The End Time Church: from the Cathedrals to the Catacombs

By Dan L. White

Copyright ©2016 by Dan L. White, all rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB) which is in the public domain.

 

Chapter 12

King Saul, the Hunkering Hunk

King Tut was really an ugly pharaoh.

Almost everyone has seen a picture of Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s mummy mask, a depiction of him that was stored with his mummy. In that mask, the king has perfect features with a fine straight nose, a perfectly shaped beard and a handsome face.

Golden Mask of Tutankhamun in the Egyptian Museum[1]

However, Italian researchers recently performed 2000 digital scans of the pharaoh’s mummy and created a digital King Tut, an electronic image of the ancient Egyptian ruler. This virtual Tut doesn’t look anything like his mummy mask. It shows that the real King Tut had “girlish hips, a club foot and buck teeth.”[2]

Then why did the Egyptians make his mask to look so handsome when the real king was an eyesore?

The Egyptians did not want an ugly king.

Neither did Israel. They wanted a handsome hunk. And they got one.

Human kings are supposed to do God’s work better the he can, with everybody in line behind the king.

Remember that’s what Bible commentators think.

Only a strong and permanent leadership of the whole people would suffice! Thus the rule of the Judges gave way to the monarchy! ISBE article “Judges.”

Nothing contributes more, under God, to the support of religion in the world, than the due administration of those two great ordinances, magistracy and ministry, Matthew Henry, Judges 17:6 comment.

Israel thought God’s people would be better off with a human king, instead of being led by God directly. And of course, nobody wants an ugly Tut for a king.

So what happened with those human kings?

First there were three.

Three sons of Adam — Cain, Abel and Seth — are named as the first sons of mankind. Three sons of Noah — Shem, Ham and Japheth — repopulated the world after the Flood. Three patriarchs- Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — began God’s chosen people. And the united kingdom of all twelve tribes of Israel had three kings — Saul, David and Solomon.

Those who saw Saul were in awe.

1Sa 9:1-2
Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. He had a son, whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and there was not among the children of Israel a better person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people.

There is a certain irony there. When Israel wanted a human king, Yahweh gave them the best looking man in the country. God himself picked the king, but he gave the people exactly what they wanted – a regal ruler.

However, their regal ruler had one real problem.

1Sa 10:17-24
Samuel called the people together to Yahweh to Mizpah; and he said to the children of Israel, Yahweh, the God of Israel, says ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’ But you have today rejected your God, who himself saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said to him, ‘No! Set a king over us.’

Samuel had already anointed Saul as king, but this was a formal ceremony to present the new king to  the multitudes of Israel. A selection service was held, to show who Yahweh had picked for their king.

Now therefore present yourselves before Yahweh by your tribes, and by your thousands.

So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families; and the family of the Matrites was chosen. Then Saul the son of Kish was chosen; but when they looked for him, he could not be found.

The selection process showed the tribe, Benjamin; then the family, Kish; and finally the man, Saul. But that man was missing. So they asked God, When is this guy going to get here?

Therefore they asked of Yahweh further, Is there yet a man to come here?

And Yahweh, the king they rejected, said somewhat cheekily —

Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.

Ah!

A look of surprise passed from face to face. The protector of Israel was hiding — to protect himself. Their new king was buried in the baggage. Their leader was in the luggage. He had stuffed himself in with the stuff.

Bold leader!

What to do?

Get him out.

They ran and got him there.

What a curious scene that must have been, when the leaders of Israel, so excited about the new government they had demanded, so full of optimism and confidence, so swept up in their campaign of Hope and Change —

What a curious scene that must have been when they had to rush over to where their hunk was hunkered down and pull him out.

Can you see them there, searching through the piles of stuff, then staring down at their cowering cowardly king?

And there he was! Saul looked up at them, all those faces looked down at him —

Come on out, we got’cha.

How great it was to have a human king!

But when Saul did come out and stood up, he still looked dang good. When the hunk didn’t hunker, he was sure handsome.

When he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom Yahweh has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people? All the people shouted, and said, Long live the king!

Long live the king?

Yep. Long live the king! the people shouted.

Now isn’t that kinda dumb?

Dan 7:9-10
I saw until thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days sat: his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Israel traded the Ancient of Days, who has no beginning and no end, for a guy they had to pull out of the baggage, and who they hoped would live a long time. Long live the king!

So Saul was the guy who was to lead the people instead of Yahweh.

And what did God do with Saul?

1Sa 10:9-12
It was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs happened that day. When they came there to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily on him, and he prophesied among them.

When all who knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said to one another, What is this that has come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? One of the same place answered, Who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

Notice that when Israel set up a government between them and God, God did not immediately desert them. When they rejected Him, He stayed with them. Yahweh gave the guy who replaced him the spirit of God. Saul had the power that upholds the universe with him, yet it was right after that when he hid himself.

Not a good sign!

Saul had a good start in battle, though.

1Sa 11:1-15
Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh Gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.

Nahash the Ammonite said to them, On this condition I will make it with you, that all your right eyes be gouged out. I will make this dishonor all Israel.

The threat of Nahash was one of the reasons Israel wanted a human government. Soon after Saul became Israel’s king, Nahash wanted to enslave part of Israel, and put out their right eyes as their mark of servitude to him.

The elders of Jabesh said to him, Give us seven days, that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel; and then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.

Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people, then all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

At that point, even after being picked as king, Saul was still a farmer, following the oxen. Most kings, political or religious, would probably be better off if they spent more time following oxen.

Behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, What ails the people that they weep? They told him the words of the men of Jabesh. God’s Spirit came mightily on Saul when he heard those words, and his anger burned hot. He took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whoever doesn’t come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.

Saul was led by the spirit of God, and that trickled down to the people.

