26/08/2026
The ADULT Search the Scriptures LESSON 227.
Topic: THE TRAGIC DEATH OF SAUL
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MEMORY VERSE: "So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together" (1 Samuel 31:6).
TEXT: 1 Samuel 31:1-13
The text gives a vivid account of the tragic death of Saul, the first king of Israel, in a battle with the Philistines.
This sad end was a culmination of repeated acts of disobedience, attempts to thwart God's will with impunity and unwillingness to repent of sin wholeheartedly.
The Scripture affirms as well as warns present-day counterparts of Saul that, "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy" (Proverbs 29:1).
Death, a fact of life, brings a transition to another world of timeless bliss or blight.
Those who are redeemed by Christ will be ushered through death into an endless joy with God while sinners and backsliders will pass on to an irrecoverable and endless misery in hell.
With the absence of divine guidance and his straying to consult a witch without any recorded moment of genuine repentance before going into this battle, Saul's death was a miserable and an ignoble one.
1. SAUL'S DELUSION AND BACKSLIDING (1 Samuel 31:1; Joshua 7:8-12; 1 Chronicles 10:1-3; 28:9,10; 15:1,2; Psalm 33:16-22)
Saul's downward course, which started some years back, was coming to a fatal end.
"Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa" (1 Samuel 31:1).
The size and armoury of the Philistines army, the absence of David who became a champion by killing Goliath and more importantly, the departure of divine presence from Saul predisposed Israel's army to a colossal defeat.
When the battle commenced, the enemy had the upper hand and "The men of Israel fled..." Just as Achan caused Israel's defeat at Ai, Saul was responsible for this national disgrace on Mount Gilboa.
His incessant disobedience, even in the face of rebuke, had ruptured his relationship with God and created a big gulf, which eventually led to a permanent severance.
Though still actively occupying the prime political position in the land, Saul had become estranged from God.
He could no longer receive the support and directive necessary for a theocratic monarchy he was supposed to run.
Though he started well by displaying commendable humility and evidence of the Holy Spirit's influence, he soon veered off and became a fiend against perceived but non-existent foe.
David gave Solomon a counsel that is still relevant to present-day believers.
He says, "And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever" (1 Chronicles 28:9).
At the time of Jeremiah, Israel had lost their relationship with God. "Israel was holiness unto the LORD..." (Jeremiah 2:3).
Reference here was made only to their glorious past. Christ also revealed the state of the church in Sardis that "...thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead" (Revelation 3:1) and calls it to watchfulness and repentance to avoid eventual damnation.
Believers must quickly deal with any of the following marks of backsliding before they lead to destruction.
One, being filled with one's ways (1 Samuel 15:14-23; Proverbs 14:14; Jeremiah 44:16,17).
Two, holding unto deceit, error or false doctrine (Job 31:1-5; Jeremiah 8:5).
Three, trusting in material possessions rather than in God (Jeremiah 49:4; Revelation 3:17-20).
Four, justifying one's misdeeds instead of admitting guilt (Jeremiah 3:11,12). Five, wandering to spiritually condemned worship houses (Jeremiah 31:22; Galatians 2:18).
2. SAUL'S DEATH IN BATTLE (1 Samuel 31:2-10; 13:13,14; 1 Chronicles 10:3-10,13,14; 1 Kings 13:20-26)
The Scripture is silent on the cause of the war that led to Saul's death, but it was so explicit on its cost for Israel.
They fled; "And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers" (1 Samuel 31:2,3).
Realising that the end had come and hating to be humiliated by the 'uncircumcised' Philistines, Saul requested to be slain by his armour-bearer who declined for fear of desecrating the Lord's anointed.
At last, Saul sealed his doom by committing su***de.
This is undoubtedly the most tragic part of Saul's entire life. He died without settling with God though he had several opportunities to do so.
Even at the point of death, all that mattered to his proud heart was the insult of the uncircumcised rather than the eternal damnation awaiting his soul.
He acted like all carnal men who mind earthly glory than eternity in heaven. Believers instead, should be mindful of their eternal end and ensure it ends in the kingdom of God.
The armour-bearer declining his master's ungodly request teaches us that regardless of the personality involved, any sinful request or ungodly order must be refused and the believer must choose to "obey God rather than men" (Genesis 39:7-9; 1 Samuel 22:16,17; Daniel 3:16,17; Acts 5:29).
