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Towering Figures of the Old Testament |
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Saul
His
Rise and Fall (1
Samuel
9-15) |
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Introduction |
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In his old
age Samuel appoints his sons Joel and Abijah
judges over Israel. But the sons of Samuel
turn out to be corrupt, and the elders of
Israel come to Samuel demanding that Samuel
appoint a king over them instead.
Although this demand displeases him, Samuel
prays to the LORD who tells him to grant the
people's every request. The LORD tells
Samuel that the Israelites are rejecting the
LORD as their king.
Samuel delivers the message of the LORD in
full to the elders. Samuel warns them that
the king will take their sons and daughters
and make them his soldiers, cooks and
bakers. He also tells them that the king
will take all that is theirs from them as
his own. He also tells them they will all
become slaves of the king. Finally, Samuel
warns them |
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that when
this happens all of Israel will complain but on
that day the LORD will not answer them.
But the people do not believe Samuel and insist
for a king over Israel. |
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In Search for
the Lost Flock |
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Saul the son
of Kish from Benjamin and a handsome young
man stands head and shoulders above the
people. One day the asses of his father
wander off so his father sends Saul off with
one his servants to look for them.
They look for
the asses everywhere in vain. Ready to give
up and return home, Saul’s servant suggests
that they seek the help of a man of God in
the city of Zuph. Since they have nothing to
offer this man of God, the servant offers
his quarter of a silver shekel. The servant
believes that the man of God will lead them
to the animals.
Samuel
Meets Saul
The day before Saul arrives in the city the
LORD tells Samuel that He will send a man
from Benjamin on the next day, which Samuel
is to anoint as commander of Israel. This
man will save His people from the clutches
of the |
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Philistines. |
Looking for the Seer |
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On that next day, Samuel catches sight of Saul
and the LORD assures him that he is the man that
He has told him the previous day. When Saul
meets Samuel in the gateway, Saul asks where the
man of God, or the seer, lives.
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Samuel
identifies himself as the seer and invites
Saul to eat with him. Samuel tells Saul not
to worry about the asses that they had been
looking for they had been found.
Samuel tells Saul that Israel wants him and
his father's family. Saul tells Samuel that
he belongs to the least among the clans of
the tribe of Benjamin. But Samuel takes him
anyway and his servant to the head of the
guests, of whom there were about thirty.
Samuel sends for the food he gave the cook
to set aside waiting for Saul’s arrival.
Thus Saul dines with Samuel that day.
That night Saul sleeps on the roof where a
mattress has been laid out for him. At
daybreak, Samuel calls to Saul to get up so
he will start him on his journey. Saul
rises, and he and Samuel go outside the city
together.
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Samuel
Anoints Saul
As they approach the edge of the town,
Samuel says to Saul to tell his servant to
go on ahead of them so that
he may give him a message from God. |
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Then, from a
flask he had with him, Samuel pours oil on
Saul's head, and says that the
LORD anoints him commander over His
heritage. He tells Saul that he will govern
the LORD'S people Israel, and save them from
the grasp of their enemies.
Samuel’s Proof
Samuel then says to Saul that as proof that
it is the LORD who has indeed anointed him
commander over his heritage, there will be
several signs.
Samuels tells when Saul that when he leaves
later that day he will meet two men near
Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of
Benjamin. These men will say to him that the
asses he went to look for have been found
and that his father is anxious about Saul.
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Samuel
tells Saul that farther on, when he
arrives at the terebinth of Tabor, he
will meet three men going up to God at
Bethel; one will be bringing three kids,
another three loaves of bread, and the
third a skin of wine. They will greet
him and offer him two wave offerings of
bread, which he will take from them.
After that he will come to
Gibeath-elohim, where there is a
garrison of the Philistines. When Saul
enters that city, he will meet a band of
prophets, in a prophetic state, coming
down from the high place preceded by
lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps.
The spirit of the LORD will rush upon
Saul, and he will join them in their
prophetic state and will be changed into
another man. Samuels |
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says to Saul that when he sees these
signs fulfilled, Saul has to do whatever he
judges feasible, because God is with him.
Then Samuel finally tells Saul to go ahead
of him to Gigal and wait seven days until he
comes to him; he shall then tell Saul what
he must do.
