SAUL, ISRAEL'S FIRST KING

(From the Book of 1 Samuel)

   A. HIS SPECIAL BLESSINGS AND FAVORS FROM GOD.
      1. God chose him (9:15-16; 10:24).
      2. He was anointed by the Lord (10:1).
      3. The Spirit of God came upon him (10:6,10).
      4. God was with him (10:7).
      5. God gave him another heart (10:9).
      6. God gave him a military victory (11:11).

   B. HIS QUALITIES OF COMMENDABLE DISPOSITION.
      1. Physical superiority (9:2; 10:23).
      2. Consideration (9:5).
      3. Modesty or humility (9:21; 10:22).
      4. Discreetness and goodness (10:27; 11:12-13).
      5. Courage (11:6,11).
      6. Capacity for strong love (16:21).
      7. Obedience to the law (28:3; Deut. 18:9-14).

   C. HIS DECLINE AND APOSTASY.
      1. He did not wait until the appointed time and made sacrifice
         himself (13:8-14; see also 10:8).
      2. He made a rash oath which caused the people to sin (14:24-
         32) and almost caused his son to be put to death (14:44-45).
      3. He did not completely destroy the Amalekites (ch. 15).
      4. God's special blessings were taken away the Spirit of God
         departs (16:14-23).
      5. He becomes insanely envious and jealous of David (18:7-9).
      6. Three times he tries to kill David with a javelin (18:10-11;
         19:9-10).
      7. He tries to have David slain by the Philistines (18:25-27).
      8. He became the continual enemy of David (18:29).
      9. He sent messengers to kill David, but David was saved by
         Michal his wife (19:12-17).
     10. He sent messengers three times and went himself to take
         David but they were hindered by the Spirit of God (19:20-
         24).
     11. He tries to kill Jonathan his son who was defending David
         (20:33).
     12. He had the priest of God killed (22:9-23).
     13. For a long time, he had all the armies of Israel in the
         wilderness hunting David (chs. 22-26).
     14. He did not stop pursuing David even though David proved to
         him twice that he was not his enemy (24:11-12; 26:8-11).
     15. He asked counsel of one that had a familiar spirit the witch
         of Endor (ch. 28).
     16. The Lord departed from him and became his enemy (28:16).
     17. His life ended in suicide on the battle field (31:4-6).
     18. He died because of his transgression against the Lord and 
         for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit (1 
         Chron. 10:13-14).