Death of King Saul (2)

Saul had been king of Israel for 40 years. Although his leadership of the nation started well, two incidents in his role as king caused him to be rejected by the Lord. The Lord sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David as the next king of Israel but David would not become king right away. As we have seen, David’s own rise to power was not steady. He began with great triumph and popularity with the killing of Goliath and the the people’s acclamation of him as a mighty warrior. But in this period Saul’s mental condition led him to fear David and to seek to kill him. Saul would not kill David and David would not kill Saul. In time the transition of Saul to David as the king of Israel would take place the way leadership positions often change in time of war. The witch of Endor had summoned up the soul of Samuel who predicted that Saul and his sons (heirs to the throne) would die in battle the very next day. 1 Samuel 31 is the account of the fulfillment of that prophecy.

Listen to 1 Samuel 31.

Give examples from history of how other leaders have ended their careers in death and those who stepped up to take their place.

What provisions does our government have should a President die in office? What if all the elected leaders die at the same time? (Premise for a TV series starring Kiefer Sutherland called Designated Survivor.)

Jesus is quoted as saying “Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.” What did he mean by that?

How was this true in the case of King Saul?

Saul’s death was by suicide. Although not a common occurrence in the Bible, the sad fact is that suicide is much more common than we might want to realize. (Report on statistics)

Biblical examples.

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Suicide

SUICIDE The Bible records several instances of suicide (Abimelech—Judg. 9:54; Samson—Judg. 16:29–30; Saul—1 Sam. 31:4; Saul’s armor-bearer—1 Sam. 31:5; Ahithophel—2 Sam. 17:23; Zimri—1 Kings 16:18; and Judas—Matt. 27:5; cp. Acts 16:27). Of these, the deaths of Abimelech and Saul could be called “assisted” suicide. With the possible exception of Samson (whose death may be better termed “martyrdom”), the Bible presents each person who committed suicide as an individual whose behavior is clearly not to be emulated.

While the Bible nowhere specifically prohibits suicide, it does proclaim the sanctity of life (Gen. 1:26–27; 2:7; Ps. 8:5) and assuredly declares that God’s people should choose life over death (Deut. 30:15, 19). The right to give life and take it away is reserved by God for Himself (Job 1:21; cp. Exod. 20:13). Christians are called to steadfastness in the midst of trial (2 Cor. 12:7–10; Phil. 4:11–13; James 1:2–4), but John saw that in the latter days men facing difficulties would instead seek death (Rev. 9:6).

Moses (Num. 11:14–15), Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), Job (Job 6:8–11), and Jonah (Jon. 4:3) each asked God to take their lives, but in every case God refused. Simeon (Luke 2:29) and Paul (2 Cor. 5:2, 8; Phil. 1:20–23) longed to be in heaven yet were content to remain alive, all the while waiting for God to act in His own time. Such instances provide ample biblical evidence that suicide is never the proper choice.

At my recent doctor’s appointment I was asked a standard question. “Do you ever consider harming yourself?” It reminded me that I wanted to ask for resources on the subject of suicide for this lesson. My doctor also recommended that openly talking about suicide and not avoiding it as a topic can help those who are trouble to seek professional help during times of mental anguish and possibly help them seek other ways of coping with what they are going through. He also gave me a list of suicide warning sign.

Why might someone consider suicide? (The Biblical examples)

In the narrative of King Saul’s death, he is quoted his motivation, “Draw your sword and run me through, or those uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”

Note: This is the reason Adolph Hitler had his body burned after his suicide. So that the Russians would not publicly display and beat his body as Mussolini's enemies had done to him.

Did Saul’s suicide prevent his fears? 1 Samuel 31:8–10 (NIV)

8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

Motivations

Those who have ended their lives throughout history have done so for a variety of reasons, both conscious and unconscious (particularly among those suffering psychological distress). Suicide is often seen as a means to end suffering, pain, or shame.

