The Story of Saul

The Story of Saul

1 Samuel 8 - 10 Saul Becomes King 1043 BC 1 Samuel 11, 12 Saul Defeats the Ammonites 1042 BC 1 Samuel 13 Saul's War with the Philistines 1041 BC 1 Samuel 14 Jonathan's Miraculous Victory 1041 BC 1 Samuel 15 Saul's Disobedience & Samuel's Rebuke 1028 BC 1 Samuel 16 Samuel Anoints David at Bethlehem 1024 BC 1 Samuel 17 David Kills Goliath 1024 BC 1 Samuel 18 Jonathan's Friendship with David 1015 BC 1 Samuel 19 David Protected from Saul 1014 BC 1 Samuel 20 David and Jonathan's Covenant 1013 BC 1 Samuel 21 David at Nob and Gath 1012 BC 1 Samuel 22 Saul Slays the Priests of Nob 1011 BC 1 Samuel 23 David Flees Saul 1011 BC 1 Samuel 24 David Spares Saul's Life 1011 BC 1 Samuel 25 Samuel Dies 1011 BC 1 Samuel 26 David Spares Saul a Second Time 1011 BC 1 Samuel 27 David Flees to the Philistines 1010 BC 1 Samuel 28 Saul and the Witch of Endor 1010 BC 1 Samuel 29 Achish Sends David Away 1010 BC 1 Samuel 30 David Destroys the Amalekites 1010 BC 1 Samuel 31 Saul and His Sons Killed 1010 BC 1 Samuel 8: 1-5 the reason for the king: Samuel’s sons were corrupt like Eli’s sons 6-9 Samuel talks to God -his reply 10-18 the warning, 19-22 People insist & God’s reply 1 Samuel 9: The Choosing of Saul 1-14 while looking for lost Donkeys Saul finds a kingdom Note how Samuel is told by God twice about Saul v15 & v17 15-27 Saul honoured and helped 1 Samuel 10 Saul made King 1-8 the prophetic Anointing 9-25 Saul made king at Mizpah,26 Saul responds well to his first rejection

1 Samuel the Story of Saul & Jonathan Saul was the son of Kish, of the family of the Matrites, of the tribe of Benjamin, he came from Gibeah. Saul married Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz. They had four sons and two daughters the sons were Jonathan Abinadab, Malchishua and Ish-bosheth. Their daughters were Merab and Michal. Saul’s concubine was Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, they had two sons, Armoni and Mephibosheth. (2 Sam 21:8). Saul died at the Battle of Mount Gilboa (1 Sam 31:3–6; 1 Chronicles 10:3–6), and was buried in Zelah, in the region of Benjamin (2 Sam 21:14). Three of Saul's sons – Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua – died with him at Mount Gilboa (1 Sam 31:2; 1 Chronicles 10:2). Ish-bosheth became king of Israel, at the age of forty. At David's request Abner had Michal returned to David. Ish-bosheth reigned for two years, but after the death of Abner, was killed by two of his own captains (2 Sam4:5).Armoni and Mephibosheth (Saul's sons with his concubine, Rizpah) were given by David along with the five sons of Merab (Saul's daughter) to the Gibeonites, who killed them. (2 Samuel 21:8–9) Michal was childless (2 Sam 6:23).The only male descendant of Saul to survive was Mephibosheth, Jonathan's lame son (2 Samuel 4:4), who had been five when his father and grandfather Saul had died in battle. In time, he came under the protection of David (2 Sam 9:7–13). Mephibosheth had a young son, Micah (2 Samuel 9:12), who had four sons and descendants named until the ninth generation (1 Chron 8:35–38).

Anointed as king There are three steps to his being made king 1. Saul is sent with a servant to look for his father's strayed donkeys. Leaving his home at Gibeah, they eventually arrive at the district of Zuph, at which point Saul suggests abandoning their search. Saul's servant tells him that they happen to be near the town of Ramah, where a famous seer is located, and suggests that they should consult him first. The seer (Samuel) offers hospitality to Saul and later anoints him in private (1 Samuel 9) 2. Samuel assembles the people at Mizpah in Benjamin to appoint a king, fulfilling his previous promise to do so (1 Samuel 8). Samuel organises the people by tribe and by clan. Using the Urim and Thummim, he selects the tribe of Benjamin, from within the tribe selecting the clan of Matri, and from them selecting Saul. After having been chosen as monarch, Saul returns to his home in Gibeah, along with a number of followers (1 Sam 10:17-24) some of the people are openly unhappy with the selection of Saul. 3. The Ammonites, led by Nahash, lay siege to Jabesh-Gilead. Under the terms of surrender, the occupants of the city are to be forced into slavery and have their right eyes removed. Instead they send word of this to the other tribes of Israel, and the tribes west of the Jordan assemble an army under Saul. Saul leads the army to victory over the Ammonites, and the people congregate at Gilgal where they acclaim Saul as king and he is crowned (1 Samuel 11). Saul's first act is to forbid retribution against those who had previously contested his kingship.

