1 Samuel 31:1-13; 2 Samuel 1:17-27, 14:14; Ezekiel 33:11; Hebrews 9:27
Summary: Saul, the first king of Israel, had been a good and godly man at the beginning of his reign, but his rejection of God’s plans for his life and his refusal to walk with the LORD brought about his inevitable downfall and demise.
1 Samuel 31 records the death of King Saul and his three sons, including the man who was David’s dearest friend, Prince Jonathan. When David heard of Saul’s death at the hands of Israel’s bitter enemy, the Philistines, there was no joy in his soul nor sense of relief from having been pursued by Saul and his army for ten years. He had even spared Saul’s life on two occasions when he could have easily taken his life, ridding himself of a mad king who many people saw as an obstacle in his path to the throne.
However, David had sworn not to touch ‘the LORD’s anointed’ but would allow God to handle the situation. The path to royalty would be in the timing of God and not made by the sword of a man. The Bible’s description of the death of Saul contains an important message and a lesson in the price of disobedience, allowing raw emotion to override reason.
David sang a song of lament over Saul’s death. It is recorded in 2 Samuel 1:17-27:
“The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!
Tell it not in Gath,
Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon—
Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
“O mountains of Gilboa,
Let there be no dew nor rain upon you,
Nor fields of offerings.
For the shield of the mighty is cast away there!
The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
From the blood of the slain,
From the fat of the mighty,
The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
And the sword of Saul did not return empty.
“Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives,
And in their death they were not divided;
They were swifter than eagles,
They were stronger than lions.
“O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you in scarlet, with luxury;
Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
“How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan was slain in your high places.
I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been very pleasant to me;
Your love to me was wonderful,
Surpassing the love of women.
“How the mighty have fallen,
And the weapons of war perished!”
Three times, David says, “How the mighty have fallen!” This is a cry of pity and sorrow that did not have to end in such a cruel and harrowing manner. Saul’s life could have been one of triumph and devotion to the LORD and His direction. Instead, it ended for him on a battlefield where the army of the Philistines beheaded Saul, desecrating his body and those of his sons as a gruesome and humiliating symbol of victory by the hands of cruel pagans who mocked and derided the name and character of the LORD.
Saul’s life did not start out like it finished. Forty years earlier, he had been a handsome young man who was humble, brave, and obedient when first anointed as king. But, little by little, he had allowed compromise into his life, descending into both weakness and wickedness. When Saul died, he was a short distance away from the city of Ramah, where he had been crowned king of Israel all those years before. Spiritually speaking, he might as well have been living in another world.
There is a reminder in Saul’s death, and that is that death is approaching for every one of us unless the Rapture comes in our lifetime (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Death holds no prejudices and grants no exceptions for anyone. It comes for both saint and sinner, rich and poor, young and old, the weak and powerful, kings and commoners, and it can arrive unexpectedly or anticipated. Except for Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11), nobody has gotten out of this world alive. Even the Lord Jesus underwent the agony of death on the cross for our eternal benefit (Romans 5:6-11) but rose from the dead as the sign that our sins had been forgiven by God (John 19:30; Romans 10:9-10, 13).
We cannot wish death away, and we can make claims all day that suffering and its fruits are not allowed, as some “word of faith” heretics would like many to believe, but the fact is that we are going to take our last breath someday, and then either spend eternity in the presence of God or in the fires of hell (Luke 12:13-21; 16:19-31; 2 Corinthians 5:10; James 4:13-15; Revelation 20:11-15).
It is while we are on this side of the grave that we make the decision to follow Jesus or wallow in our own sinful and erratic ways. We can either die badly, as did Saul, or we can die well. Nobody with an ounce of sense wants to come to the end of their life only to lament that they had wasted it on some foolish venture or worldly pursuit that amounted to nothing. While we have breath and ability, we have the opportunity and ability to repent of our sins and give our lives to Jesus Christ for salvation and eternal peace that will be part of our lives in the new heaven and earth (Matthew 11:28-30; John 10:28-30, 14:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6:2; Philippians 1:21; Revelation 21:1-7).
God desires that no one perish in their sins but come to Him for real life and purpose (Ezekiel 33:11). You do not have to let your life end in sorrow and uncertainty. You do not need to be in the company of Saul or anyone who had been mighty in deed and word but is now fallen, buried, and, for most of us, nothing more than an anonymous figure who once graced the stage of civilization.
With the death of Saul, David became the next king according to God’s plan, fulfilling the prophecies made to Judah (Genesis 49:10) and to Samuel (1 Samuel 16:1, 12-13). God used this event to change the royal line of Israel to prepare for the advent of the promised Messiah (Genesis 3:15). When Jesus was born, He was the rightful heir to the throne of Israel (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38). Saul’s reign had been a time of failure and dissatisfaction among the people of Israel (1 Samuel 22:1-2). When he died, a new era was ushered in.
When David came to the throne, he brought a season of prosperity and hope to Israel like they had never known. This is the picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross, ushering in a new era of grace that replaced the old order of guilt and law. Because of Jesus, we can be delivered from our guilt, our past, and our sins by simple faith in a risen Savior (1 Peter 1:8; Colossians 1:12-14).
Do not play the fool and throw away the new life that Christ offers. Do not ignore His call to you. Give your life to Jesus today, and you will be in the company of the redeemed and not in the fellowship of misery.