The Tragic Death of King Saul (1 Chronicles 10)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:04.000 Well, if you're able, please remain standing and give your attention to God's 2 00:00:04.040 --> 00:00:27.899 Word in First Chronicles, chapter ten. First Chronicles tends is God's word. 3 00:00:29.780 --> 00:00:36.570 Please give your attention to it now. The philistines fought against Israel and the 4 00:00:36.649 --> 00:00:42.530 men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. And 5 00:00:42.649 --> 00:00:48.450 the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and 6 00:00:48.969 --> 00:00:55.799 Aminadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. The battle pressed hard against Saul 7 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:00.200 and the archers found him and he was wounded by the archers. Then Saul 8 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:06.150 said to his armor bearer, draw your sword and thrust me through with it, 9 00:01:06.590 --> 00:01:11.469 lest these uncircumcised come and mistreat me. But his armor bearer would would 10 00:01:11.510 --> 00:01:19.219 not, for he feared greatly. Therefore, Saul took his own sword and 11 00:01:19.420 --> 00:01:23.260 fell upon it. When the armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he 12 00:01:23.379 --> 00:01:30.140 also fell upon his sword and died. Thus Saul died, he and his 13 00:01:30.260 --> 00:01:34.569 three sons and all his house died together. And when all the men of 14 00:01:34.689 --> 00:01:38.250 Israel who were in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul 15 00:01:38.329 --> 00:01:45.450 and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled and the Philistines 16 00:01:45.930 --> 00:01:51.680 came and lived in them. The next day, when the Philistines came to 17 00:01:51.719 --> 00:01:56.000 strip the slain, they found saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gibola Gilboa, 18 00:01:56.560 --> 00:02:01.150 and they stripped him and took his head and his armor and sent messengers 19 00:02:01.189 --> 00:02:05.870 throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and 20 00:02:06.590 --> 00:02:09.669 to the people, and they put his armor in the temple of their gods 21 00:02:10.310 --> 00:02:16.020 and fastened his head and the Temple of Dagon. But when all Jabesh Gilead 22 00:02:16.099 --> 00:02:21.300 heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose 23 00:02:21.379 --> 00:02:24.780 and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought 24 00:02:24.819 --> 00:02:30.449 them to Jabesh and they buried their bones under the oak and Jabesh and fasted 25 00:02:30.569 --> 00:02:37.090 seven days. So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith 26 00:02:37.129 --> 00:02:40.849 with Jehovah and that he did not keep the command of Jehovah and also consulted 27 00:02:40.889 --> 00:02:46.759 a medium seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from Jehovah. Therefore Jehovah 28 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:52.400 put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David, the son of 29 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:58.120 Jesse. May God bless the reading of his word. Please be seated. 30 00:03:13.740 --> 00:03:20.300 What we have here is very dramatic and also grisly story, a story about 31 00:03:20.340 --> 00:03:25.379 a troubled king who ultimately takes his own life, plunging his sword into himself 32 00:03:25.780 --> 00:03:35.129 to avoid capture, torture, mistreatment humiliation. We see the death of the 33 00:03:35.210 --> 00:03:43.479 King of Israel and the victory of the Philistines not only oversaw but over this 34 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:49.719 whole region as they go and they inhabit the cities that God's people were supposed 35 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:53.800 to belong to and live in. It's a story that reminds us of many 36 00:03:53.879 --> 00:03:59.469 things. It's a story that reminds us of the slippery slope of sin. 37 00:04:00.949 --> 00:04:08.750 It's a story that confirms God's sovereignty and Justice. It's also a story that's 38 00:04:08.750 --> 00:04:15.340 sets sets the stage for a new chapter about a new king, a king 39 00:04:15.500 --> 00:04:20.860 who will not commit suicide to avoid humiliation, but who, paradoxically, will 40 00:04:20.899 --> 00:04:30.209 give his life and be granted exaltation. The story of Saul's