Long ago, the Israelites asked for a king to lead them, just like the other nations. Though it made God and His prophet Samuel sad, God agreed and gave them a king. His name was Saul.
Saul was a tall and handsome man from the tribe of Benjamin. He was taller than anyone else in Israel and looked like a king. When Samuel first met Saul, God told him that this was the man chosen to rule over Israel. So, Samuel anointed Saul as king by pouring oil on his head, a special way of showing that God had chosen him to lead the people.
At first, Saul was humble. He didn’t seek power for himself, and when Samuel gathered the people to announce Saul as king, Saul was hiding because he felt unworthy. But once he became king, Saul led Israel in battles and won victories against their enemies, especially the Philistines. The people were happy, and Saul seemed like the perfect king.
One of Saul’s early successes came when the Ammonites threatened a town in Israel. Saul gathered a large army, led them into battle, and won a great victory. This made the people love him even more. They celebrated Saul as a strong and courageous leader.
However, as time went on, Saul’s heart began to change. He started to rely more on his own ideas than on following God’s instructions. In one battle, Saul grew impatient waiting for Samuel to offer a sacrifice to God, so he did it himself. This was a big mistake, because only priests were allowed to offer sacrifices. When Samuel arrived, he was disappointed and told Saul that his kingdom wouldn’t last because of his disobedience.
Another time, God gave Saul a command through Samuel: to completely destroy the Amalekites, a wicked nation that had attacked Israel long ago. Saul won the battle but disobeyed God by sparing the Amalekite king and keeping the best animals for himself, claiming he would sacrifice them to God later. When Samuel confronted him, Saul tried to make excuses, but Samuel told him, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” This was the moment when God decided Saul would no longer be king. Samuel told him that God had chosen someone else, a man after His own heart, to replace him.
From that point on, Saul’s life became more troubled. Though he remained king for a while, Saul was tormented by a sense of insecurity and jealousy, especially when a young man named David came into the picture. David was a brave warrior who defeated the giant Goliath and became very popular among the people. Saul grew very jealous of David and tried to harm him multiple times.
Saul’s jealousy and fear consumed him. Instead of trusting God, he became obsessed with holding onto his power. He chased David through the wilderness, trying to capture him, but David always escaped. Despite all of this, David respected Saul as the anointed king and refused to harm him, even when he had the chance.
In his later years, Saul became increasingly desperate. He even went against God’s law by consulting a witch to try to communicate with the spirit of Samuel after Samuel had died. This showed how far Saul had fallen from trusting in God.
Saul’s final battle was against the Philistines, where his army was overwhelmed. Knowing he was about to be captured, Saul tragically took his own life. His reign ended in sadness, but his life serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of obedience to God.
Saul’s story teaches us that even though he started as a promising leader, his failure to trust and obey God led to his downfall. We learn from Saul that it’s not enough to look like a leader on the outside—what matters most is the condition of our hearts and our willingness to follow God’s guidance.
