David and King Saul
During the time of Samuel, why did the people of Israel desire a king? Why was Saul chosen, and, ultimately, why was he rejected? What attribute did David display that made him a better king than Saul? What sin did Solomon commit that ultimately led to the division of Israel after his death?
The elders of the tribes come to Samuel and requested a king. They say that Samuel is too old and his sons are corrupt. They desired a king to “lead them” and to lead them and to go out before them and to fight their battles. There was certain things that they did not want to do for themselves, so they desired a king to do them. “The kingdom was established in First Samuel and consolidated in Second Samuel. First Kings records its division and decline, and Second Kings its destruction and deterioration” (Hindson, 2012. p.178). Samuel was a prophet and Israel’s religious leader but not a king. Israel was loosely ruled by judges but had no one equipped to rule in a time of war. King Saul was chosen to demonstrate God’s power through his transformation. In Saul’s case it is not how you begin but how you finish. Saul was actually secretly anointed the first king of all of the tribes in Israel being he was chosen by the public population. Saul started off with a fresh start as king; he came from a well-to-do family, was tall, dark, handsome, and it was told there was no man taller than he. But, his peaceful start did not last long. During his reign he had a stand-off with the Philistines in the valley of Elah, unauthorized sacrificial offering, failed to eliminate all of the Amalekites and their livestock as commanded by God, and lied to God as well. The break between Saul and God is arguably one of the saddest occurrences in Scripture. Saul’s final act of disobedience included him falling on to his sword, and taking his own life. While King Saul was making mistakes one on top of another God had sent Samuel to find His chosen shepherd, David. David was brought in to the
The elders of the tribes come to Samuel and requested a king. They say that Samuel is too old and his sons are corrupt. They desired a king to “lead them” and to lead them and to go out before them and to fight their battles. There was certain things that they did not want to do for themselves, so they desired a king to do them. “The kingdom was established in First Samuel and consolidated in Second Samuel. First Kings records its division and decline, and Second Kings its destruction and deterioration” (Hindson, 2012. p.178). Samuel was a prophet and Israel’s religious leader but not a king. Israel was loosely ruled by judges but had no one equipped to rule in a time of war. King Saul was chosen to demonstrate God’s power through his transformation. In Saul’s case it is not how you begin but how you finish. Saul was actually secretly anointed the first king of all of the tribes in Israel being he was chosen by the public population. Saul started off with a fresh start as king; he came from a well-to-do family, was tall, dark, handsome, and it was told there was no man taller than he. But, his peaceful start did not last long. During his reign he had a stand-off with the Philistines in the valley of Elah, unauthorized sacrificial offering, failed to eliminate all of the Amalekites and their livestock as commanded by God, and lied to God as well. The break between Saul and God is arguably one of the saddest occurrences in Scripture. Saul’s final act of disobedience included him falling on to his sword, and taking his own life. While King Saul was making mistakes one on top of another God had sent Samuel to find His chosen shepherd, David. David was brought in to the
References: Hindson, Ed. & Yates, Gary. The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey. 2012. B&H Publishing Group. Nashville, Tennessee. What Should We Learn From the Life of David. 2013. Accessed February 8, 2013 from < http://www.gotquestions.org/life-David.html>