilboa and Jonathan, Abinabdab and Malchishua, all but the youngest son of Saul are killed. Saul, in the thick of battle and knowing his sons dead, commits suicide by falling upon his sword (1 Sam 31:1-4).
  • The Philistines behead him and his sons, put the armor in their temples and fasten the bodies to the wall of Beth-shan.
  • The men of Jabesh-Gilead have not forgotten Saul’s help and take courage to recover the bodies of Saul and his sons and bury the bones with honor (1 Sam 31:11-13).
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