death ends in 41 00:04:30.329 --> 00:04:34.649 chapter ten with an explanation of why he died. This is an explanation that's 42 00:04:34.730 --> 00:04:39.759 given as a reminder, and among those who were first hearing this would have 43 00:04:39.839 --> 00:04:45.079 been known even from the very beginning, this story, of course, being 44 00:04:45.480 --> 00:04:50.879 old news. How soil died and why Saul died. You remember that the 45 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:57.069 people that are receiving this book from the Chronicler are those who have gone into 46 00:04:57.149 --> 00:05:02.149 exile after a long history of many kings, some faithful, another's unfaithful. 47 00:05:04.029 --> 00:05:10.259 It ends with this explanation about why all these things in chapter ten happen as 48 00:05:10.300 --> 00:05:15.459 they do, and that explanation focuses not on the particular events that lead to 49 00:05:15.579 --> 00:05:21.209 his death, namely he died because the archers found him, as the text 50 00:05:21.209 --> 00:05:28.410 says, but it says he died because God put him to death. So 51 00:05:28.689 --> 00:05:33.529 Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with Jehovah. The 52 00:05:33.649 --> 00:05:39.199 Bible gives some specifics of that and then says therefore Jehovah put him to death 53 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:45.680 and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse immediately. This reminds 54 00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:49.069 us of the sovereignty of God, doesn't it? There are archers there who 55 00:05:49.069 --> 00:05:55.750 are really doing their shooting. Lost the word all of a sudden archery, 56 00:05:55.870 --> 00:06:00.670 if they were fighting and they they buy their wills and buy their strength put, 57 00:06:01.110 --> 00:06:05.540 I'm Saul, to death. Saul, by his own strength, unable 58 00:06:05.660 --> 00:06:11.500 to command his armor bearer to put him to death, a committed suicide himself. 59 00:06:12.620 --> 00:06:15.579 And yet all over all of this we see that God was in control 60 00:06:15.779 --> 00:06:24.209 of these events, ultimately in charge. How God is sovereign over these secondary 61 00:06:24.250 --> 00:06:29.089 causes? The exact mechanics of how the world works, I can't tell you, 62 00:06:29.889 --> 00:06:33.600 and I don't think the Bible says but it's true. Nevertheless, as 63 00:06:33.639 --> 00:06:41.560 much as Saul is responsible for murdering himself, the Bible also points to God 64 00:06:41.800 --> 00:06:46.310 as the reason why Saul died. It was the Lord who put him to 65 00:06:46.470 --> 00:06:55.910 death and with that, transferred the kingdom to another. This point is very 66 00:06:55.949 --> 00:06:59.430 important and it's not just a side note, because it's, in many ways, 67 00:06:59.470 --> 00:07:04.579 the very point Saul failed to grasp during his kingship, namely the sovereignty 68 00:07:04.660 --> 00:07:12.899 of God. Throughout his entire Kingship, Saul failed to grant the this point, 69 00:07:13.060 --> 00:07:16.449 to accept it, to trust it and to rule under it. And 70 00:07:16.610 --> 00:07:21.209 so we'll think about that. Well, think that Saul died not just because 71 00:07:21.250 --> 00:07:26.490 of some mistakes on the battlefield, not because he was just afraid at the 72 00:07:26.529 --> 00:07:30.439 last moment. He died because God him put him to death, and God 73 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:32.839 put him to death because, ultimately, he did not trust and obey God, 74 00:07:33.639 --> 00:07:40.199 but turned away from him. He broke faith, he was unfaithful. 75 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:45.430 To understand that you it's important to get a little bit of backstory, and 76 00:07:45.550 --> 00:07:50.589 I'll explain that now. To understand Sault sins how we get to this final 77 00:07:50.670 --> 00:07:55.949 dramatic scene of his life, you have to understand where things started. And, 78 00:07:56.069 --> 00:07:59.620 as you'll remember from the old adage, things that don't start well often 79 00:07:59.779 --> 00:08:05.339 don't end well. That proves to be true here. In First Samuel Ate, 80 00:08:05.459 --> 00:08:07.699 we read that God's people, Israel, had made up their minds about 81 00:08:07.740 --> 00:08:15.730 something. They wanted a king and they wanted one bad. Samuel, the 82 00:08:15.850 --> 00:08:20.209 Prophet and judge of that