The Gospel According to Saul
8/18 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 10; Romans 8; Jeremiah 47; Psalm 23-24
DESPISED
“How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace. 1 Samuel 10:27
Saul, the son of Kish and king of Israel prior to David, gets a bad rap all too often. Many of us know that David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14), and so we have a tendency to overlook Saul who, in many ways, was a type and foreshadow of Jesus Christ. Yes, just as David foreshadowed Christ during His ascended, heavenly rule, seated upon the throne of David as King of kings, and subduing all His and our enemies; and likewise, as Solomon foreshadows Christ’s eternal kingdom of peace after His return, certain events in Saul’s life represent Christ’s life during His earthly ministry.
Although Israel rejected the LORD God as King in their desire to have an earthly king reign over them (1 Sam 8:7), Saul was chosen of God and sent by Him to be anointed king (1 Sam 9:16). Like Christ, the Spirit was upon Saul and he had “turned into another man” (1 Sam 10:6), just as Jesus was the sinless, perfect Man, different from all other men. The people, rejecting God, said to Samuel, “Set a king over us” (1 Sam 10:19), just as the multitudes wanted to force Jesus to be their king on earth after He fed them with the miracle fish and wonder bread (John 6:15). There were others, however, “some worthless fellows” (1 Sam 10:27), who doubted Saul’s anointing (How can this man save us?); and they despised him, just as Jesus was “despised and rejected by men” (Isa 53:3). Saul also held his peace, just as Jesus never answered a word before His accusers (Isa 53:7; Matt 27:12-14). Moreover, Saul fell upon his own sword in his last battle against the Philistines (1 Sam 31:4), foreshadowing Jesus Christ laying His life down willingly for His sheep (John 10:18).
O, heavenly Father, use us, as You did Saul, to testify of Christ!
Saul’s life presents the gospel of
Christ Jesus upon earth:
He was despis’d, though from above,
Whose death’s of inf’nite worth.
