The Time of Samuel

Frances Mix
BIBL 105-D12
Essay Question 2

The time of Samuel was the transition from Judges to Kings. Israel was governed by judges and God was their king. They were not consistent in their obedience to God. Because of their disobedient, God allowed them to be oppressed by other nations. When they repented and cried out to the Lord, He always delivered them. Israel wanted a King so they could be like the other nations. Saul was endowed with what seemed to be great potential for leadership and service.
“He seemed to be a king like those of all nations.” (Holy Bible). He was anointed as Israel’s first king by Samuel. David was a shepherd boy, very young, but had a heart for the Lord. Israel and Judah loved David and he became good friends with Johnathan, the son of Saul. He was chosen as Israel’s second king after God rejected Saul. Solomon, the son of David, became king after the death of David. He was the wisest and richest man who ever lived.

Israel desired a king because first, they wanted to follow the practices of the other surrounding nations; second, they wanted a king to lead them into battles. It wasn’t that God did not want them to have a king, their motives were wrong. Desiring a king showed their rejection of the Lord as their king. God had shown on numerous occasions that He would fight their battles. He had delivered them again and again from their enemies, He gave them prophets and judges to guide them, but they ignored His guidance and followed the practices of their neighbors. Now once again they wanted to follow their neighbors and have a king. So God granted their request and chose Saul as their king.
Scripture does not give a specific reason as to why Saul was chosen other than “There was not a more handsome person than he, among the children of Israel” (1Samuel 9:2) and so they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the King!”(1Samuel 10:23-24).
Due to his pride and arrogance Saul was rejected by God. He consulted a witch to bring Samuel from the dead to find out why God was against him and would not answer his prayers. The Lord came to Samuel saying, “I greatly regret that I have setup Saul as king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed My commandments.”(1Samuel 15:10). Saul disobeyed God’s command to attack the Amalekites, and destroy all that they had and not spare anyone.
He was commanded to kill man, woman, infant and nursing child, ox, sheep, camel and donkey, Saul destroyed the Amalekites but spared the king and the best sheep, oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good. Samuel told Saul that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also rejected you as king.”
David had absolute faith in God. He demonstrated his faith on a daily basis which pleased God. He was merciful, he did not take Saul’s life when he had the opportunity to do so. He was a mighty man of Valor, a man of war.
The sin that Solomon committed that led to the division of Israel was (1Kings 11:11) “Because you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you.” Solomon started out as a great king. He prayed to God for wisdom and understanding to lead His people. God was so touched by his unselfish prayer, that not only did He grant his request for wisdom, he also gave him riches and honor. He is credited for writing over half of the 150 Psalms.
God gave him so much wisdom that he became the wisest man to ever live. Solomon built the most beautiful temple in the world in honor of God of Israel. It stood for 400 years. He also wrote three books of wisdom- Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. Solomon took many foreign wives who worshiped foreign gods. He allowed his wives to turn his heart after others gods which angered the Lord.