41 Sosa, Romuald Kyron A.

1F MT

Theology
Homework

King Saul
Based on aboutbibleprophecy.com, Saul was the first king of Israel. He was the son of
Kish of the tribe of Benjamin. He became king at about the time that Samuel had retired as the
last Judge of Israel. Although the land of Israel had been ruled by judges, the people were
clamoring to have a king, like other nations. Samuel asked the Lord for advice. God directed
Samuel to Saul and to anoint him as the first king. Saul, his army, and a miracle from God,
defeated the Philistines in their first battle. He then defeated Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of
Zobah, and the Amalekites. However Saul did not obey the Lord, and kept some of the loot after
defeating the Amalekites. For this, God rejected Saul as king of Israel. King Saul died at Mount
Gilboa.

King David (1040-970 BCE)

David was the youngest son of Jesse, the great-grandson of Boaz and Ruth, born in
Bethlehem in the tribe of Judah. He was handpicked by God, anointed by Samuel, and became
Israel's second, and greatest, king. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and sent her
husband Uriah to his death. For this, God rebuked David through Nathan the prophet, and told
David that murder will be a constant threat to his family from this time on. David's first child by
Bathsheba died seven days after birth. One of David's sons, Absalom, killed his half-brother
Amnon, after Amnon raped Absalom's sister, Tamar. Later, Absalom revolted against his father
David and tried to take over the throne, but was killed by Joab, David's army commander.
Another son of David, Adonijah, was killed soon after David died.

King Solomon (970-931 BC)

The biblical King Solomon was known for his wisdom, his wealth and his writings. He
was the third king of Israel. His crowning achievement was the building of the Holy Temple in
Jerusalem. Almost all knowledge of him is derived from the biblical books of Kings I and
Chronicles II. God appeared to Solomon in a dream and promised him anything he asked.
Solomon chose understanding and discernment. God was so pleased with the request that he
granted it, along with great riches and power.

Solomon's downfall began when he married the daughter of the Egyptian Pharaoh to seal a
political alliance. He could not control his lust. Among Solomon's 700 wives and 300 concubines
were many foreigners, which angered God. The inevitable happened: They lured King Solomon
away from Yahweh into worship of false gods and idols.
Over his 40-year reign, Solomon did many great things, but he succumbed to the temptations of
lesser men. The peace a united Israel enjoyed, the massive building projects he headed, and the
successful commerce he developed became meaningless when Solomon stopped pursuing God.
King Solomon died of natural causes at 80 years of age. His death split the kingdom of Israel.

Sources:

http://christianity.about.com/od/oldtestamentpeople/a/Jz-King-Solomon.htm
https://www.lds.org/manual/old-testament-stories/chapter-26-king-saul?lang=eng
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Solomon.html
http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/