Saul Essay -- Religion, God

Change is inevitable. However, whether the change is good or bad depends on the individual. In the bible, Saul is described, at first, to be a â€Å"handsome man, and [that] there was not a more handsome person than he among the songs of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people,† an image that appears the most fit for a king (1 Samuel 9:2). Conveniently, due to the people’s complaints and want of a king, Samuel finds Saul, the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamites, with the help of God’s guidance and Saul is anointed as the first king of Israel. As king, Saul exploits valiant roles in battles and leads Israel with confidence, yet, as time goes on, Saul begins to undergo a transformation that will bring him closer to his â€Å"darker† side with every sin stacking on top of the previous flaw. It all appears to begin when Saul disobeys God’s orders, told through Samuel, to destroy all the Amalekites, by sparing the Agag ’s life, best livestock, and keeping onto the â€Å"good things† (1 Samuel 15:9). The change that Saul experiences is shaped by his flaws – greed, jealously, selfishness – that permeates his character, eventually leading to his demise. First off, Saul’s strengths before his change include being self-sufficient and having a strong grip on Israel. Saul is a character that seems to fend for himself in risky situations, such as when Saul was in a war with the Philistines, he waited for Samuel but when Samuel was delayed in his coming to Gilgal, Saul took matters into his own hands to please the Israelites, who were restless (1 Samuel 13:8-9). In addition, Saul is in command as king and holds true to his role, as he responds to the needs of Israelites yet he holds power to have the people obey his words... ...o that he can keep an eye on him and kill him when the time is right (1 Samuel 18:21). Lastly, the most apparent flaw is jealously, that takes root when he hears the people say â€Å"Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands† (1 Samuel 18-7) and flourishes as he no longer is the â€Å"anointed king by God.† For example, Saul is overcome with anger and jealously that he just throws a spear at David, while David is playing the harp for him (1 Samuel 18:10-11). Additionally, Saul continues to pursuit David out of spite and pure jealously and relentlessly targets David, even calling him an enemy, when his own daughter lets him go (1 Samuel 19: 17). This is Saul’s most dangerous flaw and irreversible turning point in his transformation, as he loses control of a logical mind, even hurling a spear at his own son Jonathan for letting David go (1 Samuel 20:33).