1 Samuel 10

Study Guide 29: 1 Samuel 9-15 THE FLAWED KING Overview The story of Saul is a tragic one, yet one filled with important spiritual lessons. Young Saul was an attractive personality. But under the pressures of leadership he showed fatal flaws. Saul’ s story is designed not to frighten us, as if we were like him. It is in Scripture to encourage us, for unlike Saul we will maintain a trust in God that enables us to triumph where he failed. KING. The Hebrew word is melek. It is often translated “ governor” or “ chief” or “ prince” as well as king. It indicates a person with civil authority. In biblical times this person had responsibility for all the functions of government — legislative, executive, and judicial. Israel’ s kings, however, were to be subject to God’ s Law personally, and to rule in harmony with that Law. Sacred history shows the powerful moral influence of both good and evil kings on the nations of Israel and Judah. FOOLISH. Samuel told Saul at one point that a decision he made to offer sacrifice to the Lord was “ foolish.” The word does not indicate a lack of intelligence, but a lack of moral and spiritual insight. The fool is impetuous, tends to rebellion, and insists on his or her own way. Only a growing relationship with the Lord and submission to Him can free us from the foolishness that is bound up in the heart of everyone — even children (Proverbs 22:15). No wonder that “ the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7).

Commentary The Monarchy Old Testament government. God’ s Old Testament people lived under two basic forms of national government. The first form was a theocracy. That is, God Himself served as Israel’ s King and Ruler. God gave His people a Law to live by (as legislator). God led His people in battle, often intervening miraculously to ensure victory when they trusted in Him (as chief executive). God made every individual and community responsible to hold each other accountable to perform the moral, social, and religious obligations set out in the Law (as judge). This understanding of the invisible God directly ruling His people was expressed by Samuel, who was shocked and outraged when the people demanded a human king. Samuel recalled the Israelites’ reaction when they saw an enemy move against them: “ You said to me, ‘ No, we want a king to rule over us’ — even though the Lord your God was your King” (1 Samuel 12:12). We might tend to excuse this demand for a visible leader to combat all too visible enemies, if it were not for history. For God, as King, had given His people human leaders. God had appointed Moses and Aaron, who brought this people’ s forefathers out of Egypt (1 Samuel 12:6-7). Later, in the land, Israel had suffered oppression from human enemies. But oppression had come only when the people turned away from God. When Israel turned back to God, the Lord sent the leaders known as Judges: people like Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel (1 Samuel 12:9-11). Through leaders like these, God won military victories for His people. The Judges were charismatic leaders sent by God as an expression of the Lord’ s own kingship over Israel. They did not represent establishment of a different form of government. But establishment of a monarchy does represent initiation of a different form of government. The human leaders to whom Israel would owe allegiance would, like the leaders of pagan nations around them, hold office not by virtue of God’ s call but by virtue of birth. Kings would pass the right to rule on to their children, with no consideration of ability or of moral character. Israel’ s foolishness. When in Samuel’ s day the people of Israel called for a king, they performed a foolish act. That is, they showed a tragic lack of spiritual understanding. First of all, Israel’ s call for a king was in fact a rejection of God’ s traditional role in her national life. The desire of the people was for a king so that “ we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:20). Yet God had called Israel different from all other nations. As Moses had said, “ What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to Him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7) It was Israel’ s direct relationship with the God of heaven that set her apart. In calling for a king, Israel in effect rejected God’ s direct rule, and denied her unique heritage. Second, Israel’ s call for a king disregarded a basic aspect of covenant relationship with God. God had committed Himself to bless His people when they lived in harmony with His Law. God had said, “ Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess” (Deuteronomy 5:33). This basic element of covenant relationship was unaffected by the introduction of a king. Whatever the form of government, God’ s people would only know blessing when they obeyed! When the monarchy was instituted, Samuel reminded Israel of this fact. “ If you fear the Lord and serve and obey Him and do not rebel against His commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God — good! But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against His commands, His hand will be against you” (1 Samuel 12:14-15). The form of government made no basic difference. Blessing could come only as a result of obedience of the whole people to the Lord. Third, with