The Life of King Saul
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King Saul - Man of the Flesh
King Saul - Man of the Flesh
The book of 1 Samuel starts with the pronouncement of the birth of Samuel who is a godly man, and ends with the death of King Saul - a man of the flesh.
What have we learnt about our flesh as we reflect upon the times and life of King Saul?
How did things begin with King Saul?
Son of Kish, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power (a man of wealth)
What pictures do we see of King Saul that are similar to those of the flesh?
Being like the world.
Like the world
Like the world
From the very start, before we are introduced to King Saul we have the request from the nation of Israel that they do not want the Lord to rule over them.
Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
Notice within this passage the reason for the request:
To be like all the other nations
He can judge us (rather than the Lord)
He can go out to do out battles (laziness)
So what does the Lord provide?
A man who is of a wealthy stock (son of Kish, a Benjamite - ). He is physically attractive, young and tall ().
Therefore the Lord provides them with what they want to see - the lust of the eyes.
And yet we ourselves are called out to be a peculiar people and that the world will despise us because we are not of the world.
Lust of the Flesh
Lust of the Flesh
Rejection of God’s Word
Rejection of God’s Word
The flesh likes to make its own standard and does not want to submit to any authority - especially God’s commands.
Just as we saw with Israel rejecting God to be their ruler, we soon see this same display in King Saul where he disobeys the strict instructions of God’s commands.
We are warned at how the flesh and spirit war against each other and that we should need be feeding the flesh.
How often do we neglect to follow even the explicit commands of God in Scripture?
Not only do we see King Saul disobeying God’s commands, we even see him setting his own standard on how to conduct worship and sacrifice unto the Lord. Surely if the process is the same as with what Samuel does then I can conveniently do it too? We no doubt saw the same attitude with Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinehas who were priests who did the process, but whose heart was far from the Lord.
We see the same in Pilgrim’s Progress, where after reaching the Gate and coming through the right way, two men jump the wall and make their way onto the same path as Christian. Their names being Hypocrisy and Formalist, both from the land of Vain-glory. When questioned on how they got in they both respond:
The Pilgrim’s Progress The Third Stage
if we get into the way, what matter is it which way we get in? If we are in, we are in: thou art but in the way, who, as we perceive, came in at the gate; and we also are in the way, that came tumbling over the wall: wherein now is thy condition better than ours?
Christian informs them that by going in through the Gate that he had been given a sealed roll, to comfort him as he goes along the way. But to this the two men, Hypocrisy and Formalist, just laughed. And it wasn’t long until both of these men ended up coming to the hill of Difficulty that there were ways labelled Danger and Destruction, which both Hypocrisy and Formalist went down now knowing of the trouble these ways had.
How has the flesh been showing you how pious you are by reflecting on what you’ve done? And how consistently you do them? Do you rely on what you do to confirm your justification?
Superstitious
Superstitious
Just as we saw Israel’s intent in enabling a king to rule over them, so too do we see prior to King Saul, how Israel’s belief in God becomes more like the world in being very superstitious. In battle they bring the ark of the covenant thinking that they are forcing God’s hand to help make them win against the Philistines, however, they dismally fail.
And being a product of this generation we see King Saul failing to properly seek God with his heart, to be truly repentant of his sins and how he even consults with a witch to receive instruction from God.
Failure to Repent
Failure to Repent
King Saul many times seeks forgiveness, especially when he is publicly shamed for the wrongdoing he has wrought. In each of these instances he seeks forgiveness, but doesn’t put into practice true repentance by not learning from his mistakes and enabling right actions and right thoughts.
King Saul many times seeks forgiveness, especially when he is publicly shamed for the wrongdoing he has wrought. In each of these instances he seeks forgiveness, but doesn’t put into practice true repentance by not learning from his mistakes and enabling right actions and right thoughts.
That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
Lust of the Eyes
Lust of the Eyes
There was much about Saul which appealed to the flesh and therefore the men of Israel. He came from a wealthy stock, he was physically attractive and he was a head taller than everyone in Israel. However, as we soon see, looks were quite deceiving as his frame contradicted his inner qualities and character.
He came from a wealthy stock, was physically attractive and tall. As we soon have revealed to us in the book of 1 Samuel looks were quite deceiving as his appearance is contradicted by his qualities. We see through his life that while King Saul had the qualities to be a good king, his weaknesses brought him to ruin.
