The story of Saul is a record of the transformation of Israel from a theocracy to a kingdom.
The sons of the prophet Samuel followed in the footsteps of the sons of the former high priest, Eli, pursuing wealth and taking bribes. (Interestingly, they set up shop in Beersheba, located in the Negev in southern Israel. We need to do more study into the significance of Beersheba to figure out why they went there instead of staying in the region of Benjamin and Ephraim like their father.)
Oppression by the Ammonite king Nahash, and the bad behavior of Samuel’s sons, prompted the Israelites to demand a king. In a classic example of being careful of what you wish for, God consented. And then He called a man based on the characteristics we humans often use to choose our leaders: Saul was tall and handsome.
As we’ll see in the weeks ahead, that’s really not good criteria for picking a national leader!
We also point out more hidden references to the Holy Spirit and the Messiah in the Old Testament. While the doctrine of the Trinity is not spelled out by the name in the Bible, we see all three members—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—throughout the scriptures if we pay attention.
For more on the Jewish belief in two powers in heaven, a teaching that was not heretical until the second century AD, visit www.TwoPowersInHeaven.com.
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JOIN US IN ISRAEL! Our next tour of Israel is October 19–30, 2025 with an optional three-day extension to Jordan. For more information and to reserve your place, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel.
Note: Due to schedule conflicts, Doug Van Dorn, Dr. Judd Burton, and Timothy Alberino will join our tour in the spring of 2026.
TRAVEL WITH US TO TURKEY! Join us and our special guests Dr. Judd Burton and Dr. Aaron Judkins as we visit the churches of Revelation, Göbekli Tepe, Abraham’s home town Harran, the “Gates of Hell,” Mount Nemrut, and much more. Dates are October 17–November 3, 2023. More information is available at GilbertHouse.org/travel.
Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, click here for the Old Testament studies to date, and click here for our studies of the Book of 1 Enoch to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.
The people wanted a king to be a judge over them, and Saul never fulfilled that role. Also, what kind of a king couldn’t even find his father’s donkeys???