52. Beginner Bible Course: The Story of King Saul, Israel's first king

EPISODE 52  The simple Bible overview of…THE STORY OF KING SAUL – ISRAEL’S FIRST KING

The last episode ended with the nation of Israel crying out for a King, like the nations around them. The rest of the first Samuel is about that first King. Well, actually that first King has to share the rest of the first Samuel with another figure. And that's part of the problem. God instructs, Samuel, to go to the tribe of Benjamin and anoint the man that God points to the tribe of Benjamin. Remember them there, the ones nearly wiped out at the end of judges, God is going to select their first King from that tiny tribe. God gives the nod to a young man named Saul. He's a farmer and a herder. He was striking mainly because he was a head taller than anyone else around Saul.

1

00:00:46

I was looking for his dad's donkeys comes to Samuel the Sears house to see if he can get a little insight on where his donkeys are. As soon as he walks in, God says Samuel, he's the one Samuel strikes up an extended conversation with Saul. This gives us our first peek into this man's personality. He asked Samuel why are you even talking to me? Maybe because he's so unusually tall, he seems shy and very self-conscious Samuel offers to a skirt. Saul out of town. Samuel gets all alone and breaks out a flask of olive oil. He dumps it over Saul's head. Even Saul a farm boy. He knows what this represents.

1

00:01:28

You only anoint priests and leaders. Samuel instructs him. The God of Israel says you will be the first King Samuel then tells him where to find his donkeys and ads. By the way, God's going to change you into a different man. And God did just that God's spirit came upon him and he was different. When he gets home, his uncle asked him what's happened. Saul doesn't tell them anything about Samuel just that he has gotten the donkeys home safe. Samuel summons, the people of Israel to Misbah. He said, I found your new King let's coronate him. People are stoked. He pulls as it were Saul's name out of the hat, but they can't find him.

1

00:02:09

The self-conscious Saul is hiding in a pile of stuff. When they drag the striking young man head and shoulders above anyone else into the crowd, they begin to chant long, lived the King. Samuel warns him. Only if you obey God's commands, will you be King for long crown to King. Saul goes back to his farm in Benjamin he's out plowing. One day when he gets messengers, the King of Ammon has been wreaking havoc on the East side of Jordan, Reuben GAD, and the half tribe of Manasseh, the King of Ammon. He likes to leave his calling card on the men of Israel that he's conquered. He gouges out there, right? I no kidding. That's what he does.

1

00:02:49

He comes to a town <inaudible> Giliad after they make an offer a piece, he agrees only if he can gouge out all the right eyes of the men. He even to give them a few days to see if they can get any of their lame brothers on the West side of the Jordan to come and help them. That's the message Saul gets in the field. In another godfather, like move. He cuts up the oxen and sends them throughout Israel summoning their fighting warriors to join him at <inaudible>. They do and have an overwhelming victory over the Ammonites while not bad for your first battle, his new King, the people see this and start chanting his name. They're feeling pretty good about pushing the prophet.

1

00:03:30

Samuel toward having a King, like the nations around them. Of course like all politicians, not everybody is real excited about Saul the son of Kish. The Benjamite some of the citizens suggest Saul should take out his detractors, but Saul will have none of it. Kudos Saul as we move forward. And first Samuel, this might be the highlight of his entire reign for Saul. It seems is kind of a one hit wonder Samuel regather. As the people in reminds them how God had protected and delivered them through the period of the judges and how they had rejected God, by choosing a King, God put an exclamation point on Samuel sermon by sending a terrible thunderstorm right there that day in the middle of the dry season, the people realized it as a statement from God.

1

00:04:18

He was not at all happy with their decision. Shortly after this Saul was tested again, this time by the Philistines, they come hard at Israel with 3000 chariots. Saul had been told by Samuel form a front for battle, but don't pull any triggers until I'm there and do a burnt offering, inviting God to fight with us. Samuel said, I'll be there on day seven, sit tight. But as the week passes, Saul notices, some of his troops are going AWOL. So saw the King of Benjamite takes it upon himself to perform the burnt offering. As the smoke is rising from the offering, Samuel shows up, he reads Saul God's riot act and tells him God's going to go looking for King number to a man after his own heart.

1

00:05:04

The story continues with Saul down to only 600 men. And the Philistines still in formation, waiting to attack were introduced at this point, the Jonathan Saul son, he's quite the man and a great warrior. Trusting that of God was with him. He could do anything. He and his armor bearer claw their way up a cliff to 20 Philistines waiting at the top with God's help. He slaughters them all. Seeing one man dropped 20 the other 600 men and Israel charge out of their positions toward the Philistines and his word spreads. And the hours that follow other Israelite deserters joined the battle. Seeing the tide had turned Saul makes a foolish vow.

