KING SAUL: LESSONS AND WARNINGS FOR CHRISTIANS
By Frank Eiklor and Cecilia Contreras
LESSON 2 Part 1
When people discuss the life of Israel’s first monarch, King Saul, they usually consider his life only a negative example to be avoided. Not so. King Saul, like most spiritual leaders, started off on the right path. In fact, I discovered ten positive characteristics in Saul’s life that any Christian would be wise to imitate.
However, the later years of Saul’s life leave Christians a terrible warning. This lesson—Part 1—will cover the positive aspects in the life of Israel’s first king. The following lesson—Part 2—will show Saul’s tragic fall.
1. Tall and handsome Saul started out being open to godly advice and counsel (I Samuel 9:8-10) Needing help to find his animals, Saul sought out the help of Samuel the prophet.
2. Saul radiated the humility of insignificance ( I Samuel 9:21). In the beginning, Saul called himself the “smallest” and the “least” of Israel. He was not tempted to look at himself as a big shot. If only that humility had been maintained!
3. Saul started out as a “new creation” through the controlling power of the Spirit of God (I Samuel 10:6).
4. Doing God’s will was easy when Saul was God’s man (I Samuel 10:7). There was no difficulty during Saul’s early days in both hearing and obeying the voice of the Lord.
5. Saul did not brag about honors given him (I Samuel 10:16). Though Saul had been anointed by Samuel and told he would be Israel’s king, the young man discussed with his family only the finding of the animals and not the matter of the kingdom. Such humility in older and wiser people is rare—how much more in the case of such a young man.
6. Saul did not covet chief positions (I Samuel 10:22). How many other young men, knowing they were about to be given preeminent positions, would have pushed themselves into the place of prominence. Instead, tall, handsome, humble Saul hid himself from those who were looking to make him the leader.
7. Saul was given trustworthy and faithful people with whom to serve (I Samuel 10:26). God honored Saul’s beginning in every way by making sure this first king of Israel would be given a godly start surrounded by good men.
8. Saul remained deaf to false criticism (I Samuel 10:27). What man anointed as king would have endured “worthless fellows” despising and criticizing him? Yet Saul did not seek his own vengeance but “held his peace”.
9. Saul shared the position of leadership with others (I Samuel 11:7). Again, Saul’s tender humility stands out when he orders a reluctant nation into righteous combat. Rather than doing it in his own name, Saul brings Samuel the prophet also into a place of significance.
10. Saul held no bitterness when dishonored (I Samuel 11:13). Though evil and worthless men had scorned the new king, a crime punishable by death, Saul gave God credit for bringing deliverance to Israel and refused to execute judgment upon those who had dishonored him.
(Next lesson—Saul’s road to destruction)
