Saul

Saul was the first king of ancient Israel after the Exodus. He was anointed by Samuel the Israel plead for a king, and despite the Lord's counsel that a king would be bad for the people. Saul stood out head and shoulders above other men and started his reign as a good king.

However, becoming a king started to corrupt him. He was at a battle and Samuel was to come to offer a sacrifice. Something Saul did not have the authority to do. However Saul lost his patient and offered the sacrifice himself. (he obviously never heard of Mormon standard time, or it didn't exist in his day). He was rebuked sorely for his misdeed and his posterity lost the right to the kingship.

He made more foolish descions by not taking all of the Amelekites and saving the best saying he wanted to sacrifice when confronted. To which Samuel said to obey is better than to sacrifice and hearken better than the fat of the ram.

He became very jeoulous then. After David's triumphant slaying of goliath Saul invited him in but when David received more praise and was his heir apparant Saul became very jeolous and threatened to kill him numerous times. Yet David refuseed to lift his hand against the lords annointed. He also ordered a fast when the isrealites were in battle in effect starving them. When his son Jonathen didn't hear about it he almost killed him.

Samuel mourned for him but no longer visited him. Samuel was dead for many years. In a last ditch effort than SAul went in disguise to a Witch in Endor who were not permitted to live according to law of Moses and sought revelation from her. She conjured what was the Prophet Samuel who said on the morrow he would die. The prophecy came true. However Satan provided an imitation since righteous spirits are not at the beck and call of witches. Three of Saul's sons were slain with him.

After his death for a few years after the kingdom was divided and one of his son's took over the northern tribes while DAvid took over the Southern tribes. After much contention DAvid finally became king over all of Isreal. Saul like many of his succesors started out with much potential but like a meteor in the sky fell from power do to pride and jeolusy.