[You’re so very welcome to share your thoughts, but please read the post before rushing a response to the title.]
Give us a king! We don’t care what it costs.
About a thousand years before Jesus, the Israelites adamantly pled for a king so they could “be like other nations and have someone to fight their battles” (1 Samuel 8:19-20). Samuel warned them the only king they needed was God, but at their insistence, they got what they wanted. (Not always a good thing. And Saul definitely turned out to be not a good thing.)
Those from Saul’s old neighborhood were shocked that he would even be considered king material. When they heard he prophesied alongside others, they were incredulous: “Is Saul also among the prophets?” Not the man they had grown up with. They knew he was not suited to lead anyone anywhere anytime. Yes, it’s true we’re told that God had “changed his heart,” but the change didn’t seem to take root or last beyond inauguration day!
They wanted him to fight their battles, yet were some who knew better, “How can this fellow save us?” These were well aware of his character (rather, lack thereof) and knew he wasn’t the man for the job, any job really, except looking good on a poster.
His own son, Jonathan, knew his father was incapable of leading the country anywhere good and said, “My father has made trouble for the whole country.” After which, Saul determined to kill his own son! Fortunately, he was talked out of it.
With that backstory, let’s draw some parallels between Saul and Donald Trump.
Character doesn’t count
Billy Graham said, “When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.”
Like Trump, Saul despised his rivals. He became livid when they sang about David’s exploits as being more impressive than his own (tens of thousands vs thousands). Both the Sauls and the Trumps of the world live for accolades and crowd size! If the truth about the size of Trump’s crowd doesn’t actually reflect the magnitude of his gargantuan ego, he just lies about it enough times until his sycophants believe it.
Howard Thurman wrote: “A man’s horizon may become so completely dominated by the intense character of his hatred that there remains no creative residue in his mind and spirit to give to great ideas to great concepts. He becomes lopsided.”
Eventually, God said, “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”
Hold on to power whatever it takes
In his scathing rebuke, Samuel said to Saul: “Rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” At which time Saul, attempting to hold on to his reign, grabbed the hem of the prophet’s robe and said, “please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel.”
Remind you of someone lusting for the devotion of his fans and trying to hold onto power, in spite of all the evidence that he lost an election?
Once when facing a massive army of Philistines, Saul watched as his troops began to abandon him and hide in caves, in pits, and cisterns by the hundreds. (I’m still waiting for Trump’s devotees to leap from the train that’s headed to disaster.)
Samuel had told him to wait for him, but when he was a little late arriving, Saul went ahead and offered the obligatory sacrifice under the guise of seeking God’s direction. Samuel showed up and rebuked him, removing his family’s future reign over Israel.
Seems a little severe, doesn’t it, especially when you compare his sin with David’s? David’s sin (murder and wife stealing) was much worse, and he didn’t lose the throne over it. But David was a man “after God’s heart,” while Saul was only after Israel’s heart. He was all about image, prestige, and the things that impress people. David repented when confronted, Saul made excuses.
Again, does this bring anyone in particular to mind?
I told you he’s religious!
Speaking of David, he sought God to please him. Saul just used God to help him achieve his own goals. To David, God was the goal. Saul’s God was simply a good luck charm.
Russell Moore said: “I have watched as some evangelicals who gave stern speeches about ‘character’ in office during the Clinton administration, now minimize the spewing of profanities in campaign speeches, race-baiting and courting white supremacists, boasting of adulterous affairs, debauching public morality and justice through the casino and pornography industries… In some sectors of evangelical America, it seems the only disqualifying character flaw is the failure to hate the right people with the right amount of anger.”
Why did Saul feel compelled to make the offering before going into battle in the first place? His “spiritual” act was just that, an act. He watched his army abandoning him in droves and wanted to recover their allegiance. They were leaving him because they saw he was a phony. His offering was him just using God as a prop, to give the impression that he was on God’s side and that God was on his.
