Week 11 1 Samuel
The story of Saul is one of the most dejecting long stories of the OT.
Even though Samuel features The Big Three – Samuel-Saul-David – Saul dominates the first book. After chapter eight he’s in every chapter except twelve & twenty-five. So that’s twenty+ chapters of material on Saul. Way more than lots of other characters.
The storyline of Saul is this – Saul was a guy who started well but finished in a disastrous mess.
He was such a quality guy at first: big strong good-looking humble unassuming helpful fair just. The bible says that Samuel told him: God is with you. It also says: God changed his heart; and that: the Spirit of God came upon him. So Saul started out in a big way, a good way. Pretty definitely on the Lord’s side.
But then in chapter thirteen and again in fifteen he stumbled – badly; disastrously; catastrophically.
A weird thing I notice as I’m reading thirteen & fifteen is that I kind of understand Saul. Feel sympathetic. His crazy excuses make some sense to me.
But I know it’s a misplaced sympathy because by chapter fifteen Saul has fully turned his back on the Lord. After that point depression insecurity envy fear murderous-animosity & duplicity are what characterize Saul. And in the end he turns to the dark side of the spirit world for help.
The main reminder I take from Saul? Concentrate on finishing.
Note: quotes from I Samuel 10:7, 9, 10 (NASB)