And we see this confirmed with Samuel’s warning about the king taking their best to serve in his house:
And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.
1 Samuel 8:10-
And notice the reaction from the people: they refused to obey the voice of Samuel. As a result this ended up being what Saul did:
King James Version Chapter 14
and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.
We see through his life that while King Saul had the qualities to be a good king, however, his weaknesses brought him to ruin.
Does God control all of your life?
The Pride of Life
The Pride of Life
Does God control all of your life?
It didn’t take long for King Saul to use his authority for his own pleasure and whereas we see the seeds of qualities that could have flourished for good, unfortunately with power they are corrupted and turned to fleshly desires.
Initially King Saul displayed these qualities:
Humble (, ) - he didn’t seek any privilege from Samuel anointing him, not did he laud it over others.
Meek () - he didn’t put to death those who opposed him.
However, while these initial qualities we observe in King Saul may appear to be honourable, without God's help in his refining he looks more towards his own strength and eventually these honourable qualities are replaced by the lusts of the flesh:
In what areas was King Saul weak:
Meekness soon turns into using his power against the priests of Nob due to his jealous rage and against his own son Jonathan.
His humility fails to acknowledge God as authority in his life and he fails to obey God and His commands.
Jealousy
Jealousy
But perhaps the biggest dent to his pride was the withdrawal of his kingship from him and given to another better than he. Jonathan, King Saul’s son, could see and humbly stepped aside. However, once:
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
1 Samuel 18:
His name means “asked for, demanded” and this is what Israel wanted when they demanded for a king to rule over them. They no longer wanted God to rule and so God gave them what they sought.
Failure to remain humble and submissive to God’s Word
Lack of obedience to authority
Envious of David
Superstitious belief in God
Abused his power (murder of the priests at Nob)
His name means “asked for, demanded” and this is what Israel wanted when they demanded for a king to rule over them. They no longer wanted God to rule and so God gave them what they sought.
Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
What happens when we esteem ourselves higher than we ought to think?
2. Saul is described as a handsome young man and tall
Saul remained humble even upon his selection as abode by the stuff, and even when others rejected him upon his first military operation, he still did not retaliate.
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
1 Samuel 18:
And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and 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.
Saul started well by being humble, and the same could apply for many of our ambitions in life which initially appear harmless.
He then begins to use his authority to kill any who stand in his way.
3.
However, there’s a difference between being humble in restraint (otherwise known as meekness) and being humble by remaining submissive.
King Saul showed restraint by using his newfound power to destroy those who opposed him being king, but he failed to fully submit to the authority of God in his life.
And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel.
How has our position showed a reluctance to remain humble?
How has our position in authority showed a reluctance to remain humble? As a father? As a husband? As an employer?
Foolishly
Foolishly
The flesh acts foolishly and pride masks our foolishness into deceiving us by thinking we are acting wisely. We see throughout Scripture those who when acting in the flesh are thinking themselves to be wise:
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And this is the problem with the flesh, it justifies itself and it thinks it is doing right, but it is folly as Samuel explains to King Saul upon offering a sacrifice:
King James Version Chapter 13
And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee:
We have also seen multiple times that when his failure to remain humble and submissive to God fails he apologises for the wrong-doing:
Acts Impulsively
Acts Impulsively
Forms this is exhibited is when Saul acts rashly with unrealistic expectations. By acting impulsively he fails to think about his situation and to take it before the Lord.
And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.
So the Lord saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven.
And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.
1 Samuel 14
And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
This impulsive nature is also exhibited when he puts to death the priests at Nob.
We have also seen multiple times that when his failure to remain humble and submissive to God fails he either excuses his error or tries to apologise for the wrong-doing.
We have also seen multiple times that when his failure to remain humble and submissive to God fails he apologises for the wrong-doing:
How do we respond when others point out our lack of humility? Are we quick to blame others? Are we truly repentant of our hardened hearts?
Failing to Learn from the Past
Failing to Learn from the Past
Multiple times King Saul seeks to destroy David, yet at each time he fails to remember.
How quick can we forget what we have been saved from?
As a dog returneth to his vomit, So a fool returneth to his folly. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him.