Year 1, Day 317: 1 Samuel 31

Today we get to the last chapter of the book of 1 Samuel.  Chapter 31 ends on both a depressing note as well as a note of divine glory.  Yes, Saul dies a humiliating defeat.  But the way is now paved for God’s new anointed to come and sit upon the throne.

Saul

Before we get to David, though, let’s return to Saul and learn what we can from this man’s life and death:

• Saul’s failure to kill the Amalekites and deal with them as God directed comes back to haunt him.  We know from 2 Samuel 1:8 that there were Amalekites among the Philistines.  Whether the death account in 1 Samuel 31 is correct (implying that the Amalekite is lying to David to explain why he has the crown) or the Amalekite’s claim is wrong is of actual little significance.  Saul dies, and an Amalekite comes along and takes his crown.  In the end, the sins we leave undone will unravel around us.
• Saul was not very interested in giving glory to God during his life, and the same is true in his death.  Saul’s armor was brought into the temple of Ashtaroth to bring Ashtaroth praise.  Sure, some people come to rescue him, but the point is made.  Saul did not live up to the idea presented by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:20: “Christ will be honored in my body whether by life or death.”  Saul’s life was spent after his own personal worldly pursuits.  It’s makes sense that his death would be used to lift up the worldly pursuits of other human beings and their own false gods.
• Each of the first two points is the final stroke in a greater overarching idea.  The greatest of sins usually begin as the smallest of transgressions.  Saul was impatient.  This led to rash decisions.  This led to Saul made excuses for failure.  The end result is that on a typical day, Saul didn’t obey God.  On a typical day, he is not even resented as wanting to obey God!  Each of these things ultimately led up to him abandoning God’s ways and God abandoning him as His anointed. 

The Effects of a Lack of Repentance

Saul started with such promise.  But a gradual slide away from God that was not combined with humble repentance resulted with Saul falling tremendously far from God.  The unrepentant human goes from bad to worse.

This leads us to another understanding that we can learn from Saul.  Excuses are no replacement for humble repentance.  Time and time again Saul made excuses for himself and took credit that belonged to others – if not God, even!  When Saul should have been repenting and seeking the way of the Lord, he was busying himself with making excuses to advance his own agenda.

Through Saul’s experience with David we learn that people who are not pursuing God’s agenda will eventually not get along with God’s people.  This doesn’t meant that David was perfect or always innocent.  But Saul and David clashed because Saul was focused on his own agenda.  Had Saul been focused on God’s ways and God’s agenda the conflict between he and David would have been nothing because both would have been focused on giving the glory to God.

Natural Talent versus Divine Inspiration

Speaking of seeking God’s ways, we can also learn from Saul that outside appearance and natural talent are nothing without God’s Spirit among us.  Was not Saul the tallest of the tall Hebrews?  Was he not the obvious choice to lead based on appearances?  Yet look where Saul ends up.  He ends up far from God falling upon his own sword.  He ends up being the victim of an Amalekite scavenger who comes to claim his crown – as we’ll see in the next chapter of the Bible.

Summing Up King Saul

So what does all of this say to us?  We are nothing if we are not obedient to God.  This is the greatest lesson of life.  Samuel was obedient to God.  When Samuel died there was but a footnote about his death – yet no doubt he went before His God and found favor.  Saul was unfaithful.  Saul sought out his own agenda and his own glory.  In his disobedience he died a lonely death.

I feel a bit sad looking at Saul’s life and understanding how this result came about.  But if nothing else it should drive home the need to pursue God.  We must be relentless in our pursuit of God’s ways, His love, and when necessary His grace and mercy following our repentance.  This is the way of the one who truly desires to follow God.

<><