1 Samuel 31: Judgment for Saul’s Transgressions

1ST SAMUEL 31 & 2ND SAMUEL 4 & 1ST CHRONICLES 10

DAVID WAS IN GREAT DISTRESS OVER THE HORROR STORY OF THE AMALEKITE ATTACK ON ZIKLAG WHICH DAVID HAD LEFT UNGUARDED WHILE HE CONNIVED WITH ISRAEL’S GREATEST ENEMY, THE PHILISTINES.

HE REALIZED HIS ERROR IN NOT SEEKING THE LORD’S COUNSEL AND ALL HIS FAMILY AND THE FAMILIES OF HIS MEN WERE LOST, TAKEN PRISONER, AND THEIR TOWN BURNED.

DAVID’S MEN WERE SO ANGRY AT HIS LAPSE OF LEADERSHIP AND FAITH, THAT THEY THREATENED TO STONE DAVID.

CERTAINLY HE CAME TO HIS SENSES, SOUGHT THE COUNSEL OF THE LORD WHO TOLD HIM TO PURSUE THE AMALEKITES AND OVERTAKE THEM AND HE WOULD RECOVER THOSE TAKEN.

THE COMING FIERCE BATTLE BETWEEN THE PHILISTINES AND ISRAEL WAS QUICKLY BEGINNING.

SAUL HAD COMMITTED ONE OF HIS GREATEST SINS BY VISITING A WITCH TO DETERMINE THE NEXT STEP.

THE SOUL OF SAMUEL HIMSELF WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD BY GOD TO ASSURE THAT SAUL RECEIVED THE MESSAGE THAT HE AND HIS SONS WERE TO JOIN SAMUEL IN DEATH THE NEXT DAY IN BATTLE.

DAVID AND HIS MEN SEEMED TO BE READY TO FIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE PHILISTINES BEFORE THIS BATTLE BUT THE LORD ARRANGED THE ATTACK ON DAVID’S TOWN TO OCCUPY DAVID AND HIS MEN SUCH THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE A PART OF THIS MOMENT OF WAR.

IN CHAPTER 31, SAUL AND HIS FORCES WERE STRONGLY DEFEATED, JUST AS SAMUEL HAD WARNED, AND SAUL AND 3 OF HIS 4 SONS LOST THEIR LIVES.

THE LORD HAD FORSAKEN SAUL, AND HE WAS HEADING TO RUIN AS HE ENTERED THE BATTLE.

THE LORD WAS WITH DAVID AS HE WAS MADE TO AVOID THE BATTLE AND THE PATHWAY WOULD BE CLEARED FOR HIM TO BECOME KING, AS GOD HAD INTENDED SINCE SAMUEL HAD ANOINTED HIM OUT OF THE SHEEPFOLD.

THE END WAS FORETOLD BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE AND THE SOVEREIGN WILL OF GOD WAS ACTIVE AND MOVING AMONG HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE.

DURING THE BATTLE, SAUL WAS SERIOUSLY WOUNDED BY THE ARCHERS OF THE PHILISTINES AS THE ENEMY WAS QUICKLY VICTORIOUS OVER ISRAEL.

MANY LIVES WERE LOST THAT DAY, INCLUDING DAVID’S BEST FRIEND JONATHAN.

AFTER BEING WOUNDED, SAUL ASKED HIS ARMOR BEARER TO END HIS LIFE SO THAT HE WOULD NOT BE CAPTURED AND MADE AN EXAMPLE OF BY THE PHILISTINES EXACTLY AS THEY HAD DONE TO SAMSON IN AN EARLIER TIME.

THE MAN REFUSED THE COMMAND AND SAUL TOOK MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HAND, FALLING ON HIS SWORD TO END HIS LIFE.

SEEING THAT ACT, THE ARMOR BEARER DID THE SAME.

THESE WERE VERY DARK TIMES FOR ISRAEL IN THAT THE KING, THREE PRINCES, AND LIKELY THOUSANDS OF THE ARMY OF ISRAEL ALL DIED THAT DAY.

WHEN DEFEAT WAS CLEARLY OBVIOUS, ISRAEL ABANDONED THE FIGHT AND NEARBY CITIES WHICH WERE THEN TAKEN AND INHABITED BY THE PHILISTINES.

SAUL’S BODY, AS WELL AS THE BODY OF THE SONS WAS NOT RETRIEVED FROM THE BATTLEFIELD.

THE PHILISTINES FOUND THE BODIES, AND REMOVED THE HEAD OF SAUL AND HIS ARMOR, DISPLAYING HIS HEAD AMONG THEIR PEOPLE, NAILING HIS BODY TO A WALL TO DISPLAY, AND TOOK HIS ARMOR INTO THE SHRINE OF THEIR FEMALE FALSE GOD, ASHTEROTH.