time, warns them against this. He says this 83 00:08:20.449 --> 00:08:24.089 is going to cause you trouble, this will be problematic, and they say 84 00:08:24.769 --> 00:08:28.480 no, I'll quote, but there shall be a king over us, Samuel, 85 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:33.080 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king 86 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:39.399 may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles. They wanted 87 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:43.549 a king, they wanted a king to rule over them, to judge them, 88 00:08:45.029 --> 00:08:48.750 to go out and fight their battles. They wanted to be like the 89 00:08:48.830 --> 00:08:54.230 nations. Now, what's so odd about this is that from the very beginning 90 00:08:54.389 --> 00:09:01.139 of Israel, beginning of Israel's a nation, they were a people set apart 91 00:09:01.179 --> 00:09:07.539 by God himself as their king, not to be like other nations. They 92 00:09:07.580 --> 00:09:13.929 were distinct. They were unique and remarkable in who they were, this nation 93 00:09:13.129 --> 00:09:20.009 that had laws that had come directly from God, a nation whose King was 94 00:09:20.529 --> 00:09:24.679 God himself. They were not like other nations, and it's such an odd 95 00:09:24.840 --> 00:09:30.600 and indeed sinful thing that they would desire to have it some other way. 96 00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:35.960 God himself, since the days of Egypt, had fought for them, and 97 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:43.190 in amazing ways. What country consider this? What country wouldn't want the god 98 00:09:43.389 --> 00:09:48.389 of all creation to fight for them as their warrior King? Isn't this what 99 00:09:48.470 --> 00:09:52.539 nations are always claiming? God is on our side, and yet Israel is 100 00:09:52.820 --> 00:09:58.620 distancing themselves from the God who has promised to be on their side? What 101 00:10:00.019 --> 00:10:03.419 country, what nation of people, wouldn't want the god of all creation to 102 00:10:03.580 --> 00:10:09.409 fight for them as their warrior king, a God who could turn water into 103 00:10:09.450 --> 00:10:15.009 blood, who overnight can put to death the first born of all the sons 104 00:10:15.049 --> 00:10:20.529 of their enemies, a God who could route enemies with earth earthquakes and celestial 105 00:10:20.730 --> 00:10:26.559 surprises, who could dis put plagues on people, sudden death and all the 106 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:33.559 rest. The Stupidity of Sin in our hearts should never cease to amaze us. 107 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:39.590 To have this God promise to be your warrior King and say, but 108 00:10:39.750 --> 00:10:48.350 we want a king like the other nations, is insane. God points this 109 00:10:48.470 --> 00:10:52.220 out himself when he says to them, and first Samuel Ate, they have 110 00:10:52.419 --> 00:10:58.539 rejected me from being king over them. Well, soon after this that Saul 111 00:10:58.299 --> 00:11:07.210 was appointed king. As King, Saul was given a specific task to rule 112 00:11:07.330 --> 00:11:11.450 the people of God as a servant of God and, in particular, to 113 00:11:11.529 --> 00:11:18.039 rule according to God's law and to act in faith, in according to God's 114 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:26.000 strength and power. This, in particular, meant saving his people from their 115 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:31.919 enemies. Saul was to be this warrior king, much like they were asking 116 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:35.710 for, much like God had always been. God grants them the king, 117 00:11:35.909 --> 00:11:39.950 but demands that this king act under his name and by his authority. Like 118 00:11:41.110 --> 00:11:45.710 Joshua before him, this king was to lead the people in victory over the 119 00:11:45.789 --> 00:11:52.779 enemies in the land of Canaan, the Philistines, for example, but throughout 120 00:11:52.419 --> 00:12:01.179 Saul's Kingship, he continually failed to do the job. He continually broke faith 121 00:12:01.379 --> 00:12:07.210 with God. He was unfaithful to God in this particular commission of war, 122 00:12:07.409 --> 00:12:13.250 serving as a warrior, king of rule, of a routing out their enemies. 