Sermon Audio: The Death of Saul
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 31:1-13
Duration: 28:23
Size: 19.4 MB

The Life of David
The Death of Saul
I Samuel 31:1-13

The author of First Samuel could have concluded chapter 31 by saying, "And now you know the rest of the story."

In other words, at exactly the same time that David was striking down the Amalekites and rescuing his people from "the enemies of the Lord", Saul was being attacked by the Philistines 100 miles to the north of David, with a very different outcome.

I. The Defeat of God's People (I Samuel 31:1-3,7)
Presumably, the men of Israel moved on to Mount Gilboa to escape the chariots of the Philistines. But, there were far too many Philistines, and the army of the Israelites was defeated on Mount Gilboa.

II. The Certainty of God's Judgment (I Samuel 31:4-6)
Saul was mortally wounded. He was dying. He knew that he was dying, and perhaps he also knew it might take hours or days before he died.

Meanwhile, 100 miles to the south, David's success was in stark contrast to Saul's defeat and death.

III. The Dishonoring of God's Name (I Samuel 31:8-10)
God's name is dishonored whenever we surrender to the idols of pride or lust or despair or greed or anger or any other violation of God's Law.

IV. The Help of God's Men (I Samuel 31:11-13)
"Saul's reign began with his deliverance of Jabesh and ends with Jabesh's 'deliverance' of Saul."