THESE LOSSES AND DESECRATIONS WAS THE FINAL ACT OF GOD’S JUDGMENT ON SAUL’S KINGDOM AND A FULL FULFILLING OF THE PROPHECY OF SAMUEL WHEN HE HAD BEEN RAISED.

THIS DEATH WOULD SOON BRING A NEW MONARCH WHICH WAS DAVID, THE PEOPLE LOST THE KING THEY INSISTED THEY WISHED, AND GOD ARRANGED ALL EVENTS TO INITIATE THE KINGDOM HE HAD TOLD SAMUEL WAS COMING AFTER HE REJECTED SAUL.

IN 1ST SAMUEL 31:11-13 (ALSO RECORDED IN 1ST CHRONICLES 10:11-14)

WE SEE A MOST INTERESTING EVENT RECORDED.

VALIANT MEN FROM THE PEOPLE OF JABESH-GILEAD JOURNEYED IN SECRET OVER 15 MILES AROUND THE LINES OF THE PHILISTINES TO RECOVER THE BODIES OF SAUL AND HIS SONS.

THEY BROUGHT THESE BODIES BACK AND BURNED THEM AND THEN BURIED THE BONES IN A SOLEMN EFFORT.

WHY DID THESE VALIANT MEN MAKE THIS DECISION?

FORTY YEARS EARLIER, AS WE SAW IN CHAPTER 11, THE AMMONITES HAD THREATENED THESE PEOPLE AND HAD SAID PEACE COULD COME IF EVERY MAN WAS WILLING TO HAVE HIS RIGHT EYE REMOVED TO SHOW SUBMISSION.

WORD WAS SENT TO KING SAUL AND HE ARRANGED THE ARMY OF ISRAEL TO QUICKLY DEFEND THESE PEOPLE AGAINST THE AMMONITES AND DESTROYED ALMOST EVERY AMMONITE MAN WHO HAD THREATENED THESE PEOPLE.

THEY HAD NOT FORGOTTEN WHAT SAUL HAD DONE FOR THEM AND THEY RISKED THEIR LIVES TO GIVE HIM AND HIS SONS AN HONEST BURIAL.

DAVID PRAISED THIS EVENT AND LATER MOVED THE BONES TO A TOMB NEARER HIS OWN AREA.

SAUL’S DEATH TECHICALLY ENDED THE BOOK OF 1ST SAMUEL.

SAUL WAS THE FIRST KING.

GOD GAVE HIM ALL THINGS NEEDED TO SUCCEED IF HE HAD UNDERSTOOD THAT HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE WERE THE KEYS TO HIS RELATION WITH THE LORD.

HIS DISOBEDIENCE, PRIDE, JEALOUSY, AND LACK OF EVER REPENTING LED HIM FURTHER DOWN A DARK ROAD THAT ENDED ACTUALLY IN THE HOME OF A WITCH.

ONE DAY LATER SAUL WAS DEAD.

THE STORY WAS NOT OVER WHATSOEVER.

GOD WAS STILL IN CONTROL OF ALL EVENTS AND WORKING ALL THINGS FOR HIS OWN PURPOSE.

FOR YEARS GOD USED DAVID’S TRIALS TO TRAIN HIM AND PREPARE HIM FOR THIS TIME THAT GOD KNEW ALL ALONG WAS COMING.

THE ROAD WAS NOW OPEN TO BEGIN THE DYNASTY OF DAVID, CONSIDERED THE MOST GOLDEN YEARS IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL, AND ARRANGING THE 42 GENERATIONS WE STUDY IN THE BEGINNING OF MATTHEW’S GOSPEL.

REMEMBER THAT IN THE HEBREW BIBLE, THE BOOKS OF 1ST & 2ND SAMUEL WERE ALWAYS AND STILL ARE ONE BOOK.

AFTER RETURNING TO ZIKLAG, A MAN APPEARED AND SAID HE HAD HIMSELF PUT SAUL TO DEATH AS SAUL REQUESTED. HE EVEN HAD SAUL’S CROWN & BRACELET WHICH HE WAS BRINGING TO DAVID.

ALL REPORTS AND ALL SCRIPTURE WE HAVE NEVER MENTIONS SUCH A MOMENT AND DAVID CONSIDERED THIS MAN, AN AMALEKITE, TO BE A SCAVENGER, FROM THE SAME PEOPLE THAT HAD CAPTURED THE FAMILIES OF DAVID AND HIS MEN AND BURNED THEIR CITY.

DAVID ORDERED THE MAN EXECUTED.

IN DAVID’S TIME OF LAMENT & GRIEF, HE WROTE A SONG MORE PRAISING JONATHAN THAN SAUL AND COMMANDED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO LEARN IT FROM THAT TIME FORWARD.

IT WAS RECORDED IN THE BOOK OF JASHER, A BOOK OF JEWISH HERO VERSES AND POETRY.

