#5. THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE THREE KINGS

(1 Samuel 9-31, 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings 1-11)

SAUL. The people wanted a king, 1 Samuel 8. They rejected God by insisting on having a king, 1 Samuel 8:7. Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, was chosen to be the king, 1 Samuel 9 - 12. This first king of Israel began to reign at age 40. He reigned 32 years. King Saul was inconsistent, rash, sinful, and gave God partial obedience. Therefore, God rejected him as king, 1 Samuel 13:8-14 and15:9-11, 26. Saul tried to contact the spirit of the deceased Samuel, 1 Samuel 28:7 ... and he died because he did that, 1 Chronicles 10:13-14.

DAVID. Samuel chose God's man to succeed Saul as king, passing over Saul's son Jonathan. David is described as a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man, 1 Samuel 16:18. After years of conflict with Saul, he became king in 1011 BC and prospered ... greatly expanding the kingdom during his 40-year reign. David had an adulterous affair with Bathsheba ... and, finding out that she was pregnant, arranged the death of her husband Uriah in battle. They married ... but their first child died. Solomon, their second son, was successor to the throne. The testimony that David was a man after God's own heart, 1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22, describes his character before he became king. That testimony was not given to describe him after his sin with Bathsheba. David suffered greatly after that adulterous affair, 2 Samuel 12:10-14.

SOLOMON. He became the third king in 971 BC and was very wise with wisdom given from God, 1 Kings 3:7-12. He spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs numbered 1,005, 1 Kings 4:32. He became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. In answer to David's prayer and by David's instructions, Solomon built the Temple. However, God had instructed the kings not to multiply horses, wives, silver, and gold, Deuteronomy 17:16-17 ... and Solomon did all these things. God had instructed the Israelites not to intermarry with foreigners or worship their gods ... and Solomon did these things, 1 Kings 11:1-11. God was angry with Solomon because of his sins. God condemned the kingdom to be divided after Solomon's death ... after because of God's promise to David, 1 Kings 11:9-13. Solomon ruled Israel for 40 years.

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