The Signs
Come True
That very day the signs that Samuel foretold
come to pass.
When Saul arrives with his servant at Gibeah,
a band of prophets meets him. The spirit of
God rushes upon him, so that he joins them
in their prophetic state.
Those who had known him previously see him
in a prophetic state among the prophets and
ask among each other if Saul is also among
the prophets.
When Saul comes out of the prophetic state,
he goes home but he does not mention
anything about the kingship that Samuel had
said. |
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Samuel Chooses a Benjaminite |
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Meanwhile, Samuel calls the people together
to the LORD at Mizpah and he tells them that
despite the fact that the LORD brought
Israel up from Egypt and delivered Israel
from the power of the Egyptians and from the
power of all the kingdoms that oppressed
them, they have rejected the LORD. |
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Samuel then tells the people to stand before
the LORD according to tribes and families.
Samuel calls the tribes forward and chooses
the tribe of Benjamin. From the tribe of
Benjamin, he chooses the clan of Matri, and
from them he chooses Saul the son of Kish.
But they cannot find Saul.
With the help of the LORD they find and
bring Saul up. When he stands among the
people, he is head and shoulders above the
entire crowd.
Samuel then declares that the LORD has
chosen Saul to be their king. Samuel then
explains to the people the law of royalty
and writes it in a book, which he places in
the presence of the LORD. This done, Samuel
dismisses the people, each to his own place.
Saul goes home to Gibeah, accompanied by
warriors whose hearts the LORD had touched.
But certain worthless men doubt how Saul can
save them. |
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Saul’s
First Victory |
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About a
month later, Nahash the Ammonite attacks
Jabesh-gilead. The men of Jabesh beg
Nahash, to spare them and they offer
themselves up to be his subjects. But
Nahash insists that he must gouge out
every man's right eye as his condition
for a treaty so that he may thus bring
shame on all Israel. The elders of Jabesh again beg Nahash to give them
seven days to send messengers throughout
the territory of Israel. If no one
rescues them, they will surrender to
him.
After hearing the messengers the people
Gibeah of Saul weep aloud. Just then
Saul comes in from the field, behind his
oxen |
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and hears
the people weeping. They repeat the
message from Jabesh to him.
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As he listens
to this report, the spirit of God rushes
upon him and he becomes very angry. He cuts
up an oxen into pieces, which he sends by
couriers throughout the territory of Israel.
Along with the pieces is the message saying that if anyone does not
come out to follow Saul and Samuel, the same
as this will be done to his oxen. In dread
of the LORD, three hundred thousand
Israelites and seventy thousand Judahites
turn up.
Then he tells the messengers who had come to
tell the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead that
next day they will be rescued. The
messengers report this to the inhabitants of
Jabesh, and they are jubilant. They tell
Nahash that on that next day they will
surrender to him, and that he may do
whatever he pleases with them.
On the appointed day, Saul arranges his
troops in three companies and invades the
camp during the dawn watch. They slaughter
Ammonites until the heat of the day.
The people then demand Samuel to hand over
to them those who questioned whether Saul
should rule over them so they will be put to
death. But Saul intercedes and says that no
man shall be put to death that day, for
today the LORD has saved Israel. |
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Saul is
Installed as King
Samuel then says to the people to come
to Gilgal to inaugurate the kingdom
there. So all the people go to Gilgal,
where, in the presence of the LORD, they
make Saul king with great joy. |
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Samuel
addresses all Israel saying that through
him the LORD has appointed a king over
them, and he will be the new leader.
Then Samuel recounts the acts of mercy
the LORD has done for them and their
fathers, starting from when the LORD
appointed Moses and Aaron, and who
brought their fathers up from the land
of Egypt.
Samuel
also pleads with the Israelites that
with the new king they should fear and
worship the Lord and be obedient to him.
Samuel warns that if they rebel against
his command, the LORD will destroy them.
Then
Samuel tells the Israelites that now
they will be witness to the great marvel
the LORD is about to accomplish before
their eyes. He tells them that he will
call to the LORD, and he will send
thunder and rain. With this sign they
will understand how greatly the LORD is
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displeased
that they have asked for a king.
