Today we finish a two-part series on the life of King Saul. Actually, last week in a way we finished the life of King Saul, because we saw Saul continue to disobey the Lord to the point that the prophet Samuel, speaking for the Lord, declared that Saul was no longer king, that another would become king in his place. Now we know that this is David. From this point on, the stories of Saul and David intertwine. As we go forward, I will mention David where it is essential to understanding the story of Saul, but I will save an analysis of David’s life for the coming weeks when we focus specifically on David.
Last week I started with an unflattering quote from the New Testament about Saul; this week, I thought I would start with a passage from Deuteronomy that instructs what kings should do.
Last week I started with an unflattering quote from the New Testament about Saul; this week, I thought I would start with a passage from Deuteronomy that instructs what kings should do.
When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel. – Deut. 17:18-20
Did Saul did this? I think it is safe to say that he didn’t. I find these fascinating instructions. Recall that back then, unlike today, people didn’t have their own personal copies of the Bible. This was 2000 years before the printing press. Only the priests kept a copy of the law – well, only the priests and the king. The king was to copy the law himself; not just have scribes do it for him. How big a job was this? A pretty giant one! Just try handwriting one page of Deuteronomy and you will get the idea. A king was to live on the Word of God – to eat, sleep, and breathe it – to study it daily, carefully, completely. For Saul, I think it is safe to say that the Law was one of the things furthest from his mind.
Picking up the story, immediately after Samuel tells Saul that the kingdom has departed from him, Samuel leaves and mourns for the fall of Saul and for what it means for Israel. Later, God calls on Samuel to anoint someone else as king, and he goes and anoints David, and then the Spirit of the Lord came on David in power – the same description formerly given to Saul. We pick up the story in I Samuel 16:14.
Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better." So Saul said to his attendants, "Find someone who plays well and bring him to me." – I Sam. 16:14-17
Notice that Saul is still king. He hasn’t heeded what Samuel has said; he hasn’t resigned, he hasn’t repented. He is suffering. We aren’t told exactly what the evil spirit is doing, other than tormenting. Perhaps it is telling Saul what a loser he is, how his sin has separated him from God, how he has no future and no hope. If so, there is a little truth mixed in with a little falsehood. This is how Satan operates – he mixes truth with falsehood. Was repentance an option for Saul? Yes. People can always repent. Would it have meant his kingdom would have been restored to him? Probably not. Saul was more interested in keeping his kingship than in repentance, though. I do find it fascinating that the attendants attributed the evil spirit as being from God. Was this simply a phrase they used, or by this did they understand that Saul had brought on his situation upon himself because of his rebellion against God? I think they understood. Perhaps some of the attendants even heard Samuel’s declaration from God that the kingship was no longer his. Notice that none of the attendants suggested that Saul really repent – this may be because they didn’t want to arouse Saul’s anger, or it may be because they too were not really spiritually minded.
Finding a musician to “medicate” Saul’s pain is not really that much different from what people do today all the time to deal with their feelings of hurt or emptiness. Today we use TV, the Internet, drugs and alcohol, pretty much anything that either distracts us or stimulates us. Is it a solution? No more than music would really be a solution for Saul.
One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him." Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep." So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul. – I Sam. 16:18-20
Do you believe in coincidences? I believe some things truly are coincidence – a week when all the men on the worship team wear the same color shirts is a coincidence. But this is no coincidence! God is orchestrating a very specific way in which the kingdom will pass from Saul to David. Saul certainly does not know that Samuel has anointed David as the future king. I don’t believe the servant knew either; he simply knew David as a man with musical talent, valor and skill as a warrior, and that he carried himself well. Now did Jesse know that Samuel had anointed David his son? Yes. Did David know? Of course. And here we have David being summoned to the royal court of Saul! Did they think it was a coincidence? No – they could see God’s hand all over these events.
David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him." Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him. – I Sam. 16:21-23
There is heavy irony here. Saul, who does not want to give up his kingship, has himself brought his replacement in to live with him! It is also ironic that Saul really likes David – David, a man who seeks above all to serve God, someone about as far from Saul in motivation as possible. There is fascinating symbolism here too – yes, in one sense, the harp is a kind of “pain medication” for Saul, but it is also a moment in which David’s right standing with God temporarily “rubs off” on Saul, giving him relief from the torment he has really brought on himself by his disobedience to God.