123 00:12:13.850 --> 00:12:18.279 If you go back and you read the accounts, and for Samuel for 124 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:22.679 example, you'll see that saul definitely did some good. But if you tally 125 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:26.279 it all up, by the time we get to the end of his life, 126 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:30.750 and particularly this last battle where the Philistines take over a fair section of 127 00:12:30.830 --> 00:12:35.870 the land, one commentator points out that Saul had lost Lord more land of 128 00:12:35.909 --> 00:12:39.590 the Philistines than he had gained for them, making a mockery of all the 129 00:12:39.750 --> 00:12:46.100 original hopes for the monarchy. You see what he means. They're Israel hads 130 00:12:46.139 --> 00:12:48.940 had this great thing in mind. If we could just have a king who 131 00:12:48.940 --> 00:12:54.019 would rule over US and judge us and go out like the nations, then 132 00:12:54.100 --> 00:12:58.009 we'll be powerful, will be strong, will be protected. And just the 133 00:12:58.169 --> 00:13:03.889 opposite happened. At the end of the day, saw lost more ground than 134 00:13:03.970 --> 00:13:07.850 he had gained. And here is their great and mighty king who, at 135 00:13:07.889 --> 00:13:13.080 the beginning of his kingship, stood head, taller than everyone in the land, 136 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:18.159 for Samuel tells us, was beautiful and handsome among all of Israel. 137 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:24.960 This great, glorious, handsome man is here on the battlefield, plunging a 138 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:31.350 sword into his belly. There's so many ways, both big and small, 139 00:13:31.549 --> 00:13:35.750 that Saul broke faith with God. Throughout his kingship, we see saul constantly 140 00:13:35.830 --> 00:13:41.659 afraid of his enemies, refusing to fight with the confidence of God in his 141 00:13:41.779 --> 00:13:48.019 heart, refusing to seek God in times of trouble. Let me give you 142 00:13:48.019 --> 00:13:54.899 a few examples. I'm some wellknown examples, hopefully you'll remember. One example 143 00:13:54.059 --> 00:13:58.210 is the wellknown story of David and Goliath. The very fact that we don't 144 00:13:58.210 --> 00:14:05.250 call it the story of Saul and Goliath should tell you something. Saul refused 145 00:14:05.889 --> 00:14:11.200 to lead his ARN, any armies, against this enemy. He refused to 146 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:16.320 face the giant himself, and ultimately God would use David to do the work 147 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:20.480 instead, foreshadowing, of course, the things to come that we see here 148 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:26.789 in first chronicles ten. Or take the store of Jonathan and his armor bearer, 149 00:14:26.909 --> 00:14:31.710 perhaps a little less wellknown. Or Saul and his men are hiding. 150 00:14:31.470 --> 00:14:37.899 They're hiding in caves, afraid of the Philistines and Jonathan says to his armor 151 00:14:37.980 --> 00:14:43.059 bear, enough of this. Our job is to fight these people, our 152 00:14:43.139 --> 00:14:46.700 job is to route them out, and he decides to do that. He 153 00:14:46.820 --> 00:14:52.370 takes his armor bearer and they climb up these rocky crags, these rocky cliffs, 154 00:14:52.889 --> 00:14:58.330 straight up. This isn't a surprise attack. The PHILISTINES are on top, 155 00:14:58.370 --> 00:15:01.769 jeering at them the whole time. Come on up, you dog, 156 00:15:03.009 --> 00:15:07.009 see what you can do. There's Jonathan and his armor bear crawling up the 157 00:15:07.090 --> 00:15:11.120 hill, these rocky crags, I believe they're called. They get to the 158 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:13.320 top and you know what happens? These two men, who I think have 159 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:18.639 one sword between them, slay all of them. There's a big earthquake and 160 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:22.629 they all die and a lot of people go running scared. This is the 161 00:15:22.710 --> 00:15:26.909 way that God fights battles in Israel, and this is the way Saul refuses 162 00:15:28.070 --> 00:15:33.149 to fight. David, shepherd boy and his kingdom has to do it. 163 00:15:33.590 --> 00:15:35.899 Jonathan, his