Introduction
God intended kingship in Israel to be different from the surrounding kingdoms. He ordained the kingship to be a theocracy, and the king would maintain justice both domestically and abroad. Therefore, God anointed King Saul and later King David, and both men sinned against God often. However, God looked with favor upon David and regretted having made Saul king (1 Sam. 15:11 NIV). Although the two kings were very different, they had similarities. Therefore, the similarities and differences between the two men are worth exploring to understand the mind of God and why he set them apart.
Similarities
Both Saul and David were chosen by God and anointed king through Samuel. Similarly, they both showed the capacity of mercy. In the case of Saul, he showed compassion on the people of Jabesh when the people wanted to kill them after a victory (1 Sam. 11:12-14). David showed mercy and respect for Saul and his family by preserving Saul’s son Jonathon and marrying his daughter Michal. However, a distinctive similarity between the two is their habitual and gross disobedience and sin against God. These egregious sins resulted in the death of family
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Saul lacked sound knowledge of the Lord. Additionally, Saul did not possess wisdom, nor did he seek after it. In contrast, David was considered a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Furthermore, he possessed “spiritual sensitivity and theological sophistication.” Even more striking is the heart attitude of these two kings. Saul was more fearful of others than of God, and when confronted with his sin, Saul blamed others for his actions, rather than repenting. (1 Sam 13:11-12). David tried to put the Lord first. For example, when Saul tried to kill David, he had an opportunity to kill Saul first, but he refused because Saul was God’s anointed (1 Sam. 24:4-6). Moreover, David, when confronted with his sin, confessed it and asked for