Reminds me of how Donald Trump courts evangelicals for their vote. He holds up a Bible in front of a church, pretending to be a man of faith when he’s just trying to hold on to power. He’s a narcissist, using religion to get religious people to say he’s religious, even though in their hearts they know otherwise. His devotion to the book or the God of the book is not even a matter of debate.
Jesus said the Pharisees “appear(ed) to people as righteous but on the inside (were) full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” But Donald Trump, photo op with a Bible in hand notwithstanding, doesn’t appear to any honest person to be righteous on the outside or on the inside.
He’s a tough guy
Like those who wanted Saul “to fight their battles,” many of Trump’s minions say that one of their top excuses for backing him is they want someone to protect them from all that threatens them.
Yes, during his tenure Saul won many battles and saved the Israelites from their enemies on a number of occasions. But at what cost to the nation? Similarly, the price our country and the Church has paid spiritually, socially, and politically for a Trump presidency is the worst deal we’ve ever made!
Trump, like Saul is an empty suit. There’s nothing on the inside. It’s all for show. Ironically, when Saul loaned David his suit of armor, it didn’t fit. Nothing that sociopathic Saul had would fit the honorable future King David. When Samuel finally gave Saul the boot, he said, “The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart,” which was something Saul couldn’t imagine, let alone embody. The only thing his heart was after was himself. If you’re not convinced of the comparison I’m suggesting, listen to any speech of Trump’s in the last ten years and count the number of times he claims to be the best, the smartest, the toughest…
Lastly, before you point it out––I’m aware there is no “David” on the ballot this year. Actually, there never has been. But there is a Saul. And I for one sincerely hope you’ll see through his hypocrisy and incompetence, and admit to yourself the danger of putting him back in the world’s most powerful and important office.
barney wiget 
Hi Barney, as a Christian you should have a little compassion on Donald Trump. Not saying I disagree with some of the comparisons. I just find the timing of this post not very Christian like after the man has been shot at few weeks ago then another assassination attempt this last week. As I asked before, just wish you would post about some of the corruption in the Biden family . Not sure if it’s true but did Kamala Harris have an affair with Willie Brown back in the day. I really don’t want a really want a leader like that as well. Thank Howard
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Glad you commented, Howard. As for having no compassion for Trump… Because I think he’s an awful choice for president, doesn’t mean I have no compassion for him as a human being. I pray for him often and I’ve never indicated anywhere that I’m anything but glad he wasn’t killed. I just feel compelled to warn people (especially Christians) not to vote him back into office. He’s done enough damage to the country and to our Christian testimony.
As for corruption in the Biden family, I’m not sure I know what you’re referring to. As far as I know he hasn’t been indicted or convicted of any crimes like Trump has. His son pled guilty of his crimes and Biden determined not to pardon him. This, in contrast to Trump’s promise to pardon all those who were convicted and jailed for their crimes on January 6. In my estimation that would be the essence of corruption.
Apparently, Harris had a romantic relationship with Willie Brown but not during his or her marriage. I believe they were both single. Not saying that’s right or holy. Just saying it’s not an adulterous “affair.”
If someone better than Harris were running against her, I’d be happy to vote for them. But, from where I sit, there’s never been a more unqualified and incompetent conscienceless candidate than Donald Trump. It IS a lesser of evils comparison. I’ve never said I am voting for Harris or encouraged anyone to do so. Then again, there’s still time for me to change my mind on that. All I’ve ever said is, Trump is an awful choice. Please don’t vote for him. Stay home or write someone in or, if you want, vote for Harris. But please, don’t vote for him!
Nice hearing from you, my friend. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods these days.
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This isn’t a personal attack on Trump. It is also not a call to vote for Harris. It is a call for Christians to recognize what is really going on. The overwhelming evangelical support mirrors the story of Israel and Saul.
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I advise president Trump to read 1st and 2nd Samuel. Trump more like Saul! Mocking God!!! And I did not vote vote for Harris….and I did not vote Trump!! Just praying for next election to be upright….
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Funny how this person posts misses the point that you were making. Jay
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GOD IS THE CREATOR“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways” is a quote from the Bible, 2 Chronicles 7:14. R OF THE EARTH AND ALL THERE IS IN THE EARTH…BELONGS TO MY CREATOR GOD AND GOD ALONE…AI Overview
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“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” is a phrase from the Bible, specifically Psalm 24:1, which means that everything on Earth belongs to God, including all living creatures and the land itself; it signifies God’s complete ownership of the planet and all that is in it.
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It is crazy to me that this comparison is spot on you yet you want to deflect and point at others. If you think there is a Biblical comparison to Biden, write it. Bringing up an affair that you cannot prove is again a deflection.
As for the “assassination” attempt, you may want to look into the facts! Whether he was shot at or not does not take away from who he is. He campaigned on Revenge and Retribution which is not godly and Revenge belongs to God. He spews hate and is a habitual LIAR, I pray God sends us a “David”. Too many Christians are blindly supporting a Felon with no character and then want to defend him. It makes me sick.
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Hi Barney, bad timing for the Trump bashing. The man has had two attempts on his life in the past 6 weeks. Not saying I disagree agree with some of the things you pointed out. Just poor timing. As I have asked in the past, I just wish you were a little more fair on the things you point out in your post. Biden family corruption- shady deals and follow the money. You may know better than I, but didn’t Kamala Harris have an affair with Willie Brown while he was married? That’s not the leader I want either. Wish we had a better candidate out there. There is plenty of dirt on both sides- let your reader know about both leaders.
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Why don’t I criticize the other side like I do Donald Trump?
First, because critiques of the other side are all over the place from the Christian community. For instance, I am against abortion. I seldom write about my views on it since every other pro-life Christian has already said it a thousand times. But how many people who identify as Christians realize the danger of Donald Trump, and if they do realize it, are willing to say something about it? And that leads me to my other reason…
Second, I consider Trump (and others on the far right these days) to be one of the biggest dangers to the country and to the testimony of the American Church for reasons I’ve written about since 2015. I won’t reiterate all that now. But with that conviction of mine, and if it’s accurate, I say the things I do to my small audience which is primarily made up of Christians, in an attempt to change their minds regarding their support of him and his ideologues.
To use an analogy, the house next to mine is on fire AND there’s a cat stuck in a tree across the street. I obviously run to deal with the greater danger. Let someone else deal with the cat! (I understand that there are those who would say, “The danger of the left is much worse than a cat in a tree!” Probably. But it’s just an analogy. I’m just trying to make a point. Don’t dissected the cat.) Similarly…
Third, I seldom if ever have brought any public or even private critique of any of our former presidents or other elected officials from either party. Of course, I’ve often disagreed with some of their policies and personal choices, but nothing they did rose to the level of peril to the country and the Christian community that Donald Trump and politicians like him have. I only jumped into the fray when he descended on his golden escalator. I’m not saying he’s the cause of all our problems, but that he has normalized them. And what’s worse, many in the Christian community are following in his footsteps. And even worse than that is how unbelieving people now view us and our faith because of it.
I talked to a newcomer to our church recently who told me he had wanted to pursue Christ for 5 years, but was afraid to go to church lest he find the sort of hypocrisy he’d been reading about in the news about how we all follow Trumpian ideology. Of course, we know that not all churches are like that, but how would they know it since over 80% of professed evangelicals support Trump? And then there are the flags and banners people carry to his rallies that say: Jesus is my Savior and Trump is my president!
Another example from history makes my point as well. I went to the hospital to visit a friend. As I typically do, I brought a book to read in case I had to wait to see him. It happened to be one by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor-theologian who was hung for being part of a group that was planning to assassinate Hitler. My friend’s father is not a believer but is Jewish. We stood in the hall waiting to see his son when he saw the book in my hand and asked about it. I told him a piece of the Bonhoeffer story when he said, “Wait. There were Christians that opposed Hitler? Hitler and his followers were are all Christians!” It’s true that the majority of the German Church at the time supported the regime until it was too late to stop it and Hitler used some Christian language at times and courted the Christians as does Trump. (Don’t anyone accuse me of equating Trump with Hitler. I’m just making a point that this is what happens when people who identify as Christians blindly follow a person like Trump. People on the outside looking in think we’re all a bunch of lemmings and want nothing to do with us.)
