SAUL: ISRAEL’S FIRST KING

Saul was the nation of Israel’s first king. After the people of Israel demanded a king to rule over them, the Hebrew Bible states that God chose Saul to be the king of Israel. This happened after the people of Israel demanded a king. Before Saul came to power, Israel was governed by judges who had been chosen by God.

Saul was a member of the Benjamin tribe and was characterized as a tall and attractive man. Saul’s family name was Benjamin. When he was selected to be king, the prophet Samuel anointed him by pouring oil on his head and proclaiming him to be God’s chosen one. This happened at the same time that Samuel declared him to be the king.

Saul’s early years as king were highlighted by military victories over Israel’s foes, such as the Ammonites, Philistines, Moabites, and Amalekites. These victories marked the beginning of Saul’s reign. On the other hand, Saul quickly developed a prideful attitude and disobeyed God’s commands. Saul’s decision to spare the Amalekite king and some of the best livestock infuriated God after he had been given the order by God to completely wipe out the Amalekite people.

As a direct consequence of this, God decided against anointing Saul as king of Israel and instead selected David, a young shepherd, to succeed Saul. David became Saul’s rival, and Saul’s resentment and fear of David’s rising star led him to make multiple attempts to assassinate David. Saul was afraid of David’s growing popularity.

After Saul and his sons were killed in battle against the Philistines, David was able to ascend to the throne of Israel and establish his rule there. Saul is remembered as the first king of Israel because he succeeded in uniting the Israelite tribes and leading them to victory in battle, despite the fact that he was flawed and had other shortcomings.