Saul

Saul was the first king of ancient Israel after the Exodus. He was anointed by Samuel at a time when Israel was pleading for a king, despite the Lord's counsel that a king would be bad for the people. Saul stood out head and shoulders above other men and started his reign as a good king.

However, the power and authority of Saul's kingdom apparently started to corrupt him as his obedience fell away to pride and then to outright rebellion. In one significant incident, Saul was at a battle and Samuel was to come to offer a sacrifice, something Saul did not have the authority to do. However, Saul grew impatient and offered the sacrifice himself anyway. When Samuel arrived, Saul was rebuked sorely for his misdeed and his posterity lost the right to the kingship.

In a later incident, Saul disobeyed the commandment of God to destroy everything of the Amalekites', and instead saved the best out of the plunder. When Samuel discovered what was done, Saul made the excuse that he wanted to offer sacrifice with what he had saved. To this, Samuel said to obey is better than to sacrifice and hearken better than the fat of the ram.

The Lord chose David as Saul's successor, but as David's fame grew, Saul's jealousy turned murderous. Samuel mourned for Saul but no longer visited him.

After Samuel was dead for many years, Saul desired counsel for a battle he was to fight. In a last ditch effort than Saul went in disguise to a witch who conjured up an apparition which prophesied of Saul's destruction in the upcoming battle.

The prophesy was fulfilled, and for a few years after Saul's death the kingdom was divided and one of his son's took over the northern tribes while David took over the Southern tribes. After much contention David finally became king over all of Israel. Saul, like many of his successors, started out with much potential, but fell from power do to pride and jealousy.