Saul – Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

More descendants of Jacob

April 27, 2020

1 Chronicles 10 13 to 14 Over 145,000 fighting men are listed as descendants of Issachar during the reign of David. The seventh chapter of I Chronicles gives us this. Benjamin had over 50,000 fighting men in his lineage. The sons of Naphtali are also given. The other half of the tribe of Manasseh is found here and Gilead is one of his offspring. This is where the name of the town began.

The second son of Joseph is Ephraim who had family members named Nun and his son Joshua. There are also a number of cities in Ephraim’s territory that you might recognize. Do Bethel, Megiddo, and Gezer sound familiar. List to the international news sometime and see what they say about them. Asher is the last son mentioned in this chapter. Twenty-six thousand soldiers came from them.

King Saul’s clan is the Benjamites. 1 Chronicles 8 gives this list. Verse 33 gives Kish, Saul and Jonathan. Mephibosheth is conspicuously missing.

All the exiles from Judah are listed in 1 Chronicles 9. It also includes the Levites that were chosen for all the positions in the Tabernacle including Korah whose family wrote some of the Psalms. Saul’s family is included in this chapter as well.

Continuing with the family of Saul, we move on to the story of his death and his son’s demise at the hands of the Philistines in 1 Chronicles 10. Yes, these are reruns once more. We are reminded of how the enemy violated their bodies and what their countrymen did to recover their remains.

Notice the last paragraph and the description of the sins that caused Jehovah to remove the leadership role from Saul and give it to David. Saul was never repentant when his sins were brought to his attention. How many modern Christian or other leaders have fallen due to their sins and refusal to admit them and change their actions?

The death of Saul and Jonathan

April 18, 2020

The Philistines gather to attack the Israelites, again, in I Samuel 28. Hearing this, King Saul needs advice about what to do. He goes to see a fortune teller. Even though he himself has been eliminating all sorcerers and witches, he finds someone who is still practicing, even if she keeps it as quiet as possible. What he asks for is to talk to the deceased Samuel.

When he appears, it says that he comes up from the earth. Is this a comment on where this man of God went when he died or was its recognition that his body had been laid in the earth? The dead prophet warns the king that he and all of Israel will be defeated. The kingdom of Israel has been given to David. Saul is so devastated by this news be refuses to eat. They finally convince him that he must eat.

When the other Philistines saw David’s men in the ranks in I Samuel 29, they did not like it. Their enemy who had recently wiped out whole villages were not wanted. They were sent back home to their city. David will hear the news of the death of Jonathan and Saul while at their home in Philistia. The new king of Israel will move from there to Judea.

David and his men arrive back in Ziklag in 1 Samuel 30 to discover the city looted and all the women and children are gone. The Amalekites have attacked while they were gone with the other Philistines. Did they know these were Israelites and not Philistines? Probably that is why they came.

They followed and are delayed by having to leave some of their men that are worn out. The others proceed and defeat the troops that took their families. In addition, they also take all the property of the Amalekites. This is divided among all the men, not just the ones that went on the raid. Some also were sent to the people in Judah who had helped David and his army.

While David is dealing with all of this in I Samuel 31, the Philistines attack Israel. What Samuel’s spirit had told Saul came true. Jonathan and two of his other sons are killed. Saul is about to be overrun by the enemy. He asks his armorbearer to kill him to prevent abuse by the others. He refuses and the King takes his own life.

The Israelites are scattered. Saul’s people retrieved the King’s and the Princes’ remains. Tomorrow we begin on 2 Samuel. It is the story of David’s reign. Why do we have two books named for Samuel, the last judge, and none for David the most famous King of the Jews before Jesus? The prophet anointed Saul and David. They were the first two kings. The two books of the Kings are about the succeeding kings of Israel.

David takes refuge in Jehovah. In Psalms 18 he asks Him to discipline him if he fails to be the man Yahweh wants. He asks God to vindicate him and to defeat his enemies. He calls Him his shield and righteous judge. David also points out how evil people work can cause trouble for themselves. He ends, as usual, with praise again for God.

The family joins David

April 13, 2020

David is on the run and in I Samuel 21 he stops to see a priest for supplies and weapons. The food is the showbread and the weapon is the sword of Goliath. Note the presence of one of Saul’s men. It will be important later.

