CHAPTER XIII

THE REIGN OF SAUL

AND Saul went up to his house.” No kingly state marked the beginning of his reign. It needed a crisis to establish his royal position. Such an occasion came when the town of Jabesh-gilead was attacked by the Ammonites. The inhabi­tants offered to surrender on terms, but the terms laid down were such as no one could accept, so the people continued their resistance and sent to Saul. Saul called all Israel to meet him, and a great com­pany assembled. He then attacked the Ammonites and inflicted a crushing defeat on them. Jabesh was relieved, and the victory united the people in loyalty to the new king. Samuel took advantage of this to call the tribes to Gilgal, and there an official ceremony took place; it may be regarded as the equivalent of a modern coronation.

Samuel addressed the assembly, reminding them that they had asked for a king when the Lord was their king. It was the time of the wheat harvest, and a thunderstorm passed over the land, an unusual thing at that time of the year. It moved the people considerably, and they requested the intercession of Samuel. He then exhorted them, “Serve the Lord with all your heart . . . the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake.”

The new reign opened auspiciously, and Saul’s son Jonathan gained a victory over a Philistine garrison in Geba. Then Saul commanded the people to come to him, an act which the Philistines regarded as a challenge, and they invaded the land. The Israelites had been so cowed by the Philistines that many of those who were with Saul fled across the Jordan. The remainder waited for Samuel to come and offer a sacrifice, but after waiting seven days Saul offered one himself. It was a fatal mistake; it ranged the Levites, who were the only official class, against him. When Samuel came, he was indignant at Saul’s usurpation of priestly functions, and asked why he had done such a thing. Saul attempted to justify himself by saying he feared the danger that threatened the tabernacle at Gilgal. But Samuel was not persuaded, and told Saul that the kingdom should be taken from him and given to another, leaving Saul a prey to forebodings.

Jonathan’s courage

The defection from the army had been so serious, that after Samuel’s departure there were only six hundred men left with Saul. Parties of the enemy ranged through the land, and so great had been their tyranny that none of the Hebrews had been permitted to own any weapons, or to carry on the work of a smith. It was Jonathan, the son of Saul, who gave heart to the Israelites. Accompanied by his armour-bearer he attacked a Philistine garrison who were on a height at Michmash. The place was practically unapproachable, but by climbing, and taking advantage of the protection afforded by the herbage, they got near the place, and then disclosed themselves to the garrison. Just as they reached the top, and had commenced to kill the first of the garrison, there was an earthquake, “a very great quaking.” Panic seized the Philistines, and they fled, beating down one another as they ran. The little army that was with Saul joined in the pursuit and those who had left the army returned.

In his eagerness to make the most of the oppor­tunity Saul charged the people that none should eat anything until the evening. Knowing nothing of this; Jonathan ate some of the honey that was in the wood. When the day was over the people, famished for food, flew upon the spoil, and, regardless of the provisions of the Law, ate the flesh with the blood. Then Saul proposed to make a night attack on the Philistines. He enquired of the Lord, but God gave him no answer. Saul concluded that there must be some reason for God’s silence, and proceeded to ascertain who was the cause by casting lots. The lot fell on Jonathan and Saul prepared to put him to death. The people took a saner view; Jonathan had gained a remarkable victory that day, and they intervened to save him.

The position of Israel was greatly improved, and the policy of having a king seemed to be justified. For a time victory followed Saul wherever he went. Commanded to go and fight the Amalekites, and to spare neither men, women, children, or animals, Saul spared the king and the best of the flocks and herds.

Saul’s rejection

Next morning Samuel sought Saul, who greeted him with the words, “Blessed be thou of the Lord; I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” Sternly Samuel asked, “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep?” Then Saul showed something of the weakness of his character. “The people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God.” It was an unworthy excuse. He had had his opportunity and, having failed, tried to put the blame on the people. Samuel’s answer is a keynote in the Bible story. “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” Then he repeated the inti­mation that the Lord would take the kingdom from Saul. Finally he did part of the work that Saul had left undone; he took Agag, the king of the Amalekites, and slew him.

The rejection of Saul made it necessary to choose another king. Samuel was sent to Bethlehem, to anoint one of the sons of Jesse. One after another, seven of his sons stood before him, only to be rejected by the Lord, who told Samuel that He looked to the heart, not to the outward appearance of the men. “Are here all thy children?” asked Samuel of Jesse, at last. “There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep,” said Jesse. He was sent for and when he came Samuel saw a ruddy youth, of fair countenance. He was the Lord’s choice, and Samuel anointed him, “and the Spirit” of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.”

David the shepherd

David’s life as a shepherd had done something to prepare him for the work he was to do. Out on the hills and in the fields around Bethlehem he had many experiences; but more important was the effect of those experiences on his feelings. There he learned to know God, and to trust in Him. Probably it was the remembrance of some night spent in the fields, under the open sky, that caused him after the Spirit of the Lord had come upon him, to write one of his psalms.

