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31. Saul the King of
Israel.
Then the prophet
gathered the tribes of Israel to Mizpah to present their new king
according to the Lord's will. Saul was a handsome, powerful man, a head
taller than almost the tallest man in Israel. ‘Here you see,’ said
Samuel, ’whom the Lord has chosen, for there is none like him in
Israel.’ When the tribes saw the handsome, handsome man, they shouted
for joy and cried out, ‘Happy is your king!’ But there were also some
people among the people who despised him and said, ‘What can this man do
for us?’ But Saul pretended not to hear. Saul was a brave and
good-natured man. The Ammonites besieged the city of Jabesh and wanted
to cut off the right ang' of all its inhabitants. They only had seven
days to surrender. The frightened inhabitants of Jabesh sent messengers
to Benjamin and to the city of Saul for help and deliverance. On the
seventh day, early in the morning, Saul came to the camp of the
Ammonites with a helping hand. He struck them so that not two of them
were left together, thus saving the inhabitants from the terrible
disaster that was about to befall them.
At that time the people said, ‘Now give us those who would not have Saul
as king, that we may kill them.’ But the gentle king said: ‘Let no one
die on this day, for the Lord has given salvation to Israel today.’ Oh,
if only all people thought like this, not to do evil when God has given
them salvation. God gives us salvation every day.
With this victory and with this magnificent speech, Saul won all hearts.
Everyone paid him homage in Gilgal and rejoiced greatly. When Samuel
laid down his office of judge before the people and the king, he said,
among other things: ‘I have gone before you from my youth to this day.
From now on, your king will go before you. Behold, here I am! Answer me
before the Lord and his anointed, whether I have taken anyone's oxen or
donkeys, whether I have done violence or injustice to anyone, whether I
have blinded my eyes with a gift.’ These are some heartfelt questions.
Many a man would rather face an enemy battery than his relatives or
fellow citizens or subordinates if he had to ask them such questions.
But what did all Israel answer Samuel? ‘You have done us no wrong and
have not taken anything from anyone's hand.’ Such a testimony is worth
more than a stolen ox, indeed more than all unjust ‘money’ and goods,
especially when the hour comes when money and goods are left behind and
conscience goes with them. Conscience goes with them.
But Saul and Jonathan with him, his valiant son, did many more heroic
deeds and saved Israel from the hand of all who oppressed them.
But as brave as the king was, he was not wise. As he grew more and more
powerful, he also became more and more confident and careless and never
did Samuel the honour he deserved, even though he was a prophet and
spoke to him in the name of God, and never followed his admonitions and
instructions. This happened especially in a war against the Amalekites.
Something happened that should not have happened. The prophet came
indignantly into the camp and said to the king, ‘Because you have not
obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, the Lord has taken the kingdom of
Israel from you today.’ That is, that the royal dignity should not
remain with his family and that his son Jonathan should not become king
after his death. From that time on, Samuel did not see Saul again as
long as he lived. But Saul's heart was troubled, and from time to time
he was overcome with anxious and fearful thoughts.
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