Rally to your king, Jesus Christ

Text 1 Chronicles 12 Time 11 11 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

We come this week to 1 Chronicles 12. All this material is found only in Chronicles. Here we have more about David's men. We go back to the time when Saul was still on the throne but about to die and more and more men were coming to David and to the point where he himself will take the throne. Whereas he had say 600 in the toughest years now many more came to him. They were a varied group but all were devoted to David.
As I have said to you, when we read about David we should think about Messiah. Messiah is the Son of David. Now just as there was a time when David was about to be made king and a variety of men rallied to him so now Messiah is about to reign and all sorts of people are rallying to him. We can learn from this chapter then something about how we should be living in these days when our King is not yet on his throne but when people are rallying to him from all quarters. Five things then
1. Learn to rally to your King like the ambidextrous Benjaminites
The heading is in verse 1. These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish This is the time then when David had fled to Philistine country. We then learn about them that (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle; they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; perhaps surprisingly they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin). We then have their names in verses 3-7. There are 23 altogether. Ahiezer their chief and Joash the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berakah, Jehu the Anathothite, and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty warrior among the Thirty, who was a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite, Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah and Shephatiah the Haruphite; Elkanah, Ishiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam the Korahites; and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.
So, regardless of the fact that Saul was from their tribe, these men knew that David was the rightful king not Saul, who had failed so miserably, and so they came to David. They enlisted in his army. It is said that these men were armed with bows and slings and could carry out the task ambidextrously. They could shoot arrows or sling stones with either hand. It reminds us of the phrase Paul uses in speaking of himself in 1 Corinthians 6:7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left. We ought to be wielding spiritual weapons with the same ambidextrous skill that these Benjaminites showed in David's day. No doubt it took long hours of practice to be able to do what they did. How much time do we give to prayer and to meditation on God's Word? Perhaps we would be more skilful in these areas if more time was spent on it.
2. Learn to rally to your King like the brave, battle ready Gadites
We read secondly (8) that Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. Probably Adullam. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains.
The list comes in verses 9-13. Eleven men are listed - Ezer was the chief, Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third, Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, Jeremiah the tenth and Makbannai the eleventh.
Then in verses 14 and 15 it says These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand. It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, daring men they were and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
Here is another group of brave warriors to inspire us then, this time from the tribe of Gad. We are told of them that They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains. They were not just brave then, valiant fighters, but like lions for fierceness towards the enemy and gazelles for speed. They were good at attacking with spears and at defending with shields. They put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
Once again what they were then to David in physical terms, we want to be, I trust, today to Christ in spiritual terms. Are we learning to attack by the Spirit and to defend by faith? Spurgeon says
The grace of God can make us like them. The grace of God can make us brave as lions, so that, wherever we are, we can hold our own, or rather can hold our Lord’s truth, and never blush nor be ashamed to speak a good word for him at all times. He can make us quick and active too, so that we shall be like the roes (or gazelles) upon the mountains.
3. Learn to rally to your king as these loyal soldiers came to David
Then in verses 16-18 there is a reference to Other Benjamites and some men from Judah who also came to David in his stronghold. We are told (17) how David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you."
And then that reply in verse 18 Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said: "We are yours, David! We are with you, son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you." So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.
Isn't it something like that today? We come to Christ and Christ says to us something like
"If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you."
Can we reply something like Amasai in the Spirit?
We are yours, Lord Jesus! We are with you, son of God! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.
That is how Christ will receive us and how we should come to Christ.
4. Learn to rally to your king like the brave Manassehites
19-21 Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, "It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.") When David went to Ziklag, these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him:
And again there is a list. Seven this time. Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh. They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army.
Again it is their bravery that is highlighted and the fact that it is such people that David chose as leaders or chiefs in his army.