son, and his armor bearer have to do it, while 164 00:15:35.940 --> 00:15:43.299 Saul and his priests and his socalled mighty men are hiding. This happens over 165 00:15:43.539 --> 00:15:48.779 and over again. One of the worst instances, instances of Saul's unfaithfulness is 166 00:15:48.299 --> 00:15:54.970 the example of the one mentioned. He Year we're Saul, instead of repenting 167 00:15:54.169 --> 00:16:00.129 and waiting on the Lord, goes to a witch instead a medium. The 168 00:16:00.210 --> 00:16:06.480 Stories in First Samuel Twenty eight, the basic outline goes like this. Once 169 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:10.840 again, the Philistines had come against come up against him. They were encamping 170 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:15.960 against him. Once again, Saul is afraid. His reaction is one of 171 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:22.590 faithlessness in God. We read he was afraid in his heart trembled greatly. 172 00:16:23.830 --> 00:16:29.710 It's a good point to just pause here and remember that being afraid is sometimes 173 00:16:29.789 --> 00:16:34.220 a sin. I'll Saul was afraid and he does inquire of God, of 174 00:16:34.299 --> 00:16:37.899 what to do. But God is silent, and he silent for a very 175 00:16:37.980 --> 00:16:44.340 particular reason, because Saul had failed to do what he had been commanded before 176 00:16:44.419 --> 00:16:49.529 to do with the amalekites. God is silent in judgment. He's silent because 177 00:16:49.570 --> 00:16:55.570 he is turned away from Saul, because of his sins. Well, let 178 00:16:55.610 --> 00:17:00.090 me put a question to you. When God has commanded you to do something 179 00:17:00.169 --> 00:17:03.720 and you haven't done it, and then you are facing a task where you 180 00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:07.759 have to do something again and he is silent, what do you do? 181 00:17:08.599 --> 00:17:12.960 What is the proper reaction? What should Saul have done on the Lord didn't 182 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:19.029 speak to him. I think the proper action was enduring the judgment of God 183 00:17:19.829 --> 00:17:26.230 and repenting of his sins. We see many times in scripture where God relents 184 00:17:26.349 --> 00:17:30.099 of the judgment that he is bringing or is about to bring because people turn 185 00:17:30.220 --> 00:17:37.019 in repentance to him. One example of this is the king and Nineveh. 186 00:17:37.539 --> 00:17:41.619 The Jonah goes to and warns and the King and all the city repent and 187 00:17:41.940 --> 00:17:48.769 God holds back judgment. Saul doesn't do that, however. He doesn't repent, 188 00:17:49.690 --> 00:17:55.529 he doesn't sit contently under the discipline of God or take his discipline, 189 00:17:55.569 --> 00:18:00.079 well we might put it. Instead, salt chooses to go consult a which, 190 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:10.359 instead of obedience, Salt Chooses Mor sin instead of obeying God's directions. 191 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:15.309 Saw The sides. A Better option is to disobey God's directions by consulting this 192 00:18:15.470 --> 00:18:21.789 medium in end or someone who could call people from the dead. Now, 193 00:18:21.910 --> 00:18:26.259 this was no accident. It wasn't as though Saul wasn't aware of this. 194 00:18:26.940 --> 00:18:32.299 In fact, earlier in that chapter we read that Saul had banished all the 195 00:18:32.420 --> 00:18:36.819 mediums because they were bad and they're not supposed to be in Israel. He 196 00:18:36.940 --> 00:18:41.289 had banished them out of Israel. But now, knowing his sin, he 197 00:18:41.450 --> 00:18:48.369 chooses to disguise himself and trick the woman about his identity and break the law 198 00:18:48.410 --> 00:18:53.609 of God. You see why the chronicler points out sauls transgressions by saying he 199 00:18:53.809 --> 00:19:00.960 broke faith with God. Point after point in Saul's Kingship, Saul chooses to 200 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:08.759 trust or be afraid of man instead of trusting and fearing God, to trust 201 00:19:10.109 --> 00:19:15.549 in evil spirituality rather than in the Holy Spirit. Over and over and over 202 00:19:15.589 --> 00:19:22.710 again, Saul broke faith. But just as much as first chronicles tells us 203 00:19:22.710 --> 00:19:27.660 about the faithlessness of Saul, it also tells