Canaanites
And the LORD said, 'There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.'"
Technology vs Spirituality
Shut in a dungeon, he would arise and go forth like Saul of Tarsus; he could see to any distance, and this without a naim; hear equally without a naim; go through the midst of foes, and be seen by none of them.
Yahweh was replaced by a human king
The people believed they had replaced Yahweh with a human king, Saul, who would pursue policies for the common good.
The Riddle of Samson
These were typically local struggles until Israel eventually united under figures like Samuel, Saul, David, and Solomon, establishing a kingdom.
Isra’el – The Powerful Yisra
Amalekites: In 1 Samuel 15:2-3, YHWH commands King Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites, including men, women, children, and animals.
Samuel: YHWH speaks directly to the prophet Samuel to guide the Israelites and anoint kings like Saul and David (1 Samuel 3; 1 Samuel 16).
Through Samuel: In 1 Samuel 15:2-3, YHWH commands Saul, through the "The Powerful Listener", to destroy the Amalekites completely.
Command to Saul via Samuel: In 1 Samuel 15, YHWH commands King Saul, through the Samuel, to completely destroy the Amalekites, including men, women, children, infants, and animals.
Samuel’s Role: When Saul fails to fully carry out this command, sparing King Agag and the best of the livestock, Samuel himself executes Agag to complete the divine command (1 Samuel 15:32-33).
Saul: Samuel anoints Saul as the first king of Israel under YHWH's direction (1 Samuel 10).
David: Later, Samuel anoints David as king, which sets in motion a series of events that lead to Saul’s downfall and a period of conflict and civil war (1 Samuel 16:1-13).
King David
David served in the court of King Saul and became close friends with Saul's son, Jonathan.
Despite his loyalty, Saul grew jealous of David's popularity and sought to kill him, forcing David to live as a fugitive for a period.
After Saul's death, David was anointed king of Judah and later of all Israel, uniting the tribes.
The death of Adam
He is most famous for being the second king of Israel and Judah, succeeding King Saul.
Goliath
David volunteered to fight Goliath, even though King Saul and others doubted his ability because of his youth and inexperience.
The Battle: David refused the offer of Saul's armor and chose instead to fight with his sling and five smooth stones he picked from a stream.
Israel’s first king, Saul, fought a serpent in his first battle against Nahash (Hebrew “serpent”), king of the Ammonites, and here David faced his own serpent.
David was better than Saul, the tall man who feared the Philistine giant (1 Samuel 17:11).
Elohim, The powerful ones
The witch of Endor tells Saul that she saw elohim ascending out of the earth when she summoned the spirit of the Prophet Samuel at Saul's request. The word elohim, in this context, can refer to spirits as well as deities.
Yahweh YHWH – The Lord God
Command to Kill the Amalekites - Yahweh commands Saul to annihilate the Amalekites, including women, children, and animals (1 Samuel 15).
Yahweh is often shown as a violent and jealous deity, commanding the extermination of entire populations, such as in the story of Saul and the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15.