O Yahweh, our Adonai,
How excellent is Thy name in all the earth!
Who hath set Thy glory upon the heavens . . .
When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers,
The moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained,
What is man that Thou art mindful of him?
And the son of man that Thou visitest him?

Such lessons were not learned in royal courts, or in the camp. The Twenty-third, the Shepherd Psalm, is another illustration of the abiding influence of David’s early experiences.

By this time Saul’s character and personality were deteriorating. An evil spirit from the Lord troubled him, and his servants urged him to seek for a skilful musician, that the sweetness of music might pacify his troubled spirit. David was such a musician, and the young shepherd was taken into the royal service.

David and Goliath

The Philistines invaded the country again. They had with them a mighty man, named Goliath, a giant who paraded between the two camps, chal­lenging any Israelite to come forward and engage in single combat. Daily the challenge rang out, but none dared to meet the giant. Some of David’s brothers were with the army, and Jesse sent his youngest son with food for them. There he heard the insolent challenge of Goliath as he defied the armies of the God of Israel. To David, the challenge sounded like blasphemy. At last, unmoved by the jibes of his elder brother, he openly spoke what was in his mind. His words were carried to Saul, who sent for him. Comparing his youthful appear­ance with the bulk of the Philistine, Saul expressed his doubts as to the issue of such a combat. David told him how he had slain a lion and a bear whilst in charge of his father’s flocks, adding, “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul fitted him out with a suit of armour, but David found that it hampered him. He put it off, and went to meet the Philistine clad in his usual clothes, armed with a shepherd’s staff, a sling, and five small pebbles from the valley. When the giant saw such a stripling coming towards him he said, “Am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves?” David’s response was both brave and reverential, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, Whom thou hast defied.” Then, without giving time for the Philistine to get near him, David ran toward him, put a stone in his sling, and slung it with all his might. It hit Goliath on his forehead and he crashed to the earth. The combat was over; David ran forward, drew Goliath’s sword from its sheath, and used it to sever the giant’s head from the body.

The fall of their champion caused the Philistines to flee, chased by the Israelites. It was a great deliverance, and the incident had a profound influ­ence on the fortunes of David, Saul, and Jonathan. Jonathan was so affected by the bravery of David that “his soul was knit with the soul of David, and he loved him as his own soul.” He saw in him a kindred spirit; the killing of Goliath was a feat fit to be placed beside his own when he attacked the Philistine garrison at Michmash. From that instant David and Jonathan were the closest of friends.

A little later all the promise of the incident was spoiled. The army returned in triumph, and were welcomed by the people with songs.

“Saul hath slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands,”

were the words they sang. To a man of Saul’s temperament such an idea was fatal. He was already possessed of an “evil spirit,” now a spirit of jealousy came upon him, and “Saul eyed David from that day and forward.” He made several attempts on his life. In the royal court he twice hurled a spear at him, but without result. He caused it to be said that he would give his elder daughter in marriage to David if he would prove his worthiness in battle against the Philistines, but when the time for the marriage arrived, he gave her to another. Saul’s younger daughter, Michal, fell in love with the young hero. When Saul heard of it he caused David to be told that the only dowry he required for her was a hundred foreskins of the Philistines. He thought David would be slain in attempting to get them, but the price was paid, twice told, and David became son-in-law to Saul.

Saul’s Jealousy

The gloomy king grew worse and worse. He tried to get Jonathan, or some of his servants, to kill David. For a time Jonathan succeeded in quieting the spirit of his father, but when David won another victory over the Philistines, the jealousy of the king grew worse. He sent to David’s house to take him, but Michal let David down from a window, and he escaped. Saul pursued him as far as Ramah, but there the spirit of prophecy seized the king; he stripped off his clothes and lay down naked all that day and night. Madness was gradually mastering him.

Jonathan was loyal to David and they consulted together for David’s safety. It was arranged that at the time of an approaching feast David should be absent from his place in the court. On the first day Saul took no notice, but on the second he said, “Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat?” Jonathan told him that David had asked for leave to attend a family sacrifice in Bethlehem. Instantly Saul’s fury blazed forth. He denounced Jonathan in bitter language, and sent men to arrest David. When Jonathan expostulated with the king he cast a spear at his own son. Jonathan saw there was no hope of a reconciliation, and went out to David to tell him what had occurred. They mingled their tears together, and then parted; Jonathan returned to the court, and David fled.

He first visited Nob, where Ahimelech the priest was in residence, and obtained food and a sword. The food was the shew-bread, and the sword that of Goliath. Unfortunately a servant of Saul was there, and he reported the incident to his master. Saul sent to Nob and slew Ahimelech and all the priests that were in the city. Then David went to Achish, king of Gath, but as the servants of the king were suspicious of him he pretended to be mad, and fled to Adullam.

