Who was the first king in the old testament

National Geographic explores notable biblical figures in our ongoing series People in the Bible, as part of our coverage of the history of the Bible and the search for sacred texts.

King David was not born into royalty. He entered life as a humble shepherd, rose to found a dynasty, and became a central figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

In the Book of Samuel, Saul, the first king of Israel, failed to reach a decisive victory against an enemy tribe, the Philistines. God sent the Prophet Samuel to Bethlehem and guided him to David, a humble shepherd and talented musician. He brought the young man to Saul's court, where his harp was so soothing that Saul called for David whenever he was vexed by an “evil spirit” sent by God (I Samuel 9:16). Saul was so taken with this young man that he appointed David his armor bearer.

Giant battle

Soon thereafter, a major Philistine battle loomed. This time, the Philistines fielded a fearsome new weapon: a giant named Goliath, carrying a huge bronze spear (I Samuel 17:5-7). The Israelites were frozen in fear—except young David. Armed with only a sling, he picked a stone from a riverbed and slung it at Goliath’s head. David’s aim was true; the stone struck the giant and killed him, prompting the Philistines to flee. The Israelites were jubilant. Saul was compelled to place young David at the head of his army (I Samuel 18:5).

Even though David then married Saul’s daughter Michal and became a close friend of Saul’s son Jonathan, an intense rivalry developed between the young new general and the king. Saul even began to plot to kill him. David had little choice but to flee to enemy territory.

The History of the Bible, Animated

Time travel in this animation through the history of the Bible. Made with clay, wire, and recycled paper, the characters come to life in frame-by-frame motion.

Saul's downfall

Soon the country was once again torn by war as Philistine forces gathered at Mount Gilboa, and Saul and his sons, all serving as commanders in his army, rushed to meet them. But God had turned against Saul, and the Israelite ranks were decimated. All of Saul’s sons fell to Philistine swords, including his heir, Jonathan. Badly wounded himself, Saul then fell upon his own sword (I Samuel 31:1-7).

With Israel’s army in headlong retreat, the Philistines swarmed over the Hebrew highlands. Saul’s only surviving son, Ishbaal, was anointed as his successor, supported by the northern tribes. But the southern elders went to Hebron, David’s military base, and in due course anointed David king “over the house of Judah.”

At first, David chose to ignore the Philistines and instead marched on Jerusalem (II Samuel 5:6). After capturing Jerusalem, David was then able to defeat the Philistines. Eventually, all of the regions in Canaan came under David’s control.

Kingdom of David

Now, at last, David could turn his attention to building a state, ruled from a proper Israelite capital. He pitched the tent of the Tabernacle to house the Ark of the Covenant. This was obviously not a satisfactory solution, and the king complained to the Prophet Nathan that “I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent” (II Samuel 7:2). An oracle from God assured David that "the Lord will make you a house"—a Davidic dynasty—but that it would be up to his offspring (King Solomon) to “build a house for my name” (II Samuel 7:11-13).

So David reigned over all Israel; and he administered justice and equity to all his people.

According to the Books of Samuel and the subsequent Books of Kings, David then expanded his territory until Israel had become the dominant state in the Levant, absorbing the nations of Ammon, Moab, and Edom. Modern research has questioned this claim, and many scholars believe that some of the legendary material surrounding David served to exalt him as an ideal king, as successful in peace as in war, beloved by God as well as his people.

Indeed, David’s greatest achievement (and that of his son Solomon) is not the extent of their putative realm, but the fusion of the quarrelsome tribes into one nation. Some scholars have even questioned whether David is a historical figure, though the discovery of a stela from Tel Dan with the inscription bytdwd (which may mean “House of David”) would argue otherwise.

Notwithstanding David’s political achievements, his personal life was filled with conflict and tragedy. David compromised his reputation by pursuing the beautiful Bathsheba, who was already married to Uriah, one of David’s top commanders. David ordered him placed in the front ranks of a planned assault against the Ammonites, where he was duly killed.

As soon as Bathsheba finished her time of mourning, David married her, and she bore his son. But the Prophet Nathan sternly rebuked David for his evil scheming because it had “displeased the Lord,” and indeed, the baby died (II Samuel 11:27). David then repented before God, and in return was promised that Bathsheba would bear him a second son. His name was Solomon. As David grew older and feeble, Bathsheba extracted David’s promise that their son Solomon would succeed him. And so it came to pass.

Entries in this series are excerpts from the National Geographic special issue 50 Most Influential Figures of the Bible, which was adapted from Who's Who in the Bible: Unforgettable People and Timeless Stories from Genesis to Revelation, published by National Geographic Books.