Saul among the prophets Having been anointed by Samuel, (1 Samuel 9) Saul is told of signs indicating that he has been divinely appointed. The last of these is that Saul will be met by an ecstatic group of prophets leaving a high place and playing the lyre, tambourine, and flutes. Saul encounters the ecstatic prophets and joins them. Later, Saul sends men to pursue David, but when they meet a group of ecstatic prophets playing music, they become possessed by a prophetic state and join in. Saul sends more men, but they too join the prophets. Eventually Saul himself goes, and also joins the prophets. (1 Samuel 19:24).

Military victories After relieving the siege of Jabesh-Gilead, Saul conducts military campaigns against the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Aram Rehob the kings of Zobah, the Philistines and Amalekites (1 Sam 14:47). Wherever he turned, he was victorious Despite not having enough weapons (1 Sam 13:16-22)

Jonathan’s great victory and the curse on Jonathan 1 Sam 14 (1041BC) 2 In his continuing battles with Philistines, Saul instructs his armies, by a rash oath to fast. Was Saul’s intention to spiritual or to save time? It was a false policy; for the people were so faint and weak for want of food, that they were less able to follow and slay the Philistines than if they had stopped to take a moderate refreshment Jonathan's party were not aware of the oath and ate honey, resulting in Jonathan realising that he had broken an oath of which he was not aware, but was nevertheless liable for its breach, until popular intervention allowed Jonathan to be saved from death on account of his victory over the Philistines.

The rejection of Saul (1028BC) 1 Sam 13 & 15 Saul planned a military action against the Philistines. Samuel said that he would arrive in seven days to perform the requisite rites. When a week passed with no word of Samuel and with the Israelites growing restless, Saul prepares for battle by offering sacrifices. Samuel arrives just as Saul is finishing sacrificing and reprimands Saul for not obeying his instructions. 1 Sam 13 – limits the length of his kingdom Later Samuel instructs Saul to make war on the Amalekites and to "utterly destroy" them, in fulfilment of a mandate set out Deuteronomy 25:19:When the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies on every hand, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; do not forget. 1 Sam 15 Having forewarned the Kenites who were living among the Amalekites to leave, Saul goes to war and defeats the Amalekites. Saul kills all the men, women, children and poor quality livestock, but leaves alive the king and best livestock. When Samuel learns that Saul has not obeyed his instructions he tells Saul that God has rejected him as king due for disobedience. As Samuel turns to go, Saul seizes hold of his garments and tears off a piece; Samuel prophecies that the kingdom will likewise be torn from Saul. Samuel then kills the Amalekite king himself. Samuel and Saul each return home and never meet again after these events but Samuel mourns for Saul (1 Sam 15:33-35). Takes the Kingdom from Him

Saul and David In 1 Samuel 16:14–23, Saul is troubled by an evil spirit sent by God.[15] He requests soothing music, and a servant recommends David the son of Jesse, who is renowned for his skills as a harpist and other talents: a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilful in playing, a mighty man of valour, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him When word of Saul's needs reaches Jesse, he sends David, who had been looking after Jesse's flock, with gifts as a tribute, and David is appointed as Saul's armour bearer. With Jesse's permission he remains at court, playing the harp as needed to calm Saul during his troubled spells. (1 Samuel 17:15 suggests David only attended court periodically). (1 Samuel 17:1–18:5) The Philistines return with an army to attack Israel, and the Philistine and Israelite forces gather on opposite sides of a valley. The Philistine's champion Goliath issues a challenge for single combat, but none of the Israelites accept. David is described as a young shepherd who happens to be delivering food to his three eldest brothers in the army, and he hears Goliath's challenge. David speaks mockingly of the Philistines to some soldiers; his speech is overheard and reported to Saul, who summons David and appoints David as his champion. David easily defeats Goliath with a single shot from a sling. At the end of the passage, Saul asks his general, Abner, who David is.

