It is sad to note the behaviour of the sons of Samuel when their father was old. They were guilty of falling far short of what was expected of them. When the people made their request for a king they used the conduct of Samuel's sons as the reason for the request (1 Sam 8.1-5). This, however, was clearly not the underlying motive in their hearts. In truth, the people wished to be like the nations around them. It was the purpose of God that Israel would have a king, but this was not the time and the king chosen was not the man. Samuel warns them (1 Sam 8.10-18) of the cost of their decision. "He will take", dominates his words, but nevertheless they go unheeded.
The first lesson to be learned from the sorry tale of the reign of Saul is that the desire to be like the world is an often-recurring feature of Christian life and is never a profitable pathway for believers. There is a cost to pay!
The commencement of his reign
Outwardly, Saul looked the part of the king desired by the people (9.2). He had the physical features that the nation would appreciate in a leader. It is quite clear, however, that he had little interest in the spiritual life of the nation. Those with such an interest would have been aware of Samuel the prophet, but Saul appears to have had no such knowledge (9.6-7).
However, Saul was given all that was necessary to allow him to carry out the responsibilities of kingship. First, the Lord pointed out Saul to Samuel as the man to be king (9.15-17). This was not because Saul was the king after God's heart, but he was the kind of man who was sought by the people, and the Lord will give us our desire to show us our folly. Second, he was anointed by Samuel (10.1) and no one could claim that he was a usurper who had stolen the kingship. Third, the Lord gave him "another heart" (10.9). This does not mean that he was given the gift of eternal life. There is no indication that Saul had any such thoughts. Rather it is that the Lord gave him the heart that was necessary for his high office. Naturally he was changed to make him fit to rule. Fourth, Samuel introduced him to the people as the king whom they had desired (10.17-24). Fifth, the Lord touched the hearts of a band of men who became followers of Saul (10.26-27). Sixth, "the Spirit of God came upon Saul" (11.6) to enable him to gain a victory against the Ammonites. This confirmed his credentials to the people who gathered at Gilgal to proclaim him as king (11.14-15). All this shows that nothing was withheld from him that was necessary for him to reign well.
The course of his reign
The reign of Saul was in two distinct periods.
Before the choice of David (13.1-15.35)
The acts that led to Saul's rejection as king were not long in coming. This rejection came in two stages. The first was as a result of his war against the Philistines (chs.13-14). He had been told by Samuel that at a time of crisis he had to go to Gilgal and wait the coming of Samuel (10.8). When the Philistines came to do battle he was at Gilgal together with the people who were fearful. He did wait for seven days but still the prophet had not come. Instead of waiting till the end of the seventh day he offered a burnt offering, taking upon himself that which was only for Samuel to do. At that very point the prophet arrived. He made excuses: the people were scattered, Samuel had not come and the Philistines were ready to fight, But the king had "done foolishly" (13.13) and as a result the kingdom was no longer his and would not be passed on to his descendants. The victory that was subsequently gained over the Philistines was greatly due to the prowess of Jonathan (14.1-52) although the Philistines continued to trouble Israel.
The second stage was following the battle with Amalek (15.1-33). Samuel instructed Saul to go and do battle with the Amalekites and utterly destroy them and their cattle. After the battle, however, he spared their king and kept the best of the sheep and oxen etc. that were the spoil of battle. When Saul met Samuel he declared that he had obeyed the commandment but the prophet heard otherwise. He could hear the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen, proof of Saul's failure. The animals, Saul claimed, had been kept to sacrifice to the Lord. As a result of this second case of disobedience, Saul would be rejected from being king (15.23). He had not understood the lesson we must all learn that "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (15.22). Now his rejection was complete.
After the choice of David (16.1-31.13)
The anointing of David changed the situation greatly. From this time forward Saul was clearly the rejected king, although years would pass before David sat on the throne. Nevertheless, there were those who, during these years, recognised him as the true king of Israel. The dealings that Saul had with David are those of a man representing the flesh with a man representing the spiritual. The flesh will not readily give way to that which is spiritual. During this time David did make his mistakes and he must not be regarded as perfect in all his dealings. Despite that, the tenor of his conduct displays spiritual features (see Gal 5.16).
The chart shows the unremitting purpose of Saul to put David to death. Even when his daughter, who had been given in marriage to David, helped to save him from the wrath of her father, and even when Jonathan his son showed that he appreciated David, the heart of Saul was unchanged. Any repentance of his actions was short-lived.
During these years we must observe the favour that David had with the people. The death of Goliath brought the name of David to the notice of the nation. This was the prime cause of the hatred Saul felt for the shepherd from Bethlehem. The flesh could not gain the victory over the adversary, but the spiritual did.
The attempts to put David to death led to his flight. David did not wish for a war with Saul, and wisdom, not cowardice, caused him to flee. The view of David was that he should not do battle for the throne, but leave this in the hands of the Lord. It is unbecoming for those who profess to belong to the Lord to be engaged in an unseemly public battle. Avoiding it may make the spiritual man appear to be weak, but it is, in reality, a sign of spiritual strength.
Note should also be taken of David's followers. They first come to our attention when David was sheltering in the cave of Adullam (22.1). These were men who had been impoverished by Saul, just as Samuel had warned. They saw in David the man who could meet their need. They gathered to him in the days of his rejection. The prospect that was dear to their hearts was that one day David would sit on the throne. What a lovely picture of believers this is. It was a court in exile. The king was there, the prophet Gad was there, and later they were joined by the priest (22.20). The king symbolised rule; the priest, worship; and the prophet, teaching. To have been an Adullamite must have been a great honour when David sat on the throne, just as it will be in a coming day for those who follow the Lord Jesus in the time of His rejection.
The forbearance of David is seen in that on two occasions he spared the life of Saul (24.1-8; 26.5-12). The matter of the succession was to be left to the Lord.
But we must note also the folly of David. In fleeing to Gath (21.10; 27.3) he was going to the home town of Goliath.
The conclusion of his reign
Saul, and his son Jonathan, died in battle with the Philistines. The sadness is that this man, who had been given everything that was necessary to be successful, failed so disastrously. Let this be a lesson to all believers. We have been given all that is necessary to be profitable servants of the Lord. How tragic it would be if we failed. Saul's disobedience to the Word of God and his jealousy of all that was spiritual brought about his fall.
But there is another warning. The people desired to have a king who would be like a Gentile monarch. Beware if, as happened to Israel, the Lord gives us our desires when they are not His will. As with Israel so with us: the results could be disastrous and render our lives valueless in His service.
