Bible Reflections From Scripture Union Volume OneSample

The Death of a Tragic Hero
Read 1 Samuel 31:1-13

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 16:25

Saul started off as a hero. One of his many courageous acts was to rescue the people of Jabesh Gilead when they were attacked by Nahash, the evil Ammonite (11:5-11). But Saul had many weaknesses. Then, again, so had David. And as far as we know, Saul did not have one weakness that David had–a weakness for women. Why, then, did God reject Saul but accept David?

From our readings thus far, we realise that while David was willing to humble himself, repent and return to God every time he sinned, Saul refused to acknowledge his mistakes. Because of his stubbornness, Saul broke away from Samuel. As a result he became spiritually isolated and destined for destruction. Sadly, his disobedience also led to the death of his sons, many other Israelites and the occupation of Israelite territory by the Philistines (vs 1-3,7). Most painful of all was Jonathan’s death. While Saul made a mess of his life, Jonathan remained righteous and God-fearing till the very end. He had desired to serve David (23:17) but it was not to be.

The appalling way the Philistines treated the bodies of Saul and his sons distressed the people of Jabesh Gilead greatly. They risked their own lives to go into Philistine territory to bring back the bodies. The dead men were than accorded a decent burial under the tamarisk tree, a place of importance and a sacred site.

There’s a bit of Saul in all of us–we are unwilling to admit our mistakes or listen to godly advice. We have a tendency to go off on a tangent, to do things our way instead of God’s way. Having followed the life and death of Saul, what measures must you take to avoid the same end as Saul?