Saul the First King.  He began his career under the most auspicious circumstances.  His tribe and its location as well as his fine physical appearance gave him great advantage.  He was enthusiastic and brave, and yet in the early days he charms us with his modesty.  After he was anointed by Samuel and had been made to see the great career opening to him he returned to his regular toil until the people were called together at Mizpah and proclaimed him king.  Samuel supported him with his influence and the people gave him allegiance.  He was for a while subservient to the will of God and greatly prospered.  But later he became self-willed and failed to see that the nation was God’s and not his.  He developed a spirit of disobedience, perverseness and evil conduct that mark him as insane.

Saul’s Great Achievements.  The oppression of Israel’s enemies which in part at least made necessary their king had to be dealt with at once.  In his contest with them Saul had a very successful military career.  He was successful in the following campaigns:  (I) Against the Ammonites (I Sam. 11) in which he delivered from ruin the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead on the east Of Jordan and won the love of all the Hebrew people. (2) Against the Philistines (I Sam. 13-14) in which Jonathan was the hero.  Before the battle he disobeyed the will of God by performing the duties of a priest and was told he should lose his kingdom on account of it.  At the close of the campaign he lost his temper and proposed to kill Jonathan, his son, the hero of the day because he had unwittingly disobeyed a foolish command. (3) Against Moab, Ammon, Edom and Zobah (I Sam. 14:47) of which there are no particulars given. (4) Against the Amalekites (I Sam. 15) in which, though he defeated Amalek, he disobeyed God in not wholly destroying all Amalek and his possessions and thereby lost for the time being Samuel’s help and finally his kingdom.  It was after this battle that David was anointed to become king in Saul’s stead.

Saul’s Decline.  From Chapter 16 on the story tells of the rapid decline of Saul and of the rise of David to the kingdom. (1) There is given the story of the madness of Saul and the introduction of David to the court as the king’s musician. (2) The campaign against the Philistines in which David kills Goliath, the giant that was defying Israel, and won great honor from the king. (3) His effort to destroy David.  During many years he, with bitter jealousy and an insane hatred, tried to destroy David who was as constantly delivered by a divine providence.  Whether on account of sickness or other reason, he seems to have had fits of insanity during this period. (4) His last battle and death.  The Philistines arrayed themselves against Saul.  With a sense of defeat he tried to get in touch with Samuel, but finally met a death in harmony with his life and thus ended one of the most melancholy careers of all history.  All because of his disobedience to God (I Chron. 10:1.1-14).