Title: King Saul's Family (1 Chronicles 08:29-40)
Content In this text, the descendants of Gibeon, the tribe of Benjamin, appear. A particularly noteworthy figure in this genealogy is Saul. This is because Saul was the first king of the kingdom of Israel and was chosen by God during the great turning point in Israel's history. Now that the 450-year period of judges has come to an end and there is a transition process in history that is transitioning to the era of monarchy, it has the meaning that he was chosen to carry out his transitional mission.
1. Period of Judges and Period of Kings
(1) Age of Judges The chief of Israel who was in charge of the reign and priesthood of Israel for about 450 years between Moses and King Saul is called a judge. The functions of the judge were both politics and priesthood. In other words, the judges were the leaders of theocracy who worked according to the will of God in the judicial, administrative, and military aspects. The activities of the judges were carried out according to God's command or by asking God's will. Whenever Israel was in crisis, God saved them. The judges of Israel are: Utniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Barak, Deborah, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, and Samuel.
(2) In the era of the monarchy, Samuel grew old and his sons became judges of Israel, but they did not act uprightly like his father Samuel, but greed for profits and took bribes to pervert the judgment (1 Samuel 8). The fall of Samuel's sons forced the people of Israel to seek a king, an honest and powerful leader. However, this was only a fuse, and there was a reason the people of Israel were saved by the king. This is because 1) all believers who had experienced the conquest of Canaan died and their faith in God’s guidance and protection was weakened, and 2) they suffered from the invasion and humiliation they suffered from the kings of the nations during the 450 years of the period of the Judges. So, like the nations of Israel, let us appoint a king to rule over us (1 Samuel 8:5-6), and we asked for a king. Rather than God's guidance and protection, he sought a visible king.
2. Tragic factors of monarchy The ruler of history is God. The course of the development of Israel's history began from the era of absolute tyranny of Moses and Joshua. God was in control of this history. But why did God consider the people of Israel to be betrayed when they demanded the monarchy? The problem was not in the princely body, but in the hearts of the people seeking the king. In other words, Israel is God's chosen
(1) Even though they are a special people to be directly governed by God Himself, they rejected this fact and forsook God.
(2) Trusting the visible rather than the invisible.
(3) There was a problem in imitating strangers. In this era, Saul was a representative of an era that God used during the great turning point in Israel's history.
3. Saul Chosen but Failed
(1) Forefather of Saul Among the ancestors of Saul, only the names of his father Kish and four grandfathers are recorded. Verse 33 says “Saul the son of Kish”. His lineage is listed higher than in 1 Samuel 9:1. That is, there it is written Kish as “the son of Abiel.” It is stamped "Son of Nell". But actually, as 1 Samuel 14:51 says, he was the son of Ner and the grandson of Abiel.
(2) Saul secured the position of head. Saul was good-looking and outstanding, and he was chosen from among Israel, but it was not by the will of God (1 Samuel 9:2). Saul was a valiant man and had the power to rule and lead. As the first king of Israel, he was in a position between the heroic era of the judges and the stable monarchs of David and Solomon.
(3) Failed King Saul During Israel's turmoil, Saul was chosen by God to become an anointed king. However, during the period of the judges, Saul invoked the decree of the tribe of the judges (1 Samuel 11:6-7) and directly executed the priests' sacrificial rites (1 Samuel 13:9) and acted like the prophets (1 Samuel 10:10, 1 Samuel 10:10; 19:24). Eventually, Saul lost the trust of the people (1 Samuel 10:27) and slaughtered the priests (1 Samuel 22:16-18) and offered sacrifices according to his own will. has been brought God's plans and promises remain the same, but human evil deeds and arrogance have led to destruction. Being chosen by God and receiving a mission is precious, but more importantly, obeying and following the mission humbly and faithfully.