Probably unsure of how to manage the consequences of the unfolding reality, the armour-bearer decided to commit su***de alongside his master and sinned against God's word, which prohibits self-murder.
The murder of oneself is the highest expression of mortal folly. It implies cooperating with one's chief enemy, the devil, to destroy one's soul (2 Samuel 17:23; Matthew 27:5). Of all the deaths in our text, this is the worst and most condemnable.
Those who, through the use of illicit drugs or unwholesome living, unwittingly cut short their own lives also share in the same condemnation.
Believers must never consider it an option under any circumstance to harm themselves or take their own lives (2 Samuel 17:23; Job 2:4; Acts 16:27).
Questions often arise as to the fate of Jonathan in this case: why do good men like Uriah, Naboth, Stephen and many other martyrs die 'prematurely'.
Such deaths do not imply God reneging on His promise; neither does it suggest His inability to preserve His saints. God still keeps the distinction between His beloved children and others.
Though such deaths may be painful to men, they are precious to God and serve their purposes in His perfect, omniscient plan (Psalm 116:15; Luke 16:22).
"The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness" (Isaiah 57:1,2).
Regardless of how, why, or when a righteous person dies, he "...hath hope in his death" (Proverbs 14:32).
The Lord, who had ceased to answer Saul's prayer, did not grant his desire to escape the abuse of the Philistines.
They beheaded the king, hung his body on the wall of Bethshan, "And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon" (1 Chronicles 10:10).
The Philistines ignorantly attributed their victory over Israel to their gods, totally unaware that it was God's design to pave the way for His anointed king.
As it turned out, their humiliation of Saul afforded them only a fleeting pleasure. By the time David came to the throne, he defeated the Philistines and recovered all the territories they had taken from Israel.
3. STEADFAST DECISION BY THE BRAVE (1 Samuel 31:11-13; 1 Chronicles 10:11,12; 1 Samuel 24:1-6; Romans 15:3,4)
The first book of Samuel ends with the heroic exploit of the men of Jabeshgilead.
"All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons... and burnt them there... and buried them under a tree at Jabesh..." (1 Samuel 31:12,13). The action of the men of Jabeshgilead is commendable.
It was a manifest respect for the slain leader who at the commencement of his reign had rescued them from deep degradation and tyranny (1 Samuel 11:1-3,11).
Today, bravery is shown in the Kingdom by labouring for the Lord and His people, and believers are encouraged to "...hold such in reputation" (Philippians 2:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:12,13).
The burning of the corpses was probably due to their putrefying state, having been in the open for about three days.
In any case, the cremation was a third degree burning, and they were so careful as to preserve the bones from being burnt to make them available for burial.
It is noteworthy that no one from Saul's family, the priesthood, or even David, Jonathan's long-time friend raised eyebrow against the way the valiant men handled the corpses.
Everyone seemed to understand and appreciate the effort and risk they took, the spirit behind their brave decision and the fact that they acted out of a common concern for the honour of the land of Israel.
Believers should take necessary risks and steps to preserve the honour of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords at all times.
We should defend the faith by projecting the interest of God's kingdom through consistent holy living. In obedience to Christ, we should proclaim his death as the basis of reconciliation with God.
As the study concludes, we are reminded of the tragic end of a man favoured by God with promising potentials but had a pitiable ending.
It started with complacency and loss of relationship with the Lord, continued with self-righteousness, preoccupation with mundane things and outright idolatry until death.
We do well to remember that "...all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:11,12).
Watchfulness is the antidote to the spiritual declension and the malicious intent of the devil's plot against pilgrims of heaven.
This affords believers the privilege of self-examination and making amends to walk continually with God until the end.
Christ repeatedly harped on the need to watch and pray to avoid self-delusion and carelessness that will make believers fall prey to the devil (Matthew 26:41; Mark 13:33; 14:38; Luke 21:36). Heaven is the home of those who watch, pray and maintain holiness of life until the end.
Questions for review:
1. Why is it urgent for sinners to repent?
2. Point out the risk of perpetual backsliding.
3. Describe Saul's spiritual state at the time of his death as it relates to believers.
4. Outline some of the marks of backsliding believers must avoid.
5. What striking lessons does Saul's tragic death teach the church?
6. Comment on the action of the men of Jabeshgilead.
7. What is the place of watchfulness in the success of the believer's pilgrimage to heaven?
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Fōllôw: Pastor Chima Nwajiaku Chamberlain
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