| WHY SAUL WAS REJECTED |
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| miraculously. But in the victory Saul acted sometimes indecisive, sometimes rash. He could not decide to attack. Then he made a boastful vow that disrupted the Israelite army, allowing the Philistines to escape. Attempted Murder Sometime later Saul compromised again in a high-pressure situation, not following the precise instructions God had given for a military campaign (15:3). Again, Samuel caught him in the act. This time he accused Saul of rebelling against God. Samuel's words must have rung in Saul's head the rest of his life: "Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king" (15:23). Without God's and Samuel's spport, Saul lost his sense of confidence. An evil spirit becan to torment him. Instead of building an alliance with David, Saul drove David away, causing him to run for his life in the desert. Eventually fear reduced Saul to a quivering, helpless jellyfish, incapable of leadership. In that condition he and his army lost a historic battle to the Philistines, allowing them to regain control. In the battle, both Saul and Jonathan were killed. Why Saul Failed The book of 1 Samuel doesn't psychoanalyze Saul; it merely reports what happened. The facts do point to a moral, though. Saul had begun with all the opportunity in the world. He only lacked, it seems, a strong compulsion to obey God no matter what. Under pressure he bent the rules. He lost God's backing. He grew fearful, rash, and jealous. Saul's poor leadership left Israel worse off than at the beginning. The kingdom David inherited from Saul was again under Philistine military domination, and it was |
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