In each instance, Saul allows his impatience and his own will to supercede the will of God. It is almost as if he does not want to succeed, so badly does he follow directions. As a leader, he is a failure. His people would never learn to serve God properly under his tutelage. He also represents the transitional nature of the relationship between God and his chosen people. As the first king, he is sacrificed to God’s anger. He could not help but arose the Lord’s anger because he was not wanted in the first place.
Saul’s shortcomings were minor in comparison to David’s but he also attempts murder in a variety of ways. He sends David on risky missions and finally tries to kill him outright. His jealousy causes him to lose the support of his son. His personal conduct throughout his story is shameful. He is a warrior, not a king, and cannot govern his own actions. What is ironic is that he sins much less than David but never admits his guilt freely.
David has so many personas it is difficult to keep up. He is a shepherd and a hero, a servant and a king, a warrior, and a target for jealousy. He is a man capable of love and murder, sin and repentance. He is the most contrary of figures and perhaps that is why he was chosen to be the greatest king. God did not want a king for his people, because he thought that a king would come between them and he. Saul, as first king, suffered God’s initial wrath, but by the time David was in power, God had bowed to the will of the people and made concessions. In direct dissimilarity to Saul, David obeys the will of god.
He is an unlikely hero because of his youth and meager beginnings. As a young man, he challenges Goliath and wins. He boldly faces his adversaries, fights with the enemy against his own people, and have people murdered who stand in the way of his happiness. He is smart enough to pretend illness to spare his own life and merciful enough to spare Saul’s life. He is a study in contrast.
David was a skilled politician; he was perceptive in politics and was good at settling disputes. David united the people and all the tribes. His rule was long and he successfully put Solomon on the throne by supporting him with the right people. He had a gift for timing and placement when it came to affairs of state. He cleverly makes friends with Saul’s son and always appears to land on his feet.
Perhaps most intriguing is his way with his family and his personal life. He led so many successful battles but did not appear able to manage his own household or his own desires. He commits adultery, orders the death of Uriah, and lets his own children down. He openly weeps about the death of his son Absalom, who tried to take over his throne. He did not punish Amnon for raping his sister, Tamar, and he allows his many sons to fight over his throne.
He confesses his sins and repents truly and that is David’s redeeming quality. He never made the same mistake twice while Saul just kept committing the sin of disobedience. Saul never repented; he just blamed everyone else for his shortcomings, while David practiced self-examination ands tried to learn from his mistakes.
By now, we know that God always punishes people differently than we may expect. While David sinned more than Saul, God forgave David more because he truly cared about his relationship with God. Saul appeared to care about no one but himself. David’s rise to power is in total discord to God’s earlier wishes that the Israelites have no king, but it appears that God can grow and change just as David did.
