August 24,
2007
Rise up,
LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee
before thee. (Numbers 10: 35 KJV
1 Samuel Chapter 31 Author:
Unknown KJV
Saul
Takes His Life
(1
Samuel 31:1-3 KJV) "Now the
Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the
Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. {2} And the Philistines
followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan,
and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons. {3} And the battle went sore
against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the
archers."
As we look back at
1 Samuel 28 Saul has hardened his
heart. It’s been twenty or so years
since Samuel told Saul the kingdom has been torn from his family and given to a
neighbor, David. Saul had not
followed after the Lord since. It’s
gotten so bad with Saul he can’t repent.
He can only accept his fate and that is what he
does.
We look at Jonathan
Saul’s oldest and most likely the one to succeed his father, who was also like
David in that he sought the Lord’s heart.
Jonathan would only be too happy to allow David go to the throne and
stand back as an advisor. The Lord
was merciful to Jonathan in that when Jonathan died he went to Abraham’s bosom
or Paradise. Also Jonathan would
not have to stand against his one surviving brother who might have stood against
David. Abinadab and Malki-Shua were
killed along with Jonathan, but another brother Ishbosheth remained and possibly
did not go into battle. We’ll learn
more about him, as David will have to deal with him before he ascends to the
throne. The Lord was also merciful to David and the people making the way
clearer for David to be king.
Saul is so afraid
of what is going to happen that he is not prepared for war and neither are his
men. The fighting between Israel and the Philistines has gone against Israel
many are running from the battle in fear of their lives. The Philistine archers wound Saul
critically, perhaps mortally but he is not dead yet.
(1
Samuel 31:4-6 KJV) "Then said Saul
unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest
these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me.
But
his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword,
and fell upon it. {5} And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead,
he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him. {6} So Saul died, and
his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day
together."
Note the
armor–bearer saw that Sauk was dead.
This will raise a flag in our next lesson.
The armor-bearer
was reluctant to kill Saul probably because he was the Lord’s anointed, so Saul
fell upon his sword. Saul knew he
was not going to get out alive, besides that he was severely wounded from all of
the arrows in his body, so Saul takes his own life. The armor-bearer does the same after he
sees that Saul is dead.
(1
Samuel 31:7 KJV) "And when the men
of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that
were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that
Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the
Philistines came and dwelt in them."
The people
panicked when they saw Saul, three of his sons and the army fall and fled the
cities leaving them open for the Philistines to come in and take
over.
This
shows why leaders have a higher responsibility, because their fall can endanger
many more people than the fall of someone who is not a leader. This is why the
New Testament openly preaches a higher standard for leaders, even saying they
should be blameless for just cause before the world and God’s people (1 Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:6). (David Guzik)
The night before
the crucifixion Jesus told his disciples they too would panic and run because he
would be killed. In the case of
David all will be restored through God and with Jesus his glorious resurrection
ascension and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will bring the decuples back
together with great power. This
should happen today when a leader falls but it doesn’t always because people do
not always look to our Lord when a leader falls.
(1
Samuel 31:8-10 KJV) "And it came to
pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they
found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. {9} And they cut
off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the
Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and
among the people. {10} And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth:
and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan."
What the
Philistines could not do to Saul they do to him in death. They cut off his head and showed it off
to all of their people. His body
armor is removed and put on display in their temple to their Ashtoreths (many
Gods of fertility etc.) His
headless body is nailed to the wall of a city Beth
Shan.
Saul’s
tragic death gave opportunity for the enemies of the Lord to disgrace His name. First, they
gave the ultimate insult to Saul; in that culture, to have your dead body
treated this way was considered a fate worse than death itself. Second, Saul’s
death was used to glorify pagan gods and to mock the living God (David Guzik)
They
fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan:
You can go to the ruins of Beth Shan today, as the foundations to the city sit
high on a hill overlooking the Roman ruins destroyed in an earthquake. It was
high on that hill that the Philistines hung the decapitated corpse of King Saul
in the ultimate humiliation. (David Guzik)
(1
Samuel 31:11-13 KJV) "And when the
inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to
Saul; {12} All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the
body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to
Jabesh, and burnt them there. {13} And they took their bones, and buried
them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days."
When Saul
first became king he rescued the city of Jabesh Gilead. So in gratitude, some brave and valiant
men sneak into the Philistine land and remove the bodies of Saul and his sons
from the wall of Beth Shan.
When
David heard of Saul’s death, he did not rejoice. In fact, he mourned and
composed a song in honor of Saul and Jonathan (The Song of the Bow, 2 Samuel
1:11-27). In spite of all that Saul did against David, David spoke well of
Saul after his death.
(David Guzik)
24 The LORD bless
thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his
face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up
his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 And they shall
put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless
them.
Numbers
6 KJV
Have
a blessed day
Lee
A
Watchman
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