Who was King Saul in the Bible?

Son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, and the first king of Israel. He was anointed by Samuel by God's direction when the Israelites demanded a king. As the king whom they had chosen and desired, 'a new heart' was given him, and he had a fair start in his reign; but he signally failed in obedience to God, by the word of Samuel. He was rejected, and David was anointed, whom for years he malignantly persecuted. Being forsaken of God, without faith or conscience he resorted to one with a familiar spirit, and there heard his doom. (See DIVINATION.) He was conquered by the Philistines, the very people he was to have overcome. Thus royalty, as everything else committed to man by God, at once failed. For details of Saul's life see SAMUEL, FIRST BOOK OF.

Samuel is the first of the prophets who were raised up by God because of the solemn failure of the priesthood. Priests were successional, not so prophets; theirs was a call strictly and personally by God. But Samuel's faithful care for Israel was not rightly appreciated, and they demanded a king. God allowed them their own way, and gave them the type of king they desired, Saul, a man head and shoulders taller than all the people. He began well, but rapidly declined from any purpose of obeying God; and God decreed in chapter 15:26 that his reign must cease.

At this time there was a king reigning over Israel, whose name was Saul. The Lord had given the kingdom to Saul, yet Saul was king who did according to his own will; he did not obey the Lord’s commands, for his heart was not right in the sight of God. So that the Lord chose another to reign over Israel. The prophet Samuel told Saul that the Lord had refused him, and that he would give the kingdom to another; one better than he was. Then the Lord sent the aged prophet Samuel to Bethlehem, that he might there anoint one of Jesse’s sons, to be the next king over Israel.

Saul began to fail from the first. He had the witness of God's presence with him, he was told that if he were obedient his kingdom would be established; every motive was supplied for faithfulness; but he sank lower and lower till he reached the lowest depths. And when he sought aid from the witch of Endor, he hears his doom; he dies by his own hand and drags down the kingdom which God had entrusted to him into hopeless ruin. Then God intervenes, and the man who had been prepared of God comes to the rescue, and Israel is raised to power and glory more rapidly than they fell into degradation and servitude.

Then Samuel and Saul meet for the first time. First Saul and the servant meet maidens going out to draw water, and they directed them to the heights where a sacrificial feast was to be held. And the Lord had spoken into Samuel's ear the day before that the man of Benjamin would come. All had been ordered by the Lord and Samuel, knowing the expected one would come had reserved the shoulder of the peace offering for him (9:23-24). (See annotations on Leviticus.) What the Lord had said to Samuel concerning Saul reveals His gracious purpose of love towards Saul. Though he was the people's choice yet the Lord was willing to make him much more, even the saviour of this people Israel (9:16). Samuel tells Saul that the asses were found, so that he was relieved of the anxiety. And when Samuel acquaints him that all Israel desires him, he speaks of his own littleness (9:21). It reminds us of that other Saul of the tribe of Benjamin, the Apostle Paul, whose name means "little." However Saul, the son of Kish, knew nothing of real self-judgment. It was rather the language of surprise than the expression of a deep, heartfelt humility. Then we see them in communion, and afterwards Samuel anoints him with the holy anointing oil and kissed him. The anointing is the symbol of power conferred upon him and also implies dependence upon the Holy Spirit, typified by the oil. The kiss was given in token of homage. Thus Saul became the first king in Israel. Samuel also gave him three significant signs, which all came to pass. They were given to Saul to assure him of all which had taken place and to teach him certain spiritual lessons. He was assured that God is with Him (10:7). The Spirit of God also came upon him and he prophesied.

Saul, a tall, choice, handsome young man, looked every inch a king. When Samuel at God's direction anointed him king, he made a good start. Samuel told him several signs that would happen to him. One was that he would meet a company of prophets, "and the Spirit of Jehovah will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man" (1 Sam. 10:56). This happened, and was a surprise to all who had known him, for clearly, Saul had not been known for spirituality before this. When he was publicly pointed out as the king God was giving His people, he initially behaved himself in a modest way.

Although the Spirit of God had come upon him, we do not find his heart changed. The Spirit empowers him, and he defeats enemy armies. But to be turned into another man proved to be merely an outward thing with Saul. He could act decisively against the foe. He was religious, too, in a public way, just as many political leaders are today. But true obedience to God and His word was simply not a part of his character. This was his ruin.

The Books of Samuel and Kings Here we begin with the training of a man of God—Samuel. From childhood we see him marked out for service, just as we have seen with Joseph and Moses. Then we read how the people turned their backs upon Samuel, and in reality upon God, in choosing Saul, the son of Kish, to be their king. They wanted to be like the surrounding nations, and they chose by the sight of their eyes a man, head and shoulders above any of the people, as if inches meant moral worth. Again we find utter misery and failure, Saul dying by his own hand in despair on mount Gilboa.

