The Rise and Fall of a King: Lessons From Saul's Journey

Last week we learned that Samuel had anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. I’m not certain Saul believed him, but he certainly wasn’t ready.

We pick up the story in 1 Samuel 10:17-19

1 Samuel 10:17–19 ESV

17 Now Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah. 18 And he said to the people of Israel, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ 19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.”

Remember last week we discussed how the Israelites were rejecting God with this selection. God had been the head of Israel up and to this point. Ever since the Israelites had left Egypt though, they consistently questioned if God was going to be there for them. The crazy part is that every time God showed up and yet still they lack faith in Him. They look around and see that it seems like all of the people not following God have it going better for them. I don’t know about you, but I definitely have had this feeling before. “It would just be easier to not be a Christian. Everyone else’s lives are going better than mine or at least as good as mine so what is the point of this whole thing anyways?” The Israelites were living in this type of moment. They have faced constant pressure from the kingdoms around them and it hasn’t always gone well for them. The Philistines, for instance, had been harassing them for a while. So they have decided that they want a king and to just be like everyone else around them. Maybe it will work better for them that way. This was a rejection as God as king of their nation and a desire to replace it with what the world had to offer.

Remember, we talked about how sometimes God will give us what we ask for even if it isn’t what God would have for us. He does this because sometimes we need to learn some lessons.

We haven’t read a lot of it, but in Leviticus and Deuteronomy we see what is known as the Law. This was just that—the code of laws for the Israelites to follow. There were a lot of laws about how to interact as a society, how to worship God, and how to live as an individual. They had laws about the clothes they could wear, the food they could eat, and how to make sacrifices to God. There were a ton of them. So what was the purpose of the Law? First, create civil order within the community. But second, it was also to show people that they were incapable of living up to the standards of God. No one could keep the law. It was difficult and very rigorous. We needed a better way to be reconciled to God that took our obedience out of the picture because we were eternally separated from God.

So now, just as the law was there to show our reliance on God, the institution of a King over Israel was to show them that they needed a better King. That King would eventually be Jesus. But in order to show them, they needed an imperfect set of kings who would show the failings of man and his success when he is reliant on God.

So here we are in our story where the first king of Israel is being introduced. Imagine that you have a project to present in class and the teacher is randomly calling people up to present. You know you are going to be chosen, but you don’t know when. You’re sitting there—palms sweating, heart racing, and your stomach is nauseous. Saul is right there with you in this moment.

1 Samuel 10:20–24 ESV

20 Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot; and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 So they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” 23 Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

Saul is terrified about this new responsibility. I imagine him hiding in the baggage hoping, praying, screaming inside that what he was told doesn’t actually happen. Hopefully Samuel was wrong! But then his name is called. That sinking feeling in his stomach rears up violently and he is sitting there frozen. Maybe if he doesn’t go up they will move on? He’s sitting there quietly with beads of sweat on his forehead. The baggage is pressed all around him. “They won’t find me,” he thinks to himself. And then suddenly one of the bundles is lifted up exposing him to the light. There is no more hiding.

It is okay to feel unprepared for what God calls for us to do. Feeling unprepared isn’t a problem, it is how we respond to it. We have a couple of choices: 1) we cower in fear and neglect our responsibility, or 2) we recognize our shortcoming and lean into God and His provision for us.

1 Samuel 10:25–27 ESV

25 Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. 26 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. 27 But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

What do you think of when you think of being King? Probably a palace and servants and a lavish life style right? See, Saul wasn’t going to get any of that. He was sent back to his house. Not only that, he went home and got to hear people doubt him and talk down about him. To Saul, this really didn’t sound like a good deal.

Okay, so Saul is back home and life is going on as usual at this point. We’re going to cut over in the story to a new character and a new place for a minute.

1 Samuel 11:1–3 ESV

1 Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” 2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel.” 3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days’ respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.”

So some background from some extra-biblical sources. The Ammonites were attacking this sect of the Israelites and gouging out their right eye so they couldn’t fight effectively. It was super cruel but effective.

The people of Jabesh are willing to surrender, but they really don’t want to lose their eyes so they say, hey give us 7 days and see if Isreal will come to our defense. The Ammonites were so sure of themselves they apparently agreed.

1 Samuel 11:4–11 ESV

4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, and all the people wept aloud. 5 Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. 6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. 7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. 8 When he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. 9 And they said to the messengers who had come, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have salvation.’ ” When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad. 10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.” 11 And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

Saul was coming in from the field. I want to first draw the attention to this piece. Saul was a King, but he still was out in the fields working.

This is a first lesson in leadership: a true leader works with his people, he doesn’t just lord over them. This is a theme that exists throughout the bible called servant-leadership. It is a biblical principle that has recently found its way into secular thinking: leaders should serve those they are leading. When the mindset is on serving those you lead they will follow-you more fully and you will be more successful.

So Saul looks at the situation and comes to the aid of his people. He sends a really strong message to the people of Israel that you either come to the defense of the nation or you will be killed. He sets a tone of unity across Israel. He gathered over 300,000 men to their aid and rode to their defense. The Israelites won the battle and pushed the Ammonites back.

1 Samuel 11:12–15 ESV

12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.