us about the faithfulness of God. 204 00:19:27.819 --> 00:19:37.740 Unlike so many political leaders and kings and judges people in Charge, God 205 00:19:37.980 --> 00:19:44.410 does not wink at sin. God is just. He May forbear sin for 206 00:19:44.569 --> 00:19:48.490 a time because of his mercy and his kindness, he may forgive sin because 207 00:19:48.490 --> 00:19:55.119 of his grace, but he never ignores sin, he never winks at it, 208 00:19:55.240 --> 00:19:59.079 he never sort of sweeps it under the what rug and he certainly never 209 00:19:59.720 --> 00:20:06.119 condones it, agrees to it, participates in it or praises it. Saul 210 00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:10.509 had a job to do, which he failed, but God had a job 211 00:20:10.549 --> 00:20:14.269 as well to be the great and holy King and judge that he is. 212 00:20:15.349 --> 00:20:18.309 It's not a job that was assigned to him, but a one that belongs 213 00:20:18.349 --> 00:20:25.940 to him eternally because of who he is. In addition to this, God 214 00:20:26.099 --> 00:20:32.700 has had assigned himself the particular task of caring for his people. Saul had 215 00:20:32.819 --> 00:20:36.849 failed to do that, and if God was to be faithful to his people, 216 00:20:36.890 --> 00:20:42.130 he needed to remove Saul. To allow a faithful, a faithless ruler 217 00:20:42.289 --> 00:20:51.720 to continue ruling over them would be to destroy his people, and so God 218 00:20:52.039 --> 00:21:00.240 eventually removes the king that perhaps they even deserved. Well, let's pause for 219 00:21:00.279 --> 00:21:06.390 a moment right here and reflect on this powerful activity of God. This story 220 00:21:06.470 --> 00:21:11.869 gives us an opportunity to see things not from the sinful, scared human perspective 221 00:21:11.950 --> 00:21:15.990 that we often see them, but from the sovereign and powerful perspective that God 222 00:21:17.269 --> 00:21:23.180 sees and knows things. To Saul, the Philistines were an unstoppable force, 223 00:21:26.019 --> 00:21:30.339 going back to the example of Jonathan and the armor bearer and hit a Jonathan 224 00:21:30.380 --> 00:21:33.650 and his armor bearer. The text says there, I believe it's in First 225 00:21:33.690 --> 00:21:38.849 Samuel Fourteen, and text says that they were scared because they didn't have any 226 00:21:38.890 --> 00:21:47.519 sorts because the Philistines had this monopoly on sword. I believe it's sharpening. 227 00:21:47.640 --> 00:21:51.839 Forgive me if I'm not remembering that right, but there's this kind of economic 228 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:56.640 and supply problem and even in terms of weapons, you might be afraid to 229 00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:03.630 if you were Saul. There are in some ways legitimate reasons in which Paul 230 00:22:03.750 --> 00:22:07.069 look, or Saul looks at his situation and says this isn't good, I 231 00:22:07.190 --> 00:22:12.990 should be afraid. But again he's seeing things in a human centered way. 232 00:22:15.509 --> 00:22:21.059 To Saul the Philistines seemed like an unstoppable force, but to God, what 233 00:22:21.259 --> 00:22:27.660 are they? Ants on the grounds and on the shore. Nothing. God 234 00:22:27.740 --> 00:22:32.049 Can do is he pleases, and he does it here with Saul. He 235 00:22:32.210 --> 00:22:37.490 does it throughout the entire kingship of Saul. He's does it in all times 236 00:22:37.569 --> 00:22:41.970 and in all places. To Saul, his kingship was all that he had 237 00:22:42.210 --> 00:22:48.519 and it was his point to put all of his pride and power in it. 238 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:53.160 To God, Saul's Kingship was an office in which Saul was to exercise 239 00:22:53.319 --> 00:22:59.549 as a servant, no matter what the outcome was, no matter what happened 240 00:22:59.589 --> 00:23:03.190 with the Philistines or his people. Saul was to do his job, and 241 00:23:03.309 --> 00:23:10.190 faithfulness to the Lord. Saul, who is constantly worried about the honor and 242 00:23:10.349 --> 00:23:17.740 protection of him and his house, ultimately lost both. This is a lesson 243 00:23:17.859 --> 00:23:23.660 we must learn. Whenever we forget God and turn to other sources of strength, 244 00:23:23.819 --> 00:23:30.890 other hopes, other fears, other plans, we step onto a treacherous 245 00:23:30.930 --> 00:23:36.490 path, a trap, a path that is a trap, a path that 246 