The End of the Story
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It’s the end of the story. Well, sort of.
There’s another book of Samuel that continues the story, but for now, this is it for us. We will, Lord willing, at some point in the future, come back and study 2 Samuel.
But it’s the end of the story for now. It actually is the end of the story for Saul. For Jonathan and two more of Saul’s sons. It’s the end of the story...
The end of Saul’s life comes pretty quickly. The chapter has only 13 verses. It’s a depressing tale. It begins with the incredibly sad, matter-of-fact statement:
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa.
Hebrew narrative frequently gives such a terse summary (short summary) at the beginning of the story and then fleshes it out with details. The details will follow.
The author doesn’t bury the lead. We’re under no illusions. The writer gives a blunt and bloody summary at the start. At Gilboa the enemies of the Lord Yahweh (cf. 30:26) win the day.
If you have your Bible (and I hope you do), please turn with me to 1 Samuel 31. Keep your Bible open here at the end of the story as we work our way through it this morning.
Look with me at the first few verses:
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. 3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.
This has been coming for a while. The inevitable Philistine/Israelite battle.
1 Samuel 28:1 “In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel...”
1 Samuel 29:1 “The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.”
I’ve got some good news for you, we have a map and I have a laser pointer!
[MAP]
In this battle here in 1 Samuel 31, as the prophet Samuel said they would, the Philistines win the day. They overtake the Israelites, they pursue Saul and his sons, they kill Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua, and they critically wound Saul.
By “critically” the author means the Philistines got him good. If this were a video game, Saul’s health would be down to the very bottom of the scale.
Here’s where the story goes from sad to really sad:
4 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. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.
The sons of Saul are the first named casualties. And this is certainly sad. Especially where Jonathan is concerned. We love Jonathan. He’s a loyal and faithful friend to David. Jonathan has stood up to his father, Saul, and has argued he do what is right.
We don’t know much, if anything, about the other two sons of Saul. But here, they are done in.
Saul is, initially, just wounded. But he knows this is it. So he asks his armor-bearer to kill him so the Philistines don’t. When the armor-bearer doesn’t kill Saul, Saul kills himself. And then the armor-bearer follows suit.
Some comment that this is the honorable thing to do, that Saul is some sort of tragic hero. And it might seem like that, culturally and historically. I can see where they get that.
But the whole tenor of 1 Samuel (and the continuing witness of 2 Samuel) is that this, what Saul does, is not to be commended.
The Lord’s People are Different
The Lord’s People are Different
Not “different” as in “weird”, though some of you … Just kidding.
Saul finds himself critically wounded. This, he knows, is the end. He’s also heard that he and his sons would die on this day, and here it has come to pass that his sons have been killed. And Saul’s next.
Saul decided to take matters into his own hands. When his armor-bearer wouldn’t, Saul does what he thinks needs to be done.
Peter Leithart writes, “Though [Saul] found many people to blame [throughout his life], Saul was thoroughly self-destroyed.”
Here’s the difference between those who aren’t the Lord’s people and those who are the Lord’s people.
At a moment of despair and disgrace, Saul despairs and surrenders to his fate, even hurries his fate alone.
David on the other hand, you might remember, when facing imminent death at the hands of his own men, David behaves differently.
David strengthens himself in the Lord his God.
Jonathan, throughout 1 Samuel, continually yields himself fully to the Lord, even to the point of humbly recognizing the throne of his father didn’t belong to him, but rather to David.
Very easily, at moments of difficulty and despair, people can crumble or even give up altogether.
The Lord’s people, when seeking strength from the Lord, won’t simply give up and give in. They will endure. Persevere.
Saul’s action here is not to be commended. The Bible doesn’t give further commentary than that. It mentions that it happens and continues on with the aftermath.
Let me step aside from the text for a moment and address the issue of suicide.
There are some people, well-meaning, who say if someone commits suicide, if someone kills themselves, there’s no forgiveness for that because that person can’t repent after that act. Some would say suicide is a one-way ticket to hell.