With that Samuel calls to the LORD, and the
LORD sends thunder and rain that day. As a
result, all the people dread the LORD and
Samuel.
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The
Battle at Michmash
After Saul is appointed king over
Israel, he chooses an army of three
thousand men of Israel, of whom two
thousand remain with him in Michmash and
in the hill country of Bethel, and one
thousand with his son Jonathan in Gibeah
of Benjamin. He sends the rest of the
people back to their tents.
Jonathan overcomes the Philistine
garrison, and Saul sounds the horn
throughout the land to let everyone
know.
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After being shamed by Saul’s army the
Philistines assemble for battle a force
of three thousand chariots, six thousand
horsemen, and numerous foot soldiers,
striking fear
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among the
Israelites. Some of the Israelites flee to hide in
caves, in thickets, among rocks, in
caverns, and in cisterns. Although Saul stands firm his followers
are seized with fear but Saul is not able
to keep his men’s confidence and they
leave.
When Samuel arrives he finds that Saul
had not kept the command the LORD has
given him, Samuel tells Saul that but as
things are, his kingdom shall not
endure. Then Samuel sets out from Gilgal
and goes his own way.
Only about
six hundred remain to follow Saul to
meet the soldiers, going from Gilgal to
Gibeah of Benjamin. |
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Jonathan
and His Armor-Bearer
One day Jonathan says to his armor-bearer
that they go over to the Philistine outpost
unknown to everyone including his father, and
show themselves to them.
When they appear at the outpost the
Philistines call Jonathan and his
armor-bearer to climb up so they that
will teach them a lesson.
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Jonathan
goes up with his armor-bearer behind him.
With the help of the LORD, Jonathan and
armor-bearer cut down the Philistines in the
surprise raid.
Jonathan and his armor-bearer slay about
twenty men and earth also shakes, so that
the panic is beyond human endurance. These cause panic that spread
among the Philistines.
The lookouts
of Saul in Geba of Benjamin notice the
commotion in the enemy camp with soldiers
running about in all directions. After
accounting for every man, Saul finds out
that Jonathan
and his armor-bearer are missing.
After consulting the ephod
Saul decides
to join Jonathan to fight against the
Philistines. The Israelites join Saul and
Jonathan as well. |
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Samuel’s Ban
Thus the LORD saves Israel that day. Saul then
orders that no one shall eat until the enemy is
defeated. So no one eats in fear of the order.
However, Jonathan did not hear the ban on eating
so when he finds some honey he eats it.
At this one of the soldiers speaks up and tells
Jonathan that his father has put the people
under a strict order not to eat until the enemy
is defeated. But Jonathan reasons that without
eating the body is weakened.
After the Philistines are defeated the
Israelites are completely exhausted and hungry.
They slaughter their spoil of sheep, oxen and
calves and eat the flesh with blood. When Saul
learns of this, he warns the people that they
have sinned against the LORD.
Later Saul says that they pursue the Philistines
by night, to plunder among them until daybreak
and to kill them all off. But the priest says to
consult with God first, so Saul relented and
consulted with God. However, Saul receives no
answer. He assumes that this is because someone
broke his order not to eat before the enemy is
defeated.
Saul starts an investigation and finds that his
son Jonathan committed the sin, who then tells
Saul that he indeed tasted honey against his
ban. Saul orders that Jonathan dies but the
army, who attributes the victory against the
Philistines to Jonathan, intercedes. The
soldiers save Jonathan from death. |
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Saul
Disobeys the LORD’S Ban |
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After taking
over the kingship of Israel, Saul wages war
on all their surrounding enemies and is
victorious.
Through Samuel the LORD tells Saul to attack
Amalek as punishment for what Amalek did to
Israel when he barred his way as he was
coming up from Egypt. Samuel tells Saul that
he must destroy everything that is of Amalek,
sparing nothing and no one, as prescribed by
the LORD in the ban. |
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So Saul
readies to attack Amalek but he warns the
Kenites to leave Amalek so they may be
spared. After the Kenites leave, Saul routs
Amalek and he puts to sword everyone except
Agag, the king of Amalek, whom he takes
alive.
