{"id":59488,"date":"2019-07-15T22:52:04","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T19:52:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=59488"},"modified":"2023-02-06T08:21:30","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T06:21:30","slug":"what-if-imagining-a-serene-alternative-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/what-if-imagining-a-serene-alternative-history\/","title":{"rendered":"What If? Imagining A Serene Alternative History"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[383,886,885],"acf":{"old_id":"59488","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":34235,"related_cahpter":"263","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Saul failed in his reign, his relationships, his rulings - and even in his own death","content":"

There are few figures in the entirety of scripture who fail as often and as spectacularly as Saul. When we first meet him, Saul is good; he is humble, kind, respectful and unpretentious. But just as this simple young man fails to find his father\u2019s missing donkeys, he fails at nearly every turn his life takes. His story is one of a tragic king, seemingly set up for failure.<\/span><\/p>\n

His fails to unite the people when he is publicly proclaimed king. He defeats Nachash the Amonite, his one great moment as king, but then regularly fails in judgement and execution. He defeats the Philistines but fails to wait for Samuel, fails his son Jonathan, (he is ready to have his heroic son killed), and defeats Amalek but fails to properly follow God\u2019s command. He fails to recognize that the Priests in Nob are not conspiring against him. He fails to have David assassinated by the Philistines, (David is much more efficient at assassinating men in kamikaze missions) and fails to kill the son of Jesse during his own pursuits.<\/span><\/p>\n

His greatest failure was his unwillingness to accept David as the future king. Imagine if Saul would have actualized one of his lucid moments from chapter 24 or 26. By royal decree\u00a0 he could have proclaimed his son-in-law as his successor, and crown prince Jonathan second to the throne and David\u2019s lead advisor. Jonathan would have accepted the decision, and much bloodshed averted. With David on the frontline Saul and his sons probably survive the battle in our chapter, and following Saul\u2019s life and much later David\u2019s passing, a grandson of Saul, born to David and Michal would likely have succeeded his father and grandfather. A serene alternative history could have ensued with Rachel and Leah\u2019s descendants leading Israel together.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It comes as no surprise that our tragic king even fails to die on his own terms. He is severely wounded but not killed by the Philistine archers, and then his weapon bearer simply refuses to finish the job. His lack of charisma extends even to his death.\u00a0 It would be humorous if it weren\u2019t just so tragic. He takes his own life, but according to the Amalekite boy in tomorrow\u2019s chapter, Saul even fails to die from falling on his own sword.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sadly, Saul\u2019s death in our chapter doesn\u2019t end his failed reign. After his passing we learn of the failed reign of his son Ish-Boshet, the sad existence of his grandson Mefiboshet, and the horrific hanging of nearly all his living descendants to placate the Gibeonites for Saul\u2019s treatment of their people.<\/span><\/p>\n

The people desired a king, Saul was right to hide in the coatroom during his coronation ceremony. He probably should have never come out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":59489,"id":59489,"title":"isam31-failure","filename":"isam31-failure.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-failure.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/what-if-imagining-a-serene-alternative-history\/isam31-failure\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"isam31-failure","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":59488,"date":"2019-07-15 19:48:00","modified":"2022-07-06 08:04:46","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1280,"height":852,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-failure-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-failure-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-failure-768x511.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":511,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-failure-1024x682.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":682,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-failure.jpg","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":852,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-failure.jpg","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":852,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-failure-1200x799.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":799,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-failure-631x420.jpg","home_baner-width":631,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"What If? 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