This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&h) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the
books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS to the address above.
1SAMUEL
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons.
3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
The Philistines attacked Saul and his army. Saul's sons were killed and then Saul himself was mortally wounded.
4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
Saul knew that the Philistines would maliciously debase his body when he was found, and he did not want to die at the hands of a Philistine.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
7 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
Just as Samuel had prophesied, Saul and his sons died on the same day (1Samuel 28:19).
8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.
Just as Saul had expected, the Philistines cut off his head, and hung his body on the wall of the city of Bethshan.
11 And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
Back in 1Samuel, chapter 11, we saw where the men of Jabeshgilead were under siege by an Ammonite king. When they sent a request for help, Saul came with his army and delivered them.
Be sure to remember the details of Saul's death. It is an important subject in the first chapter of 2Samuel.
Please continue to follow along with us in daily Bible study.
CHAPTER 31
So he asked his armor-bearer to kill him, but the man was too afraid to do so. Saul took a sword and killed himself. Then, probably out of fear and shame, the armor-bearer did the same.
David had somewhat prophesied of this in 1Samuel 26:10. He had said that he would NOT take Saul's life, because the day of reckoning would come for him.
Saul, still bound by his pride, committed suicide rather than fall at the hands of the enemy. He could not stand the thought of defeat. He was more concerned for his body in the day of death than for his sins. You'll notice that nothing is said of him repenting.
How can a saved person become so hard? Saul had turned toward self, and pride filled his life and kept God's Holy Spirit from working in him. This is a LESSON to us. There IS such a thing as a saved person knowing the truth of God and committing suicide. And there IS such a thing as a saved person being so filled with himself that he refuses to obey God.
However, let me point out that only GOD knows where that fine line begins and ends! How great are the depths of his mercy! And the grace of God is "exceeding abundant" (Ephesians 3:20).
Suicide is a fool's death, a pride-filled act. For God never allows us any temptation that He doesn't also provide a way of escape (1Corinthians 10:13).
It is indeed better to suffer shame and live to testify to God's glory than to die shamefully and not let the lips tell of His praise.
"For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down to the pit cannot hope for thy truth." (Psalm 38:18)
The armies of Israel fled in disgrace, and the Philistines conquered their cities.
When a leader refuses to abide in God's Word and grace, he brings reproach on the whole of his subjects.
By and of ourselves, we cannot escape the end God has decreed for us. "For the wages of sin is death..."
But, if we trust and obey God, HE will deliver us through death to our heavenly home. "..but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."(Romans 6:23)
Saul AND his sons were beheaded and hung on that wall. They also sent Saul's armor to go one display in the "house of Ashtaroth" (Philistine false god).
This was a day of shame for Saul's family; a day of shame for Israel. It was a day of disgrace for a pride-filled king and his subjects.
Some might look at this and say, "Well, how is God 'working all things together for good' in this situation?"
The answer is that Saul was judged for his unrighteous behaviour. And though he may have received eternal life through God's mercy in Christ Jesus, he was disgraced and his sins were known beforehand.
"Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after."(1Timothy 5:24)
Also, this set the stage for David's kingdom, and would be a memory which would help to keep David humble. Though he too would act in pride at times, David would never fail to repent and make sure of his personal relationship with God.
These men never forgot that act of mercy and kindness from their new king. They risked their lives now to go and recover the bodies of Saul and his sons.
But they also recognized the holiness of the situation. They realized that though Saul had not given glory to God in his reign, God was receiving glory through Saul's death.
Therefore, when they recovered the bodies, they burned them and buried the bones beneath a tree. Then they fasted seven days as a memorial to God's glory.