REIGN OF SAUL

1. Saul continued his ordinary course of life until there arose an occasion when he could show himself a capable leader of Israel's armies. At first at least, the position of Saul differed little from that of a judge, but by his decisive victory over the Ammonites he proved to his people that their hopes in him were not misplaced. Those who had at first withheld their allegiance from the new king must now confess their error. Saul's victory gave occasion for a further ratification of the establishment of the kingdom, and for the retirement of Samuel from the functions of a judge. Samuel was, however, still a prophet, and he re minded the people of their sin in asking for a king, and assured them that they would have God's favor if they and their king would be obedient to him.

2. Saul selected a standing army of three thousand men, one -third of whom were under the command of Jonathan. The Philistines were now Israel's great enemy, and continued to be until their subjection by David. Because of an attack made upon them by Jonathan they invaded the country of Israel in large numbers, so that the army of Israel withdrew to Gilgal. Here Saul showed his lack of obedience by not patiently waiting for Samuel as long as he had directed (1 Sam. 10:8). When rebuked he attempted to justify him self on the ground that it would have been inexpedient to wait longer. But he was assured that his disobedience had brought upon him the loss of the right to rule. The Israelites were brought into almost complete subjection to the Philistines. The small band left with Saul was regarded as of little consequence. But Jonathan brought on another conflict between the two peoples. Single-handed, by the help of Jehovah he started a panic in the Philistine garrison, and the invaders were completely routed.

The statement by Samuel to Saul that the Lord had sought him a man after his own heart is to be interpreted by the context. It is of course not an endorsement of all that David was to do, as though he was an ideal man in the sight of God, but rather that God desired a king who would not seek his own gratification, but would be obedient to God's commands.

By ignorantly violating a foolish command of Saul Jonathan very nearly lost his life, but the people defended him because of the great victory gained by his agency. Saul's rashness is further shown by the fact that he began to build an altar, that he then probably stopped to continue the defeat of the Philistines, and by his oath that whoever was the cause of Jehovah's failure to answer him should be put to death.

3. The climax of Saul's failure as king appears in his course when sent against the Amalekites. These were a persistent enemy of the Israelites. They had opposed them when they came from Egypt, and it seems that only a short time before Saul's campaign they had shown renewed hostility. They were to be punished for their enmity toward the people of Jehovah. Saul set out upon his mission, but saw fit to depart from what he was commanded. God would have them destroyed; he would spare especially the king. Even the flocks and herds were to share in the destruction, that the lesson might be all the more clearly taught; but Saul would spare these for the use of Israel. He said that they might be used for sacrifices, although we can hardly credit him with so much religious zeal. The prophet is sent to him with the message of his rejection by Jehovah. He tells him that his obedience would be worth more than all the sacrifices he could offer. Agag was slain, and the prophet turned away from the king.

The Amalekites occupied the country south of Palestine, and appear very early in the history of the Hebrews. They were conquered by the kings that captured Lot (Gen. 14:7), and they opposed the progress of the Israelites through Sinai. They were not utterly destroyed by Saul, but were reduced in power, and were finally destroyed by David when he was living at Ziklag. They are not identical with the descendants of the grandson of Edom.

4. The rejection of Saul did not mean that he was to be deposed at once from his position of king, but that he was not to the ad of a line of kings, his son could not succeed him. He was not to be in God's favor the rest of his life. It is said that the Spirit of God was taken from him. The special Divine help by which he had been able to accomplish his work was now to be withheld, As had been provided when Israel should choose a king he must be familiar with the law of God, and must seek to carry out God's will, But Saul failed in just that respect — he cared more for his own individual interests than he did for what God wanted him to do; he could not then be king over God's people. The fundamental requirement of the people when the covenant was made with them at Sinai was that they should obey the Law, and of course this would be especially demanded of the king.

The consciousness that he was rejected of God would furnish a satisfactory explanation of the spirit and conduct of Saul during the rest of his life. He was filled with envy, jealousy, hate. He did all in his power to destroy the man that God had chosen to suc ed m. The statement that an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him does not mean that an evil being came to make him wicked, but refers to the madness that afterward came upon him,

5. It is not certain when Saul learned of David's being anointed, but it seems that he began his attempts to kill him soon after David came to be at the court, He was jealous because David received more praise than did he; he feared him because the Lord was with him. He required David to do what would expose him to danger of death, he placed him where he would be likely to be killed; he attempted to take his life with his own hand, and when David escaped to the tribe of Judah he pursued him with a portion of his army.

Nothing could surpass the magnanimity of Jonathan during all this period. He was the heir presumptive to the throne of Israel. Nothing stood in the way of his ruling, it would seem, but David, and instead of joining his father in his endeavor to remove this one obstacle, he does all in his power to defeat his father's purpose, and thus establish his rival in the place he would occupy himself. Truly the love of Jonathan was wonderful.

There were three divinely appointed institutions in Israel: the prophetic, the priestly, and the kingly. The priest would have authority in religious ceremonies, the king would have the management of the secular affairs, and the prophet would be a special agent in the communication of God's will. The prophet then might be in a position to command the priest or king, while the king would have no right to interfere with the functions of either of the other two. Saul, however, did not respect the position or authority of either priest or prophet. He killed the one and disobeyed the commands of the other.

6. While David was in Ziklag the Philistines gathered a large army to fight against the Israelites. The battle took place in the plain of Jezreel. Before this time Saul had succeeded in holding this enemy in check, but now they strike a crushing blow upon Israel. Not only was the army of Israel defeated, but Saul and his three sons were slain. There seems to be a conflict between the two accounts of Saul's death. The fact appears to be that he fell upon his sword and killed himself, while the Amalekite that brought the report of his death to David claimed to have killed him in order to secure a reward.

There are difficulties in the account of Saul's consulting the witch of Endor. Some understand that there was no actual vision, that the woman simply pretended that there was; others suppose that Samuel did appear to the woman, or to Saul also, and that this was permitted by the Lord; that the woman herself had no power to summon Samuel.

SUMMARY.

1. Saul's victory over the Ammonites; he wins popular favor.
2. Invasion by the Philistines; Saul's disobedience; the Philistines routed. Meaning of the expression, ” a man after his own heart.” Saul's rashness.
3. Commission to destroy the Amalekites and failure. Saul's rejection. Who the Amalekites were.
4. Meaning and cause of Saul's rejection. His subsequent madness.
5. Attempts to kill David. Jonathan's magnanimity. Saul's relation to the priests and prophet.
6. Battle with the Philistines; death of Saul. Visit to the witch of Endor.