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• Saul was the first king after the reign of Samuel as a Judge of Israel
• Saul stood out for he was a man of courage, brilliance, and faith
• Sauls army won several battles making him a popular and well acclaimed leader
• Saul refused to be obedient to God and Samuel and only listened to his people and own desires
• Saul was jealous of David
• Saul exemplified courage and strength to fight enemies well
• Saul had a son called Jonathan
• Jonathan died and Saul who was heavily wounded asked a Philistine to kill him
• Saul started well but ended tragically because of his pride
• Sauls kingship ended by commiting suicide
• David is the youngest son of Jesse from the tribe Judah
• David was talented in playing the harp
• He was called by Saul to live in the court of kings so he could entertain Saul
• David became friends with Jonathan
• David was legendary in courage
• David fought against Philistines and defeated the giant, Goliath
• David was said to be the greatest king because he ruled his people with genuine concern, courage, faith, and love for God. He provided the poor with abundant provisions, united all the tribes of Israel, and maintained peace in the land
• David's achievements made him the general of Sauls army
• Saul tried using his own daughter and son to kill David yet failed because his son was more loyal to his best friend than to his own father
• David had great chances to kill Saul but spared him because he did not want to cause harm on God's anointed leader
• David's leadership brought stability and prosperity all over Israel
• Nathan, the prophet, reprimanded and punished David severly for his love for Bathseba which was as married woman and because he murdered Uriah, the husband of Bathseba making David commit adultery and murder
• Solomon is the son of King David from Bathsheba
• Solomon was chosen as king because he showed interest in continuing his fathers leadership
• Solomon asked for God's gift of wisdom because he wanted to rule Israel with fairness and justice. God was pleased with his simplicity so he gave Solomon wisdom, wealth, and influence.
• Solomon was looked up to for his great mind and diplomatic abilities because he secured a prosperous life for people
• Solomon constructed a majestic temple of Yahweh, improved Jerusalem, strengthened his military powers, and drafted laws and policies that led the country to a greater stability and prosperity
• People realized that life was getting harder because of high taxes and hard labor during Solomons time of being king
• Solomon imposed heavy taxations and put on great burdens on the people because of the demands of his wives. He also turned away from God by turning idols worshipped by his wives, making him give in to temptation. Because of this, he disregarded the true God--Yahweh.
• Solomons wisdom was overpowered because of his attachment to power and wealth
• A prophet is God's spokes person to the people. There are 56 prophets in total with 48 male prophets, 7 female, and 1 gentile
• The word prophet is from the Hebrew word navi, "an authorized spokesperson" or "one who is called by God to announce His message of salvation to His people through sincere repentance and conversion"
• God reveals his messages to prophets through their visions, dreams, and experiences
• Prophets testified to a life of courage, faith, and justice
• Prophets proclaim what God reveals through them in oral, visual, written form, and symbolic actions.
• The common formula used by a prophet is "Thus says the Lord"
• Prophets were normally called:

  1. Ro'eh : "one who perceives that which does not lie"
  2. Hozeh : "one who sees supernaturally"
  3. Nabhi : this name is related to the Accadian nobu, meaning "to call or announce"
• Prophets are called major and minor according to their volume of their writings.

  Major: Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel

  Minor: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Haggai, Malachi, Barch, and Habakkuk
• Isaiah: He received his prophetic mission in the temple of Jerusalem when Israel was at its lowest moral due to the invasion by the Assyria. Isaiah witnessed the majesty, holiness, and glory of God. Before God, he felt unworthy and sinful. He also felt being purified of his wickedness by the Seraphim (red winged angel). God sent him to a mission to which he responded, "Here I am Lord, send me!" He's best remembered for his messianic oracles found in Immanuel prophecies, the announcement of the upcoming birth of Jesus, and the Prince of peace
• Hosea: His oracles reveal his personal broken-heartedness as a result of a failed marriage with his wife, Gomer, leaving him for another man. He couldn't let go of her as he had great love for her. Gomer and Hosea are symbols of God and Israel. God loves Israel despite it's unfaithfulness. Hosea has a song called "Hosea" (long have I waited for your coming home to me and living deeply our new life)