Word Live - Daily Scripture

Prepare

The greater you are, the harder you fall… But when it seems all has gone wrong, God is still there. 1 Samuel 31:1–13 ‘When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.’

1 Samuel 31:1–13

1 Samuel 31 Saul Takes His Life  1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. 3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.     4 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. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. 6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.     7 When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.     8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.     11 When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

Main point: Calling all heroes!

Celebrity culture We suffer an addiction today to celebrities. We delight in their ascendancy as they hope for invincibility, but entertain ourselves feverishly with details of their inevitable decline into human frailty. So it was with Saul. The people eagerly sought a king. He would be strong and powerful, bringing victory against Israel’s enemies. They had already forgotten their victories under God. Inevitable demise However, like the Israelites themselves, their king was disloyal to God. His leadership declined into paranoia, self-importance and deceit. In losing God’s favour, Saul’s demise was inevitable.  Wounded, facing his own sword, he died alone, abandoned and exposed to further abuse (vs 4,9,10). Even the Philistines remained undefeated! Without God, the powerful king was useless for Israel. A different sort of king was needed. Perhaps now Israel was ready to receive a king who truly loved God – David, and eventually the Lord Jesus. Heroes of faith Like the Israelites we forget that without God, any person – king or celebrity – is nothing. Saul’s story teaches that all God seeks in his people is that they might be faithful. Heroes of faith, not fame, are needed. We need to find and to become heroes of faith if we are to lead and love the people God asks us to. The very best gift we can give to those we love is to be godly. Without God we can do nothing. Glenda Trist

Respond

As we review the story of Saul’s life, we can review our own. Where have we failed and brought God’s name into disrepute? Take time, before it is too late, to come back. ‘Lord God, what would it mean for me to be faithful to you? How would my life be different?’

Deeper study: A sad ending

Saul’s failure The prophecy of 1 Samuel 28:19 is now fulfilled. The story is poignant. The man who had been chosen as king with a mandate to save Israel from the Philistines has died and been dishonoured by them. A reason is given in 1 Chronicles that is not offered here: ‘Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse’ (1 Chronicles 10:13,14). Jabesh-Gilead The faithfulness of the people of Jabesh-Gilead rounds out his story (1 Samuel 11:1–11). Saul had saved the people of Jabesh from the Ammonites at the beginning of his reign. It was by his actions on this occasion that he proved himself worthy of the kingship. Even so, Samuel had given his grudging support, warning the people ‘Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish’ (1 Samuel 12:25). End of an era The book of 1 Samuel ends with ambiguity about the monarchy. Saul is dead, and we know it is only a matter of time before Israel, and then Judah, are swept away into captivity. For now, Saul’s remains, together with those of Jonathan and his brothers, are first dishonoured by the Philistines, then taken by the people of Jabesh-Gilead, who transferred them to an honourable resting place in Beth Shan, where there was a significant temple. Later David buried them in the tomb of Saul’s family in the land of Benjamin (2 Samuel 21:13,14). Annabel Robinson

Background: Suicide – right or wrong?

Suicide in the Bible There are six suicides recorded in the Bible: ● Judges 9:53 ● Judges 16:29,30 ● 1 Samuel 31:3–5 ● 2 Samuel 17:23 ● 1 Kings 16:18 ● Matthew 27:5 In none of these is any comment passed, although Samson appears almost as a hero. The Philippian jailer is preserved from committing suicide and receives the gift of new life through the work of Paul and Silas. Suicide was not uncommon in the ancient world, often being seen as a way out of shame, failure or a hopeless existence. Some principles So it’s hard to say exactly what the Bible’s view is. We are left to dig more deeply and look at principles, but the issues are complex. Since Augustine, most Christians have taken the view that suicide is a sin and that suicides are excluded from salvation. Giving and taking life is the prerogative of God and suicide has traditionally been seen as self-murder and disobedience to the sixth commandment, with no possibility of repentance after the act. We are to see our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19,20) to be looked after. Practical and pastoral issues Most suicides take place when those concerned are disturbed or distressed for some reason, and only some can be said to be the result of a carefully considered and balanced rational decision. The eternal state of those who commit suicide can safely be left to a loving God – there are no biblical grounds for asserting that all suicides are condemned to an eternity without God. The issues for those with terminal illness or dementia have been highlighted by recent discussion. Again they are complex, but we may have to think through whether we can usurp God’s role as much by preserving life artificially as by taking it. Perhaps the safest conclusion is that to take positive action to end our own life, or to assist someone else in that, is wrong, but that to allow people to die with dignity rather than keeping them alive artificially at all costs may sometimes be a better way. John Grayston

Bible in a year

Read the Bible in a year. Today's readings are: Isaiah 1,2 1 Timothy 6