00:23:36.769 --> 00:23:41.289 walks away from the Lord, from his power, from his strength, and 247 00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:47.599 walks in our own ways. Even great servants of God, much better than 248 00:23:47.720 --> 00:23:53.599 Saul, found their deaths as well for doing the same things. If you 249 00:23:53.680 --> 00:24:00.829 are wise, you will hear this. You will beware and remember that Strang 250 00:24:02.029 --> 00:24:08.630 from the Lord brings nothing but disaster. But there is another lesson to be 251 00:24:08.670 --> 00:24:15.779 learned here as well. God is King Not only to execute justice but, 252 00:24:15.900 --> 00:24:21.140 as I hinted at earlier, to also bring about salvation. Those who fight 253 00:24:21.220 --> 00:24:26.049 against God will die by his hand, but those who trust God find salvation 254 00:24:26.250 --> 00:24:30.490 in him instead, and here, in this chapter, you see this, 255 00:24:30.650 --> 00:24:36.210 mostly in the way that the story doesn't end. Saul is put to death 256 00:24:36.329 --> 00:24:41.480 so that another king can take his place, a King Saul was unwilling to 257 00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:45.920 give his kingship over to but whom the Lord had chosen, in His grace 258 00:24:47.079 --> 00:24:52.480 and in his wisdom, to rule over his people. God wanted his people 259 00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:57.549 to have victory over others through a king, but not like the other nations. 260 00:24:57.950 --> 00:25:07.140 The Nation's apart from God, rely on human things, weapons, chariots, 261 00:25:07.779 --> 00:25:12.819 manpower, self confidence. God wanted victory for his people, but not 262 00:25:14.099 --> 00:25:18.619 through these means. God wanted peep the victory through his people, through a 263 00:25:18.660 --> 00:25:23.089 king who relied on God and on God alone, a king who would trust 264 00:25:23.130 --> 00:25:27.529 God and turn to him, whether he had a man, a band of 265 00:25:27.569 --> 00:25:34.490 mighty men with him or a sack full of stones. And that's who David 266 00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:41.279 was, and that's why David was victorious. Not because David was extra clever, 267 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:48.839 extra willing or extra courageous, but because David trusted in the Lord. 268 00:25:49.789 --> 00:25:53.990 Solomon was like this too, and under them, as we will see in 269 00:25:55.109 --> 00:26:03.460 the coming chapters, God made Israel to flourish. The PHILISTINES, though they 270 00:26:03.460 --> 00:26:07.259 would face, Israel, would continue to face them, and other enemies as 271 00:26:07.339 --> 00:26:14.779 well, wouldn't pose the nearly the problem that they did under Saul, and 272 00:26:14.900 --> 00:26:19.049 it was because of the weight means would of which these men exercised their kingship. 273 00:26:19.930 --> 00:26:25.210 They were kings who, though not perfect by any means, trusted in 274 00:26:25.289 --> 00:26:27.730 the Lord, their God, to be the king, not like the other 275 00:26:27.849 --> 00:26:33.960 nations, and to do his work according to his will. And because of 276 00:26:33.079 --> 00:26:38.119 this, God promised to establish them and this kind of kingdom, and he 277 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:44.920 did. But God promised something even more than that, and even greater than 278 00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:49.630 that. He promised them that he would establish a kingdom, holy kingdom, 279 00:26:49.670 --> 00:26:55.789 a righteous kingdom, a kingdom that was free of enemies and without fear, 280 00:26:55.869 --> 00:27:00.619 a kingdom that was established on God's own strength, a kingdom that would last 281 00:27:02.420 --> 00:27:07.539 forever, a kingdom that wouldn't depend on the monarchy going up and down, 282 00:27:07.740 --> 00:27:14.059 up and down, as men were faithful and faithless and faithful and faithless, 283 00:27:14.980 --> 00:27:19.569 but a kingdom that would last forever, established on the righteousness of a perfect 284 00:27:19.650 --> 00:27:26.490 king. And this God has done in David's greater son, namely Jesus. 