For many years, the prophet Samuel served as judge over Israel and led with distinction. But when Samuel grew old, the elders demanded that a king should be appointed to reign over them.

Faced with battles, wars, and enemies on all sides, this request might not seem like such a bad idea. But in today’s message from his video teaching series Dust to Glory, R.C. Sproul reveals why it was wrong.

You see, the Israelites already had a king. It was God Himself, who had redeemed them from Egypt, established them as a nation, and led them into the Promised Land. Yet the people forgot who their King was. Instead, they sought an earthly ruler in their desire to supplant God’s reign and be like the pagan nations around them.

Although God allowed Saul to become Israel’s first human king, He warned that it would not turn out well (1 Sam. 8:9–18). Yet despite this shameful beginning, God would use the monarchy to usher in His kingdom and pave the way for the King of kings, Jesus Christ.

Watch today’s message, or for a limited time, request your copy of the full teaching series Dust to Glory for a donation of any amount. You can also dig deeper into the Scriptures with the Reformation Study Bible.

King Saul had the honor of being Israel's first king, but his life turned into a tragedy for one reason. Saul did not trust in God.

• Like every Bible character's story, the life of King Saul serves as a mirror for us to uncover our own faults, confess them to God, and make changes.
• We can contrast this Saul with a later Saul, Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted early Christians. Jesus Christ himself chose the second Saul to be his evangelist to the Gentiles. He became the apostle Paul and obeyed God faithfully for the rest of his life.
• King Saul lost God's favor because he disobeyed. Sin offends God, but through faith in Jesus Christ, people today can have forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

Saul looked like royalty: tall, handsome, noble. He became king when he was 30 years old and reigned over Israel for 42 years.

Early in his career, Saul made a fatal mistake. He disobeyed God by failing to completely destroy the Amalekites and all their possessions, as God had commanded. A key part of the conditional covenant between God and Israel was obedience. Saul, as God's anointed king, was responsible for keeping that command.

The Lord withdrew his favor from Saul and had Samuel the prophet anoint David as king.

Some time later, David killed the giant Goliath. As the Jewish women were dancing in a victory parade, they sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." (1 Samuel 18:7, NIV)

Because the people made more of David's single victory than all of Saul's, the king went into a rage and became jealous of David. From that moment he plotted to kill him.

Instead of building up Israel, King Saul wasted most of his time chasing David through the hills. David, however, respected God's anointed king and despite several opportunities, refused to harm Saul.

Finally, the Philistines gathered for a huge battle against the Israelites. By that time Samuel had died. King Saul was desperate, so he consulted a medium and told her to raise Samuel's spirit from the dead. This kind of occult activity angered God because it relied on satanic forces instead of him. Whatever appeared, whether a demon disguised as Samuel or Samuel's true spirit sent by God, it predicted disaster for Saul.

In the battle, King Saul and the army of Israel were overrun. Saul committed suicide. His sons were killed by the enemy. Ironically, David, who had been hounded by Saul for years, sincerely mourned the king's death.

Saul was chosen by God himself to be the first king of Israel. Saul defeated many of the enemies of his country, including the Ammonites, Philistines, Moabites, and Amalekites. He united the scattered tribes, giving them greater strength. He reigned for 42 years.

King Saul was courageous in battle. He was a generous king. Early in his reign he was admired and respected by the people.

Saul could be impulsive, acting unwisely. His jealousy of David drove him to madness and a thirst for revenge. More than once, King Saul disobeyed God's instructions, thinking he knew better.

God wants us to depend on him. When we do not and rely instead on our own strength and wisdom, we open ourselves to disaster. God also wants us to go to him for our sense of worth. Saul enjoyed his popularity with the people, forgetting he had been appointed king by God. Saul's first allegiance was to God, as is ours. We should not forget, as Saul did, that we are all servants of God first.

Saul's jealousy of David blinded Saul to what God had already given him. When we compare ourselves with others, we become confused. We want what they have instead of using what God has equipped us with for our own specific mission. We can stray from God and try to get what we want on our own. Life with God has direction and purpose. Life without God is meaningless.

God expects total obedience, not partial obedience with excuses. When God ordered Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites, including their livestock, Saul spared their king and some of the choice animals. Saul then lied to Samuel, saying the livestock would be used for a sacrifice. Saul thought he knew better than God. That is sin, and it always has adverse consequences.

King Saul hails from the land of Benjamin, north and east of the Dead Sea, in Israel.

Saul's story can be found in 1 Samuel 9-31 and Acts 13:21.

Father - KishWife - Ahinoam

Sons - Jonathan, Ish-Bosheth.

1 Samuel 15:22-23
But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." (NIV)

1 Samuel 31:4
Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me." But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. (NIV)