David the fugitive

At Adullam David was an outlaw. He was joined by all his family, including his father and mother, for they were all proscribed by Saul. Adullam be­came the refuge of all those who were in distress, in debt, or discontented. It was not a very promising company, but under David’s leadership they were trained for their future indicated by his anointing. David recognised that a cave in the mountains was no place for aged people like his parents, so he sent them to the king of Moab, asking him to keep them so long as he remained an outlaw. It will be remem­bered that Ruth the Moabitess was an ancestress of David; Jesse was her grandson.

Saul’s chief concern was to secure the death of David, and for some time David’s life was one long effort to avoid capture. At the same time he carried out raids on the Philistines, and so increased his popularity with Israel. Some, however, were ready to betray him and gain the king’s favour, and David had to take refuge in the Wilderness of Ziph. There he received a visit from Jonathan, who told him “thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee, and that also Saul my father knoweth.”

The friendship of Jonathan could not protect David from Saul, or from the treachery of those who sought Saul’s favour. He had to flee again, and it was only an invasion of the Philistines that caused Saul to give up the pursuit. In the course of David’s flight an unexpected incident placed Saul at his mercy. Saul went into a cave, in the innermost recesses of which David and some of his men had taken refuge. David was urged to kill Saul, but he refused; he would wait for God’s time to take the kingdom, but he cut off a portion of the king’s robe, to show the king how he had spared his life. Saul was deeply touched, and said, “I know that thou shalt surely be king,” and asked that David would not cut off his posterity in those days.

About this time David sent a message to a rich man named Nabal, who had many flocks of sheep and goats, which David’s men had protected from any interference. Now the time of sheep-shearing had come, and David requested that in such a time of rejoicing, Nabal would spare something for his men. Nabal refused with disdain. The servants of Nabal told his wife, Abigail, what had happened. She recognised the dangers to which her husband’s refusal exposed her and the household, and made her way to David with a present. She urged him not to spoil his future by taking revenge now. In the course of her interview with him she said, “The soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Yahweh thy God.” It is an interesting illustration of the recognition of a doctrine of a future life, a life that was bound up with God.

Nabal knew nothing of what Abigail had done for he was drunk. When she told him the next morning he had a seizure; ten days afterwards he died. When news of his death reached David he saw the hand of God in the event, a feature of life and history that was always present to his mind. He sent for Abigail and took her to be his wife for Saul had given Michal to another man.

After this Saul again took the field against David and again fell into his hand. During the night David and Abishai, one of his followers, came to the camp where Saul lay sleeping. Abishai urged him to kill the king, but David would not. Saul was the Lord’s Anointed; however unworthy he might be, he would not act against him to his hurt. He took the king’s spear and a cruse of water, and stealthily moved from the camp. Once outside he called to Abner, the captain of Saul’s host, and taunted him with his failure to guard the king. Saul recognised David’s voice, and realised that he had been in David’s, power. “Blessed be thou, my son David,” he said, “thou shalt both do mightily, and shalt surely prevail.” It was the last time David saw Saul.

David placed no reliance on the apparent change in the king’s feelings, and determined to place him­self beyond his reach. He went to Gath and offered his services as a free lance to its king. He was given the city of Ziklag to dwell in; it was a border city between Philistia and Canaan. Thence he conducted raids against non-Israelitish cities and villages taking large quantities of spoil which he laid up for the opportunity which he saw was near at hand.

Saul’s death

Once again the Philistines invaded the land. In great fear Saul enquired of the Lord for guidance, but received no answer. In his extremity he sought for a witch; perhaps she could do what God refused to do. There was such a woman at Endor, and he decided to go to her. He went by night and in disguise. It was an adventurous journey, for he had to pass the camp of the Philistines. When he arrived at Endor he asked the woman to bring Samuel before him. Samuel was dead, and “the dead know not anything,” but the woman professed to bring him up. In doing this she was in rapport with the king, and realised who he was. It was a case of clairvoyance, and the woman saw the picture that was in the mind of the king. Saul’s attempt to get information was successful, but the informa­tion was of no use to him. The supposed Samuel told him of the certainty of defeat, and added, “to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.”

David and his men had been assigned a place in the Philistine army, but the lords of the Philis­tines feared he might betray them to Saul, so Achish regretfully sent him away. David went to the south, Achish and his army marched north­wards to Jezreel.

David’s adventures can be briefly told. When his men arrived at Ziklag they found it had been raided by the Amalekites, probably as a reprisal for one of David’s raids on their territory. The wives and children of David and his men had been driven away, and his men lost heart; they even spoke of stoning him. David faced the situation boldly; he led his men in pursuit of the Amalekites, and captured all the spoil they had gathered in their raid, not only from Ziklag but from many other places; David sent portions of his share of it to his friends, and to the rulers of the principal cities in Judah, thus preparing for the future.

In the north Saul fought his last battle. Harassed, unbalanced, and discouraged, the result was a foregone conclusion. In the battle of Mount Gilboa Saul was wounded, his sons were slain, and Israel fled. Fearing to fall into the hands of the Philistines, Saul told his armour-bearer to kill him, but the young man was afraid, and Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. So died the first appointed king of Israel-a suicide.