5. Let's pray for greater numbers of fighters and wiser people willing to serve in the ranks
The final section in verses 22-40 describes how David's army kept growing, as does Christ's army today. 22 Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God. We then have a rundown of the numbers from the different tribes in order
These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul's kingdom over to him, as the LORD had said:
from Judah, carrying shield and spear - 6,800 armed for battle;
from Simeon, warriors ready for battle - 7,100; even more
from Levi - 4,600, including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men, and Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family; The priests fought as well as others or at least went out to battle.
from Benjamin, Saul's tribe - 3,000, most of whom understandably had remained loyal to Saul's house until then;
from Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans - 20,800; marked for their bravery
from half the tribe of Manasseh, designated by name to come and make David king - 18,000;
from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do - 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command; Verse 32 has become a famous verse. We should all seek to be like the men of Issachar. There were not many of them but they were wise. They understood the times they were living in and what should be done - Saul was on his way out and now everyone ought to rally around David. So today Satan is doomed and we must be devoted to Christ.
from Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty - 50,000; massive numbers, experience and all sorts of weapons. How we need such things today. It would seem that the closer the tribe the less men the further away the most. No doubt the circumstances dictated this to some extent.
from Naphtali - 1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears;
from Dan, ready for battle - 28,600;
from Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle - 40,000;
and from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every type of weapon - 120,000.
38 All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king. That is the spirit we need today.
Finally (39, 40) The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking, for their families had supplied provisions for them. Also, their neighbours from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy in Israel. A big party to begin then . here are good times to be had but fighting will be necessary at some point so be ready.

An Encouragement to do Exploits in God's Kingdom

Text 1 Chronicles 11 Time 4 11 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

As we continue to look at 1 Chronicles we come to Chapter 11. In Chapter 10 our author covers the close of Saul's reign and his death. For the rest of this first book the focus is on David and his reign. Now whenever we hear about David it is important that we think of the Promised Messiah. The Messiah is The Son of David. David then gives us a foretaste of what is to come. 
In 1 Chronicles 11 we begin with a general introduction to the reign in verses 1-9 and then in the rest of the chapter the author talks about David's mighty men and their exploits. Here is a reminder then of Christ's kingdom and of the need for heroes in it. So two things 

1. Consider the king - hailed as king by his people and growing more powerful 
1. The King in Hebron - hailed as king by his people 
In verses 1-3 we read that after the death of Saul All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, ... and they give three reasons why they want David to be their king 
1 We are your own flesh and blood. 
2 In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. 
3 And the LORD your God said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.' 
And so (3) When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the LORD had promised through Samuel. 
So they make him king as they are related to him, he was their great leader - even in Saul's time - and this is what God promised him - that he would shepherd God's people and be their ruler. 
In a similar way, we declare Jesus Messiah to be the King party because he has become a man and identifies with us and because he is our great king and leader, a mighty warrior, and because the kingdom has been given to him by the Father. 
2. The King in Jerusalem - conquering opposition and growing more powerful 
And then in verses 4-9 we read how David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). At that time Jerusalem was still occupied by the Jebusites. The Jebusites who lived there we are told said to David, "You will not get in here." Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion - which is the City of David. This is a particular part of Jerusalem. We then get some background (6) David had said, "Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander-in-chief." We read that Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he received the command. David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. He built up the city around it, from the terraces to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. The last thing we read here, in verse 9, is And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him. 
Here we focus on Christ's leadership in the kingdom. It is not simply that we accept him as Lord and King but he himself conquers despite opposition and then builds up his kingdom. What resistance there is but he triumphs. Like David he becomes more and more powerful because his Father is with him, 
2. Consider the king's mighty warriors and seek to serve the Lord 
From verse 10 we learn something of David's chiefs, his mighty warriors. They gave strong support to David's kingdom to extend it in fulfilment of God's promise. They are great examples to us today of the sort of outlook and attitude that ought to mark us in our day. 
10 These were the chiefs of David's mighty warriors - they, together with all Israel, gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the LORD had promised 
And so he says (11a) - this is the list of David's mighty warriors: He mentions two of the three mighty warriors Jashobeam (not the name found elsewhere) and Eleazar. He also mentions Abishai and includes a story that involves the three. He then speaks of Benaiah of whom he says (25) He was held in greater honour than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard. The chapter closes with a long list of other mighty men who served David, presumably men who belonged to the thirty at different times. 
As David had his three and his thirty so Jesus would have his three (Peter, James and John) and his Twelve and his seventy for that matter. 
It makes us think of the history of the church too, and, if I can put it this way, the three mighty men - Augustine, Calvin and Spurgeon and then Luther who is not one of the three but was truly mighty as was George Whitefield too. 