1

00:05:44

He declares that any soldier who eats before he's avenged on his enemies will be under a curse. Jonathan and his armor bearer. Of course at the front lines. Don't hear anything about his curse. Jonathan dips the spear in some honey to refresh himself and continues to fight. You'll read how Saul discovers his son's actions, his innocent actions, and almost puts Jonathan to death. Thankfully, the warriors have Israel Vito. The King God appears to give Saul a second chance with the Amalekites. The Amalekites had been a thorn in Israel side. God instructed Saul to treat the Amalekites as a burnt offering like Jericho, but Saul had a better idea.

1

00:06:27

After soundly defeating the Amalekites, he kept their King, a gag, and the best of their livestock Samuel shows up and asks how the battle went. Saul was pretty proud of himself. That is until Samuel spots, his prisoner, the Amalekites King and here's sheep and cows bleeding and mooing. What have you done? Saul blames it on the people and then comes up with this. We save them to sacrifice to the Lord. Your God how's that for a burnt offering. Samuel Samuel his reply to God. Obedience is better than sacrifice and you've really blown it. In fact, you've just been defrocked as King by guide, as Samuel turns to leave, Saul grabs his robe and tears.

1

00:07:13

It Samuel says perfect illustration. Saul God's just ripped your kingdom from you friend. And that's the last Saul will ever lay eyes on Samuel. Well, there may be one more time, but we're getting ahead of ourselves. God instructs Samuel to go to Judah and the anoint, the new King, that new King is a very young man, a shepherd with a gift for music. Meanwhile, Saul spirals down quickly, whether it was depression to pressure of the job or an evil spirit, his mental conditions deteriorate. Someone suggested maybe music could calm him down. So they went looking for a musician.

1

00:07:52

Someone mentioned the young shepherd musician from Judah. He was brought to Saul his beautiful music come Saul Sol. Meanwhile, the Philistines continue to be a problem. They assembled once again for battle Saul in his men, went out to face them. You may remember from Sunday school, their champion Goliath, nobody in Israel was willing to fight him except for the young shepherd musician, the shepherd musician convinced Saul. He was also a marksman with his Slingshot. He drops the Philistine champion with one rock to the forehead. Something snapped that day in the mind of King Saul. He heard some of the ladies of Israel singing.

1

00:08:32

Saul has slain his thousands, but this young, talented Shepard musician, his tens of thousands in the remaining chapters of Saul's life. And first Samuel here's what happens that young shepherd musician becomes intimate friends with Saul's own son, Jonathan. He marries into Saul's family. Everything in the young man does, he was successful, which makes Saul hate him more twice while in Saul's court, Saul tries to kill him with a spear. When Saul son, Jonathan tries to stand up for this young shepherd musician, Saul tries to spear Jonathan with the young shepherd musician running from Saul as a fugitive Saul goes on rampage.

1

00:09:14

After rampage, he kills an entire village of priests and their families simply for innocently providing provisions for this young shepherd musician. He ignores the Philistine enemy and Trax, the young man, like a dog for a decade, Israel continues to grow more and more anemic. Then the prophet Samuel dies. Finally, the Philistines come against Saul in his army, in a knockdown drag out, all out, assault SOLs beside himself. And there's no Samuel to consult about the will or presence of the Lord. Desperate Saul consults a which he goes to a medium. He asks her bring up Samuel she shrieks.

1

00:09:57

When someone actually comes up, she describes that someone to Saul and he knows immediately it's Samuel when Samuel asked why he's been called there, Saul said, I need a word from you. And the Lord Samuel said, I can do that. Here's the word this time tomorrow, you and your sons will join me. Ooh, that's read out of a horror movie. The next day Saul in his three sons were struck down by the Philistines on Mount boa. The Philistines took Saul in his three sons back to their city as trophies and pin them on the city wall. First Samuel ENS with the men of the city of <inaudible> Gilliad, marching all night to retrieve their bodies.

1

00:10:37

They remembered how the young King saw the same Saul had saved their right eyes from the King of Ammon. They retrieved the bodies of Saul Jonathan and his other two sons, bring them back to <inaudible> and give them a proper burial. First Samuel tells us Saul rain for 40 years. Most of them insanely jealous a madman, chasing a young shepherd musician. He considered a fugitive and a threat to the throne that young man indeed was a threat to the throne. He was anointed to take the throne more than that. He was labeled by God. A man after my own heart will meet that young anointed shepherd musician man, after God's own heart in our next wordpicture.