285 00:27:27.569 --> 00:27:32.839 You remember that at the beginning of Jesus's ministry, he says the Kingdom of 286 00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:37.519 God is at hand. He means nothing less than this kingdom that had been 287 00:27:37.640 --> 00:27:44.430 promised to David, a great and mighty people that had been promised to Abraham, 288 00:27:44.470 --> 00:27:49.430 Jesus isn't explicitly mentioned in first chronicles ten, but he is the one 289 00:27:49.509 --> 00:27:53.670 who belongs to the House of David and who would one day do all that 290 00:27:53.789 --> 00:28:00.500 God had atten had intended for his people, including defeating their enemies. You 291 00:28:00.660 --> 00:28:07.180 see, Jesus is power in stark contrast to Saul's all throughout his ministry. 292 00:28:08.380 --> 00:28:15.170 When Jesus faces demonic powers, does he go and consult them? Does he 293 00:28:15.569 --> 00:28:22.130 seek them out for their wisdom? No, he goes to them and casts 294 00:28:22.250 --> 00:28:26.839 them out of people putting a flag in the ground, naming victory for God 295 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:33.559 the king. When Jesus faces enemies and people that would seek to harm the 296 00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:38.000 people of God, what does he do? Does he cow or is he 297 00:28:38.119 --> 00:28:44.109 afraid? Know? He condemns them, he calls them from what they are, 298 00:28:44.430 --> 00:28:49.230 even those who would call themselves leaders in Israel, the people pill that 299 00:28:49.269 --> 00:28:57.299 we're supposed to be leading Israel, Israel's elders and priests and scribes, Jesus 300 00:28:57.420 --> 00:29:04.299 condemns them for their faithlessness. Jesus is not afraid. In fact, Jesus 301 00:29:04.420 --> 00:29:10.329 is so not afraid and so trusting in God that he willingly goes to the 302 00:29:10.529 --> 00:29:18.529 cross. Jesus doesn't commit suicide, but he gives himself over to murderers, 303 00:29:18.569 --> 00:29:25.119 to the enemies of God, knowing and trusting in the power of God that 304 00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:30.920 he will ultimately not be humiliated and defeated, but that he will be victorious. 305 00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:37.440 That's the great strength of Jesus, that's the great king that we trust 306 00:29:37.559 --> 00:29:42.950 in when we put our faith in him and in his victory. Jesus goes 307 00:29:44.029 --> 00:29:48.430 to the cross not wanting to protect himself, but in order to gain victory 308 00:29:48.990 --> 00:29:55.900 over all of his and our enemies, and that includes not just political groups 309 00:29:55.940 --> 00:29:59.900 of people that might rise up and try to harm him or his saints, 310 00:30:00.059 --> 00:30:07.569 but that includes the devil himself, demons, Sin, the power of the 311 00:30:07.650 --> 00:30:15.329 law, guilt, shame. When we put our trust in Jesus, then 312 00:30:15.250 --> 00:30:22.480 we are putting our trust in the one who saul in many ways points to, 313 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:27.119 but as a bad contrast, we point to the one in whom God 314 00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:33.440 transfer the kingship to, away from Saul, away from the sinful desires of 315 00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:40.950 his people, to one king that would truly save them. Saul Clung to 316 00:30:40.990 --> 00:30:45.349 victory in order to avoid humiliation, and he found death and desecration as a 317 00:30:45.430 --> 00:30:52.299 result. Jesus, however, freely gives himself over to the evils of men 318 00:30:52.539 --> 00:30:59.019 and humiliation and was glorified as a result. And so we have in Jesus 319 00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:03.099 a good king, a greater king, and we also have in him all 320 00:31:03.180 --> 00:31:08.369 the confirmation of the promises of God that he will rule over his people and 321 00:31:08.529 --> 00:31:14.490 will save them from their enemies. So let us put our trust in him. 322 00:31:15.730 --> 00:31:18.920 When we, in our own lives, face various decisions about what to 323 00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:25.000 do, about how to act, about how to live, let's steer clear 324 00:31:25.319 --> 00:31:30.400 of the example of Saul and instead put our faith in God, fearing him, 325 00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:34.990 trusting him, knowing what he has already done for us. Even in 326 00:31:36.069 --> 00:31:40.670 Jesus Christ, let us pray and ask that God would grant these things to 327 00:31:40.829 --> us.