Altruism/heroism. This is when someone voluntarily dies for the good of another or others. Examples include the Greek (Spartan) military at Thermopylae, Japanese kamikaze pilots, Buddhist monks and others who, starting in 1963, protested the persecution of Buddhists in South Vietnam by burning themselves to death as well as after the Fall of Saigon to protest the Communist regime(self-immolation), and elderly people, who, feeling themselves to be a burden on their families, no longer wish to bring such strain upon them.Tactical. Terrorists and guerilla factions often use suicide bombings and attacks to fight against a more powerful faction, as it prevents more casualties and is much more surprising and cost-effective than a normal attack.Philosophy. Certain philosophical groups (e.g., existentialists and stoics) have advocated suicide under some circumstances.Religion. Often, this takes the form of martyrdom. It was common in Norse believers and in early Christianity. However, it may be argued that these are not usually suicides since martyrs are usually put to death by authorities opposed to the religion in question.In order to escape from an unbearable situation. Examples are numerous, and "unbearable" is defined according to the person who must experience it (such as a criminal proceeding or torture by one or more enemies). If one commits suicide to prevent themselves from betraying information to their torturers, it could be classified under the Altruism motive.Psychiatric conditions, such as depression or schizophrenia. On the other hand, a person who has committed suicide is more likely to be classified as such, for the sole reason that they committed the act, a "chicken or the egg" scenario.Romantic love or attraction (e.g., death or unattainability of the loved one). Although perhaps most celebrated among the young, as in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, it is more common among elderly couples who have lived together for many years, after one of them dies. It also occurs among men frustrated at their repeated inability to form relationships with women. According to Dr. Brian Gilmartin, 36% of the love-shy men he interviewed contemplated suicide, but none of the non-shy men [6] (see love-shyness and The Sorrows of Young Werther).

Theories of the effects of age on suicide have changed over time. Initially, it was believed that across all demographic populations, suicides increased with age. However, new research indicates that while this is true for men, suicide rates in women rate peak around the age of 35, plateau and only decline past the age of 85.

Theories about the effects of social status on suicide rates are diverse. This is partly due to difficulty in quantifying social status. Some theorists believe that suicide rates increase in direct proportion to social status. Others believe that the inverse is true.

Socio-economic factors such as unemployment, poverty, homelessness, and even discrimination trigger such suicidal thoughts [7][8]. It's also noted that poverty may not be a direct cause but it can increase the risk of suicide, as it is a major risk group for depression [9]. Discrimination and bullying is another major factor in suicides, as bullying and discrimination can lower self-esteem which could lead to depression and then suicide.

Suicide is more common among alcoholics, especially after loss of intimate relationships, such as the death of a spouse, divorce, loss of a friend and parental alienation. However, it is difficult to ascertain whether suicide and experience of loss by an alcoholic are causally related, since no data regarding causal relationships between alcoholism itself and suicide exists.

New

In today’s society, the number of suicide cases is becoming increasingly common due to the increased stress individuals face. We, are taking the term “Suicide” too liberally without understanding that suicide itself has different reasoning and intent behind the action.

According to Emile Durkheim, the term suicide is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim, which he/she knows will produce this result (Pickering & Walford, 2011). Durkheim identifies four different types of suicide which are egoistic suicide, altruistic suicide, anomic suicide and fatalistic suicide.

Egoistic suicide is seen as stemming from the absence of social integration. It is committed by individuals who are social outcast and see themselves as being alone or an outsider. These individuals are unable to find their own place in society and have problems adjusting to groups. They received little and no social care. Suicide is seen as a solution for them to free themselves from loneliness or excessive individuation.

Altruistic suicide occurs when social group involvement is too high. Individuals are so well integrated into the group that they are willing to sacrifice their own life in order to fulfil some obligation for the group. Individuals kill themselves for the collective benefit of the group or for the cause that the group believes in. An example is someone who commits suicide for the sake of a religious or political cause, such as the infamous Japanese Kamikaze pilots of World War II, or the hijackers that crashed the airplanes into the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania in 2001. During World War II, Japanese Kamikaze pilots were willing to lay down their own lives for their countries in the hope that they will win the war. These pilots believed in their nation’s cause and were willing to sacrifice their lives. Similarly, suicide bombers around the world were willing to give up their lives in order to make a political or religious statement because they firmly believed in their group’s cause.

Anomic suicide is caused by the lack of social regulation and it occurs during high levels of stress and frustration. Anomic suicide stems from sudden and unexpected changes in situations. For example, when individuals suffer extreme financial loss, the disappointment and stress that individuals face may drive them towards committing suicide as a means of escape.

No way out.

Avoid a painful outcome.

Sudden grief.

Prolonged grief.

Dying for a cause.

Promise of a better future. Caveat. Although we long for a better future after our death (See St. Paul), how does intentionally ending our own life potentially forfeit what we long for?

Mental health and suicide.

Our natural and healthy way of living is to care for ourselves and to preserve our lives. In many cases the person who attempts and/or succeeds at suicide is suffering from mental illness which trumps that natural urge.

How does the church deal with suicide? (See Shepherd Under Christ and Doctors of Souls)

People often wonder about the eternal fate of those who committed suicide. Sometimes to the extent of giving absolutely no comfort to those who have been impacted by this horrific event. What are some things we can do to assist those who have been impacted by the suicide of a friend, relative, neighbor, etc.?

Conclusion: David’s reaction. “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked . . . Schadenfreude.

Listen to 2 Samuel 1.

How do you harmonize the two accounts of Saul’s death?

How does David respond to the deaths of Saul and Jonathan?

What do we learn from his lament?