Oct. 29, 2023: Family Worship Service: Old Testament (7-2) : "Saul, the First King of Israel"　

Samuel had been active as a prophet and a priest. However, his sons had become corrupt as his successors. The people of Israel began to criticize Samuel. At first, Samuel was against the monarchy, but then he realized this was also God's plan, and he anointed Saul as the first king of Israel.

Let's learn together what kind of person this King Saul was. I want to ask for your opinions about him.

Why was Samuel against the idea of establishing a king?

I think a country should have a strong leader. The leader of Israel had been chosen by God, and Samuel wanted his two sons to be his successors. But I think it is not a good idea for hereditary succession.

 God chose the leaders, but the people of Israel wanted to choose their own king. 

When a king has power, there is a possibility that he will exploit the people rather than serving for the people's benefit. Isn't that what Samuel feared?

But God told Samuel, "Don't worry, I'll take the responsibility, so you should make Saul king of Israel."

Yes, I agree. The greatness of Samuel is that he spoke his mind to the people and God, and in the end, he obeyed God's voice. We have our own beliefs, and we can express them. It is important to discuss and debate with others without being judgmental. God guides us always to help us be sure about what we should do. Trusting God is the most important thing for us.

Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." We sang a hymn. 

How does the Bible describe King Saul?

He was big and handsome. 

But, you know, he was a coward. When Samuel introduced Saul to the people as the king of Israel, Saul ran away and hid.

It seems like all the bad things about Saul stand out, but I think Saul was humble.

When Samuel told Saul "You will be the king of Israel.” 

Saul replied to Samuel," I am from Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel. How can I be worthy to be king of Israel?" 

Another thing, Saul took care of his servant and prepared food for him in Samuel chapter 10. 

Saul may have been a gentle and kind person by nature.

Grace! You made a good point. By the way, what happened when Saul became a king?

He won the battle against the Philistines and became a hero.

Yes, he did. But when the Philistine army led the hordes to counterattack, the Israelite army panicked, and people began to flee. 

So, King Saul became impatient, and he couldn't wait for Samuel to offer the sacrifice, and he did it by himself despite not being a priest. I think King Saul used his own power and did not rely on God.

Saul’s eldest son was called Jonathan. He was a brave and gentle man. Jonathan loved David more than his brothers, and he defended David many times when his father tried to kill David. I think King Saul's jealousy destroyed him in the end.

No human being's ability or kindness can be perfect. 

Even if we love someone, we may betray them to protect ourselves. 

Saul was born and raised in a wealthy family. However, his life might have been different if he had served people and God instead of keeping all of his possessions.

Saul's stubbornness prevented him from immediately admitting his failure and his lack of sincere repentance led to his misfortune. However, as we will see later, God did not abandon even Saul. 

Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth was disabled. Mephibosheth had the privilege of sitting at the table with King David. David took care of Mephibosheth. 

God established Saul as the king of Israel, but his weakness and cruelty led to a miserable end, but that does not mean that God failed him. God saved and redeemed us by sending Jesus into the world.

God never abandoned Saul's lineage, either.

We will talk about David next time. James, please pray for us.

Yes, I will. Dear God, thank you for protecting us every day. Now, the war between Israel and Hamas is raging, and more than 3,000 children have been killed. Russia and Ukraine are also still fighting. Please stop the war so that your peace will come. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen