Despite the fact that the first king of Israel, Shaul, did not cope with his main task: to strengthen the faith of the people in the words of the prophet, he paved the way for a new reality, which can be described in two words "the kingdom of Israel." He affirmed this concept in the minds of people, each of whom had previously "done what was right in his eyes" (Shoftim, 17:6).
His first step was the creation of a standing army, the backbone of which was made up of specially selected people who were distinguished by strength and courage. At the same time, he created a system of compulsory conscription into the army, since before that the tribes of Israel sent volunteers from themselves who came “to help God among the heroes” (Shoftim, 5:23). And there was no case for them to join forces in the fight against the enemy.
The tribe of Judah did not insist on its right to nominate rulers, and served Shaul, taking part in solving state affairs and sending their sons to his army.
The victory of a young man, David son of Yishai, over the strongest Plishtim warrior, led to the fact that Shaul began to pursue the hero and favorite of the people, fearing that he would take the throne from him. The elders, as well as all the inhabitants of Yehuda, were faced with a difficult choice. And at first, when David was hiding in the cave of Adulam, only relatives, who were afraid of becoming a victim of the king's suspicions, and people who fell out of favor, joined him. And the whole knee was not ready to support him.
It was no coincidence that Yishai's son from the city of Beit Lehem ended up in Shaul's house after it was announced to him that his reign would not last long. The meeting with David gave both the king and his entourage the opportunity to appreciate the merits and abilities of the young man. After the battle with Golyat, Shaul could give his daughter for him, and David would wage wars with the Plishtim and elevate the people spiritually. If not for Shaul's jealousy, the royal house of the tribe of Benjamin and the royal house of the tribe of Yehuda would have united for many years.
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