And then with them all the other mighty men - Chrysostom and Hus and Wycliffe and Tyndale and John Owen and Daniel Rowland and Jonathan Edwards and Wesley and Carey and Moody and Lloyd-Jones and Billy Graham, etc, etc. 
We will never be among the great but they should inspire us to at least do what we can. 
So six things 
1. Learn from Jashobeam who killed 300 men in one encounter 
Jashobeam, a Hakmonite, was chief of the officers; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. Not that we are thinking at all of using a spear against hundreds of men - but we could at least be more prayerful. We could delve more into the Word. We could have more faith and show more love and be more hopeful. 
Spurgeon is said to have preached to 10,000,000 people during his lifetime. He had preached over 600 times before he was twenty. One woman was converted through reading a single page of one of Spurgeon's sermons wrapped around some butter she had bought. 
The New Park Street Pulpit and The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit - the collected sermons of Spurgeon during his ministry with that congregation - fill 63 volumes. The sermons' 20-25 million words are equivalent to the 27 volumes of the ninth edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. The series stands as the largest set of books by a single author in the history of Christianity. 
2. Learn from Eleazar who took a firm stand and led his men to a great victory 
12-14 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty warriors. He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory. 
Now our victories may be much less impressive on the face of it but let's take our stand nevertheless and let's look to the Lord for success over temptation and sin. 
3. Learn from the Three about devotion to the Lord 
15-19 Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD. "God forbid that I should do this!" he said. "Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?" Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors. 
This I think gives us an insight into the attitude of the three. They were ever listening to their lord and master. He had only to express a wish and they were committed to doing all they could to see it fulfilled. What a model we have here. Oh for such devotion to Christ in us. 
With that we see how David 1. Repents for his own weakness 2. Denies his own appetite. He longed for the water of the well of Bethlehem but, when he had it, he would not drink it, because he would not so far humour himself to gratify a foolish fancy 3. Devotes himself to God. That water which he thought too good, too precious, for his own drinking, he poured out to the Lord. 4. Is tender toward his servants. Again he points us to Christ. 
4. Learn from Abishai another great warrior 
20, 21 Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. He was doubly honoured above the Three and became their commander, even though he was not included among them. 
My attempt to suggest a who's who in Christian history just now was not easy and once you start on this road there are anomalies. Here is this man Abishai, Joab's brother and Asahel's too. He had authority over the three though not included among them. Whether people acknowledge us or not, let's serve faithfully. 
Think of Horatio Gates Spafford (1828-1888) the author of the hymn "It Is Well with My Soul". Horatio was a Chicago lawyer. He lost all his possessions in the great Chicago fire. After that, he lost his only son to a disease, aged four. He then planned a family holiday and was held up for business reasons. His family went ahead any way and on the ship all four of his daughters died and his wife survived. Whilst going to meet his grieving wife, he got the inspiration for the hymn, "It Is Well with My Soul". 
Think of Spurgeon again and the amazing things he did. When he arrived at The New Park Street Church, in 1854, the congregation had 232 members. By the end of his pastorate, 38 years later, that number had increased to 5,311. (Altogether, 14,460 people were added to the church during Spurgeon's tenure.) The church became the largest independent congregation in the world. 
Spurgeon once addressed an audience of 23,654 - without a microphone or any mechanical amplification. 
Testing the acoustics in the place he preached beforehand, Spurgeon shouted, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." A worker high in the rafters of the building heard this and became converted to Christ as a result. 
5. Learn from Benaiah who did many great exploits 
Then in verses 22-25 we read about Benaiah - again not of the three but greater in honour than all the thirty also listed. 
22-25 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab's two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down an Egyptian who was five cubits tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver's rod in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. He was held in greater honour than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard. 
This time we have a string of amazing exploits - striking two Moabites, Moab's best; fighting a lion; defeating a giant Egyptian with his own spear. Sometimes God's people do achieve amazing things.
William Carey translated the Bible into Bengali, Oriya, Marathi, Hindi, Assamese and Sanskrit and also translated parts of it into 29 other languages and dialects! Henry Martyn, who died so young, translated the New Testament into Urdu, Persian and Judaeo-Persic. He also translated the Psalms into Persian and the Book of Common Prayer into Urdu!! 
