Saul II of Tarsus (The Apostle Paul) comparrison to Saul I (leader of Israel)



From the Tribe of Benjamin - SAUL I of Israel
There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. (1 Samuel 9:1-2)

From the Tribe of Benjamin - SAUL II of Tarsus (Apostle Paul)
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.(Philippians 3:4-6)

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Divine Appointment before full Conversion - SAUL I of Israel
Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel;” (1 Samuel 9:15,16) As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying. When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1 Samuel 10:9-11)

Divine Appointment before full Conversion - SAUL II of Tarsus (Apostle Paul)
Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” (Acts 9:10-12) And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. (Acts 9:17,18)

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Attacks (one) Servant of the Lord - SAUL I of Israel
Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.” (1 Samuel 19:1-3)

Attacks (one) servant of the Lord - SAUL II of Tarsus (Apostle Paul)
Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. (Acts 7:57-58)

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Attacks (many) Servants of the Lord - SAUL I of Israel
But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family. ” Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.” (1 Samuel 22:16-19)

Attacks (many) Servants of the Lord - SAUL II of Tarsus (Apostle Paul)
As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. (Acts 8:3)

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The Lord is upset with Saul - SAUL I of Israel
“I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night. (1 Samuel 15:11)

The Lord is upset with Paul - SAUL II of Tarsus (Apostle Paul)
I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Cor 12 7-9)

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Saul miraculously stopped whilst on the way to kill the Lords Servant - SAUL I of Israel
Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”“Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said. So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” (Samuel 19:21 -24)

Paul miraculously stopped whilst on the way to kill the Lords People - SAUL II of Tarsus (Apostle Paul)
Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 9:1-5)

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Saul I – ‘Unique’ among Israel. - SAUL I of Israel
So they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” (1 Samuel 10:23-24)

Saul II – ‘Unique’ among Christians. - SAUL II of Tarsus (Apostle Paul)
If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:4-6)

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Saul is deliberately tormented by Gods chastening - a messenger of satan - SAUL I of Israel
But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him. And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.” (1 Samuel 14:26-23)

Paul is deliberately tormented by Gods chastening – a messenger of satan - SAUL II of Tarsus (Apostle Paul)
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Cor 12 7-9)

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Parallels between Saul II (Paul) and Tobit (from the Apocrypha)

Tobit is blinded

“And I knew not that there were sparrows in the wall, and mine eyes being open, the sparrows muted warm dung into mine eyes, and a whiteness came in mine eyes: and I went to the physicians, but they helped me not.” (Tobit 2:10)

Paul is blinded
“Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 9:17,18)

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Through the scales (representing the fish) Tobit sees.
“Then the angel said unto him, Take the fish. And the young man laid hold of the fish, and drew it to land.” (Tobit 6:3)

“Therefore anoint thou his eyes with the gall, and being pricked therewith, he shall rub, and the whiteness shall fall away, and he shall see.” (Tobit. 11:8)

Paul has something like scales (representing the fish) on his eyes
“Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once.” (Acts 9:17,18)

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The story of Tobit includes Elymas
“Moreover Achiacharus did nourish me, until I went to see Elymas.” (Tobit 2:10)

The story of Paul includes Elymas
But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop corrupting the right ways of the Lord? (Acts 13:8-10)

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The story of Tobit includes Ananias
Then he said, I am Azarias, the son of Ananias the great, and of thy brethren. Tobit 5:12

The story of Paul includes Ananias
So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” (Acts 9:10-12)
 
In short, I see pride as a big difference between Sauls of OT and NT. They had different starts to their life. Ended in the complete opposite way. Paul's life was in right direction and Saul's was in complete opposite direction.

I don't think Lord punished Paul with the thorn. It would mean, the sacrifice on cross was not sufficient to cover all Saul's sin. The thorn was only to make Paul better.
 
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