Saul's Death

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Saul's Death

Date: Jul. 31, 2024

Passage

1 Samuel 31:1-13 (ESV)

1 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. 7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.

8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what 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 Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 31:12a

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 Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there.

What Samuel spoke through the medium of Endor came to pass. The Philistines pursued and killed Saul and his three sons. Saul was critically wounded, but still alive. He commanded his armor-bearer to kill him, but the armor-bearer feared God and could not. So, Saul fell on his own sword and died. The Philistines put his armor in the temple of their god and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan. This was how they celebrated their victory over the Israelites.

Saul had begun his reign with a heroic act. He had rescued the city of Jabesh Gilead from the sadistic Ammonite king Nahash (1Sa 11). The men of Jabesh Gilead did not forget this. They risked their lives to recover the bodies of Saul and his sons from being shamefully exposed by the Philistines. They gave them a decent burial. They remembered God’s saving grace and gave honor to Saul and his sons.

Prayer: Lord, help me to remember your grace and honor those who serve you.

One Word: Remember God’s grace

Holy to the Lord

Zechariah 14:1-21

Key Verse: 14:20

And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the LORD.” And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar.

Today's Question

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