Saul: A Humble Beginning, A Tragic End Scripture reading: 1 Sam 9:15-27
A Positive Beginning He had a humble opinion of himself (1 Sam 9:21) He did not boast about being told he would be king (1 Sam 10:15-16) He stayed in the background (1 Sam 10:22) He knew how to keep his peace (1 Sam 10:27)
Pride vs Humility
A Positive Beginning He was zealous to help those in need (1 Sam 11:1-7)
A Positive Beginning He was a man of great courage (1 Sam 11:11)
A Positive Beginning He was a man of forgiveness (1 Sam 11:12-13)
His Problematic Behavior Saul waited seven days for Samuel to come make an offering to the Lord before going into battle but he didn’t show (1 Sam 13:5-8) Waiting can be a test Saul was a king and not a priest so he was not to perform the sacrifice Saul was punished for not obeying the commands of the Lord
His Problematic Behavior Saul becomes anxious and makes the sacrifice himself
His Problematic Behavior In Chapter 15 Saul again disobeys the Lord Saul is rejected as king First he lies (13-14) Second he tries to justify (vs 15-21) Finally he repents (22-29)
His Persistent Bitterness David enters the life of Saul in chapter 16
His Persistent Bitterness Chapter 7 tells the account of David defeating Goliath
His Persistent Bitterness Chapter 18 David returns from battle and women sing his praise Saul digressed from loving David to hating him
His Pitiful Burial Saul’s final battle was recorded in 1 Sam 31
Conclusion This is the tragic story of a man who started out so well In just a few years he lost his humility, his character, his kingdom, and his life This is the sad story of many servants of God today who start out well but are unable to remain faithful unto death