Now, the next event described in I Samuel is the story of David and Goliath. As I am focusing on Saul, I just want to point out certain aspects of this story from Saul’s point of view. The big picture is that the Philistines have gathered for war against the Israelites. Saul does not have God to go to; he does not have Samuel to consult; due to his own choices, choices that could be changed even now – if he truly repented and stepped down as king – Saul is alone. Goliath, a Philistine champion, a huge man 9 feet tall, challenges the Israelites to a one-on-one contest, champion vs. champion. The people of the loser will become subjects/slaves to the people of the winner. What is Saul’s response?
On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. – I Sam. 17:11
Verse 17 points out that this didn’t just happen once, but every day for 40 straight days! Each day, Goliath challenges the Israelites, and each day, Saul (and his people) cowers in fear. What I find fascinating is that when David arrives and asks Saul to let him go and fight Goliath, Saul first refuses, saying that David is only a boy, but then a short argument from David convinces Saul to let him go. We can only speculate what made Saul agree – depression and a “whatever” attitude, a glimmer of belief that God might really be working through this young man, or something else; maybe it was a combination of these things. Anyway, we know how this story ends: David is victorious, and the Philistines flee and are pursued back to their home in Gath.
As a consequence of these events, Saul has David now stay full-time with Saul, and not go back and forth between his royal residence and David’s family home any more. And Jonathan, Saul’s son, becomes the best of friends with David, as it says, “loving him as himself.” Saul has David spend some time with the army (following up on the victory against Goliath), and David becomes known as a hero in his absence and receives a hero’s welcome when he comes home. The passage says:
The women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. As they danced, they sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. – I Sam. 18:6-9
There is the obvious jealousy here, but there is something else that is driving the jealousy: fear. Saul knows he is king on “borrowed time”; he knows God is opposed to him continuing as king. He probably blocks it out of his mind, avoiding Samuel, perhaps even convincing himself that Samuel was wrong. After all, there has just been a military victory even while Saul is king. But if he thinks about it, he will see that the victory has only come about because of David. Clearly the Lord is with David. Can Saul say there is any real evidence the Lord is with him? No. And so this is not simply jealousy, but a continuation and an escalation of a long argument with God.
Do things like this happen today? Perhaps not in the exact specifics, but yes, all the time! When sinners sin, and godly people – directly or indirectly – remind them that they are sinning, the common result is anger. In the New Testament, this is a big part of why Jesus was so hated by the Pharisees, and it is also why the early believers were persecuted. It is why Jesus says that we are to expect persecution. Jesus said this:
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matt. 5:10
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. – John 15:18-19
Today, the type of persecution you are likely to experience is subtle – but that makes it no less real. People like to tear other people down for reasons they don’t even consciously know – but deep down, the reason is just like Saul: anger because God is opposed to want they want to do.
The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice. – I Sam. 18:10-11
This is not just minor jealousy, but a kind of madness. Does the madness in it or the influence of the spirit absolve Saul of his actions? Absolutely not. Saul had chosen, and day by day continued to choose, to live for himself and not for God. He was reaping the fruit of what he had sown. And to be clear, this fruit was attempted murder.
The passage goes on to say that Saul sent David away to lead military campaigns, and again and again he had great success because God was with him, and the people loved him more and more. This made Saul more and more afraid of David.
Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord." For Saul said to himself, "I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!" But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my family or my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?" – I Sam. 18:17-18
What was Saul’s plan? To get David to do such dangerous things that he died at battle. But David wasn’t interested, and furthermore, he said he and his family were unworthy. Practically speaking, there was truth in what David said – to marry a king’s daughter, a very large bride price was expected. The bride price is mentioned in Ex. 22:16-17 and Deut. 22:28-29. One of the purposes of a bride price was to provide for the wife’s support should the groom die or divorce. So Saul had Merab married to another.
You may remember what happened next: Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when Saul learned of it, he thought he could manipulate David into his death by getting him to agree to marry her. When David expressed the same objections that he had previously, Saul told David that the bride price would not be money, but the proof of the death of a hundred Philistine warriors. He said the reason was for revenge for what the Philistines had done, but in reality, the goal was simply to get David killed. David agreed to the bride “price,” and he and his men instead brought back proof of the death of two hundred Philistines. Saul then – because he had no choice – gave Michal to David in marriage. This passage says that this turn of events made Saul even more afraid of David, and he “remained his enemy the rest of his days.”
In I Samuel 19, Saul continues to try to get rid of David. Saul even told Jonathan and the attendants to kill David for him. Note that Saul knew that Jonathan loved David like a brother.
Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?" Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: "As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death." – I Sam. 19:4-6
This is an oath taken in the name of the Lord. Last week we talked about how Saul made an oath to kill Jonathan his son, and he then backed out of that oath. What about this oath? Well, just a few verses later, we read that once again Saul tried to pin David to the wall with a spear while David was playing the harp. So Saul broke his oath in almost no time at all.
That night David made good his escape. Saul sent men to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't run for your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed." So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats' hair at the head. – I Sam. 19:10-13
What strikes me as I contemplate these verses is how Saul is absolutely possessed by this mad desire to kill David, so much so that Saul is destroying all the relationships in his family. Jonathan cannot understand why Saul wants to kill the hero of the nation and his close friend, and Michal cannot understand why Saul wants to kill her own husband. Can you imagine this situation? Do you think Jonathan and Michal have any respect left for Saul? Or do you think they are coming to absolutely hate him? There are many tragic things that can happen in a person’s life, but I cannot think of many that are worse than the total destruction of all the relationships of those who are closest to you – to your own children. All this is happening because Saul hates David. And Saul hates David because he fears David. He fears David because he is consumed with the lust for power, for remaining king, even though the God of all creation has told him that he has lost the right to rule.
After David fled and Saul learned of his whereabouts, Saul sent men to capture him, but they ended up prophesying with the prophets instead. Three times Saul sent men, and each time there was the same result – the men lost the ability to control themselves and do what Saul had sent them to do; and instead, they prophesied – of what, we aren’t told, but presumably like other prophecies, they told of the future and they told of the character and nature of God. Finally Saul himself goes there and he too loses the ability to do what he meant to do and instead prophesies.
There is strong irony here. Saul, living in rebellion to God, instead is forced to praise Him and tell of His future works instead of doing what he means to do, to defeat God’s plan for David (and ultimately, Jesus, who is in David’s line). In effect, Saul is forced to praise the One he hates.
We now come to what is perhaps the darkest episode in all of Saul’s life. In I Samuel 22, David went to Nob, and spoke to the priest, Ahimelech. The priest gave him consecrated bread, as no regular bread was available, and also gave him Goliath’s sword. Word of this deed reached Saul from his chief shepherd, Doeg the Edomite.
Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub." "Yes, my lord," he answered. Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?" – I Sam. 22:11-13
Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?" Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: "As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death." – I Sam. 19:4-6
This is an oath taken in the name of the Lord. Last week we talked about how Saul made an oath to kill Jonathan his son, and he then backed out of that oath. What about this oath? Well, just a few verses later, we read that once again Saul tried to pin David to the wall with a spear while David was playing the harp. So Saul broke his oath in almost no time at all.
That night David made good his escape. Saul sent men to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't run for your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed." So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats' hair at the head. – I Sam. 19:10-13
What strikes me as I contemplate these verses is how Saul is absolutely possessed by this mad desire to kill David, so much so that Saul is destroying all the relationships in his family. Jonathan cannot understand why Saul wants to kill the hero of the nation and his close friend, and Michal cannot understand why Saul wants to kill her own husband. Can you imagine this situation? Do you think Jonathan and Michal have any respect left for Saul? Or do you think they are coming to absolutely hate him? There are many tragic things that can happen in a person’s life, but I cannot think of many that are worse than the total destruction of all the relationships of those who are closest to you – to your own children. All this is happening because Saul hates David. And Saul hates David because he fears David. He fears David because he is consumed with the lust for power, for remaining king, even though the God of all creation has told him that he has lost the right to rule.
After David fled and Saul learned of his whereabouts, Saul sent men to capture him, but they ended up prophesying with the prophets instead. Three times Saul sent men, and each time there was the same result – the men lost the ability to control themselves and do what Saul had sent them to do; and instead, they prophesied – of what, we aren’t told, but presumably like other prophecies, they told of the future and they told of the character and nature of God. Finally Saul himself goes there and he too loses the ability to do what he meant to do and instead prophesies.
There is strong irony here. Saul, living in rebellion to God, instead is forced to praise Him and tell of His future works instead of doing what he means to do, to defeat God’s plan for David (and ultimately, Jesus, who is in David’s line). In effect, Saul is forced to praise the One he hates.
We now come to what is perhaps the darkest episode in all of Saul’s life. In I Samuel 22, David went to Nob, and spoke to the priest, Ahimelech. The priest gave him consecrated bread, as no regular bread was available, and also gave him Goliath’s sword. Word of this deed reached Saul from his chief shepherd, Doeg the Edomite.
Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub." "Yes, my lord," he answered. Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?" – I Sam. 22:11-13
Ahimelech answered the king, "Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair." – I Sam. 22:14-15
But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family." Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me." But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord. – I Sam. 22:16-17
The king then ordered Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests." So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep. – I Sam. 22:18-19
Saul is now guilty of murder, mass murder. His motivation? Petty jealousy, fear, a desire for power that is no longer his to have, rebellion against God. Let’s be clear: Saul is a monster.
The rest of I Samuel chronicles Saul’s continued pursuit of David. Saul came close to capturing him at the Desert of Maon, but was stopped from finishing the pursuit when the Philistines attacked and Saul and his men were needed to drive them back. Saul pursued him to the Desert of En Gedi, but there, David had the opportunity to kill Saul. He did not take it, but instead called out to Saul, rebuking him for continuing this pursuit to kill him. Saul’s reply is interesting:
"Is that your voice, David my son?" And he wept aloud. "You are more righteous than I," he said. "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family." – I Sam. 24:16-21
David agreed to the oath. Now, was Saul repentant? I don’t think so. There is a lot of humble sounding talk, but then there is a demand that David not go after his family. Repentance would not make demands, but would instead admit guilt and agree to change. Saul’s statements don’t even begin to go far enough.
In I Samuel 26, we see that once again Saul sends out people to hunt down David. This time David is at the Desert of Ziph, and Saul has sent a 3000-man army after him. Once again, David has a chance to kill Saul but does not take it, and once again, David rebukes Saul for his actions. Saul’s reply:
"I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly." – I Sam. 26:21
Another (empty) promise. This time, however, David has had enough. He moves to live with the Philistines, because he feels it is safer there! Talk about irony!
We now come to the final sad episodes of Saul’s life.
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land. The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa. When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. – I Sam. 28:3-5
Reading through the whole story of Saul, I am struck by how much of his life was ruled by fear – fear of being king, fear of trustworthy people not doing what they said they would do, fear of losing his kingship, fear of David taking the kingdom from him, fear of the Philistines again and again. Saul did not know his God. Perfect love casts out fear – but Saul did not know of this love. As we look at David in the coming weeks, we will see a dramatic contrast.
He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her." "There is one in Endor," they said. So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name." – I Sam. 28:6-8
Saul is now guilty of murder, mass murder. His motivation? Petty jealousy, fear, a desire for power that is no longer his to have, rebellion against God. Let’s be clear: Saul is a monster.
The rest of I Samuel chronicles Saul’s continued pursuit of David. Saul came close to capturing him at the Desert of Maon, but was stopped from finishing the pursuit when the Philistines attacked and Saul and his men were needed to drive them back. Saul pursued him to the Desert of En Gedi, but there, David had the opportunity to kill Saul. He did not take it, but instead called out to Saul, rebuking him for continuing this pursuit to kill him. Saul’s reply is interesting:
"Is that your voice, David my son?" And he wept aloud. "You are more righteous than I," he said. "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family." – I Sam. 24:16-21
David agreed to the oath. Now, was Saul repentant? I don’t think so. There is a lot of humble sounding talk, but then there is a demand that David not go after his family. Repentance would not make demands, but would instead admit guilt and agree to change. Saul’s statements don’t even begin to go far enough.
In I Samuel 26, we see that once again Saul sends out people to hunt down David. This time David is at the Desert of Ziph, and Saul has sent a 3000-man army after him. Once again, David has a chance to kill Saul but does not take it, and once again, David rebukes Saul for his actions. Saul’s reply:
"I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly." – I Sam. 26:21
Another (empty) promise. This time, however, David has had enough. He moves to live with the Philistines, because he feels it is safer there! Talk about irony!
We now come to the final sad episodes of Saul’s life.
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land. The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa. When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. – I Sam. 28:3-5
Reading through the whole story of Saul, I am struck by how much of his life was ruled by fear – fear of being king, fear of trustworthy people not doing what they said they would do, fear of losing his kingship, fear of David taking the kingdom from him, fear of the Philistines again and again. Saul did not know his God. Perfect love casts out fear – but Saul did not know of this love. As we look at David in the coming weeks, we will see a dramatic contrast.
He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her." "There is one in Endor," they said. So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name." – I Sam. 28:6-8
But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?" Saul swore to her by the Lord, "As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this." – I Sam. 28:8-10
Saul is so quick to swear by the Lord! For him it is nothing real – only a powerful tool of manipulation. To Saul, God is his servant, and if the real God won’t comply, then he will just use His Name for that purpose.
Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" "Bring up Samuel," he said. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" – I Sam. 28:11-12
Samuel indeed rises and Saul tells him the situation with the Philistines. Samuel, however, offers no comforting words. He repeats what the Lord gave him to say when he was alive, that God has torn the kingdom out of Saul’s hands, and now he goes on to say that the kingdom has been given to David. He tells Saul that Israel will fall to the Philistines, and that tomorrow “you and your sons will be with me.”
The next day was indeed Saul’s last. Here is the account:
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically. – I Sam. 31:1-3
Samuel indeed rises and Saul tells him the situation with the Philistines. Samuel, however, offers no comforting words. He repeats what the Lord gave him to say when he was alive, that God has torn the kingdom out of Saul’s hands, and now he goes on to say that the kingdom has been given to David. He tells Saul that Israel will fall to the Philistines, and that tomorrow “you and your sons will be with me.”
The next day was indeed Saul’s last. Here is the account:
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically. – I Sam. 31:1-3
Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me." But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day. – I Sam. 31:4-6
When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them. – I Sam. 31:7
I opened the series last week with a quote from Acts, an unflattering account of Saul by the other Saul, the Apostle Paul. I think it is fitting to end this series with an Old Testament summary. This summary serves well as an epitaph for Saul. It can be found in I Chronicles 10. Here is what it says:
Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. - I Chr. 10:13-14
What strikes me most from this description is the phrase “unfaithful to the Lord.” The word for “unfaithful” is also the word used for marital unfaithfulness, for infidelity. What was the unfaithfulness, the infidelity? Not keeping the word of God; consulting others instead of God; not talking to God directly.
Even in our “live and let live” culture, infidelity is a big deal. People accept infidelity as a valid reason for divorce, and sometimes are even offended when someone chooses to stay with their spouse after infidelity occurs. More importantly, infidelity is a big deal in the Bible. In the New Testament, Jesus specifically and uniquely calls out marital infidelity as a valid reason for divorce.
Saul is called out for infidelity to God. I have just a few thoughts related to this. First, infidelity can only occur if a relationship first exists. Saul and God really did have a relationship. The charge of infidelity could not be applied to someone who never knew God. So if you think about your friends who have never known God or entered into any kind of relationship with Him verses yourself, for whom could the charge of infidelity possibly apply? Yourself. Myself. We are the ones who can be guilty of infidelity.
My second thought, based on this passage in I Chronicles, is that sin is infidelity to God. In my opinion, the word “sin” even in our Christian culture has become a little too impersonal, too abstract. We tend to define sin as a “state of being.” But in the New Testament, for example, the Greek word most used for sin is hamartia, which means to “fall short,” or even, “disappoint,” to not reach the expectation someone (God) has for you. Every sin is not really a state of being; it is an act of infidelity to God (and sometimes, to other people as well). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shocks His listeners by saying that not just an act is sin; even thinking it in your heart is sin. Why is this? Is it because our thinking is a “state of being”? No; it is because God hears all of our thoughts, all of the time. When we indulge in sinful thinking, God hears it and is offended, because we have not been faithful to Him. In human relationships we can stay out of trouble by separating what we really think of others from what we say; but with God no such separation is possible. Everything we think, we say to Him. Sin is infidelity to God.
My third thought, and I need to be careful how I explain this here, is that some sins, some infidelities, are especially offensive. Do I mean that some sins deserve greater punishment? No, I don’t mean this. But just as some actions are more outrageous than others in our relationships with one another, some things are just “over the top” more than others when it comes to our relationship to God. I say this because of that little word “even” in the passage. Saul even consulted a medium for guidance. Again, this is because everything about our faith is really about relationship with the person of God. Just as if, while on a business trip, it is much more offensive if a spouse actually commits adultery than if he simply forgets to call the whole time he is away, some things we can do in our relationship to God are especially outrageous. Looking to another to provide guidance, comfort, help, in place of God, is adultery with God; more precisely, it is idolatry, and we can certainly be guilty of this. In our decision making, we should look to God; certainly not to horoscopes, or fortune cookies, or other superstitions. These things are infidelity with God.