DAVID NEXT INQUIRED OF GOD HIS NEXT MOVE, HAVING LEARNED HIS LESSON WELL AND WAS TOLD TO GO TO HEBRON.

THERE HE DID NOT PROCLAIM HIMSELF KING, BUT THE MEN OF JUDAH CAME TO HIM AND NAMED HIM THEIR KING, RECOGNIZING THAT GOD WAS WITH DAVID AND WAS GUIDING HIS LEADERSHIP.

IN 2ND SAMUEL 2 VERSE 7 DAVID ENCOURAGED SAUL’S BIGGEST SUPPORTERS TO JOIN HIM.

SADLY, THESE MEN AND THE REST OF ISRAEL WOULD WAR AGAINST DAVID FOR THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS BEFORE DAVID FINALLY BECAME KING OVER ALL ISRAEL.

ONE MAN, ABNER, LED THE EFFORTS AGAINST DAVID BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS HARD FEELINGS.

THE CIVIL WAR WAS A DIFFICUT TIME AND FINALLY AFTER MUCH FIGHTING AND MANY DEATHS, ABNER AND JOAB, DAVID’S CAPTAIN, CAME TO A TRUCE AFTER ABNER CONTINUED TO CLAIM THAT ISHBOSHETH, SAUL’S SON WAS KING OF ISRAEL.

ABNER, SAUL’S BROTHER, USED ISHBOSHETH TO APPEAR TO BE KING BUT ABNER EXERCISED ROYAL POWER.

ABNER WAS ACCUSED BY ISHBOSHETH OF TREASON AND ABNER DECIDED TO WORK AGAINST ISHBOSHETH AND TO BECOME LOYAL TO DAVID TO UNIFY THE KINGDOMS UNDER ONE RULER.

AS ABNER SOUGHT TO MAKE POLITICAL PEACE, HE WAS MURDERED BY JOAB, DAVID’S CAPTAIN IN HEBRON, VIOLATING THE LAW BECAUSE HEBRON WAS A CITY OF REFUGE.

IN 2ND SAMUEL 3, VERSE 31, DAVID ATTENDED THE FUNERAL OF ABNER AND HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME WE SEE THE WORDS “KING DAVID” WRITTEN.

DAVID DID NOTHING TO PUNISH JOAB FOR HIS CRIME.

INSTEAD HE ASKED GOD TO “REWARD THE DOER OF EVIL ACCORDING TO HIS WICKEDNESS”. (2ND SAMUEL 3:39)

ISHBOSHETH WAS MURDERED BY HIS OWN GENERALS WHO CAME TO SHOW DAVID THE HEAD OF THAT KING AND WERE EXECUTED BY DAVID FOR THEIR ACTIONS, CUTTING OFF THEIR HANDS AND FEET.

ONE LAST MATTER WAS THE YOUNG BOY NAMED MEPHIBOSHETH, A SON OF JONATHAN, WHO HAD BEEN CRIPPLED EARLY IN LIFE.

HE WILL APPEAR LATER IN THE COURT OF KING DAVID IN OUR NEXT STUDY OF 2ND SAMUEL.

OUR LESSON HERE AFTER ALL THESE EVENTS IS THAT SAUL WANTED TO BE GREAT NOT IN SERVING THE LORD WHO HAD ALLOWED HIS ANOINTING, BUT IN HIS UNWILLINGNESS TO OBEY, BEGAN HIS OWN DOWNFALL IN THE EYES OF GOD.

HE BECAME JEALOUS OF HIS RIVAL, DAVID, WHO NEVER WISHED TO BE HIS RIVAL AND CAREFULLY AVOIDED DOING SAUL ANY HARM.

SAUL WOULD NOT SUBMIT HIMSELF NOR HUMBLE HIMSELF SPIRITUALLY BEFORE THE LORD.

1000 YEARS LATER, JESUS SPOKE INDIRECTLY ON THIS MATTER SAYING THAT THOSE WHO WISH TO BE GREAT IN THE KINGDOM MUST BE A SERVANT. (MATT 18:4 & 23:11).

SAUL NEVER UNDERSTOOD THIS LESSON AND IT COST HIM HIS CROWN AND HIS LIFE.

OUR NEXT STUDY STOP IN SAMUEL WILL FIND DAVID RULING OVER ALL OF JUDAH AND ALL OF ISRAEL, UNIFYING THE NATION.

HE WILL CAPTURE JERUSALEM AND RENDER A MAJOR DEFEAT OVER THE PHILISTINES AS THE GOLDEN YEARS OF DAVID BEGIN.

HIS COVENANT THAT GOD ARRANGED WITH DAVID STILL IS IN EFFECT TODAY AND WE ARE TOLD IT IS ETERNAL AND THAT THE LORD HAS PROMISED TO RAISE DAVID TO HELP RULE THE 1,000 YEAR KINGDOM WHEN JESUS RETURNS.