6. Learn from the mighty warriors listed here 
The last thing here is a list of men, where nothing is said of their exploits. However, we are assured that they are all mighty warriors. More than 40 are listed not just thirty. Presumably as the years passed some died and the people who made up the thirty changed over the years. There are fresh names from 41ff (Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite). 
26-47 The mighty warriors were:
Asahel the brother of Joab,
Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,
Shammoth the Harorite,
Helez the Pelonite,
Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,
Abiezer from Anathoth,
Sibbekai the Hushathite,
Ilai the Ahohite,
Maharai the Netophathite,
Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,
Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,
Benaiah the Pirathonite,
Hurai from the ravines of Gaash
Abiel the Arbathite,
Azmaveth the Baharumite,
Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
the sons of Hashem the Gizonite,
Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite,
Ahiam son of Sakar the Hararite,
Eliphal son of Ur, 
Hepher the Mekerathite,
Ahijah the Pelonite,
Hezro the Carmelite,
Naarai son of Ezbai,
Joel the brother of Nathan,
Mibhar son of Hagri,
Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Berothite, the armour-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
Ira the Ithrite,
Gareb the Ithrite,
Uriah the Hittite,
Zabad son of Ahlai, etc, etc, etc
There was great variety. Some were from David's own family or from his home town (Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem). Some were Levites (Abiezer from Anathoth). Some were from Saul's tribe Benjamin (Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin). Some were Gentiles (Zelek the Ammonite, Uriah the Hittite, Ithmah the Moabite). Regardless of background, let's seek to be faithful soldiers in the Lord's Army.

Thoughts on Death and Sin

Text 1 Chronicles 10:1-14 Time 28 10 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

I want us to look this evening at 1 Chronicles 10. The chapter is preceded by a final genealogy back in 9:35-44 but here things begin to look much more like what we are used to. Indeed, what we find in 1 Chronicles 10 is pretty much the same as what we find in 1 Samuel 31.
What we have here is an account of the death of Saul. The chapter concludes very clearly (13, 14) 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.
That final sentence sets us up then for the rest of the first book - Chapters 11-29 - which is all about David.
As for this present chapter, however, the subject is death and there are four main things to say

1. Consider how death tends to draws increasingly near
I believe that in some parts of the world the transition from day to night is quite sudden. Here we are used to it happening quite gradually. In the experience of most, death gradually encroaches. This was Saul's experience. We look first at the opening verses (1-6). We read
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 armour-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and abuse me." But his armour-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armour-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.
Saul was a failure as a king. He sinfully failed to kill the Amalekites and sinfully had the priests killed. He also hounded David the Lord's anointed. Now his day has come, a day David foresaw (1 Samuel 26:10). Saul's death has both specific and more general lessons. More generally, we see how death often comes to us like an encircling predator.
1. We see others suffer and die
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. Why the Philistines were as successful as they were we don't know (superior numbers, better leaders, better tactics?) but the Israelites ran from them and were roundly defeated. Those who served Saul in life now preceded him in death. We usually first become aware of death when we hear of those around us dying - soldiers, as here, those who die in accidents, all sorts of others.
I think the first time I recall hearing of a death was when I was five and a neighbour, a man, died although I can also remember the death of Kennedy in 1963 and the funeral of Churchill in 1965. We have heard recently of the death of a owman who came to us occasionally. Apart from anything else, it reminds us that we too must soon die. In 1624 preacher and poet John Donne produced his famous Meditation 17, which, includes the famous line “never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee”.
2. We see those near to us die
The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. Often it will be that we hear first of people we do not know well dying but then it will come nearer - an aunt or uncle, a parent, a child, a friend. Here we read how Saul's three sons who were alongside him died. What grief and terror that brought to Saul.
Among them is Jonathan. Despite his wisdom, valour and goodness, he dies. This is David's friend who was willing to make an enemy of his father for David's sake. In Job 4:7 Eliphaz asks Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed? Who ever perished being innocent? Well, here is an example. No doubt it was part of Saul's punishment - to hurt him and to remind him that his house had no future. It made the path to the throne easier for David also, though the fact filled him with grief.
It also reminds us that the chief distinction between good and bad comes in the world to come not in this one. Death comes to the good and the bad and sometimes in exactly the same way.
