Scripture: 1 Samuel 31:1-13 (NKJV)
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from
before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 Then the Philistines
followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan,
Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons. 3 The battle became fierce against Saul.
The archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul
said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest
these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me.” But his
armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword
and fell on it. 5 And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell
on his sword, and died with him. 6 So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer,
and all his men died together that same day.
7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and
those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had
fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled;
and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain,
that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 And they cut
off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of
the Philistines, to proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the
people. 10 Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they
fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.
11 Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had
done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and traveled 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 Then they took their bones and buried
them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
Devotion
Saul’s selfish faithlessness did not bring him a glorious life. It brought him
a thorough defeat, and it brought trouble to the people of Israel. He sought
for himself honor and power, but ended up being a sign of failure and a token
of mockery against the Lord. The enemies of God’s people put Saul’s body and
his armor on display as a boast that their power and their gods are greater
than the God of Israel.
This is the trouble that false teachers also bring to the Lord’s Church. Men
receive authority in the name of the Lord, but some trouble God’s people with
vanities and wickedness. When those false teachers fall into scandalous defeat
they become a focus for those who scoff at the Church.
Like the valiant men of Jabesh Gilead, we must uphold the honor of God’s
kingdom. Our trust is not in particular men, but in God and His Word, which
gives true strength and honor to faithful men. The offices that God establishes
are for the benefit of His people, and so we honor them as good gifts from the
Lord. But those who fail in such offices do not show that God is defeated. They
show that there is defeat for those who depart from the Word of God.
Saul’s life and death were certainly tragic, but they were not worthless. His
office would be filled by David, who would bring faithful blessings to the
people, and it would be truly perfected in the rule of Christ Jesus, as King of
kings and Lord of lords, Who would bring true victory and true peace for God’s
people in the hope of everlasting life!
Posted by The Reverend Jeffrey A. Ahonen on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran
Diocese of North America, publisher of the Lutheran Herald.
_______________________________________________
Sermons mailing list
[email protected]
http://cat41.org/mailman/listinfo/sermons
