The rise of King Saul is the story of a man called but a destiny lost. It’s the story of a good man and his moral and spiritual collapse. It is the story of a man who moved beyond the bounds and hope of repentance and returning to God. It is a story that should haunt us all and incite us to deal with our internal issues rather than hiding them behind the facade of confidence and personal strength.
For those following along in our story with your own Bible Study this episode is focused primarily on 1 Samuel chapters 8-11. We will also be digging around Judges chapters 19-21.
Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” 1 Samuel 8:4-5 (NLT)
Additional Reading
This is an alternative perspective of the story found at the conclusion of the book of Judges. I don’t personally agree with this take but it was helpful to get one’s mind to wondering.
I mentioned how we (humans) put more stock in our leaders’ appearance than we like to admit in this episode. Saul was what we would “look for” in a leader. That is not a joke. People have picked up on that reality since the advent of the media age.
If you enjoyed this podcast episode, please consider sharing it with your friends on social media. Find links to the whole series at this page as we release a new episode in the Days of David, a podcast series epic, every week.
