King Saul: His Shining Attributes
Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.”
Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the Lord. Then Samuel dismissed the people to go to their own homes.
Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.
1 Samuel 10:24-26 (NIV)
King Saul is now known as an evil king, based on his hateful acts toward David, God's priests, and even his son, Jonathan. None of them deserved the treatment they got.
Even so, Saul was a man of valor, raising an army and winning hard wars.
As gripping delusions came upon him, his terrible acts knew no boundaries– harming both enemies and innocents.
But unlike Israel's most corrupt kings, King Saul began his rise to royalty… with honor, courage, and good behavior.
Bible readers are introduced to Saul as a dutiful son on a mission. He decided to ask Samuel's help and discovered a much bigger mission: his appointment as Israel's first king.
Saul’s reaction to Samuel's big news was humility and self-denial.
'Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?' (1 Samuel 9:21).
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
At the beginning of Saul's rise to fame, he looked and lived like a bright shining star. He respected God, His laws, and his kin.
The king was discreet in what he told whom, and God equipped him for his leading role… with a new heart and Samuel’s guidance.
Soon after Saul’s surprising appointment, both lovers and haters came into view. TO BOTH GROUPS, he showed wisdom and kindness– even forgiving those who opposed his reign.
As David would later do (toward him), King Saul refused to harm his detractors. Therein, he started his reign gloriously.
What happened to make the good king turn bad? And more to the point…
How can YOU, as God's brightest rising stars avoid Saul’s incredibly bad outcome?
King Saul: His Shining Attributes (Part 2)
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players.’ Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.
* Consider reading about Saul's good start, 1 Samuel 9-11: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+samuel+9-11&version=NKJV