1 Sam 18 the wickedness of Saul and God’s blessing on David 1 the favour of Jonathan (18) Makes covenant, He stands up for him (19) Warns him (20) Shares kingdom (23) 2 Saul offered his elder daughter Merab as a wife, after his victory over Goliath, but David demurrers. 3 David distinguishes himself in the Philistine wars. the women praise him in song: Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands implying Saul fears David's growing popularity and henceforth views him as a rival to the throne. Jonathan recognizes David as the rightful king, Make the covenants and Jonathan even gives David his military clothes, symbolizing David's position as successor to Saul. Saul threatening David, 3 On two occasions, Saul threw a spear at David as he played the harp. As David is increasingly successful Saul becomes more resentful. Now Saul actively plots against David. Saul offered his other daughter, Michal in marriage to David. David initially rejects this offer also, claiming he is too poor. Saul offers to accept a bride price of 100 Philistine foreskins, intending that David die in the attempt. Instead, David obtains 200 foreskins and is consequently married to Michal. Jonathan arranges a short-lived reconciliation between Saul and David and for a while David served Saul "as in times past" (1 Samuel 19:1-7) until "the distressing spirit from the Lord" re-appeared. Saul sends assassins in the night, but Michal helps him escape, tricking them by placing a household idol in his bed. David flees to Jonathan, who arranges a meeting with his father. While dining with Saul, Jonathan explains David's absence, saying he has been called away to his brothers. Saul sees through the ruse, reprimands Jonathan for protecting David, warning that David will cost him the kingdom, furiously throwing a spear at him. The next day, Jonathan meets with David and tells him Saul's intent. The two friends say their goodbyes, and David flees into the countryside. Saul later marries Michal to another man. David goes to Samuel. Spirit of God prevent Saul getting to David 1 Sam 19 Saul is later informed by his head shepherd, Doeg the Edomites, that high priest Ahimelech assisted David, giving him the sword of Goliath, which had been kept at the temple at Nob. Doeg kills Ahimelech and eighty-five other priests and Saul orders the death of the entire population of Nob. David had left Nob by this point and had amassed some 300 disaffected men including some outlaws. With these men David rescues the town of Keilah from a Philistine attack. Saul realises he could trap David and his men by laying the city to siege. David realizes that the citizens of Keilah will betray him to Saul. He flees to Ziph pursued by Saul. Saul hunts David in the vicinity of Ziph on two occasions: Some of the inhabitants of Ziph betray David's location to Saul, but David hears about it and flees with his men to Maon. Saul follows David, but is forced to break off pursuit when the Philistines invade. After dealing with that threat Saul tracks David to the caves at Engedi. As he searches the cave David manages to cut off a piece of Saul's robe without being discovered, yet David restrains his men from harming the king. David then leaves the cave, revealing himself to Saul, and gives a speech that persuades Saul to reconcile. On the second occasion, Saul returns to Ziph with his men. When David hears of this, he slips into Saul's camp by night, and again restrains his men from killing the king; instead he steals Saul's spear and water jug, leaving his own spear thrust into the ground by Saul's side. The next day, David reveals himself to Saul, showing the jug and spear as proof that he could have slain him. David then persuades Saul to reconcile with him; the two swear never to harm each other. After this they never see each other again.

Battle of Gilboa and the death of King Saul (1 Sam 28 and 31) The Philistines make war again, assembling at Shumen, and Saul leads his army to face them at Mount Gilboa. Before the battle he goes to consult a medium or witch at Endor. The medium, unaware of his identity, reminds him that the king has made witchcraft a capital offence, but he assures her that Saul will not harm her. She conjures the spirit of the prophet Samuel, who before his death had prophesied that he would lose the kingdom. Samuel tells him that God has fully rejected him, will no longer hear his prayers, has given the kingdom to David and that the next day he will lose both the battle and his life. Saul collapses in fear, and the medium restores him with food in anticipation of the next day's battle. 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel give conflicting accounts of Saul's death. In 1 Samuel, and in a parallel account in 1 Chronicles 10, as the defeated Israelites flee, Saul asks his armour bearer to kill him, but he refuses, and so Saul falls upon his own sword. In 2 Samuel, an Amalekite tells David he found Saul leaning on his spear after the battle and delivered the coup de grâce. David has the Amalekite put to death for accusing himself of killing the anointed king. The victorious Philistines recover Saul's body as well as those of his three sons who also died in the battle, decapitated them and displayed them on the wall of Beth-shan. They display Saul's armour in the temple of Ashtaroth (an Ascalonian temple of the Canaanites). But at night the inhabitants of Jabesh- Gilead retrieve the bodies for cremation and burial (1 Samuel 31:8–13, 1 Chronicles 10:12). Later on, David takes the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan and buries them in Zela, in the tomb 4 of his father (2 Samuel 21:12–14). The account in 1 Chronicles summarises by stating that: Saul died because of hi his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord. He did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. David laments Jonathan & Saul 2 Sam 1:17-27

The timeline of Saul 1 Samuel 8 - 10 Saul Becomes King 1043 BC 1 Samuel 11, 12 Saul Defeats the Ammonites 1042 BC 1 Samuel 13 Saul's War with the Philistines 1041 BC 1 Samuel 14 Jonathan's Miraculous Victory 1041 BC 1 Samuel 15 Saul's Disobedience & Samuel's Rebuke 1028 BC 1 Samuel 16 Samuel Anoints David at Bethlehem 1024 BC 1 Samuel 17 David Kills Goliath 1024 BC 1 Samuel 18 Jonathan's Friendship with David 1015 BC 1 Samuel 19 David Protected from Saul 1014 BC 1 Samuel 20 David and Jonathan's Covenant 1013 BC 1 Samuel 21 David at Nob and Gath 1012 BC 1 Samuel 22 Saul Slays the Priests of Nob 1011 BC 1 Samuel 23 David Flees Saul 1011 BC 1 Samuel 24 David Spares Saul's Life 1011 BC 1 Samuel 25 Samuel Dies 1011 BC 1 Samuel 26 David Spares Saul a Second Time 1011 BC 1 Samuel 27 David Flees to the Philistines 1010 BC 1 Samuel 28 Saul and the Witch of Endor 1010 BC 1 Samuel 29 Achish Sends David Away 1010 BC 1 Samuel 30 David Destroys the Amalekites 1010 BC 1 Samuel 31 Saul and His Sons Killed 1010 BC