Ingratitude is a recurring theme in the biblical narrative, often highlighting the failure to recognize and appreciate the blessings and guidance provided by God. One of the most illustrative examples of ingratitude in the Bible is found in the life of King Saul, the first king of Israel. Saul's account is a cautionary tale of how ingratitude can lead to disobedience, downfall, and ultimately, the loss of divine favor.

Saul's Anointing and Early Success

Saul, a Benjamite, was chosen by God to be the first king of Israel, anointed by the prophet Samuel. His selection was a response to the Israelites' demand for a king to lead them, as recorded in 1 Samuel 8. Despite God's warning about the potential consequences of having a human king, the people insisted, and God granted their request. Saul's anointing is described in 1 Samuel 10:1 : "Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, 'Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?'"

Initially, Saul demonstrated promise as a leader. He achieved military victories and rallied the tribes of Israel, as seen in his defeat of the Ammonites in 1 Samuel 11. However, Saul's early success was overshadowed by his growing ingratitude and disobedience to God's commands.

Saul's Disobedience and Rejection

Saul's ingratitude is most evident in his repeated disobedience to God's instructions. One significant instance is found in 1 Samuel 13, where Saul, facing pressure from the Philistines and the desertion of his troops, unlawfully offered a burnt sacrifice in Samuel's absence. This act of impatience and lack of trust in God's timing demonstrated Saul's failure to appreciate the divine order and authority established through the prophet Samuel.

Samuel rebuked Saul for his disobedience, as recorded in 1 Samuel 13:13-14 : "You have acted foolishly, Samuel declared. You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command."

Another critical moment of ingratitude occurred in 1 Samuel 15, when Saul was commanded by God to completely destroy the Amalekites and all they possessed. Instead, Saul spared King Agag and the best of the livestock, rationalizing his disobedience by claiming he intended to sacrifice the animals to the Lord. This selective obedience revealed Saul's failure to fully submit to God's will and his lack of gratitude for the divine guidance provided to him.

Samuel's response to Saul's disobedience is a poignant reminder of the importance of obedience over ritual sacrifice, as stated in 1 Samuel 15:22-23 : "But Samuel declared: 'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.'"

Saul's Downfall

Saul's ingratitude and disobedience ultimately led to his rejection by God as king. The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and he was tormented by an evil spirit, as described in 1 Samuel 16:14. His inability to recognize and appreciate God's sovereignty and his persistent rebellion against divine commands resulted in a tragic end. Saul's life serves as a somber example of how ingratitude can sever one's relationship with God and lead to spiritual and personal ruin.

Throughout Saul's reign, his ingratitude manifested in various forms, including jealousy, paranoia, and a relentless pursuit of David, whom God had chosen to succeed him. Saul's failure to acknowledge God's plan and his refusal to repent for his transgressions further illustrate the destructive nature of ingratitude in the biblical context.1 Samuel 24:17
And he said to David, You are more righteous than I: for you have rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded you evil.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus
... answer. "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" "Saul," the Master might have
said, "what have I done to hurt thee? ... Base ingratitude! Truly ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the conversion of saul of.htm

Christ's Remonstrances
... Further, this disclosure of the true character of his life revealed to
Saul, as in a lightning flash, the ingratitude of it. 'Why ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/christs remonstrances.htm

Blessed are they that Mourn
... Saul labours to make the best of sin; like a patient that makes the best of his
disease ... 2 We must mourn for sin as it is a piece of the highest ingratitude. ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/6 blessed are they that.htm

David's Anger
... Yet we find Saul, immediately after, attacking him again out of mere caprice ... Nabal,
in addition to his ingratitude, has insulted him with the bitterest insult ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/david/sermon iii davids anger.htm

The King after Man's Heart
... is something very pathetic in the contrast he draws between Saul and himself. ... His
sense of Israel's ingratitude to himself and practical revolt from God lay ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the king after mans heart.htm

Thankfulness for Mercies Received, a Necessary Duty
... him of the favors he had received, as so many aggravations of his ingratitude. ... Even
Saul, that abandoned wretch, when David showed him his skirt, which he had ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/thankfulness for mercies received a.htm

Acts xiii. 16, 17
... they desired a king:" and (still) not a word of their ingratitude, but throughout
he speaks of the kindness of God. "And God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxix acts xiii 16.htm

The Sixth Commandment
... How would David's heart have smitten him if he had cut off Saul's head? ... one;' he
is not guilty of murder only, but of disobedience, ingratitude, and diabolical ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 6 the sixth commandment.htm

Charity and Loneliness.
... I have no doubt Saul was an honest man, in the world's acceptation of the ... which I
shall name is, that it holds out, in spite of ingratitude, opposition, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/booth/godliness/chapter vi charity and loneliness.htm

Miracles no Remedy for Unbelief.
... greediness, selfishness, murmuring, caprice, waywardness, fickleness, ingratitude,
jealousy, suspiciousness ... Saul, Ahithophel, Joab, and Absalom, have had their ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon vi miracles no remedy.htm

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