The day of the battle between Israel and the Philistines arrives in 1 Samuel 31. How did Saul behave the morning of the battle. After Saul had the spirit of Samuel called from beyond the grave he knew that this was the day that he and his sons would die. How would you behave if you awoke in the morning and knew that your life would come to an end by the end of the day? I suppose that I wouldn’t have slept at all during the night. Were these the feelings of Saul? In 1 Samuel 31:1 it states that the men of Israel fled from the Philistines. Did the fear come from the lack of leadership from Saul because he knew it was the end?
Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua are killed when they are over taken by the Philistines. Did the despair that Saul felt for the loss of his three sons pale in comparison to the fulfillment of the words Samuel spoke about the death of his sons? Was there any hope within Saul that his strength might be able to somehow overcome the fate that Samuel foretold? The fact that Saul’s three sons were dead must have taken all hope and strength from him. Saul is then severely wounded by Philistine archers but he chooses to take his own life instead of being captured.
After the battle the Philistines put the bodies of Saul and his sons on display outside of Beth-shan. All of the people scattered from the Philistines when Saul and his sons were killed. When men from Jabesh-Gilead heard what had happened to Saul they went durning the night and removed the bodies of Saul, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua taking them back to Jabesh for burial. These men who went and claimed the body of Saul remembered when Saul came and rallied Israel to deliver them from the hand of the Ammonites. Even though Saul’s actions at the end of life were disobedient to God and self serving it is important to remember that he was not always like that. It is encouraging to be reminded of Saul’s victory and dependance upon God earlier in life because my view of Saul became overwhelmed by his disobedience before God and relentless pursuit of David.