Ahimelech, the priest, seems frightened to see David alone. His explanation of meeting his men later does not seem to help. When David arrived in Gath, he had to act insane. If they had not thought him crazy, he probably would have been killed. Was this just David’s ingenuity, or did God give the insight needed to pull it off?

David’s family finds him in hiding in I Samuel 22. Soon he has gathered many of those who were not happy with the current monarch. Four hundred men are with him. Moab takes Jessie and his sons in while David is running from Saul.

Saul is told about the Priest that helped David. He confronts him and murders him and his family and all the priests in Nob. Some of the King’s men would not do this but Doag did. He and Saul now have someone as despicable as himself.

Despite his problems with Saul, David goes against the Philistines in I Samuel 23 to save one of the Israeli towns. After defeating his enemies, he had to escape the village before Saul captured him there. He has another opportunity to speak to Jonathan and is told that his friend knows that the Kingdom is Jessie’s son’s.

He is still being chased. The King is determined to find him. Wherever David goes, Saul follows. The Philistines make another attack and Jehovah rescues the new king before his predecessor can intercept him.

Next Saul goes after his successor with three thousand men in I Samuel chapter twenty-four. David and his men are severely outnumbered. They have hidden deep within a cave. The King cannot find him and stops to relieve himself in a cave. Guess which cave it is?

David creeps up in the dark and cuts off the corner of his enemy’s robe. He is overcome with shame for doing such a thing. He orders the men to not harm Saul. After the King returns to his men and is a distance away, the former shepherd appears on the mountain and calls to him. Saul seems genuinely touched. He acknowledges that his young soldier will become the next king. He asks for mercy for his family and David agrees.

The final act of defiance

April 11, 2020

Samuel gives Saul the task of destroying the Amalekites in I Samuel 15. The King warns the Kenites before attacking Amalek. Once again Saul does not follow the instructions to the letter. He brings the king back alive and Samuel must complete Jehovah’s word by executing this man.

They also had saved the best of the livestock. What was inferior was destroyed per Yahweh’s instructions. Do you count it as obedience, when only what your children want to do is completed of their required chores? God doesn’t either. What have you been told to do by God, that is still incomplete? Take care of that as soon as you can.

As the prophet turned to leave, Saul accidentally tore his outer garment. This is an opportunity to once again teach the King a lesson. Israel has been ripped from his family, just as that coat was rent. This is the last time these two leaders will meet each other while alive.

The second king of Israel is to be chosen in I Samuel chapter 16. The town’s people of Bethlehem are concerned when Samuel arrives. His explanation is that he is there for sacrifice. Notice the prophet’s response upon seeing Jesse’s son Eliab. Saul was not chosen by Jehovah for his outward ability or appearance. The new king has different qualifications from the first.

The new king must be more focused on who Yahweh is. He must be more focused on others than himself. Saul’s current problem is his inability to accept that he is no longer the king. The Israelites believe he is, but God is about to select another. One of Jesse’s sons has been picked.

It is none of the first seven. When David appears, he is anointed by the last judge as king number two of the Jews. What does this mean for David, his family, and the kingdom? Will he claim leadership, or does he have the wisdom to wait for God? We will see how it plays out.

The spirit of the Lord has left Saul and David is suggested as a musician for the monarch. Jesse sends his youngest son to serve the King. When he cannot relax, the boy will play for him. The spirit has been given to David and his gift of music brings him into contact with royalty.

David is back at home in I Samuel 17 because Saul and the army have gone to fight the Philistines. Jesse sent his youngest to take supplies to the three oldest boys that are serving in the military. While there he sees the largest man, he has ever witnessed defy Jehovah and the King’s men. The young man does not understand why no one has gone to defeat this enemy of Yahweh.

The oldest and youngest brothers have a falling out when the younger tries to find out what the rewards for challenging Goliath will be. David was more motivated by his desire to honor God, but it doesn’t hurt to know what the pay might be. Many other things could be looked at including why five stones are mentioned when only one is needed?

Of course, the Philistines do not surrender when their warrior is beheaded. To the victor belong the spoils, but not easily. The Israelites chase, slaughter, and plunder their foes. Another example of Saul’s self-importance is his having to ask others who this young hero is. His own personal musician should be someone he recognizes.

