The Contradictions Of Saul And David In The Bible

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Without a doubt, one of the most mysterious, complex, and intriguing characters in the Bible is God. His personality entails many contradictions that may leave a reader puzzling over the true and real part of His character. One conflicting example is the story of Saul and David. Both men were chosen to be kings, yet only one formed a true and lasting relationship with God. Why? Does God simply have preferential treatment for some people? Or does the matter go in deeper? Throughout the Old Testament, we see God always choosing to single people out. What is the criterion one must pass to be elected by God? Both Saul and David were chosen by God, yet God decided to reject Saul, and form a covenant with David. Both kings had their strengths and their weaknesses. Yet Saul was rejected (1 Sam 15:23) and about David it was said that he was a …show more content…
This was a time during which the morals of the Israelites were rapidly cascading downward. People both knew that they were a chosen nation, yet they wanted a king set above them like all other nations. This happened right after a divine victory over the Philistines (1 Sam 7:13), and yet the people wanted a king (1 Sam 8:20). In asking for a king that will, “go out before us and fight our battles”, they were rejecting God even though He had always fulfilled exactly that (1 Sam 8:7). According to Tsumura, the people were wanting a physical king that fulfilled three main functions. First, he was supposed to emphasize order and security. Second, he was supposed to be a judge over them. Lastly, he was supposed to be prepared to lead the army against any invader (Tsumura, 261). Consistent with the beliefs of Omanson and Ellington, the people insisting on the king despite all of Samuel’s warnings, is a rejection and disbelief of the events mentioned coming true (Omanson and Ellington, 171). For the good or for the bad, God gave them what they want – He gave them
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