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it comforts me to know that you see what I feel because I trust your godly judgement. Your courage to tell it like it is, encourages me to speak out in spite of my fear of being judged and repulsive to my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
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Thank you for this article! Last night as I sat and listened to the news anchors discuss the polls, I heard the Lord say “they wanted a king, I gave them one”. Whew! Then I wondered if anyone else received this revelation, so I Googled and your article came up. Wow! Again, thank you for posting this despite any backlash or opposing views. That’s the beauty of free speech! Stay encouraged and continue to write as you are led by God! Blessings and prayers!!!
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Thank you for this article. You have perfectly articulated my thoughts and concerns as a believer in Christ. I too just don’t understand how Christians can support this man.
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Just as another person mentioned, I googled to see if anyone else saw the Trump/Saul comparison. It’s only the Spirit of the LORD that could reveal that!
They wanted a king – they have one…one who will rob them, oppress them, rule over, abuse, mistreat, take their sons and daughters and make them work for him. All this as a figure of speech, but we know the actions of Saul from the Bible once he got “elected”. He does everything for himself and is an idol to the people.
He will do anything to stay in power. God help us after his 4 years are up! Peaceful transition of power? Right! More like an attempted monarchy, dynasty. He will not leave peacefully. According to the Constitution, Trump cannot run more than 2 terms, this being his second although not consecutive. It’s obvious he cares little to nothing about the constitution. How quiet he was about election rigging when he won! But had he lost, that would’ve been all the talk from his campaign.
But the biggest tragedy of American politics of all:
The people chose money and other “smaller” issues that could easily be fixed by working together as a citizenry (I e. How many business leaders could teach people to make money online and from home…use a portion of their proceeds to give back to good causes, etc.)..
but back to my point, the people chose money/selfishness etc. over the very VALUES that define us as a nation, and really define any good nation and the very democracy we are founded upon. With this election, it was “Dam the country. Give me MY money and safety. I want to worship the idol of Trump! Because of course he will fix it! Fix what exactly?”
Remember this: It doesn’t matter if Trump has the best economic policy in the world. Any potential monetary wealth of a nation will be offset by the intrinsic poverty we suffer–through a decline in morals, injustice, lack of unity, racism, sexism, idolatry, lack of peace of mind, lack of trusting your neighbor (who may be of a different political party or ideology), an increase in violence and strife, potential terrorism from countries whose natives he disrespected or will deport likely without due process, depression, discouragement, natural disasters potentially, which is judgment from God imo, then of course Project 2025, which could further upset and destroy the very fabric of our nation…
…not to mention the negative image Americans will have in the eyes of other nations. Where can we travel without being frowned upon now? People will immediately associate us with “our” president…and his foolish actions, which are bound to come!
Selfishness destroys nations!
God help us. This election sears my soul.
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I’m in the UK but have followed the last few weeks with interest. Like some of the other commentators, I searched for a Saul,Trump comparison on Google and found your page. Those saying be more kind to Trump, Jesus wasn’t always kind to people , in fact by modern standards the way he spoke to political and religious leaders would have been considered rude.
Okay he’s been shot at twice, I see that as a warning to trump, think how David cut off the corner of Saul’s garment when he could have killed him. That was a warning to Saul, I could have killed you but you’re God’s anointed.
BTW. An excellent article thank you.
Mark – Derbyshire UK
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A warning to Mr. Trump. Yes. God is merciful to give us opportunities to repent. Thanks for sharing.
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I’ve been thinking the same thing. People are comparing Trump to David but I thought he was more like Saul. I truly this that we are in a new season and this is the beginning of Christ’s return.
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