Saul’s disobedience

April 11, 2020

Saul reigned from age thirty until he died at age seventy-two according to I Samuel 13. The standing army consisted of 3,000 men. 2,000 stayed with Saul and 1,000 were under his son Jonathan. This would have been later than the first battle of course.

There were 3,000 chariots of the Philistines that gathered to fight them. Saul was waiting for Samuel to offer a sacrifice. The king made the offering himself, instead of waiting. When the prophet arrived, he questioned what had been done. Saul made an excuse and blamed the people for starting to leave. He viewed Samuel as being late. Samuel was following the leadership of Jehovah. Ministers and other Christians still have problems in this way. Yahweh sets his own time.

We learn that none of the Israelites have swords or spears, except Jonathan and Saul. The Philistines have removed all the metal workers and tools from Israel. This was intentional. It may explain the Israelite tactic of hiding anywhere they can.

Jonathan’s actions in I Samuel 14 seem unusual. He and his armor-bearer decide to attack the Philistines. They have a plan that will tell if God will go with them. They killed twenty of the enemy in this first battle.

Saul realizes that something is going on and has the troops searched to see who is missing. When it is discovered that Jonathan and his servant are gone, they determine to join the battle. Even those who had left, returned to follow and fight the retreating army.

We know that ignorance of the law is no excuse in this country. Jonathan violates his Father’s order by eating honey. This causes a mutiny that results in Yahweh withholding an answer from the King. The lot is cast, and Jonathan is discovered as the sinner. The pursuit of the Philistines stops because of this. Who was disobeyed, God or just a man?

This was one of many skirmishes with the different enemies of the Israelites. Jehovah allows Saul to be victorious despite his impatience to wait for Samuel. The kingdom will be given to someone else, but until that happens, Saul becomes more convinced that he and his son should continue as the leaders of the kingdom even though Yahweh sees it differently.

Israel receives a king

April 10, 2020

I Samuel 9 seems like straying from the previous tact. We are introduced to the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. He and a servant are looking for some donkeys. Jehovah can use even someone looking livestock. Even Saul recognizes that he is not very important.

Saul is taller than the other Israelites and this will make him a humanly desirable king. They go to find Samuel, when they are unable to find their property. Yahweh had prepared this public place for the anointing of the first king. Samuel does the installation of the monarch, but God chose the man. Remember that we are chosen for a task by Him. We should never attempt to choose our own path.

The prophet anoints Saul as king of Israel in I Samuel 10. The judge also prophesies about what will happen. The new king and his servant return home and tell a portion of their experiences, but the big man does not mention the oil that he had poured on his head, or his prophesying in Gibeah. He was touched by the spirit of Jehovah. He did not tell this to anyone, either.

Samuel comes to Mispah and a sacrifice is arranged. They are reminded of what they had asked of Yahweh. The tribe of Benjamin is identified first. Then the family of Kish is separated from the others and the lot fell to Saul. He was missing. When he was found in hiding, they brought him out for the coronation celebration. His height made many believe he would be a good king.

Everyone left after the festivities ended. Some brave fighting men went with Saul to his hometown. There were others that talked against their new king. This is nothing new, no matter how a leader is chosen. Someone always is disappointed with everything that is done.

Saul’s strength is being tested in I Samuel 11. Once again Jehovah’s spirit comes on him. Jabesh-Gilead is under attack by the Ammonites. Their plan was very sneaky. The Israelites were afraid they could not resist. Their stalling tactics worked, and the new king of Israel gathered the fighting men and rescued their brothers.

At this time, they renewed the commitment of the young monarch. This is just the first of the battles that will establish the kingdom. Life will change for the entire country as Samuel’s predictions of the consequences of appointing one ruler for life.

In I Samuel 12 Samuel says, “Now you have a king as your leader.” The last judge was a man who never defrauded anyone. Unlike many others in leadership then and now, he was a man of integrity. The prophet warns them a last time of all that is required of the Israelites. God is still the one they should follow and no one man.

“Do not turn away from God.” That is a reminder that we all need. Today, despite our salvation being bought and paid for by our savior, we must continue to follow in obedience to Jehovah. Samuel gives this word not just to the Jews of his day, but to us as well.

Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Walk With a Servant

Tag: Saul