During the time of 1043 BCE- 931 BCE, there were three dramatic yet controversial kings of the United Israel; King Saul, David, and Solomon. Their personalities, behaviors, faithfulness to God, and wisdom are all quite different with very few similarities between them. During their reigns, the factors listed earlier affected their ruling and relationships with the Israeli citizens.
While comparing and contrasting the three kings, there was only one major, consistent similarity between all the kings. This factor was their physicality and attractiveness. The first time that Saul is mentioned as a future king, the verse was discussing about his beauty and greatness. This mention of beauty is shown in 1 Samuel 9:2, “Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.” After Saul, there is the beauty of David. David wasn’t known for looking manly or like a leader, but as boyish (1 Samuel 9:2). These boyish looks made it seem like he would not be a great warrior with the Philistines believing that David did not deserve respect because of his youth and ruddiness (light complexion) with a handsome appearance (1 Samuel 17:42). Lastly, while King Saul and David were both known for being attractive and having it stated in the Bible, it is believed that King Solomon is just as attractive -if not more attractive- as Saul and David. As stated previously, David was a very handsome man, but when he first laid his eyes upon Bathsheba, the first thing he notices is that she is a very beautiful woman (2 Samuel 12). Between the beautifulness of Bathsheba and the handsomeness of David, it would not be a shocker if Solomon was a very attractive man.
In order to be a good king, one must have wisdom to make decisions for the people and for the country. A well known story of wisdom from the kings is the Judgment of Solomon. During this story, it shows King Solomon’s wisdom when ruling between two women both claiming to be the mother of a child by tricking them into revealing their true feelings (1 King 3:16-28). This wisdom has not always been a thing for King Solomon, God gave it to him. In 1 Kings 3:5, God appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish me to give you.” Instead of asking for the death of an enemy, for eternal life, or for riches, Solomon asked “for an understanding heart to judge your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?” God was so ecstatic about Solomon’s result that he gave Solomon wisdom, very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashores (1 Kings 4:29). This wisdom was so vast that men would come from all around the world just to hear Solomon’s wisdom with his popularity going throughout all of the neighboring countries (Kings:31). This wisdom that Solomon had created a time of peace in Judah and Israel in his time and there was no wars (Kings 4:30-1).
On the opposite end of the spectrum, King Saul was not always wise. In his not so wisest days, Saul bounded his army under oath saying, “Cursed by anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” (1 Samuel 14:24). This oath made sure that none of the troops were able to eat before battle which usually leads them feeling fatigue and weak, the opposite what soldiers should be in battle. This oath was so extreme that when King Saul found out that his son Jonathan ate some honey from the honeycomb before battle, Saul wanted to execute him. Later on in 1 Samuel 15:12, Saul went and set up a monument in his own honour. This decision on making the monument is considered very unwise and arrogant, it upseted God and Samuel to a great extent. This monument was the last thing that Saul does before being dethroned by Samuel.
David is not known for wise, but he isn’t known for not being wise either. David used more of his charms to build loyalty and popularity. This popularity is shown when David plays the harp for Solomon to cure him from his woes or with his strong bond of mateship with Jonathan (1 Samuel 16:23), (1 Samuel 18:4). Even though David was not the wisest leader, he had faith in God that he would help him do good.
Lastly, the three kings all have had different relationship with God, both good and bad. At the beginning, Solomon and God had a very stable relationship. When God visited Solomon in his dream to ask him what he wants as a wish, Solomon’s response of Wisdom pleased God (1 Kings 4:29). In 1 Kings 9:4-5, Solomon just finished building the temple and God said to him, “As for you if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David you father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever…” From then on, their relationship with each other went downhill. Solomon had a love for many foreign women. Solomon’s travelling eyes led God to tell him that he shall not associate with them for they would take his heart away from God (1 Kings 11:1-4). This love for foreign women was too strong for Solomon and he went one to marry 700 wives and had 300 concubines: Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women (1 Kings 11:1-4). As Solomon grew older, his varies wives turned his heart to other gods with Solomon’s heart no longer belonging to God (1 Kings 11:3-4). Solomon even got involved in sacrificing to different Gods in order to please his wives which led God to decide that because Solomon has not kept his covenant and God’s statutes, God will tore down the kingdom from Solomon and gave it to his servant (1 Kings 11:11).
Saul was a King that was not known for being a good follower of God during his ruling. Saul’s disobedience to God is contributed for him being a prideful and vain person. A mistake of Saul was doing the burnt offerings despite God-given instructions to wait seven days for Samuel. Originally, Saul did wait for Samuel to show up, but the soldiers became scattered before the seven days were up and started to leave. Instead of pleasing God, Saul panicked and decided that he was more concerned about pleasing the soldiers (1 Samuel 13:8-12). Due to this panic and disobeying, Samuel said to him, “You did a foolish thing. You did not obey the Lord your God. If you had done what he commanded, the Lord would have let your family rule Israel forever. But now your kingdom won’t continue.” (1 Samuel 13:13). After Saul made this mistake, the Spirit of God left him leaving Saul inflicted by the demonic and having God no longer answer him (1 Samuel 16:14), (1 Samuel 28:6). In the end, Saul died because of his unfaithfulness which he had committed against God. In 1 Samuel 31:4-6, it is said that Saul told his armourbearer to draw his sword and to kill him with it, but the armourbearer would not so Saul took the sword, and killed himself with it. His death was because of his unfaithfulness which he had against God and since he did not keep his word to God and did not inquire him, he killed himself (1 Chronicles 10:13).
Last but not least, King David was God’s favorite out of the three kings. David does sin and do wrongdoings throughout his reign, but God sought him out for being a man after his own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). David was known for frequently inquiring God about things that are happening to or around him (1 Samuel 32:4). This inquiring is shown in 1 Samuel 30:6 when David was greatly stressed, because people wanted him stoned, but David found strength in God. In everything that David had great success in, he claimed that it was because the Lord was with him (1 Samuel 18:14). During times of battles, David was known for giving success and thanks to God and trusted him fully to make sure he lives and survives. Before David went out and fought Goliath, he told Saul and the rest of the army, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37). During the battle, Goliath threatened David with death, but David did not fear. David responded to Goliath saying “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted (1 Samuel 17:45). David’s love for God did not go away when he grew old like it did for Solomon, he was forever one with God. David’s love for god is shown when David says, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge, and my saviour- from violent men You save me.” (2 Samuel 22:2-3). Lastly, King Solomon may have been the one who built the Temple, but King David was the mastermind of the project. One day while King David was living in his palace, and there was peace from all his enemies, David told Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a palace made of cedar wood, but the Ark of God is in a tent!” (2 Samuel 7:1-2). Nathan originally responded by telling David to go do it because the Lord is with him, but God told Nathan to tell David that he shall not make it, but his one of his sons would (2 Samuel 7:3-17).
Where these Kings similarities ended with their physicality, their differences makes it up. These three kings are all unique and different in their own ways and all have different strong suits. Saul had his way with his citizens, David had his devotion to God, while Solomon had his wide, vast knowledge. Without these kings, the state of Israel in the Hebrew Bible would not be the same as it is now.