When I was five my great grandfather died. When I was 17 my grandfather died. Recently, the last of my mother's siblings died. That whole generation is now gone. Just two of my dad's brothers remain. Deaths of others and especially those nearest to us remind us that we also must one day die.
3. We come near to death by injury or ill health
The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him. The next thing we learn is how Saul is injured by the Philistines. The archers hit him and he can no longer fight or run away. Saul comes to the point where he would prefer to die. He realises that he is going to die and he would prefer it to be at the hand of his armour-bearer than the uncircumcised Philistines. Instead of resigning himself to God, he wants to take the situation into his own hands. He had been proud and jealous in life and now he was the same in death, a terror to himself and to all about him.
When I had a heart attack a few years ago I really had to stare hard at death. Such things remind us death is on its way.
Increasingly today, we come across people who take the approach Saul takes. They want the right to be assisted to die at a time of their choosing. They are frustrated because they want to die but cannot. They believe they have the right to be helped to die. There is no sympathy for that view here.
4. We come to our own death
For all of us, death will come eventually to us too. Not necessarily at a time of our choosing. Saul here chooses suicide having been unable to procure assisted suicide. For some reason Saul would have preferred his armour-bearer to have dispatched him but when he refuses Saul is willing to commit suicide. The idea was that he would avoid shame but in fact he brought shame on himself by falling into the sin of self-murder. He could have run and been well clear of the Philistines by the time they came to where he was. His son Jonathan died honourably but not Saul. He died as a fool, as a coward, as one who neither feared God nor had any hope. There's no dignity or bravery here.
5. The influence of our death on others
This is not something we tend to think much about. His armour-bearer was right to refuse to kill him. He was wrong to commit suicide himself, however. He could still have served his master after his death and Saul wouldn't have been abused as he was, perhaps. The man was not thinking straight. In mitigation, the example of his master did not help. It is said that Saul's armour-bearer was Doeg, the one who was willing to carry out Saul's command to kill the priests. If so, there is a certain justice in what happens here perhaps.
I found an essay on evangelical dying. It included these lines
John Newton ... who died in 1807, observed with his old whimsicality: 'I am packed and sealed and waiting for the post'. But he was characteristically Calvinistic near the end in saying: 'My memory is nearly gone; but I can remember two things: that I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Saviour'. Asked if his mind was 'comfortable' he said 'I am satisfied with the Lord's will'. Like some other Evangelicals he composed his own epitaph to avoid fulsome tributes.
Rowland Hill, who died in 1833, was an eccentric in the pulpit but reticent about his personal feelings to the end. 'I have no rapturous joys, but peace - a good hope through grace - all through grace' - a very characteristic Calvinistic note. 'Modest words before God always become us best' he had often said, and his biographer added that he was 'better pleased with living evidences of an interest in Christ than a few dying expressions however pleasing they might be to survivors' - a salutary rebuke to the conventions observed by some of his younger contemporaries.
But some, while sharing the same theology, were more emotional, more pressing on the state of the soul, perhaps more touched by popular romanticism. Thus Legh Richmond, the author of the best-selling Dairyman's daughter, used the death-bed of his son in 1825 as an opportunity to urge a friend to catechise the boy on his 'hopes'. 'Can you pass through the valley of the shadow of death and say with David "I fear no evil?"' 'Yes, I trust so'. 'What is the ground of your hope?' 'My hope rests in Christ alone' and so on. ... He confessed at his own end in 1827 that he was 'in great darkness' and tempted to believe the gospel a delusion, so when all else failed 'I cast myself on the sovereign free and full grace of God ... there I have found peace'.
The main point though is that we ought to consider the effect the way we die will have on others. If we die well we can be a blessing.
2. Recognise that doers of evil rejoice in death
Next (7-10) we read When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them. The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. They stripped him and took his head and his armour, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news among their idols and their people. They put his armour in the temple of their gods and hung up his head in the temple of Dagon.
Nothing is said here of the souls of Saul and his sons. The secret things belong to God. What we read here, however, ought to be thought of in spiritual as well as physical terms. When we read then of how the Philistines abused Saul, we should recognise the malice and wickedness of the forces of evil in the light of death.
We read how the day after the battle the Philistines came to strip the fallen and found Saul and his three sons dead. Saul was distinguishable by his height as well as his clothing no doubt. They did four things to try and heap on the misery.
