The Consequences of Unfaithfulness
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him.
Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and abuse me."
But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died. So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together…
The next day when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul...They stripped him and took his head and his armor...They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung up his head in the temple of Dagon…
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 10:1-14
Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and abuse me."
But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died. So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together…
The next day when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul...They stripped him and took his head and his armor...They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung up his head in the temple of Dagon…
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 10:1-14
The story of King Saul is one of the most tragic and unfortunate in Scripture. Saul was chosen by God as the first king of Israel. He had everything he needed to leave a godly and lasting legacy and dynasty. God gave him all he needed to succeed as king, including the spiritual guidance he needed in the person of the prophet Samuel.
But very early in his kingship, Saul started taking liberties with divine directives. He offered sacrifices when he was not allowed to because that was a pure priestly function. He spared the life of Agag, king of the Amalekites when God had specifically instructed him not to spare any of the Amalekites because it was a divine judgment. Paul became obsessed with the preservation of his name, family and legacy so he spent enormous resources and time chasing David to eradicate him because he was a threat to his kingship. Saul focused on self, not God.
Saul became so ungodly and so distracted that he actually consulted a medium for guidance! The reckless path of ungodliness ended with his committing suicide and having his head cut off by his enemies and displayed in the temple of their god. The Scripture summarizes his end as follows: "Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD...so the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse."
It is interesting that many dismiss divine judgment in our time because we function under grace! But the truth is: the Bible also makes it clear that everything in the Old Testament was written to serve as examples for us. The stories might be chilling but the principles are meant for our growth and edification. The lessons must not be lost on us. So, what lesson do we learn from the rather tragic story of Saul? It is this: Unfaithfulness to God has tragic consequences.
But very early in his kingship, Saul started taking liberties with divine directives. He offered sacrifices when he was not allowed to because that was a pure priestly function. He spared the life of Agag, king of the Amalekites when God had specifically instructed him not to spare any of the Amalekites because it was a divine judgment. Paul became obsessed with the preservation of his name, family and legacy so he spent enormous resources and time chasing David to eradicate him because he was a threat to his kingship. Saul focused on self, not God.
Saul became so ungodly and so distracted that he actually consulted a medium for guidance! The reckless path of ungodliness ended with his committing suicide and having his head cut off by his enemies and displayed in the temple of their god. The Scripture summarizes his end as follows: "Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD...so the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse."
It is interesting that many dismiss divine judgment in our time because we function under grace! But the truth is: the Bible also makes it clear that everything in the Old Testament was written to serve as examples for us. The stories might be chilling but the principles are meant for our growth and edification. The lessons must not be lost on us. So, what lesson do we learn from the rather tragic story of Saul? It is this: Unfaithfulness to God has tragic consequences.
Prayer: Lord, please help me to remain faithful to you at all times. Amen.