1 Samuel 31:1 – 13 “Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically.
Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run it through me, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So, Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him. So, Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.
When the Israelites along the valley and those on the other side of the Jordan saw that the army of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and ran away. So, the Philistines came and occupied their cities. The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temples of their idols and among their people. They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.
When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan.
When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there. Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.”
On the night when Saul visited the medium at Endor, Samuel told him that Saul and his sons would soon join him in death. At that point, Saul could still have repented and begged God for mercy, but he did not. Now Saul’s time has run out. Seventy – two-year-old Saul and his three sons fight valiantly; however, all three of Saul’s sons die. Now only Saul and his armor bearer are left. Saul has never lacked courage; when he realizes he may die from his arrow wounds, he begs his armor bearer to kill him so that the Philistines will not capture him and torture him. Paralyzed with fear, the poor armor bearer can’t stand to kill Saul, so Saul falls on his sword and dies. Following Saul’s example, the armor bearer also commits suicide.
When the Israelites see that Saul and his sons have died, they take to their heels. Not only do the Israelite soldiers run away, but the inhabitants of the cities on both sides of the Jordan flee also. The Philistines immediately come in and occupy those cities, a major loss for Israel. But Israel still has a few heroes left.
When the Philistines find the bodies of Saul and his sons, they cut off Saul’s head and hang his body and the bodies of his sons on the walls of Beth – shan. Saul’s armor winds up in the temple of the Ashtoreths. The Philistines are doing everything they can to shame Saul and the Israelites. But the men of Jabesh – gilead are made of stronger stuff. These brave men travel all night, a matter of 26 miles or 42 kilometers round trip, to retrieve the bodies of Saul and his sons, and take them back to Jabesh, where they burn the bodies, bury the bones, and fast seven days. The fast is both to honor Saul and his sons and to cleanse themselves from handling the dead bodies.
Saul’s life story is one of triumph followed by tragedy. Throughout Saul’s life, he has had so many opportunities to truly worship the Lord and to obey Him; yet, Saul has consistently gone his own way at every opportunity. Not only has Saul failed, but he has also taken his three sons down with him. We know practically nothing about Abinadab and Malchishua, but Jonathan has stood out as brave, loyal, kind, and resourceful. Jonathan has already told David that he would be proud to serve as David’s second in command. Now Jonathan too lies dead, a sacrifice to his father’s pride and chronic disobedience. (“Jonathan” means “God has given.” “Abinadab” means “father of a vow” or “willingness.” “Malchishua” means “the King of salvation” or “the King of help.” As the first born, Jonathan had an appropriate name, but what was Saul trying to accomplish by giving his other sons these names?)
APPLICATION: Saul’s boys really never had much of a chance! While Saul was big and strong and tough physically, spiritually and emotionally, he was a hot mess! Saul had barely become king when he managed to lose the chance to found a dynasty by failing to completely carry out God’s orders. There is never any mention of Saul having his own faith in God or worshiping God because he wanted to. Any time Saul was referring to God, he either referred to Him as “Your God,” for Samuel, or as “the Lord,” impartially. Saul never once referred to God as “my God.” Compare that with David, who repeatedly referred to God as “my God.” Saul tried to save King Agag, despite the fact that he should have killed Agag along with the rest of the Amalekites. One wonders if Saul was hoping for more treasure by holding Agag for ransom or if Agag and he were actually worshiping some of the same deities. Did Agag beg Saul for mercy in the name of Baal? Eventually, it was Samuel who killed Agag, not Saul.
As Saul aged, his mental and emotional state continued to deteriorate, possibly because of his involvement with pagan deities. Saul became insanely jealous of David, trying to spear him several times and later chasing David all over the countryside, wasting resources and leaving the cities of Israel unprotected. When Jonathan tried to help David, Saul threatened to kill Jonathan, his first – born son. Now Saul and his three sons lay dead on Mount Gilboa. Ironically, Saul’s armor wound up in the temple of Ashtoreth, while Saul’s body and those of his sons hung from the walls of Beth – shan. This was a tragic ending for someone who began his reign as king under God’s anointing!
These days, fatherhood is taking a beating. For years, cartoons have portrayed fathers as ignorant boobs who can scarcely do anything right. There are many fractured families in which boys struggle with their identity as men for lack of positive role models. Male bashing has become the order of the day for some desiring to appear politically correct. But God has instituted fatherhood for perfectly good reasons. Men’s brains are wired differently than women’s. Generally, women are wired to nurture and handle the plethora of details that arise from caring for families. Men, on the other hand, tend to see the big picture, but may get bogged down in smaller details.
Broad generalizations are pointless. Many of us have had to learn to function in roles not traditionally assigned to our gender. I have spent most of my life working as a surgeon. When I entered surgery, I was one of a handful of female trainees. I have headed mission hospitals in patriarchal societies in rural Africa, negotiating slippery social and cultural slopes in the process. But Africa has also taught me the value of fatherhood when it is done correctly. In the culture in which I work, fatherhood is so highly prized that a younger man will refer to an older one as “my father” out of respect, even if they have no actual blood bond.
We have a Ghanaian friend who is probably one of the finest examples of fatherhood we have seen anywhere. Our friend is kind, loving, patient, and caring; but he is also a strong Christian, a man of character, who has guided his children successfully and who continues to serve as a major influence in their lives. If King Saul had been like our friend, his story would have been quite different.
Jabesh – gilead was on the east side of the Jordan in the area from which some Israelites were fleeing, deserting their cities. But when the men of Jabesh – gilead heard what had happened, all of their fighting men marched by night to collect the bodies of Saul and his sons and to then return to Jabesh – gilead. Remember that the terrain these men were negotiating was quite rugged and that they had to ford the Jordan River in addition. But the men of Jabesh – gilead succeeded. Those Israelites who were at the battle could have collected the bodies of Saul and his sons as they retreated, but they did not. The defeated Israelites left Saul and his sons to fend for themselves, caring nothing for them, leaving their bodies for the vultures and the Philistines. God obviously applauded the bravery of these men, allowing this story to be preserved in the Bible.
Today, many of us who are called to be parents feel woefully inadequate. Raising kids is a daunting task, and parenthood actually extends for the entire life of the parent. Saul’s mistake was simple: he insisted on relying on himself instead of God. None of us have enough knowledge or resources to be able to handle every situation. Sometimes even when we think we know what we are doing, we mess up. May all of us turn to God for His help and guidance!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are parenting children of various ages and we find ourselves exhausted. We fear we are failing at parenthood. Lord, help all who read these words to look to You, the ultimate Father, for guidance, for wisdom, for strength, and for courage. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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