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August 27 | 1 Samuel 31 ISG

Storyline 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (ESV)
13 So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. 14 He did not seek guidance from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
1 Samuel 31 (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.
1 Samuel 8:4-7 (ESV) 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
The Text in Context“Chapter
31 returns the focus of the story to Saul and picks up where chapter 28 left off. Samuel’s prophecy of Saul’s impending death and of Israel’s defeat (28:19) is fulfilled. In 2 Samuel 1 the focus returns to David. There is a flashback at the beginning of the chapter: verse 1 informs us that this episode takes place on the third day after Saul’s death, while 1 Samuel 31 ends at least a week after Saul’s death.This account of Saul’s death and David’s response to it, like the other episodes recorded earlier, is designed to prove David’s right to the throne and to vindicate him from charges of wrongdoing. Saul’s divinely ordained defeat and death (1 Sam. 28; 31) contrast with David’s God-ordained victory (1 Sam. 30). But David’s motives can be questioned, and his role in Saul’s death may be unclear to many. After all, David is officially working for Achish the Philistine at the time of the battle and has even been seen marching with the Philistines as they prepare to engage Saul’s troops in battle. Furthermore, David somehow ends up with Saul’s royal insignia in his possession (2 Sam. 1:10). Does David aid and abet Israel’s enemies? Is he somehow responsible for Saul’s death? The story makes it clear that he is not at Gilboa; in fact, during the battle he is way down south, killing Amalekites, Israel’s archenemies, and distributing loot from the victory to the people of Judah. The royal insignia come to him by accident, though one may surmise that this is by God’s providential design.
For the perceptive observer, this acquisition is a reminder that David is God’s chosen successor to the throne and a foreshadowing of his reign over Israel. Nevertheless, David does not interpret the incident in that manner. The death of Saul and his sons clears the pathway to the throne for David, but he does not celebrate. When he finds out about Saul’s death, he executes the man who claims to have killed the king. He also composes a lament for Saul and Jonathan as a somber testimony of his loyalty. As his first act after being enthroned in Hebron, he will later reward the men of Jabesh Gilead for their loyalty to Saul (1 Sam. 31:11–13; 2 Sam. 2:1–7). The narrator absolves David of any involvement in Saul’s death and demonstrates David’s continuing loyalty to Saul as he prepares to fulfill his God-ordained destiny.”
Excerpt From: Robert B. Chisholm. “1 & 2 Samuel.” Apple Books.

Historical Background
“In David’s lament he remarks that Jonathan’s “love” for him was “more wonderful than that of women.” This certainly does not suggest or imply that David and Jonathan had a homosexual relationship, as some have suggested.[273] David uses “love” here in the sense of loyalty or allegiance within a covenantal context, an idiom that one finds in ancient Near Eastern literature.[274] David’s point may be that Jonathan’s allegiance to him was even stronger and more enduring than the romantic love between a man and woman. Another option is that Jonathan’s loyalty meant more to him than even the romantic love he experiences from women.”
Excerpt From: Robert B. Chisholm. “1 & 2 Samuel.” Apple Books.
Theological Insights
“We have pointed out the parallels between the account of Saul’s death and the story of the ark’s capture (1 Sam. 4; see the comments above on 31:1, 2, 9–10). With Israel’s defeat at Gilboa, the tragic defeat at Aphek/Ebenezer has been repeated. Saul’s death clears the path for David to ascend the throne, but that theme is not the emphasis of these chapters. The defeat at Gilboa is not cause for celebration. The mood is one of loss and humiliation, as David’s lament expresses. Surely this tone of sadness and embarrassment resonates with exilic readers of the story, for they are experiencing loss and humiliation as well. They know all too well that rebellion against God brings judgment, and judgment in turn brings death and lamentation (see Lam. 1–5).”
Excerpt From: Robert B. Chisholm. “1 & 2 Samuel.” Apple Books.

Guide Questions

1. 1 Samuel 31:1-7. This is undoubtedly a matter of grave tragedy. What was the greater implication of Saul’s defeat in battle? (hint: verse 7) What does that tell you in contrast to the whole book of Joshua?

2. 1 Samuel 31:8-10. If the battle is the Lord’s, what do you think are the implications of having Saul, his three sons and the entire army losing the battle?

3. According to 1 Chronicles 10, what exactly happened to Saul that led to his death in battle?

4. In a bigger perspective of 1 Samuel, how is Saul’s character played in the rebellion of Israel? (cf. 1 Samuel 8:10-18)

5.What are the implications of breaking faith in God? And how should believers make sure they remain faithful? (cf. 1 John 2:1-6; 2 John 1:7-11; John 15:1-11)


Prayer
1. Pray for each other that we may continue growing in our faith and knowledge of God.
2. Pray for continued passion and dedication to fellowship, study of the word, and fruitfulness.