31:3,4The Philistines had a well-earned reputation for torturing their captives. Sau! no doubt knew about Samson's fate (Judges 16:18-31) and did not want to risk physical mutilation or other abuse. When his armor bearer refused to kill him, he took his own life.
Life Application Study Bible1 SamuelChapter 31
1 Samuel 31
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 458, 460
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311 Samuel 31
The Death of Saul
13 Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. 2The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua. 3The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely. I 4Saul groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me.” But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell onit. 5When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king. 6So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day.: 7When the Israelites on the other side of the Jezreel Valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns. 8The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa. 9So they cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his armor. Then they proclaimed the good news of Saul’s death in their pagan temple and to the people throughout the land of Philistia. 10They placed his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to the wall of the city of Beth-shan. 11But when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12all their mighty warriors traveled through the night to Beth-shan and took the bodies of Saul and his sons down from the wall. They brought them to Jabesh, where they burned the bodies. 13Then they took their bones and buried them beneath the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days. THE CHILD enters the room with long gown flowing, trailing well behind her high-heeled shoes. The wide-brimmed hat rests precariously atop her head, tilted to the right, and the long necklace swings like a pendulum as she walks. Following close is the “man.” His fingertips peek out of the coat sleeves that are already pushed upward six inches. With feet shuffling in the double-sized boots, his unsteady steps belie his confident smile. Children at play, dressing up—they copy Mom and Dad, having watched them dress and walk. Models... everyone has them... people we emulate, people who are our ideals. Unconsciously, perhaps, we copy their actions and adopt their ideas. Among all the godly role models mentioned in the Bible, probably no one stands out more than King David. Born halfway between Abraham and Jesus, he became God’s leader for all of Israel and the ancestor of the Messiah. David was “a man after [God's] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). What are the personal qualities that David possessed that pleased God? The book of 2 Samuel tells David's story. As youread, you will be filled with excitement as he is crowned king over Judah and then king over all of Israel (5:1-5), praising God as he brings the Ark of the Covenant back to the Tabernacle (6:1-23) and exulting as he leads his armies to victory over all their enemies and completes the conquest of the Promised Land begun by Joshua (8—10). David accomplished much. But David was human, and during dark times he stumbled and fell into sin, The record of lust, adultery, and murder is not easy to read (11—13) and reveals that even great people who try to follow God are susceptible to temptation and sin. Godliness does not guarantee an easy and carefree life. David had family problems—his own son incited the entire nation to rebellion and crowned himself king (14:1—18:33). And greatness can cause pride, as we see in David's sinful act of taking a census in order to glory in the strength of his nation (24:1-25). But the story of this fallen hero does not end in tragedy. Through repentance, his fellowship and peace with God were restored, but he had to face the consequences of the sins he committed (12—20). These consequences stayed with him the rest of his life as a reminder of his sinful deeds and his need for God. As you read 2 Samuel, look for David's godlike characteristics—his faithfulness, patience, courage, generosity, commitment, honesty— as well as other God-honoring characteristics, such as modesty and penitence. Valuable lessons can be learned from his sins and from his repentance. You, like David, can become a person after God’s own heart.
Life Application Notes 7 notes
31:3,4Saul was tall, handsome, strong, rich, and powerful, but all of this was not enough to make him someone we should emulate. He was tall physically, but he was small in God’s eyes. He was handsome, but his sin made him ugly. He was strong, but his lack of faith made him weak. He was rich, but he was spiritually bankrupt. He could give orders to many, but he couldn't command their respect or allegiance. Saul looked good on the outside, but he was decaying on the inside. A right relationship with God and a strong character are much more valuable than a good-looking exterior.
31:3,4Saul's armor bearer faced a moral dilemma—should he carry out a sinful order from a man he was supposed to obey? He knew he should obey his master, the king, but he also knew murder was wrong. He decided not to kill Saut. There is a difference between following an order with which you don’t agree and following one you know is wrong. It is never right or ethical to carry out a wrong act, no matter who gives the order or what the consequences for disobedience may be. What shapes your choice when you face a moral dilemma? Have the courage to follow God’s law above human commands.
31:4Saul faced death the same way he faced life. He took matters into his own hands without thinking of God or asking for his guidance. If our lives aren't the way we would like them to be now, we can't assume that change will come more easily later. When nearing death, we will respond to God the same way we have been responding all along. Coming face to face with death only shows us what we are rea/ly like. How do you want to face death? Start facing fife that way right now.
31:10To put Saul’s armor in the Philistine temple gave credit to a pagan goddess for victory over Saul. Ashtoreth was a goddess of fertility and sex. Beth-shan was a town on the eastern slopes of Mount Gilboa, overlooking the Jordan Valley.
