Saul

The Man Who Looked for the Donkeys

Kish, a man of Benjamin, “had a son whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and there was not among the children of Israel a more handsome person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people” (1 Sam 9:2). Kish’s donkeys were lost, and Saul took a servant to look for them; he passed through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the land of Shaalim, and the land of the Benjamites, and did not find them (1 Sam 9:3-4). The servant said there was a man of God in the city, and they went to see Samuel (1 Sam 9:6-10).

The day before Saul came, the LORD said to Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel” (1 Sam 9:16). When Samuel said that all Israel desired him and his father’s house, Saul answered: “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me like this?” (1 Sam 9:21).

The next day, “Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on his head, then kissed him” (1 Sam 10:1). “When he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart” (1 Sam 10:9). “The Spirit of God came mightily on him, and he prophesied among them” (1 Sam 10:10). When his uncle asked what Samuel had said, “concerning the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he didn’t tell him” (1 Sam 10:16).

Made King

Samuel called the people together at Mizpah, and Saul was chosen by lot; “but when they looked for him, he could not be found”; the LORD answered, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage” (1 Sam 10:21-22). Samuel said, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” and “All the people shouted and said, ‘Long live the king!’” (1 Sam 10:24). Certain worthless fellows said, “How could this man save us?” and despised him; “But he held his peace” (1 Sam 10:27). These events are in Lesson 1.

Nahash the Ammonite besieged Jabesh Gilead. “Behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field” (1 Sam 11:5); “God’s Spirit came mightily on Saul when he heard those words” (1 Sam 11:6); he gathered the people and rescued Jabesh. When the people wanted to put to death those who had doubted him, Saul said: “No man shall be put to death today; for today the LORD has rescued Israel” (1 Sam 11:13). “All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal” (1 Sam 11:15). These events are in Lesson 2; what Samuel said at Gilgal that day is in Samuel, Lesson 4.

Gilgal and Michmash

The Philistines gathered at Michmash, and “all the people followed him trembling” (1 Sam 13:7). “He stayed seven days, according to the time set by Samuel; but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him” (1 Sam 13:8), and he offered the burnt offering. Samuel said: “You have done foolishly” (1 Sam 13:13); “But now your kingdom will not continue. The LORD has sought for himself a man after his own heart” (1 Sam 13:14). These events are in Lesson 3.

Later Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison, and “So the LORD saved Israel that day” (1 Sam 14:23). Saul had put the people under an oath not to eat until evening; Jonathan had not heard, and tasted a little honey. Saul asked counsel of God, “But he didn’t answer him that day” (1 Sam 14:37). The lot fell on Jonathan; Saul said, “for you shall surely die, Jonathan,” and “So the people rescued Jonathan, so he didn’t die” (1 Sam 14:44-45). That day “Saul built an altar to the LORD. This was the first altar that he built to the LORD” (1 Sam 14:35). These events are in Lesson 4.

“Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side” (1 Sam 14:47); “He did valiantly and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them” (1 Sam 14:48). His sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua, his two daughters Merab and Michal; his wife was Ahinoam, and the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner (1 Sam 14:49-50). “There was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul” (1 Sam 14:52).

Rejected

Samuel told Saul to go against the Amalekites; “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, of the cattle … and were not willing to utterly destroy them” (1 Sam 15:9). Samuel said to him: “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams” (1 Sam 15:22). Saul said: “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice” (1 Sam 15:24). Samuel said: “you have rejected the LORD’s word, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel” (1 Sam 15:26). “Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death” (1 Sam 15:35). These events are in Samuel, Lesson 5; Samuel later went to Bethlehem and anointed David — see David, Lesson 1.

“Now the LORD’s Spirit departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him” (1 Sam 16:14). His servants found David, who was skillful in playing, for him: “When the spirit from God was on Saul, David took the harp and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” (1 Sam 16:23).

After David killed Goliath (see David, Lesson 2), the women sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Sam 18:7), and “Saul watched David from that day and forward” (1 Sam 18:9). Twice he tried to pin David to the wall with the spear (1 Sam 18:11; 19:10); “Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David … Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually” (1 Sam 18:28-29). These events are in David, Lesson 3.

After David fled, the priests of Nob had helped him; when Saul learned of it, he ordered the priests killed: “Doeg the Edomite turned, and he attacked the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five people who wore a linen ephod” (1 Sam 22:18). “Saul sought him every day, but God didn’t deliver him into his hand” (1 Sam 23:14). In the cave at En Gedi David did not kill him, and “Saul lifted up his voice and wept,” saying, “You are more righteous than I” (1 Sam 24:16-17) — see David, Lesson 4. Another time, in the wilderness of Ziph, David took the spear and the jar of water from beside his head, and Saul said: “I have sinned. Return, my son David … Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly” (1 Sam 26:21); “You are blessed, my son David” (1 Sam 26:25).

Gilboa

“Now Samuel was dead … Saul had sent away those who had familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land” (1 Sam 28:3). The Philistines came against Israel; “When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly” (1 Sam 28:5). “When Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD didn’t answer him by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets” (1 Sam 28:6). He told his servants, “Seek for me a woman who has a familiar spirit” (1 Sam 28:7), disguised himself, and went by night to Endor (1 Sam 28:8). Among the things he heard there was this: “tomorrow you and your sons will be with me” (1 Sam 28:19). “Then Saul fell immediately his full length on the earth” (1 Sam 28:20).

The next day Israel was defeated on Mount Gilboa, and Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua were killed (1 Sam 31:1-2). “Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it” (1 Sam 31:4). The Philistines “fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan” (1 Sam 31:10). The valiant men of Jabesh Gilead “went all night” and took down the bodies of Saul and his sons; “They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days” (1 Sam 31:12-13). These events are in Lesson 5.

“David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son” (2 Sam 1:17): “Your glory, Israel, was slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!” (2 Sam 1:19). He said to the men of Jabesh Gilead: “Blessed are you by the LORD, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him” (2 Sam 2:5). Later “They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father” (2 Sam 21:14).

Chronicles, writing of Saul’s death, says: “So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the LORD, because of the LORD’s word, which he didn’t keep, and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire, and didn’t inquire of the LORD. Therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse” (1 Chr 10:13-14).

In the New Testament

Paul, speaking in the synagogue at Antioch about the history of Israel, said: “Afterward they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years” (Acts 13:21).