Saul: Was this king mentally ill?

Sin always has a detrimental effect on one’s thinking.  Decisions, both good and bad, affect us and typically others as well. Never think there are victimless sins. Also, never think that sins don’t affect your ability to think correctly and clearly.

Galatians 6:7-8

⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall HE also reap.

⁸ For HE that soweth to his flesh [one’s sinful nature] shall of the flesh reap corruption; but HE that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. [Emphasis added]

We may not be disciplined of God for our sins in our time today, but, again, sin always has its consequences that affect us and those around us.  If you believe in divine discipline for believers today, please see my article about this— 

Discipline: Does God punish Christians for their sins?

We are not Israel today! We are not under the directives of the Mosaic Law, particularly the ceremonial instructions.

Romans 6:14-15

¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

¹⁵ What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. [Emphasis added]

Certain policies God had for Israel do not apply to us today. We are told that they are provided in Scripture for our learning but not for our obedience or application.

Romans 15:4

⁴ For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. [Emphasis added]

Here’s the main passage people typically use to say God disciplines us today, but please note to whom this writing is addressed. The HEBREWS—

Hebrews 12:6-7

⁶ For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

⁷ If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? [Emphasis added]

Hebrews 1:1-2

¹ God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

² Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, [speaking of Christ in His earthly ministry, not His heavenly one] whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; [Emphasis added]

Here are two articles about the book of Hebrews I hope you’ll read in this study.

Hebrews: Did the apostle Paul write it?

Hebrews: Who is the author of this book in the Bible?

So, it’s not the case of me not being aware of these things.  I’m just also aware that many of God’s policies for His people today are different from what was. That even includes our means to salvation and what we should be telling people about this. Here’s the link to one of my articles about this—

Gospels:  What’s the difference in the two Paul talks about?

Among other things, if we don’t learn to sort these things out, we’ll find ourselves being disobedient to God’s policies for us today.  This is a big part of what this command is for—

2 Timothy 2:15

¹⁵ Study [SPOUDAZO = Be diligent] to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [Emphasis added]

As God’s people today we are what is called members of the body of Christ. 

Romans 12:5

⁵ So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. [Emphasis added]

Among other things, this means we are not the Hebrews, Israel, spiritual Israel, or any other kind of Israel.  A LOT of things have changed from what they once were to what they are now.  God Himself certainly hasn’t changed but many of His policies certainly have. It is extremely important for us to correctly sort these things out to make the right applications. We make ourselves subject to a lot of confusion and misunderstanding if we don’t understand God’s policies for this and apply them. This even includes our gospel message to the unsaved.

Gospel: Which one is ours today?

King Saul lived in a former time when the Mosaic Law was in force.  That system of law served as Israel’s constitution.  Saul was to be submissive to the authority of that document.  It was Saul that God had appointed to serve as Israel’s king.

1 Samuel 15:1

¹ Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. [Emphasis added]

When I think of Saul, I’m reminded of the one who said—“I’m not totally worthless; I can be used as a bad example.” Such is the case with King Saul and many other Bible characters.  Saul was a tall and handsome king, but he certainly didn’t think like a good and wise king would.

I Samuel 9:1-2

¹ Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.

² And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and goodly [handsome]: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier [a more handsome] person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. [Emphasis added]

But we should also know that looks can be deceiving. As attractive as he was physically, such was not the case with his thinking.  It wasn’t very long after he’d been made king that Scripture says God regretted anointing him.

1 Samuel 15:10-11

¹⁰ Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying,

¹¹ It repenteth [NACHAM = speaking of his regret] me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night. [Emphasis added]

God’s words of judgment may seem harsh to some, but He is always perfectly just.

1 Samuel 15:23

²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry., he hath also rejected thee from being king. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. [Emphasis added]

As so many people do, Saul was quick to blame others for his own foolishness.

1 Samuel 15:24-25

²⁴ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

²⁵ Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord. [Emphasis added]

Then we see the basis for God’s judgment against Saul.

1 Samuel 15:26-28

²⁶ And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

²⁷ And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

²⁸ And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. [Emphasis added]

Then note what Samuel says about “the last chapter” in Saul’s life.

