LESSON TEN
KING SAUL

A. THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE:
•	The people had requested a king that they might be like the other nations around 	them and God gave them a man according to their own choice. 
•	The man that God chose for them was Saul, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin.
•	Benjamin was one of the smallest tribes, situated between two of the largest tribes: 	Judah and Ephraim. Having a man chosen from Benjamin would prevent jealousy 	arising from either Judah or Ephraim.
•	He was summoned and when the people saw his kingly stature, they accepted him 	with shouts of approval. It is here that the people shouted: "God save the king." (I 	Samuel 10:24).

B. A PROMISING BEGINNING:
•	An opportunity soon arose for Saul to establish himself as king. 
•	Saul began his reign in a most promising manner. 
•	His government was simple, and he did not demand too much from the people.
•	 He established his capital at Gibeah, his own hometown.

C. THE FIRST REJECTION: (I Samuel 13:1-14)
•	The Philistines gathered a tremendous force of 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, 	and many foot soldiers, and camped at Michmash, just four miles northeast of the 	capital, Gibeah. This brought great terror to the Israelites.
•	Saul quickly assembled a force at Gilgal to withstand them, and waited for Samuel 	to come and offer a sacrifice prior to the engagement. Having waited seven days 	the impatient Saul assumed the priestly office and offered up a burnt offering 	himself.
•	Saul was guilty before God of entering the priestly office.
•	He had been anointed king but not priest. Through Samuel, God announced that for 	this act the kingdom was to go to another. Here we see where a considerable 	change was beginning to take place in the character of King Saul.

D. THE SECOND REJECTION: (I Samuel 15).
•	The second rejection came as a result of Saul's battle with the Amalekites, where 	Saul proved disobedient and lost the kingdom.
•	Samuel gave Saul specific instruction regarding the battle, that he was to destroy 	the people and all their livestock.
•	Saul won the battle, defeated the foe. However, he disobeyed in sparing King Agag 	and some of the finest sheep and oxen. He explained to Samuel that the animals 	were for sacrifice. 
•	Samuel rebuked him and said that God desired obedience more than sacrifice.
•	Samuel then killed Agag with his own hands.
•	This incomplete obedience is a type of uncontrolled flesh. 
•	A lesson that we all should learn from this is that incomplete obedience is 	disobedience.

E. POSSESSED OF AN EVIL SPIRIT:
•	Saul let disobedience rule in his heart until finally an evil spirit took possession of 	him. 
•	This teaches us how that once a man takes a step away from God, he quickly can 	go from bad to worse. 
•	With Saul it was first pride, presumption and then it was an act of disobedience.
•	Now extreme jealousy regarding David took over in his life, and he began to seek 	to take the life of David.
•	With this jealousy came an evil spirit that took possession of him. 
•	The spirit of the Lord departed from his life.
•	These periods of depression may have been partly due to the fact that he knew that 	the Lord had rejected him.

F. AN ATROCIOUS ACT:
•	King Saul slew 85 of the Lord's priests and destroyed the city of Nob. 
•	He did this in his anger and jealousy of David.
•	Abiathar gave David some shewbread from the altar, and had gave him the sword 	of Goliath. 
•	Doeg, an Edomite had passed on this information to Saul.

G. THE WITCH OF ENDOR:
•	The final battle with the Philistines came at Mount Gilboa
•	In desperation he visited a witch who dwelt at Endor.
•	He rejected God at first – finally God rejected him. 
•	God permitted Samuel to appear to pronounce Saul's final doom.
•	 Saul's words to Samuel were:
"God has departed from me and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams, therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do." 
•	What was Samuel's answer? He pronounced the judgment of God.

H. A TRAGIC DEATH:
•	Saul was wounded
•	He attempted to commit suicide and fell on his own sword
•	An Amalekite young man came, finished slaying him, then taking his crown and 	bracelet. 
•	It should be noticed that this young man was an Amalekite, one of those whom 	Saul had saved in his act of disobedience, which caused him to lose his crown.