The dread of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out as one man. He counted them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

They said to the messengers who came, Tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be rescued.’

The messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. Therefore the men of Jabesh said, Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you shall do with us all that seems good to you.

On the next day, Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the middle of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who remained were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

Some had mocked King Saul when he was first selected. After this great victory, others wanted to murder those mockers.

The people said to Samuel, Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring those men, that we may put them to death!

Saul, though, had the wisdom to not avenge himself.

Saul said, No man shall be put to death today; for today Yahweh has rescued Israel.

Then Samuel said to the people, Come! Let’s go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.

All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they offered sacrifices of peace offerings before Yahweh; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Why did they rejoice greatly?

Because their king, whom they thought would protect the flock and give them unity, had done just that.

The threat from Nahash was one of the reasons that Israel wanted a guy like Saul. When Saul led them to victory over Nahash, it seemed that Israel had made an immensely wise decision in putting Saul in place of God, even though it was God who had actually given them the victory.

For a short while, it looked like Israel had made a good trade in kings. Then things started to unravel.

Or rather, then Saul just showed that he was human.

The Philistines oppressed Israel, and wouldn’t even let them have swords and spears. Saul gathered several thousand Israelites together, but they faced Philistines as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Israel and Saul were very scared so when Samuel did not show at the set time to offer a sacrifice, Saul ‘forced himself’ and did it.

But offering that sacrifice was not Saul’s job. And that show of arrogance cost him his dynasty.

Then Saul’s son Jonathan and his armor bearer, who were not afraid, attacked and routed the Philistines, not knowing that Saul had declared a fast day on their day of battle. When Jonathan ate a little honey, Saul wanted to kill his son.

Israel overruled their leader on that one. After all, he was only human.

When Saul was sent to strike Amalek and not spare, he spared. He simply used his better judgment, and being just a human, his better judgment wasn’t the best.

That little episode cost him his kingdom.

1Sa 15:34-35
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul: and Yahweh grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Saul ruled for forty years, and a good bit of that time was spent trying to kill the man who would replace him. Saul, who had hidden in the stuff, turned into a full fledged tyrant.

Even at the very end of his life, Saul repeated his vicissitudes and vacillations. He had ordered all demonic diviners put out of the country, because of this law.

Leviticus 20:6
The person that turns to those who are mediums, and to the wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.

Just as when he offered the forbidden sacrifice, though, when things didn’t go Saul’s way, then he went his own way.

1Sa 28:4-10, 14-19
The Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa. When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. When Saul inquired of Yahweh, Yahweh didn’t answer him by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets.

Then Saul said to his servants, Seek for me a woman who has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.

His servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman who has a familiar spirit at Endor.

Saul disguised himself and put on other clothing, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. Then he said, Please consult for me by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomever I shall name to you.

The woman said to him, Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

Saul had done what was right by getting rid of the spiritists, but when no one was watching, Saul did not oppose the witch of Endor.

Saul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, As Yahweh lives, no punishment will happen to you for this thing.

So the spiritist did her thing.

She said, An old man comes up. He is covered with a robe. Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and showed respect. Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me, to bring me up? Saul answered, I am very distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me, and answers me no more, by prophets, or by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do.

Saul was self willed. When God did not answer him, he simply went to another source.

Samuel said, Why then do you ask me, since Yahweh has departed from you and has become your adversary? Yahweh has done to you as he spoke by me. Yahweh has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, even to David. Because you didn’t obey Yahweh’s voice, and didn’t execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore Yahweh has done this thing to you today. Moreover Yahweh will deliver Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines; and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Yahweh will deliver the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.

The problem with all human governments is humans. Saul became a full fledged tyrant. He wouldn’t kill Agag, whom Yahweh told him to kill, but he spent the last part of his life trying to kill David, whom Yahweh had picked to take his place.

Saul was not that bad of a guy. He went from plowing behind oxen to ruling with the power of a king and he just flat out couldn’t take it. This almost always happens to all kings, whether political or religious.

Well, yes, Saul was that bad of a guy. He was a normal human.

Saul had the spirit of God to join with his human spirit, yet he yielded to his human spirit and ignored the divine spirit, which he then lost.

That’s just what Israel had done when they wanted a human king in place of God. Their king was just repeating their mistake. And their great king just became one more tyrant in the scrolls of history, who spent years trying to kill David, who had done him no wrong at all.

Rush Limbaugh said it succinctly.

The history of the world is tyranny. Human beings are viciously mean to each other. The history of humanity is tyranny, torture, dungeons, dictatorship, fear. The exception has been the United States of America.[3]

In the end, King Saul did not protect the flock.

1Sa 31:1-7
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines overtook Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers. Then Saul said to his armor bearer, Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me! But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it. When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him. So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, that same day together. When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.

Israel’s protection — protecting the flock — ultimately came not from kings, but only from Almighty God.

Psa 62:5-9 CEV
Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on him. God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe, and he is the fortress where I feel secure. God saves me and honors me. He is that mighty rock where I find safety. Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each one of your concerns. God is our place of safety. We humans are only a breath; none of us are truly great. All of us together weigh less than a puff of air.

You must never follow a person instead of God.

Why not?

Because he isn’t.

When Saul hid in the baggage, apparently he didn’t really think he should be king. He was right. Later, though, he would do anything to keep his throne. In the position of king, his human nature had done him in. He was better off stepping in ox pies.

There is no sign that Saul ever really repented. Few kings do. Kings don’t usually humble themselves, because, after all, they’re kings. Which is perhaps the worst political or religious position that any person can possibly be in.

[1] Carsten Frenzl, “King Tut,” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons.

[2] http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/10/digital-autopsy-shows-king-tut-was-really-ugly.html

[3] http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2009/07/31/obamacare_it_s_all_about_control