I happen to lovingly and strongly disagree with that stance.
Either my forgiveness and justification rests of the quantity and quality and timing of my repentance OR my forgiveness and justification rests on the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
I’m certainly not advising suicide; in fact, quite the opposite. Please don’t take your own life! It’s a terribly selfish decision. But please don’t say or believe something unbiblical in light of suicide. The blood of Jesus covers all the sins of those who trust in and belong to Him.
Saul, here at the end of 1 Samuel, is far from the Lord. His despair leads him to do something he shouldn’t.
The Lord’s people deal differently with despair and disgrace.
There’s never a moment, never a thought, never a care we can’t take to our Heavenly Father.
Despair is not the last word. Depression doesn’t have to consume. Seek the Lord and find Him. He is not far from any who would call on Him.
In the midst of Saul’s fall, and the fall of Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua, we come to see, once more, the wonderful truth that the Word of God will not fall.
6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.
7 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.
The Word of the Lord Will Not Fall
The Word of the Lord Will Not Fall
If you have been with us as we’ve journeyed through this book (31 chapters, and that many sermons), you can probably see the Word of God coming to pass as it’s been spoken and promised.
Back in 1 Samuel 28, Saul consults the medium at Endor and has her summon the dead Samuel. Samuel speaks to Saul as he always did: as a spokesman of God with the prophetic power of the Word of God.
1 Sam 28:19 should be ringing in our ears as we read 1 Samuel 31.
19 The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”
The Word of Lord came about just as Samuel spoke it. This is why all of this matters.
It matters because it happened. But it really matters because the Lord, through His prophet, said it was going to happen and it happened.
Just as the Word of God announced the death of Hophni and Phinehas (Eli’s sons) in 1 Samuel 2:34 and it came to pass in 1 Samuel 4:11, so the Word of the Lord has done with Saul and his men.
When Samuel announced it, it was as good as done. There is no question about the veracity of God’s Word. It’s true, every bit of it.
What it says in His Word is going to take place, you bet your sweet bippy.
Now, this is hardly a happy fulfillment of God’s Word. We weren’t rooting for Saul’s demise. We don’t like to see something like this.
But this is, in its own way, very comforting. During the time of Saul, it is a very dark time for the kingdom of God. But God’s Word shows that even this is not outside God’s purpose. He announced it was going to happen before it did!
1 Samuel 15:28 Samuel said to [Saul], “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.
1 Samuel 28:17-19 “The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”
Kingdoms fall. Rulers fall. People fall. God’s Word does not fall. And never will.
This is of immense comfort for us, as people of the Book. This book—the Bible—is far more than nice stories about God. This book—the Bible—is a record of His faithfulness and His promises to His people. We’re included in that.
What God has said, God will do. Every time, without fail.
Not a word of this Word will fall by the wayside.
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
God’s Word will not fall. It will come to pass. If we have eyes to see and ears to hear, it’s coming to pass right in front of us.
For example, Romans 1 is an accurate depiction of what has been taking place in our society over the last 50 years.
God is giving people over to the sinful desires of their hearts and to sexual impurity. God is giving people over to their shameful lusts. God is giving people over to a depraved mind.
Romans 1:29-32 “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
God’s Word will not fall. What God’s Word says will come to pass. This includes judgment, yes; but our hope is firmly stated in God’s Word.
Jesus says He will return. Count on it.
Jesus says He’s preparing a place so that we can be where He is. So it will be!
God’s Word says that one day soon, Jesus will return, set the world at rights, make everything sad come untrue, and we will reign with Him forever and ever.
If God’s Word says it, it will happen! There is so much joy and comfort and assurance in knowing that.
If God’s Word of judgment on Saul is true—and it is; it happened—we can be equally assured of His Word of promise to David.
“In darkness or light, what matters is having a God who speaks a true and faithful Word.” -DRD
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.
The Philistines overtake the Israelites, pretty handily it seems. The day after the battle, the Philistines go out to collect plunder from the dead Israelites on the battlefield.
