Saul – The King who Failed

Saul and David were Israel’s first two kings, and though their lives intersected on multiple occasions, they were very different from one another—the difference being primarily a matter of the heart. Throughout his life, Saul proved to be a poor king who repeatedly rejected God’s will and chose his own path. Without God to guide and sustain him, Saul became paranoid and controlling; those he could not manipulate, he sought to destroy. David, on the other hand, was an ideal king. Though he too had sinful failings, he responded in a biblical manner—accepting God’s discipline and returning to a life of obedience.

The story of Saul begins with a breakdown in Israel’s leadership. Samuel had served faithfully as the nation’s judge for many years, obeying the Lord and treating His people justly. However, as Samuel grew old, he appointed his two sons, Joel and Abijah, to serve as judges in his place (1 Sam 8:1-2). But his sons “did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice” (1 Sam 8:3). In response, the elders of Israel came to Samuel at Ramah (1 Sam 8:4) and said, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations” (1 Sam 8:5).

There was nothing inherently wrong with Israel having a king. In fact, God had told both Abraham and Jacob, “kings will come forth from you” (Gen 17:6; 35:11), and He gave Moses specific qualifications and instructions for a future king (Deut 17:14-20). But the hidden motive of the elders was later exposed—they wanted to be like the pagan nations around them, with a king who would lead their armies into battle (1 Sam 8:20). Whether they were ignorant of God’s guidelines for kingship or simply indifferent, their request grieved Samuel, and “The thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ And Samuel prayed to the LORD” (1 Sam 8:6). God replied, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them” (1 Sam 8:7). Israel was a theocratic nation, with God Himself as King. Their request for a human monarch revealed a heart of rebellion—an independence from divine authority. Though framed as a practical solution, their desire ultimately reflected a rejection of the Lord as their true Ruler.

This request by Israel’s leaders was part of a long pattern of defiance stretching back nearly four hundred years to the days of the Exodus, when God called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. The Lord explained to Samuel, “Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also” (1 Sam 8:8). The rejection of God and the pursuit of idols had become the national proclivity of Israel. In response, God granted their request for a king, not as an endorsement, but as a concession that carried consequences. Yet even in judgment, He tempered His answer with grace, promising to bless the nation if both king and people would obey His voice (1 Sam 12:14-15).

For a second time, God told Samuel, “listen to their voice” (1 Sam 8:9a), but instructed him to solemnly warn the people about the consequences of their request. Samuel obeyed and gave the nation a sobering description of the future king’s behavior (1 Sam 8:10-18). The word “take” appears six times in 1 Samuel 8:11-17, emphasizing that the king would seize more than he would give. He would take the best of their sons, daughters, fields, crops, servants, and flocks, and in the end, the people would become his servants (v. 17). This would lead to severe oppression, and they were warned: “Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day” (1 Sam 8:18).

Despite the clear warning, “the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, ‘No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles’” (1 Sam 8:19-20). Here is foolishness on full display—God’s people rejecting His wisdom, determined to rule themselves without Him. So the Lord granted their request. He selected a Benjamite named Saul (1 Sam 9:1-2, 17) and providentially brought him to Samuel (1 Sam 9:3-27), who anointed him king over Israel (1 Sam 10:1; cf. 1 Sam 10:24; 12:13). God gave Israel what they wanted—a king after their own hearts—and they would suffer the consequences. It was a tragic exchange: divine theocracy for flawed monarchy, where human desire triumphed over divine design.

Saul had the outward appearance of what most people look for in a leader. He was “a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people” (1 Sam 9:2). David was also attractive, as Scripture describes him as “ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance” (1 Sam 16:12; cf. v. 18). When we search for a leader, we’re often drawn to someone who looks the part, speaks well, holds the right credentials, and ideally has a solid track record. Those qualities have their place and shouldn’t be dismissed, but they must be rightly ordered beneath what God values most. As Scripture reminds us, “for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7).

Before becoming king, Saul is described in positive terms. He is called “a mighty man of valor” (1 Sam 9:1), demonstrated concern for his father (1 Sam 9:3–4), accepted wise counsel from a friend (1 Sam 9:5-6), showed respect for God’s prophet (1 Sam 9:7-9), listened to him (1 Sam 9:17-10:8), and even functioned briefly as a prophet himself (1 Sam 10:9-13). However, these admirable qualities did not accompany him into his role as king. Once elevated, Saul’s soul became unstable. Rather than looking up to God, he spent most of his reign looking around—driven by fear, jealousy, suspicion, and hatred, especially toward David, whom God was raising up. Saul could have done well. He had every opportunity to flourish as Israel’s king if he had simply listened to the Lord and walked with Him. But his kingship unraveled because he would not obey. His failure was not due to a lack of potential, but a lack of humility and submission.

The major turning point in Saul’s life occurred when he failed to wait on God. He sinned by offering a sacrifice that was not his to give (1 Sam 13:8-14), violating a specific command from Samuel, the Lord’s prophet. Earlier, Samuel had instructed Saul, “You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do” (1 Sam 10:8). Saul waited the full seven days as instructed (1 Sam 13:8), but when Samuel did not arrive at the expected time, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered the sacrifices himself (1 Sam 13:9-10).

When Samuel arrived, he confronted Saul and said, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever” (1 Sam 13:13). Because of this disobedience, God declared that Saul’s kingdom would not endure. Samuel said, “The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you” (1 Sam 13:14; cf. Acts 13:22). To be a person after God’s own heart means to listen to and obey His Word. From this moment forward, Saul’s life and leadership spiraled downward, marked by a series of foolish and sinful decisions that unfolded over the course of his reign. He issued a rash command that harmed his own soldiers (1 Sam 14:24-30) and blatantly disobeyed God’s directive to completely destroy the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:3, 8-9). His fear of David—because the Lord was with him—drove him into deeper rebellion (1 Sam 18:12-16, 18, 29). Twice Saul hurled a spear at David in an attempt to kill him (1 Sam 18:10-11; 19:10), and he repeatedly conspired through others to take David’s life (1 Sam 19:1, 11, 15; 20:30-31). Shockingly, Saul even attempted to kill his own son, Jonathan (1 Sam 20:32-33; cf. 14:44), and later ordered the slaughter of eighty-five Levitical priests (1 Sam 22:11-18).

Rather than leading the nation in righteousness, Saul squandered years of his reign chasing David out of fear and jealousy. His spiritual decay became more pronounced when he turned to a medium for guidance—something explicitly forbidden by God (1 Sam 28:5-25; cf. Deut 18:10-11). Saul’s tragic end came when he committed suicide after being mortally wounded in battle (1 Sam 31:4). Scripture gives a sobering epitaph: “So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the LORD, because of the word of the LORD which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it, and did not inquire of the LORD. Therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse” (1 Ch 10:13-14). David was a better king than Saul—not because he was without sin, but because he lived by faith and obeyed the Lord.

Dr. Steven R. Cook

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