31:13Consider the difference between the last judge of Israel and its first king. Saul, the king, was characterized by inconsistency, disobedience, and self-will. He did not have a heart for God. Samuel, the judge, was characterized by consistency, obedience, and a deep desire for God's will. He had a genuine desire for God. When God called, Samuel said, “LORD, your servant is listening” (3:9). But when God, through Samuel, called Saul, Saul replied, “Why are you talking like this to me?” (9:21). Saul was dedicated to himself, Samuel was dedicated to God.
31:13Saul’s death was also the death of an ideal—Israel could no longer believe that having a king like the other nations would solve all their troubles. The real problem was not the form of government but the sinful king. Saul tried to please God by spurts of religiosity, but real spirituality takes a lifetime of consistent obedience. Heroic spiritual lives are built by stacking days of obedience one on top of the other. Like a brick, each obedient act is small in itself, but in time the acts will pile up, and a huge wall of strong character will be built—a great defense against temptation. We should strive for consistent obedience each day. i ————cciT ATT f Meteteih = UWavil Ha VILIUTY tT the field, but problems at home. His son Absalom incited a rebellion and crowned himself king at Hebron. David and his men fled to Mahanaim. Acting on bad advice, Absalom mobilized his army to fight David (13:1—17:29). 8 Forest of Ephraim The armies of Absalom and David fought in the forest of Ephraim. Absalom’s hair got caught in a tree, and Joab, David's general, found and killed him. With Absalom’s death the rebellion died, and David was welcomed back to Jerusalem (18:1—19:43). 9 Abel-beth-maacah Aman named Sheba also incited a rebellion against David. He fled to Abel-beth-maacah, but Joab and a small troop besieged the city. The citizens of Abel-beth-maacah killed Sheba themselves (20:1-26). David's victories laid the foundation for the peaceful reign of his son Solomon.
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2 SAMUEL
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they did give David sanctuary when he was hiding from Saul (1Samuel 27). But when Saul died and David became king, the Philistines planned to defeat him. In a battle near Jerusalem, David and his troops routed the Philistines (5:17-25), but they were not completely subdued until David conquered their largest city (8:1). 4 Moab During the time of the judges, Moab controlled many cities in Israel and demanded heavy taxes (Judges 3:12-30}. David conquered Moab and, in turn, levied tribute from them (8:2). 5 Edom Though the Edomites and the Israelites traced their ancestry back to the same man, Isaac (Genesis 25:19-23), they were long-standing enemies. David defeated Edom and forced them to pay tribute also (8:14). 6 Rabbah The Ammonites insulted David’s delegation and turned a peacemaking mission into angry warfare. The Ammonites called troops from Aram, but David defeated this alliance first at Helam, then at Rabbah, the capital city (10:1— 12:31). 7 Mahanaim David had victory in
1 Hebron After Saul’s death, David moved from the Philistine City of Ziklag to Hebron, where the tribe of Judah crowned him king. But the rest of Israel's tribes backed Saul’s son Ishbosheth and crowned him king at Mahanaim. As a result, there was war between Judah and the rest of the tribes of!sraet until Ishbosheth was assassinated. Then all of Israel pledged loyalty to David as their king (1:1—5:5). 2 Jerusalem One of David's first battles as king occurred at the fortress of Zion (Jerusalem). David and his troops took the city by surprise, and it became his capital. It was here that David brought the Ark of the Covenant and made a special covenant with God (5:6—7:29). 3 Gath The Philistines were Israel's constant enemy, though
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Saul becomes king 1050 (1045)
Judges begin to rule 1375 B.C. (1220 B.C.) VITAL STATISTICS PURPOSES: (1) to record the history of David's reign; (2) to demonstrate effective leadership under God; (3) to reveal that one person can make a difference; (4) to show the personal qualities that please God; (5) to depict David as an ideal leader of an imperfect kingdom, and to foreshadow Christ, who will be the ideal leader of a new and perfect kingdom (chapter 7) AUTHOR: Unknown. Some have suggested that Nathan's son Zabud may have been the author (1 Kings 4:5). The book also includes the writings of Nathan and Gad (1 Chronicles 29:29). ORIGINAL AUDIENCE: The people of Israel DATE WRITTEN: 930 B.C.; written soon after David's reign, 1010-970 B.C. SETTING: The land of Israel under David's rule KEY VERSE: “And David realized that the LORD had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel” (5:12). KEY PEOPLE: David, Joab, Bathsheba, Nathan, Absalom SPECIAL FEATURES: This book was named after the prophet who anointed David and guided him in living for God.