Solomon

David

Saul

The 3 Kings
The 3 Kings Background story

• Saul- as the first king of Israel, who reigned circa 1020 to 1000 BCE. According to the
Bible, as king, Saul marshaled military forces to fight the Ammonites, Edomites,
Moabites, Amalekites and Philistines. In one version of Saul’s death, he took his own life
following an unsuccessful battle against the Philistines circa 1000. Saul was eventually
succeeded by David, a formerly valued member of his court who had become a rival.
There are no non-biblical sources that recount Saul’s life, but some archeological
discoveries have corroborated aspects of his reign.
• David- David was the youngest of eight sons of Jesse,
a farmer and sheep breeder of the Israelite tribe of
Judah. David likely spent much of his boyhood
tending his family’s flock. One day he was summoned
from the fields by the prophet Samuel, who anointed
him king of Israel while Saul was still king.
• Solomon-Nearly all evidence for Solomon’s life and reign comes from the Bible (especially the first 11
chapters of the First Book of Kings and the first nine chapters of the Second Book of Chronicles).
According to those sources, his father was David (flourished c. 1000 BCE), the poet and king who,
against great odds, founded the Judaean dynasty and united all the tribes of Israel under one monarch.
Solomon’s mother was Bathsheba, formerly the wife of David’s Hittite general, Uriah. She proved to be
adept at court intrigue, and through her efforts, in concert with the prophet Nathan, Solomon was
anointed king while David was still alive, despite the fact that he was younger than his brothers.
Why they were needed to be
kings in Israel.
• Saul- Israel also wanted an earthly king so they could be like the kingdoms around
them, whose leaders exhibited an image of magnificence and ceremonious style.
Israel wanted a celebrity king who would be a showpiece for their vanity and
worldliness, power and grandeur.

• David- God is angered when Saul, Israel’s king, unlawfully offers a sacrifice and later
disobeys a divine command both to kill all of the Amalekites and to destroy their
confiscated property. Consequently, God sends the prophet Samuel to anoint a
shepherd, David, the youngest son of Jesse of Bethlehem, to be king instead.

• Solomon- was promised wisdom, riches, honor, and long life if he would continue in
righteousness before the Lord. The promise was fulfilled. During his life, Solomon
became famous for his wisdom. Great men and women from many nations came to
hear him and test his understanding and knowledge.
Greatest Contribution in
Israel
• Saul- Succeeded in freeing Israel of its enemies and extending its boundaries. He fought
successfully against the Philistines, Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, Arameans, and
Amalekites. He also succeeded in drawing the tribes of Israel into a closer unity.
• David- As Israel’s second king, David built a small empire. He conquered Jerusalem,
which he made Israel’s political and religious centre. He defeated the Philistines so
thoroughly that they never seriously threatened the Israelites’ security again, and he
annexed the coastal region.
• Solomon- is known for being the king of Israel who built the first Temple in Jerusalem.
He was also the second (after his father, David) and last king of a unified Israel, which
was at the height of its power during his reign. He is known for stories told in the Bible
about his wisdom.Aug 25, 2022
Sins
• Saul- His pride, jealousy, and fear displaced the faith he once had in his heart for God.
Saul became spiritually hardhearted and blind to God and to his own sinful acts. Saul
led the nation as king for about 42 years, but Saul did not fully obey the Lord, and
thereby sinned against God.

• David- was a great sinner, a human being such as all of us are, capable of being
enticed by the lusts of his flesh. But he was truly a man after God’s heart. Deep down,
far below his sinful desires, he longed to do God’s will and was grieved when
confronted with his failure. He sinned greatly and repented greatly. So will all who
love God.

• Solomon- In Deuteronomy 17:16–17, a king is commanded not to multiply horses or

wives, neither greatly multiply to himself gold or silver. Solomon sinned in all three of
these areas. In addition to his wives, he collected 666 talents of gold each year (1
Kings 10:14), a huge amount for a small nation like Israel.
Pros and Cons when the 3 kings were
kings in Israel
Saul
Pros- Together with his stalwart son Jonathan and an army composed largely of volunteers, he
won significant victories over the Philistines and succeeded in driving them out of the central
hills.

Cons- He blamed the Philistines who were assembling to fight. Saul was spiritually blind to the
fact that he had sinned against God. Saul’s actions revealed a lack of obedience and lack of faith
in God. He displayed an arrogant attitude towards God’s authority and the command of God.

David
Pros- Of all the great Patriarchs of the Old Testament, David is among the greatest. Warrior and King, composer and
conqueror, unifier and organizer, a man after God’s own heart. He united not only the 12, often fractured Tribes of Israel,
but, as a kind if priest-king, stitched together the religious faith of Israel with its governance. King among them, he also
collected and disseminated the great prayer-book of Israel, the Book of Psalms, composing many of them himself.

Cons- Like almost all the great figures of the Bible, David was a man who struggled and was flawed. His demons would
lead him even to murder as he amassed power and wives. And though he brought unity and governance to 12
contentious tribes, his own family was in a ruinous condition: afflicted by a murderous internecine conflict which had
David for its much of its sinful source, and which he seemed powerless to stop.
Solomon
Pros- He established peace with surrounding cities. He undertook the building of the first permanent temple for the
Lord. He built a magnificent royal palace.

Cons- Solomon violating the commands of Deuteronomy concerning wealth and militarism. At the center of
Solomon’s violations we may see the command concerning marriage