And my final thought, based on this passage, is that absence is infidelity. We are commanded to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Saul, it says, “did not inquire of the Lord.” He wasn’t really praying. A bad or nonexistent prayer life is not just a sign of someone who needs to grow in faith; it is infidelity to God. With one another we can easily fake spirituality – just come to church every week, share in fellowship at church and at other times, and none of us will be any the wiser. But this doesn’t fool God. It doesn’t even impress Him. That’s not to say that being in devoted fellowship with one another isn’t important; it is extremely important, and the New Testament is absolutely clear on this. But it won’t satisfy God. He wants you. Although your life is already an open book to God, He wants you to “read it to Him.” He wants you to seek Him in big things and small; to share your troubles and ask Him for help; to ask Him to use you; to ask Him to help those around you that you care about; to ask Him, to ask Him, to ask Him.
So let’s do this. Let us inquire of Him now. He is always eager to hear from us.
I opened the series last week with a quote from Acts, an unflattering account of Saul by the other Saul, the Apostle Paul. I think it is fitting to end this series with an Old Testament summary. This summary serves well as an epitaph for Saul. It can be found in I Chronicles 10. Here is what it says:
Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. - I Chr. 10:13-14
What strikes me most from this description is the phrase “unfaithful to the Lord.” The word for “unfaithful” is also the word used for marital unfaithfulness, for infidelity. What was the unfaithfulness, the infidelity? Not keeping the word of God; consulting others instead of God; not talking to God directly.
Even in our “live and let live” culture, infidelity is a big deal. People accept infidelity as a valid reason for divorce, and sometimes are even offended when someone chooses to stay with their spouse after infidelity occurs. More importantly, infidelity is a big deal in the Bible. In the New Testament, Jesus specifically and uniquely calls out marital infidelity as a valid reason for divorce.
Saul is called out for infidelity to God. I have just a few thoughts related to this. First, infidelity can only occur if a relationship first exists. Saul and God really did have a relationship. The charge of infidelity could not be applied to someone who never knew God. So if you think about your friends who have never known God or entered into any kind of relationship with Him verses yourself, for whom could the charge of infidelity possibly apply? Yourself. Myself. We are the ones who can be guilty of infidelity.
My second thought, based on this passage in I Chronicles, is that sin is infidelity to God. In my opinion, the word “sin” even in our Christian culture has become a little too impersonal, too abstract. We tend to define sin as a “state of being.” But in the New Testament, for example, the Greek word most used for sin is hamartia, which means to “fall short,” or even, “disappoint,” to not reach the expectation someone (God) has for you. Every sin is not really a state of being; it is an act of infidelity to God (and sometimes, to other people as well). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shocks His listeners by saying that not just an act is sin; even thinking it in your heart is sin. Why is this? Is it because our thinking is a “state of being”? No; it is because God hears all of our thoughts, all of the time. When we indulge in sinful thinking, God hears it and is offended, because we have not been faithful to Him. In human relationships we can stay out of trouble by separating what we really think of others from what we say; but with God no such separation is possible. Everything we think, we say to Him. Sin is infidelity to God.
My third thought, and I need to be careful how I explain this here, is that some sins, some infidelities, are especially offensive. Do I mean that some sins deserve greater punishment? No, I don’t mean this. But just as some actions are more outrageous than others in our relationships with one another, some things are just “over the top” more than others when it comes to our relationship to God. I say this because of that little word “even” in the passage. Saul even consulted a medium for guidance. Again, this is because everything about our faith is really about relationship with the person of God. Just as if, while on a business trip, it is much more offensive if a spouse actually commits adultery than if he simply forgets to call the whole time he is away, some things we can do in our relationship to God are especially outrageous. Looking to another to provide guidance, comfort, help, in place of God, is adultery with God; more precisely, it is idolatry, and we can certainly be guilty of this. In our decision making, we should look to God; certainly not to horoscopes, or fortune cookies, or other superstitions. These things are infidelity with God.
And my final thought, based on this passage, is that absence is infidelity. We are commanded to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Saul, it says, “did not inquire of the Lord.” He wasn’t really praying. A bad or nonexistent prayer life is not just a sign of someone who needs to grow in faith; it is infidelity to God. With one another we can easily fake spirituality – just come to church every week, share in fellowship at church and at other times, and none of us will be any the wiser. But this doesn’t fool God. It doesn’t even impress Him. That’s not to say that being in devoted fellowship with one another isn’t important; it is extremely important, and the New Testament is absolutely clear on this. But it won’t satisfy God. He wants you. Although your life is already an open book to God, He wants you to “read it to Him.” He wants you to seek Him in big things and small; to share your troubles and ask Him for help; to ask Him to use you; to ask Him to help those around you that you care about; to ask Him, to ask Him, to ask Him.
So let’s do this. Let us inquire of Him now. He is always eager to hear from us.
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