1. They cut off his head and hung it in their pagan temple
Just as David once removed Goliath's head so they now remove Saul's head, Saul who was once a head taller than everyone else. It was intended as an insult - decapitation generally does. Israel had thought that if they had a king they would be powerful but here is the their king without a head and the nation without its head. They hung up his head in the temple of Dagon. They wanted to give glory to the false god Dagon for their victory. The forces of evil long to see us severed from our head the Lord Jesus, if they can.
2. They stripped him of his armour and put it in the temple of their false gods
They put his armour in the temple of their gods. They believed wrongly that their victory was due to their false gods. Again, the forces want to strip us of our armour - of righteousness, of salvation, of the gospel, of faith, of prayer, etc,
3. They sent the news of their victory everywhere. They sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news among their idols and their people. How the forces of evil rejoice even when they know a supposed victory over God's people.
We know from 1 Samuel 31 that they hung the bodies on the wall of Bethshan, a town bear Gilboa not far from the Jordan. Birds of prey would then devour them. Saul's plan was a failure then. If you try and preserve your honour by sinful means don't be surprised if it fails.
What the Philistines did not realise, of course, was that God was about to raise up David who would be their nemesis. Fear not what the forces of evil can do.
3. Be encouraged that good men do what they can to ameliorate the sadness of death
Then (11, 12) we read of the redeeming work of the people of Jabesh Gilead When all the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all their valiant men went and took the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones under the great tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days. (1 Samuel says they first burned the bodies. We don't know why.)
Jabesh-Gilead was just across the Jordan from Beth-Shan and so valiant men went from there, crossed the river, took down the dead bodies and gave them a decent burial. They did it
1. Out of a sense of common decency. I was reading a book the other day that pointed out that human beings are the only species that show respect for their dead. It is part of being human.
2. Out of a sense of concern for Israel's honour. The land should not be defiled in that way, especially not where the royal family are concerned.
3. Out of a particular sense of gratitude to Saul, for his zeal in rescuing them from the Ammonites when he first came to the throne (see 1 Samuel 11:1-15). It was an appropriate act of kindness in light of what he had done for them while he was alive. It may be argued that they would have been more help to Saul when he was alive but at least they do this.
They buried the bones under a great tree, the tree acting as a memorial. They also fasted seven days. No doubt this was a day time fast only. They thus expressed their sorrow and no doubt as they prayed they began to hope for a better future. In this they are a good example to us.
4. Consider the consequences of sin
The final thing to consider is those last two verses, verses 13 and 14. 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.
That poem by Donne we quoted at the beginning also says this “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were.” We are all interconnected and we cannot and must not live to ourselves. This comes out in particular ways here
1. If leaders sin then the people suffer
This was not a good time in Israel's history when they were defeated by the Philistines and their towns were occupied by the enemy. They were not particularly guilty of idolatry at this time. Under Samuel some progress had been made. No doubt the main cause for their defeat was their godless king, Saul.
Those who are in power should realise that what they do affects the people. If they sin and are punished the people will suffer too.
It would seem that the loss in battle scattered the people and for a while the Philistines occupied these towns. What a mess Saul left the people in. If it were not for David coming after him what hope was there?
2. If parents sin their their offspring will suffer
When the day of Saul's death arrived, not only did he die but his sons too (except Ishbosheth) died with him, even gracious Jonathan. And so the sin of the father was visited on his children, and they fell with their condemned father. If we really love our families we will be careful not to bring them down by our own sinful ways.
3. If sinners sin they will suffer the consequences - sometimes even in this life.
Although it was a long time in coming, Saul was judged for his sins. Matthew Henry points out how the punishment fitted the crime
1 Saul had thrown a javelin more than once at David, and missed him; but the Philistine archers hit him, and he was wounded by them.
2 Saul had commanded Doeg to kill the priests and now, in despair, he commands his armour-bearer to draw his sword and kill him
3 Saul had disobeyed God's command by not destroying the Amalekites, now his armour-bearer disobeys him and does not destroy him though he desired it.
4 Saul the murderer of the priests is justly left to himself to be his own self-murderer. His family is cut off, he who cut off the city of the priests.
Will not the judge of all the earth do right?