We left Saul in 1 Samuel 28 consulting with the deceased Samuel before a battle with the Philistines. Samuel was clear:
Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And, yes, indeed, GOD is giving Israel’s army up to the Philistines. (1 Samuel 28.19, MSG)
And so we have a short account of the battle:
The Philistines made war on Israel. The men of Israel were in full retreat from the Philistines, falling left and right, wounded on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines caught up with Saul and his sons. They killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua, Saul’s sons. The battle was hot and heavy around Saul. The archers got his range and wounded him badly. Saul said to his weapon bearer, “Draw your sword and put me out of my misery, lest these pagan pigs come and make a game out of killing me.” But his weapon bearer wouldn’t do it. He was terrified. So Saul took the sword himself and fell on it. When the weapon bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul, his three sons, and his weapon bearer—the men closest to him—died together that day. (1 Samuel 31.1 – 6, MSG)
At least Saul didn’t run from the battle in which Samuel had predicted that Saul would die. Philistines cut off his head and “nailed his body to the wall at Beth Shan.” (These are not nice people!) 1 Samuel ends with a daring rescue of Saul’s body:
The people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul. Their valiant men sprang into action. They traveled all night, took the corpses of Saul and his three sons from the wall at Beth Shan, and carried them back to Jabesh and burned off the flesh. They then buried the bones under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted in mourning for seven days. (1 Samuel 31.11 – 13, MSG)
The narrative continues into what we call 2 Samuel. Providentially, David is NOT in the battle when Saul is killed. David is back in Ziklag and is approached by an Amalekite who claims that he killed Saul:
I just happened by Mount Gilboa and came on Saul, badly wounded and leaning on his spear, with enemy chariots and horsemen bearing down hard on him. He looked behind him, saw me, and called me to him…He asked me who I was, and I told him, “I’m an Amalekite.” “Come here,” he said, “and put me out of my misery. I’m nearly dead already, but my life hangs on.” So I did what he asked—I killed him. I knew he wouldn’t last much longer anyway. I removed his royal headband and bracelet, and have brought them to my master. Here they are.” (2 Samuel 1.6 – 10, MSG)
This is a different account from what we just read in the previous chapter, and most commentators agree that the simple explanation for the discrepancy is that the Amalekite was lying. The lie cost him his life:
“Do you mean to say,” said David, “that you weren’t afraid to up and kill GOD’s anointed king?” Right then he ordered one of his soldiers, “Strike him dead!” The soldier struck him, and he died. “You asked for it,” David told him. “You sealed your death sentence when you said you killed GOD’s anointed king.” (2 Samuel 1.14 – 16, MSG)
Brutal times. So Saul is dead, and David becomes king…Not so fast. It will take four chapters and seven more years for that to happen. In the meantime, David composes a song, which we’ll look at tomorrow.
In the meantime, we recall David’s prescient words to Abishai:
But David said to Abishai, “Don’t you dare hurt him! Who could lay a hand on GOD’s anointed and even think of getting away with it?” He went on, “As GOD lives, either GOD will strike him, or his time will come and he’ll die in bed, or he’ll fall in battle. (1 Samuel 26.9 – 10, MSG)
Job left us an example, which David followed:
Did I ever crow over my enemy’s ruin? Or gloat over my rival’s bad luck? No, I never said a word of detraction, never cursed them, even under my breath. (Job 31.29, 30, MSG)
The Apostle Paul picks up the theme:
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them…Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12.14, 19, ESV)