Other similar instances occur where unregenerate persons were made the instruments, for the time being, of the Spirit of God. 1 Sam. 11:6, "And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings and his anger was kindled greatly," etc. I have selected this passage as one of many showing the work of the Spirit in leading to definite action. Throughout the book of Judges it is of frequent occurrence, when God was about to deliver his people. We would fain believe that many upon whom the Spirit thus came were children of God. Alas! no proof of that exists as to king Saul — a man of unbounded opportunities who departed from God, persecuted the man of God, and passed, at last, out of the world by his own hand, after having consulted a witch. But there can be no question that the Spirit made use of king Saul to conquer the enemies of the Lord. Who are the mightiest foes when the Spirit of God takes hold of one? "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God lifts up a standard against them." The power of the Spirit is here seen.

A sad ending to one of the saddest stories of the Bible. Jonathan, Abinadab and Melchi-shua, Saul's sons, fall first. Then Saul is wounded. He asks his armour bearer to make an end of his sufferings. There is no evidence whatever of his repentance and turning unto the Lord. He died as he had lived in rebellion against Jehovah. The armour-bearer refused to kill Saul; then he fell upon his own sword and committed suicide. He is the first suicide mentioned in the Bible. Ahithophel (2 Sam. 17:23); Zimri (1 Kings 16:18) and Judas Iscariot (Matt. 27:5) are other suicides recorded in the Word. The first chapter of the second book of Samuel tells us of an Amalekite who slew Saul. This is not a contradiction at all as some have declared. First Saul asked his armour-bearer to slay him; he refused. Then he fell upon his sword but was not wholly successful. In anguish he leaned upon his spear and when the Amalekite came along, he told him that his life was still in him (2 Sam. 1:9) and he slew him. His end is sad and has its solemn lessons. His sin was the sparing of Amalek, we say again, the type of the flesh. Of this sin Samuel had reminded him in his message of doom (28:18). His disobedience ended in self-destruction. Such is sin. And an Amalekite made the end of him. Sin allowed and followed will do its dreadful work in the end, as this Amalekite, spared by Saul, ends his life.

Yet, to human eyes, who or what more promising than the son of Kish? He was just the man to attract and fix the eye of nature. "There was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he; from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people." He was physically a magnificent man, of right royal appearance. God brings him to Samuel, and instructs the prophet how to act. Saul is anointed, and has the assurance from God that he is to be king, and, by a series of events which "providential" would not accurately describe, God's word is confirmed to him. Notwithstanding this, when the moment came for his being presented to the people, he had "hid himself among the stuff." To man this might seem to betoken modesty, a sense of unworthiness, and self-distrust, and therefore most desirable in one suddenly called to the highest station. But however pleasing the appearance, was it of faith in God's word, confirmed as it had been, to hide among the stuff at the very time when he ought to have been present before the people? If self had been forgotten, if simple trust in God, obedient to His call, there would have been no need to drag him out of his hiding-place. Diffidence of self would surely have been felt, but there would also have been confidence in God, and humble reliance. Saul failed at the beginning. There was no faith: proof from the first that he was not the right man. Outwardly all looked well; the sons of Belial despised him, "but he held his peace." He gets the reward of this in a victory over Nahash, and God establishes him upon the throne. The people would put to death those who mockingly said," Shall Saul reign over us?" But he would not allow one to be put to death, "for today Jehovah has wrought salvation in Israel." Not Saul, but Jehovah; there is the appearance of giving honour to Jehovah. It is beautiful blossom, but, alas! the fruit, like the apples of Sodom, are only ashes. It looks well to praise God in the hour of victory, what will he do when the Philistines gather thousands of chariots and horsemen, and people as the sand on the seashore in multitude; when his own people "hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits" in every conceivable place. So great was the terror from the Philistines. Even his army trembled; he had three thousand men — soon they dwindled down to six hundred. (1 Sam. 13:2, 15.) Samuel is late in coming, and the strain is too great for the semblance of faith, and the impatience of unbelief leads him to intrude into the priestly office. His excuse to Samuel is but the proof that true faith was not found in him. There was positive disobedience, and he pleads necessity. "I forced myself," he said. But God reads the heart, and by the mouth of the prophet Samuel pronounces judgment. "Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of Jehovah thy God." It was all over with Saul; he had been put into the crucible, and there was no gold — only dross. God would have established his kingdom forever, but now it shall not continue. The succeeding test, when sent to destroy Amalek, only confirmed the judgment given already. The kingdom was rent from him, and given to his neighbour, who was better than he. Saul is both judged and forsaken of God, as 1 Samuel 14:37 shows, where also he proves himself, by his foolish prohibition of food, to be a hindrance to Israel's complete victory, and the cause of the people ravenously eating the flesh with the blood. Saul was the nation's ruin.