They find some major trophies—Saul and his sons. They chop off Saul’s head (maybe in retribution for David chopping off Goliath’s head, or maybe just for funsies…), an they take his armor.
And then, the Philistines send some of their own on a mission trip to proclaim their good news. The Philistines proclaim the news in the idol temples and among their people.
This is a big day for Philistia. “Ding-dong the Hebrew king is dead!”
The news goes all throughout the land. They set Saul’s armor in the temple to their fertility goddesses, the Ashtoreths. They hang his headless body on the city wall.
It’s all pretty gross and disturbing for the people of Israel. I’m sure Israel is thinking about their reputation and the reputation of the Lord.
Here’s the thing:
The Lord—the One True God—is Not Defeated
The Lord—the One True God—is Not Defeated
The message the Philistine’s hear and proclaim is clear: “We won! Saul is dead! We have his head, his armor, his sons! Our gods have defeated the God of Israel! Take that!”
Their logic is not altogether out of line. They have the head of the Lord Yahweh’s anointed; therefore Yahweh has been defeated.
Their logic is not all wrong, except for the fact that the Lord Yahweh is not like their gods.
The Philistines are chanting, “Saul is dead and so is his God!” They’re mocking God.
The Philistines are celebrating a military victory and making a theological statement. But they are also mocking the Lord Yahweh.
And this cannot stand. The people of the Lord can’t put up with this.
The concern for God’s reputation ought to strike God’s people individually and corporately. The honor of the Lord Himself must be at the top of our agenda.
And so it was:
11 When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
At the beginning of Saul’s reign as king, he had saved Jabesh-Gilead from a psychopathic fellow named Nahash. The men of Jabesh-Gilead remembered this. Valiant as they were, they march through the night, 10 miles to Beth Shan, and retrieve the bodies of Saul and his sons.
They do the dignified thing and burn the bodies of the deceased, sparing them the shame of further dishonor (being eaten by scavenging animals or rotting away). The bones that were left, they took and buried them. And they grieved the deaths of Saul and his sons.
The men of Jabesh-Gilead are honorable men. They honor Saul, and in so doing, show honor to the Lord.
The Philistines can mock the Lord Yahweh all they want. What they don’t realize is that the Lord God is altogether “other”—He is not like their gods or any other false idol.
Just because Saul and his sons and a good portion of his men are defeated, doesn’t mean God is defeated.
The Lord God is undefeated.
Even when Jesus, the Son of God was crucified, killed, and buried in a borrowed tomb, God was not defeated.
It appeared as if evil had one, as if the enemies of Jesus had triumphed. Satan and his minions were over-the-moon with excitement, celebrating their victory, mocking God.
But then, three days later, the stone is rolled away. The tomb is empty. Jesus is raised from the dead.
God is not defeated, not then, not now, not ever! He goes marching on. His kingdom, His people will, by His strength and His grace, keep on going.
Our God is never defeated. He’s never down and out. He’s never knocked to the mat for the count.
There is no one, nothing, not one thing that can stand in His way.
This might be the end of the story for Saul, but this is not the end of the story for the Lord our God. He is unstoppable.
In Him there is no beginning and there will be no end.
>This is the end of Saul’s story.
In this chapter, God fulfills His Word against Saul, the fallen failure of a king.
Saul’s failure shows the need for a Perfect Ruler in the line of David. That’s precisely what we have. After Saul’s reign, the Lord chooses a shepherd for these scattered sheep. And from this lowly shepherd in Jesse’s house, comes the Good Shepherd
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
God will always have a people for Himself. Our King, Jesus, purchased for Himself a people from every tribe, nation, language, and tongue. And Jesus will reign forever and ever.
This is the end of Saul’s earthly story. But it’s not the end of the story of God. His story goes marching on.
The truth is, there is no end of our story. Our life continues on into eternity, either with God or separated from Him forever.
Trust the One True Lord—He is undefeated!
Believe His Word—it will not fall!
Belong to Him—and be different!
