I Samuel 31

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I Samuel 31:4-6, 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. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.

This chapter details the Philistine conquest of the army of Israel.  The Philistines didn’t simply want to defeat Saul’s forces, they wanted to do lasting damage.  Saul ends up critically injured, his sons are killed, and the Hebrew army is largely annihilated.

In the ancient Near East, wounded soldiers were often mutilated and tortured on the battlefield by the enemy army.  Saul knew this and wanted to avoid allowing the uncircumcised pagans from humiliating and torturing him.  After his armor-bearer refused to kill him, Saul falls on his own sword.  The armor-bearer then follows suit. 

Less than twenty-four hours after Saul’s meeting with the medium, the prophet Samuel’s words in chapter 28 have come to pass, “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.”  What God had said would happen has happened.  The dynasty of Saul has finally ended.  More on this when we get to II Samuel!

Let’s pray…Lord Jesus, You are true to your Word and we thank you for that.  As we go about our days this week, help us keep a laser focus on you.  Help us remember your promises and not lose sight of your amazing faithfulness.  May we see every single thing through the lens of Jesus Christ.  In Your Name, Amen