Week 4: King Saul is Rejected

Title: King Saul is Rejected

Objective: 

• Saul's rise (with God) and fall (without God)
• Discuss the reasons behind God's rejection to Saul

Resources:

• Fr. Tadros Y. Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
  

Reading:

• General
  • 1 Samuel 11-15
• Specific
  • The beginning
    • Read and summarize 1 Samuel 11 (Saul is victorious by the power of God)
  • The middle 
    • Read and summarize 1 Samuel 13:1-14 (Saul's unlawful sacrifice)
    • Summarize 1 Samuel 14:1-23
    • Read and summarize 1 Samuel 14:24-46 (Saul's rash oath)
  • The end
    • Read and summarize 1 Samuel 15:10-35 (

Key verse(s):

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." 1 Samuel 15:23

Review questions:

1. On what condition Nabash was willing to make a covenant with Jabesh?
2. How did the Jabeshites mislead the Ammonites and how extensive was the defeat of the Ammonites?
3. What was Saul’s ultimate sin? Why? What was the punishment for it?
4. Why there was no blacksmith found in the land of Israel?
5. What was Saul first foolish rash oath? And how did this affect his people?
6. What did the people of Israel do wrong in verse 32? And how did Saul react to their sin?
7. Why does Nahash ask for such a harsh condition of surrender?
8. What did Saul’s victory mean to those who questioned his reign and what was Saul’s response?
9. What was the ultimate sin that Saul did as mentioned in verses 9 through11? What was the result of Saul’s sin
   as told by Samuel?
10. Who does verse 14 refer to? Explain.
11.  Saul rushed into two oaths. What were they and how did they affect his people?
12. What did Saul do when God did not respond to his prayers in verse 37? 
13. Why do you think Saul disobeyed God’s commandments?
14. What did Saul do when Samuel was leaving him? What was the consequence to that?
15. What did Saul do wrong after which God regretted setting him up as a king? And why was Saul rejected to be
    the king of Israel as in verse 26?
16. To obey is better than sacrifice. Explain.

Homework:

1.  When Saul heard the weep of all his people, he
    a) prayed for them, (b) he was angry at them, (c) the Spirit of God came upon him and his anger was
   kindled greatly.
2. But ________ said, “not a man shall be put to death this day: for _____________________.
3. Where did the men of Israel hide?
4.  The wrong that the people of Israel did in verse 33 was:
   a) they ate meat b) they did not obey Saul c) they ate meat with the blood
5.  What happened to Saul when he heard the weep of all his people?
6. What did Samuel do at Gilgal after the defeat of the Ammonites? 
7. Why did the people of Israel hide themselves in caves as mentioned in verse 6?
8. What was the ultimate sin that Saul did? What was the result of His sin as told by Samuel? 
9. What was Saul first foolish rush oath? And how did this affect his people?
10. How did the people rescue Jonathan from death? 
11. Saul was rejected to be the king of Israel because: a) the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to
    sacrifice unto the LORD b) Saul turned back from following God and had not performed His commandments
    c) both a and b
12. Samuel’s advise to Saul was: a) obeying the voice of the LORD was better than sacrifice b) hearkening to the
    LORD is better than the fat of rams c) rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft d) stubbornness is as iniquity and
    idolatry e) all of the above