a king as the visible head of the nation, many would begin to rely on him rather than on God. Reliance would shift from God to the standing army and the fortifications the king would build. Erosion of reliance on God alone became a real and present danger. Fourth, institution of the monarchy introduced unnecessary danger. Power and influence were focused in a human leader; a single individual who in turn could influence the nation. An evil king with the power of life and death over his people could make wickedness appear to pay as he rewarded those who were loyal to him rather than to God. Just such a danger exists any time that people must live with divided loyalties. Moses had foretold a day when the people would demand a king, and the Law established requirements designed to minimize the dangers. He said: “ When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, ‘ Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,’ be sure to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite. The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, ‘ You are not to go back that way again.’ He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. “ When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel” (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). Israel’ s king was to subject himself to the King of kings. A king who would not be subject to God could and would bring disaster on the nation. The coming king. The motives of the people of Israel in demanding a king were wrong. And they lacked the spiritual insight to see the implications of their request. Yet God granted it. Why? At least two reasons can be suggested. The first reason is found in the fact that the three major institutions in Old Testament life each speak of Jesus. The priesthood was established to offer the sacrifices that affirmed and maintained relationship between God and sinful human beings. Jesus, as our High Priest, offered His own blood in history’ s ultimate sacrifice, making us forever acceptable to God. The prophet was established in Israel as God’ s spokesman, communicating His message to His people in time of need. Jesus is “ the Prophet” spoken of in Deuteronomy 18:1-22, whose message both fulfills and supersedes that given by Moses. And the king was established in Israel as a ruler. Jesus is our present and coming King, who will surely establish His personal rule over this earth as well as the universe at large. For us to understand the ministry of Jesus we need to sense the historic meaning of the priest, the prophet, and the king in Israel. Each of these offices was designed to help us grasp more of the role of Jesus in God’ s plan, and in our lives. For this reason, then, that we might grasp the central role God intends for Jesus, it was necessary that Israel establish a monarchy and live under kings. But there may be another, more subtle reason, that also points us to Jesus. Throughout history human beings have assumed that if only a society might devise the right form of government, that society would become just and the people would enjoy the blessings of harmony and peace. Plato imagined his republic, and philosophers and dreamers since then have devised various plans for their utopias. But the Bible insists that our problems are not rooted in our forms of government, but in ourselves. Sin corrupts us all, and because of sin no form of human government can promise justice or peace. Yet human beings continue to dream. And the Bible continues to testify that this dream is false! Israel sinned under Moses, the man of God. Israel sinned under the theocracy. Israel sinned under the monarchy. Israel sinned under Governor Nehemiah. Israel sinned as Rome’ s client state. And when Jesus returns, a world under Jesus’ direct and righteous rule will again choose to follow Satan and rebel (Revelation 20:1-10). In essence, history’ s many forms of government continually demonstrate that the problem with human society is not political, but personal. We do not need some new, inventive form of government to make us good. We need Jesus. We need the forgiveness of our sins, and an obedience to God that is expressed in a life of love for others. God’ s willingness to let His people try different forms of government was at least in part intended to help them learn from their failures to turn away from man to find forgiveness in Him. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Ask your group members to evaluate the following forms of government: Dictatorship; Anarchy; Democracy; Communist; Monarchy. Which would you most like to live under? Which would you least like to live under? Why? After each person has explained his or her choice, set up two conditions: (1) All members of the society are practicing Christians. (2) No members of the society are practicing Christians. Discuss: “ Which form of government would be most effective under each of these conditions?” After discussion explain the shift in governmental structures that took place when the monarchy was introduced in Israel. This form of government worked well when king and people were dedicated to the Lord. But when people or king were ungodly the nation met disaster. It is not the form of government that makes the difference in life, it is the relationship of the people of a nation to the Lord.

