OT Characters: Saul

<p>For more additional notes and resources check out Douglas' <a href="https://www.douglasjacoby.com/ot28-saulmp3/">website</a>.</p><p><strong>Hebrew words:</strong></p><ul><li><i>Sha’ul </i>– Saul, 422x in the Bible.<ul><li>Note: Saul of Tarsus = 23x; King Saul, 399x. In 1 Sam 9-11, 13-29, 31; 2 Sam 1 etc.</li><li><i>Shaul -- </i>mentioned 10x (e.g. Gen 36:37). It is a shame that our English Bibles do not make it clearer when names are repeated.</li></ul></li></ul><p><strong>Further study:</strong></p><ul><li>Passages covered in this podcast:<ul><li>1 Samuel 9:2; 10:6,9ff,22; 13:10-14; 15:10-13,16-20,22-31,34-35; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 21; 24, 26; 28; 31</li><li>2 Samuel 1</li></ul></li><li>At first, Saul is to be anointed as a "<i>prince</i>" (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel+9:16&version=NASB">1 Sam 9:16</a>) -- God is the true <i>king</i>. Further, Saul hardly acts like a king. His qualities appear only it be his family's money and his good looks. He hides among the baggage when it's time to be presented. People don't do what he says (e.g. his soldiers refuse to execute his son, Jonathan; he has forbidden witchcraft, supposedly driving the mediums from the land, but he consults one of these mediums!).</li><li>Further: compare/contrast Saul of Tarsus || Benjamin, persecuted God’s people, but like Peter & Judas, their similarities are outweighed by their differences. One started out well and ended up terrible… the other started out terribly, and ended up a spiritual giant.</li></ul><p><strong>Some things we learn about God:</strong></p><ul><li>God’s spirit can change even an unworthy leader into a godly man.</li><li>However, his spirit will never force anyone against his will. We always have a choice.</li><li>God will often leave an unworthy leader in office far past the time we would have thought he must go.</li><li>We are never to attempt to cross the boundary between the living and the dead (séances, necromancy, witchcraft, sorcery).</li></ul><p><strong>For kids:</strong></p>