Why did God the Father drive Saul in such a manner that he became a persecutor of His Son?

The Father knew His Son would take over driving with a new yoke, a new covenant that replaced the old. Saul was in a unique situation that served the will of God the Father but not the Son.

Saul knew the law far better than most rabbis. He studied under Gamaliel. He was perfect under the law. When Jesus took over the driving, He placed a new yoke upon  Saul and as soon as Saul chose to act in a manner that did not suit the new yoke, he felt the whip of his new driver.

Acts 17:1-4 English Standard Version

17 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

Who better to reason with the religious leaders than someone who knew the law better than they did? But how did Paul know all this? He listened and obeyed His driver.

Luke 24:25-27 English Standard Version

25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

If Jesus did that for two men on the road to Emmaus, surely He would do that for Saul on the road to Damascus. Those discussions could have lasted three years until Saul, becoming Paul, was prepared to join the missionary field according to Galatians 1:18. Nor do I find this a coincidence; 2 Samuel 21:1 And the Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” That lasted for three years.

Perhaps and I say this from a place of my own guilty conscience, perhaps it took Paul three years to forgive himself for what he had done. That is my thought, not doctrine.

Numbers 19:2 “This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Doing a word search for yoke and law the results are perfect in this sense. It is mentioned only once in the Old Testament and only once in the New Testament.

Numbers 19:2 is referencing that sacrificial heifer that is slain for the forgiveness of sin by statute of law. The sacrifice was to never have been placed under the burden of a yoke.

In 2 Corinthians 6:14 we see a yoke that is forbidden, mixing righteousness with lawlessness. A yoke is to have either a righteousness free of the burden of the law or one that is burdened with the law. The real issue here is not the animal being yoked, nor the purpose of the yoke but rather who is driving the team. Let us say that the law was given by God the Father and the reins were handed over to Jesus Christ after His ascension.

Let us get back to the issue of Saul who became Paul. He was under the yoke of the law driven by the Father until Jesus ascended the throne and took over driving. Saul took all his directions from the law and never received a lash of the whip until Jesus took over.

Philippians 3:2-11 English Standard Version

2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Why did the Father drive Saul to become a persecutor of His Son? The law can only convict.