He and his
soldiers also spare the best of the fat
sheep and oxen, and the lambs. They disobey
the LORD’S ban by destroying only those that
are worthless and of no account while
keeping everything that are worthwhile. |
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The LORD
Regrets the Appointment of Saul as King
Then the LORD tells Samuel that He regrets
making Saul king for he has turned from Him and
has not kept His command. At this Samuel grows
angry and cries out to the LORD all night.
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Early in the
morning he goes to meet Saul, but is
informed that Saul had gone to Carmel to
erect a trophy in his own honor.
When Samuel finally meets up with Saul he
points out to Saul that he has broken the
ban and saved the spoils of Amalek. Saul
informs Saul that he saved the best sheep
and to sacrifice to the LORD.
Samuel argues that Saul has disobeyed the
LORD and thus has displeased Him. Samuel
tells Saul that obedience is better than
sacrifice and submission than the fat of
rams. Samuel tells Saul that since he has
rejected the command of the LORD, He, too,
has rejected Saul as ruler.
After Saul
begs Samuel to go and honor him in front of
the elders of Israel. Samuel reluctantly
obliges. Afterwards, Samuel asks to have
Agag brought to him. Then Samuel cuts Agag
down before the LORD in Gilgal. |
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Samuel departs
while Saul goes to his home. Never again, as
long as he lived, does Samuel see Saul. Yet he
grieves over Saul, because the LORD regretted
having made him king of Israel.
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To be continued... |
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I & II Samuel: A Commentary (Old Testament Library)
First sentence in
the book:
""THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL contain that
part of the history of Israel which describes
the foundation of the State, running from the
close of the period of the Judges to the
establishment of the united kingdom." |
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Samson and Delilah and Other Old Testament
Stories (Discovering the Bible)
(Hardcover) by Victoria Parker (Author), Retold
by Victoria Parker (Author)
This book provides known Bible stories from
Israel in the Promised land to the Story of
Ruth. It has the stories we grew up with but it
adds historical and religious facts to each
story. It tells the stories gearing them toward
elementary school children. |
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Moses Great Lives Series: Volume 4 ,
by Charles R. Swindoll. This book presents the
Bible's real Moses-the Moses who tried to
decline his assignment from God; the Moses who
dazzled Pharoh; the Moses who received the Ten
Commandments; the Moses who was disobedient and
weak; the Moses who was the greatest leader of
God's people in all of history. Through his
faith and selfless dedication, Moses continually
chose to follow God's will through difficult and
seemingly impossible situations.
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Jacob and Esau
by Harriette Augusta Curtiss and F. Homer
Curtiss (Paperback - Dec 30, 2005) |
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The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction &
Commentary
by J. A. Motyer
Recipient of a Christianity Today 1994 Critics
Choice Award! Among Old Testament prophetic
books no other equals Isaiah's brilliance of
style and metaphor, its arresting vision of the
Holy One of Israel and its kaleidoscopic vision
of God's future restoration of Israel and the
world. Now, after over three decades of studying
and teaching Isaiah, Alec Motyer presents a
wealth of commentary and perspective on this
book. |
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Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons, and Feasts
(Paperback)
by Leonard Foley (Editor), Pat McCloskey
(Editor) |
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Lives of the
Saints You Should Know by Margaret R. Bunson,
Matthew E. Bunson |
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New Illustrated Book of Saints
Author: Catholic Book Publishing Company |
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One Hundred Saints: Their Lives and Likenesses
Drawn from Butler's
This is a coffee-table collection of 100 popular
saints illustrated with art works taken from
international galleries. The saints are listed
alphabetically in a valuable table of contents,
with a larger list of patron saints following
the text. Inclusion is based on popularity
within the Christian world and the
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availability of
atypical art works. Entries are generally based
on the 1926-38 edition of Butler's Lives of the
Saints, with the length of each entry varying
from one-half page to several pages. Short
entries giving written insight into the lives of
pious individuals are combined with depictions
rendered by artists such as Raphael and El
Greco. An inexpensive tribute to art and faith
more appropriate for gift-giving than for
libraries. |
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Apologetics |
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Mary
and the Saints |
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Mass
and the Eucharist |
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