The Two Stories Of David And Saul

In my private devotions I just finished 1 Samuel. It's a fascinating book every time that I read through it. We see the rise of the age of the kings of Israel. Samuel warns the people that they should not desire a king like the nations, but the thrust of the book of Judges is that Israel needs a king. 1 Samuel is the story of the rise of the king of Israel.


When Saul is appointed king, we read that he is of the tribe of Benjamin. Later as we are introduced to David, the king chosen by God, we read that he is of the tribe of Judah. For almost half of the book we see the struggle between the Saul, rejected by God, and David, chosen by God, as Saul spends his last years as king persecuting and trying to kill David. This is the ravenous wolf (Gen. 49.27) that is trying to usurp the lion of Judah. In Saul, we see the tribe of Benjamin in rebellion against the king chosen of God, David. David, as the king of God, submits to Saul over and over again, refusing to usurp power by his own might. In David, we see the tribe of Judah waiting to be exalted over its enemies by God. Saul's reign ends in shame as he kills himself on the battlefield.

Later in scripture we see another Benjamite that puts himself against the tribe of Judah. Saul of Tarsus, aptly named, is of the tribe of Benjamin. He is also a leader of the Jews in the age of the apostles. Saul was a proud persecutor of the son of David, King Jesus. The ravenous wolf is trying to take the scepter out of Judah's hand and put down the rule of King Jesus. Saul is himself put down by King Jesus on the road to Damascus. Saul, an enemy and persecutor of Judah, is forced to his knees in submission at the right time. In Jesus we see the tribe of Judah exalted over their enemies by God. In Jesus we see more; we see the enemies of Judah transformed into friends. Saul's reign of terror comes to an end as he is reborn as the Apostle Paul.

When we read scripture, these patterns are there ready for us to see. It is not insignificant that in the Kingdom of God there are two stories about David and Saul. In one we see a story of humility and judgment. In the other we see a story of exaltation and redemption. I only scratch the surface, and there is a lot more to the stories of David and Saul to grasp. But these patterns and details are intentional. They're worth a lifetime of meditation and reflection to unpack the infinite ways that God teaches us about himself. May we always be fascinated when we read Scripture.