1 Samuel 15:32-35

³² Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

³³ And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

³⁴ Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

³⁵ And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented [NACHAM = regretted] that he had made Saul king over Israel. [Emphasis added]

God is not impressed with the exterior of a person; it’s the heart, the way people choose to think and believe that God is always most concerned about.  People are still making this mistake today in their analysis of people.

1 Samuel 16:7

⁷ But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the OUTWARD appearance, but the Lord looketh on the HEART. [Emphasis added]

Later when David becomes a national celebrity after slaying the giant Goliath, Saul becomes very envious of him. Eventually Saul’s extreme envy took its toll, leading him to become criminal in his actions toward David.  For more information about this terrible sin of envy, please see my articles about it—

Jealousy:  Have you allowed it to dominate your life?

Jealousy: What do we all need to know about it?

Jealousy:  Where is it often found?

1 Samuel 18:6-12

⁶ And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

⁷ And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

⁸ And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

⁹ And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

¹⁰ And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.

¹¹ And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

So, could Saul refrain from such activity? Of course! Could it be claimed that he was criminally insane and couldn’t refrain from such? It could be claimed but would it be untrue?  Of course not! It was the sin of envy Saul had allowed to consume his thinking that was leading him to act as he did.

¹² And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul. [Emphasis added]

What follows is the long and sad story about Saul’s growing hatred for David and all the unscrupulous things Saul did to try to destroy him. Then we eventually see Saul’s disgraceful death.  In 1 Samuel 31, it’s stated that during a battle with the Philistines, Saul was severely wounded by archers. To avoid being captured and possibly tortured, he asked his armor-bearer to kill him. When the armor-bearer refused, Saul fell on his own sword and died. His armor-bearer then did the same.  According to 2 Samuel 1, an Amalekite reported to David that he had killed Saul after Saul requested it. This apparent contradiction is often reconciled by noting that the Amalekite likely witnessed Saul’s suicide and then claimed credit for it to David. All this illustrates the fact that people often die the way they live. Nearly everything about Saul’s life in his later years was disgraceful, including the manner of his death.

Conclusion—

The analysis people have written about Saul’s mental state is extensive.  His jealousy of David obviously contributed to his behavior.  His “fits of madness” were simply the outcome of his own mental attitude sins.  Was he able to control his actions? There’s no real evidence at all that tells us he couldn’t. The decisions people make, good or bad, all have consequences or outcomes. Many people refuse to fully accept this simple but extremely important truth—

Again, Galatians 6:7-8

⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh [one’s sinful nature] shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. [Emphasis added]

Yes, the decisions we make, good or bad, all have outcomes or consequences. Mankind has always been prone to reject responsibility for his decisions and actions. We see that even in Adam and Eve when our Lord approached them after they had sinned in the Garden of Eden—

Genesis 3:8

⁸ And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. [Emphasis added]

Adam blamed God and then Eve. Then Eve blamed the serpent.  Neither of them wanted to take responsibility for what they had done.

Genesis 3:12-13

¹² And the man said, The woman whom THOU gavest to be with me, SHE gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

¹³ And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that THOU hast done? And the woman said, The SERPENT beguiled [NASHA = deceived] me, and I did eat. [Emphasis added]

The biblical narrative describes Saul as having erratic behavior including fits of madness. His behavior could be characterized by dramatic shifts in mood.  Because of his sinfulness Saul suffered from mental depression, leading to “panic attacks” and erratic behavior. Furthermore, Scripture tells us an “evil spirit” troubled Saul, which some interpret as a spiritual or mental affliction.  His actions represent his attempts to maintain his power and eliminate the one he perceived to be a threat to his rulership—David. Furthermore, Saul’s distrust of his courtiers, who may have known of David’s whereabouts, fueled his paranoia.  To say the least, in his last years as king, Saul was a very unhappy, miserable man who was overcome with a lot of worry and fear.  All his erratic behavior including his fits of madness could have been eliminated if Saul had made the decision to humble himself before his Lord who dearly loved him and had given him the privilege of leading His people, Israel.