Lessons from the Life of Saul Saul should have taught Israel the danger of relying on a human king. Every human being is flawed. Only God can be relied on fully. Yet stories of Israel’ s first, flawed king continue to teach us important spiritual lessons. Keys to success (1 Samuel 9-11). Saul began his reign with notable success. What were the qualities that made his success possible? These chapters point up several. *Humility. Saul was initially free from a sense of self-importance. When told that God had chosen him as king, Saul protested. He pointed out that he was a member of the “ smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin?” (1 Samuel 9:21) The same trait may have led Saul to hide himself among the baggage as Samuel later led the people through a process of divination — possibly using the Urim and Thummim by which God guided Israel. When he was brought out, the people were excited because he looked like a king, being a head taller than anyone in Israel. How good when we can remain humble, as Saul was, when others are impressed by some superficial trait. *Restraint. When Saul was proclaimed king a few “ troublemakers” objected. In those times a monarch might have been expected to be angry, and act quickly to punish the affront. Saul however showed restraint and kept silent. It is a great personal strength when you and I can overlook criticism and even affronts. *Godly concern. The city of Jabesh Gilead, lying across the River Jordan, was besieged by the Ammonites. The purpose was to terrorize Israel, and humble this people who had just anointed a king. God’ s Spirit filled Saul with fury, and he commanded that all the men of Israel appear to fight the Ammonites. Saul responded in a godly way, for as king he was responsible to protect his people. How good when we too have a godly concern for others, and are willing to be responsible to help meet their needs. *Wisdom. Saul’ s army was large, but poorly armed. Only Saul and Jonathan had iron weapons when they faced the Philistines (1 Samuel 13:22). The people of Israel were armed only with clubs, axes, and sickles! So Saul had the people of Jabesh tell the Ammonites they would surrender the next day. That night he attacked the Ammonite camp from three sides. The surprise was complete, and the enemy force so completely shattered that “ no two of them were left together” (1 Samuel 11:11). *Magnanimity. After this victory the people remembered those who had slandered Saul earlier. They were eager to kill them to honor Saul, whom they credited with their stunning victory. But Saul was magnanimous in victory. He refused to put them to death on the day that God had won such a victory for his people. What a lesson for us to learn. We need not rebuke others, for as we walk with God His evident blessings in events will rebuke them. We need not defend ourselves, for as we walk with God others sense God’ s blessing and they will speak up on our behalf. *Praise. Saul was not proud in his victory. Instead he led his people to give credit and praise to God. It was not Saul, the king said, but “ the Lord [who] has rescued Israel” (1 Samuel 11:13). What an important lesson for you and me, for our victories too are won by the Lord, and are to issue in praise and celebration. God’ s choice of Saul was a wise one. Saul was a man of many good qualities, and many of the traits we see in this 30-year-old are endearing. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Have your group take the role of a search committee for a pastor of a local church. One of the candidates is Saul. Work in teams of three or four to find in 1 Samuel 9-11 all the reasons why Saul should be recommended to the church by the committee. Saul’ s flaws (1 Sam. 13-15). Saul was relatively young when he began to rule. Events early in his 40-year reign revealed flaws that had been hidden by the young king’ s many positive qualities. Several events demonstrate the nature of these flaws. *Disobedience (1 Samuel 13:1-15). Saul established a small standing army, posting his men at Gibeah and Micmash to defend against Philistine attacks. These cities, which lie just a little to the east of Jerusalem, show how deeply the Philistines had penetrated into Israel’ s territory. When Saul’ s son Jonathan attacked a Philistine outpost, this enemy assembled an overwhelming army that cut through Palestine to assemble near Gilgal, almost on the banks of the Jordan River! This invasion terrorized the Israelites, who forgot their recent victory. Saul called out his people to fight, but instead the men of Israel scattered, to hide in rocks and caves. Earlier Samuel had predicted this situation, and had told Saul to wait at Gilgal seven days for Samuel to come and offer sacrifice. Saul had been told, “ You must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do” (1 Samuel 10:8). So now Saul waited. And he watched as members of his army slipped away! Saul did not know what he could do. But as the seventh day slowly passed, Saul felt he could not wait any longer. Disobeying the word of God’ s spokesman Saul ordered a fire laid, and he himself, though not of priestly lineage, offered a burnt sacrifice to the Lord! Saul had been effective in action. But he was unable to stand the pressure of waiting! How like so many of us. As long as there is something to do, we’ re all right. But when there are pressures, when we don’ t know what to do and we have to wait, we too are tempted to act foolishly. The smoke from Saul’ s sacrifice was no sooner drifting up into the skies than Samuel appeared. Shocked, the old prophet confronted the disobedient king. “ You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you,” Samuel told him. “ Now your kingdom will not endure” (1 Samuel 13:13-14). The biblical passage makes one striking addition. It reports that when Samuel left Gilgal, and Saul counted the men who were with him, they numbered about 600. Is this number significant? Some years before Gideon had been called to deliver Israel from an enemy even more numerous. God gradually reduced his army, until only 300 remained. With the 300 God won total victory, and the enemy was routed. I wonder. Did Saul, when the count was finally taken, remember Gideon? Did he wonder then, if he had only had the courage to wait, if God might not have given him a victory twice as great as Gideon’ s? We will never know Saul’ s thoughts as he learned the number of the men who had remained with him. But we do know now the nature of Saul’ s flaw. Under pressure Saul would be unable to trust God. Under pressure Saul would be unable to wait. Under pressure, Saul would refuse to obey. Saul’ s hypocrisy (1 Samuel 14:1-52). A sense of sin is intended to lead us to confession of our faults to God, and is to help us develop a compassionate sensitivity to others who may also fall. A little later Jonathan again initiated an attack on a Philistine detachment that was deep in Israelite territory. Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some 20 of the enemy in a half-acre area. The Philistines panicked, and the panic spread! As the Philistines ran, Saul and his men attacked! As Saul sent out his men he commanded that no one taste food until evening. But as the running battle continued, Saul’ s men became weak from their exertion. Only Jonathan, who had not heard his father’ s command, snatched up a little honey as he pursued the enemy through a forest area. That night, after the men had eaten, Saul wanted to continue his assault. But when he asked God for guidance, the Lord did not respond. Saul took this as a sign that someone had sinned. Again using the means God had provided for special guidance, Saul demanded to know who was at fault. The blame was fixed on Jonathan! When Jonathan confessed that he had unknowingly violated his father’ s command, Saul was actually willing to put him to death. Then the men of the army interceded. Should Jonathan die, who with God’ s help had routed the enemy? Never! What an insight into the king. He was ready to kill a son he loved for violating his command. But the king had knowingly violated the command of God! Rather than making Saul sensitive to the weakness of others, he was harsh with those whose fault was less than his own! Saul fought valiantly against Israel’ s enemies (1 Samuel 14:47-48). He won many victories. But Saul was never able to win the most important victory of all: a victory over his own inner weaknesses and flaws. Flagrant disobedience (1 Samuel 15:1-35). God commanded Saul to battle the Amalekites, and to totally destroy this historic enemy. Saul was told to also destroy their possessions, including their flocks and other wealth. Saul did lead his people to battle. But he spared Agag, the king, and the best of the sheep and the cattle. Confronted by Samuel, Saul first tried denial: “ The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’ s instructions” (1 Samuel 15:13). Next Saul offered an excuse, and attempted to shift the blame. “ The soldiers . . . spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God” (1 Samuel 15:15). Disgusted now, Samuel told Saul, “ Stop.” Saul had disobeyed God, and that disobedience was evil in the eyes of the Lord. What God seeks in every person is not sacrifice, but a humble spirit, and a devotion to the Lord that is expressed in obedience. Samuel’ s next words to Saul are addressed to every one of us as well: Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king. 1 Samuel 15:22-23Only then did Saul confess his sin, and explain it honestly. “ I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them” (1 Samuel 15:24). But even this panicked confession seems to have been motivated by the fear that Samuel would leave and refuse to “ honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel” (1 Samuel 15:30). Even then Saul seemed more concerned about the opinion of his people than the opinion of God. He would confess his public sin privately. But he would not, as David later did, confess his public sin publicly. And so we are shown the tragic flaws in Saul, a man who began so well but whose unwillingness to trust God robbed him of blessing, and ultimately filled him with fears not of an enemy but of his own people. Still, there is one more word in the text of this chapter which, I believe, can comfort us. “ Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord” (1 Samuel 15:31). Saul was flawed. That flaw meant that he must be rejected as king over Israel. But the flaw did not mean that God rejected him personally. Saul, the sinner, could not be the leader he might have been. But Saul, the sinner, could find forgiveness and through forgiveness a personal relationship with the Lord. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Use the experiences of Saul to help your group members locate their own “ pressure points.” Divide into teams of three or four. Have half the teams study 1 Samuel 13:1-23, and half, 1 Samuel 15:1-35. Each is to determine the nature of the pressures that led Saul to disobey. When your teams report, ask the group to imagine they are Saul, and to list all the arguments they can think of that Saul might have found to obey rather than disobey. LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN Help your children make a “ Saul and Me” game. Mark squares off along the outside rim of a paper plate. Color one of the squares, to represent both “ start” and “ finish.” Divide the inner plate into four segments. In two of the segments draw a scene from Saul’ s life. Perhaps a fire to represent 1 Samuel 13:1-23, and an animal to represent 1 Samuel 15:1-35. In the other two segments have each child draw something that represents a way in which he or she obeys. Loosely attach a cardboard arrow to the center of the paper plate with a metal brad. Use coins or colored paper circles for markers. After telling the stories of Saul’ s disobedience, introduce this game. A child spins the arrow. If it lands on a “ Saul” square he must move his marker one square backward. If it lands on a “ me” square he may move his marker two squares forward. Only obedience will help anyone move toward the winner’ s circle. A person who disobeys is always going backward, away from the good things God has for us in life. The story of Saul is a tragic one. Yet how gracious of the Lord to let us learn from his example, rather than to rush on to learn from personal experience.

Teaching Guide Prepare What lessons has God taught you through times when you have disobeyed?

Explore Have your group take the role of a search committee that is evaluating young Saul as a candidate for pastor. See the “ link-to-life” activity above.

Expand

1. Divide into study teams, assigning half the teams 1 Samuel 13:1-23 and the other half, 1 Samuel 15:1-35. Each team is to identify and label pressures on Saul that led him to disobey. Then each team is to develop counterpressures, which might have encouraged Saul to obey. When the teams have completed their analyses, come together to share results.
2. Or, continue “ gaming” selection of a pastor. Assume you now receive a report of how candidate Saul has functioned in his last leadership role. Explore 1 Samuel 13-15, and do a character analysis of Saul. Would Saul be a good candidate for pastoral leadership? Why, or why not? Saul did have many strengths. Under what conditions might Saul have been able to function well?

Apply

1. Ask each to identify one situation in which they feel pressure to disobey God. Have each identify and label the pressure arrows. Then have each identify and label encouragements that help them choose to obey.
2. Or, summarize. What should a group responsible to select spiritual leaders look for? How might they avoid calling seriously flawed individuals?