"The Sad Decline of King Saul, Part Two"
1Samuel 23ff
January 27, 2008
by C.W. Powell
1Samuel 28:3-25 “3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
17 And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.
22 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.
23 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.
24 And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:
25 And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.” (1Sa 28:3-25 av)
Last week we saw the sad decline of Saul from the death of Goliath to the slaughter of the priests at Nob. We will pick up the narrative today and bring it to the death of Saul and Jonathan. Then we will leave the study of the history of Israel. Over the past several years we have looked at the history of Joshua and the conquest of the land; the history of Ruth the great grandmother of David, and the beginnings of the prophets in Samuel, who was also the first of the Propehts, and the establishment of the kingdom under Saul. This sermon concludes this study. At some time in the future we may take up the study of David, a most worthy and profitable study. We will study the final chapters in the sad and wicked life of Saul in five Acts:
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I. His deliverance and betrayal at Keilah
II. His Betray and the Ziphites and the rescue by the Philistines.
III. David’s sparing of Saul at Engedi and their covenant.
IV. His second betrayal by the Ziphites
V. Saul’s visit to Endor and his death at Mt. Gilboa.
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A. David deliverance of the city
B. The presence of Abiathar and the Ephod
C. The coming of Saul and the warning of God as to the hearts of the men of Keilah.
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A. David goes to the wilderness and to a mountain in the land of the Ziphites. Jonathan comes to him and they make a solemn covenant. Jonathan would be next to David when David is made king. Ziph betrays David.
B. David and his men are surrounded by Saul and his men
C. They are rescued by an invastion of the Philistines.
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A. Saul seeks him with three thousand men.
B. Saul goes into a cave to rest, not knowing that David and his men are hiding along the sides and niches inside the cave. David’s men encourage him to slay Saul, but instead, when Saul goes to sleep, and David cuts off the bottom of Saul’s robe.
C. David: would not lift his hand against the Lord’s anointed. When he becomes king there is none of Saul’s blood on his hands. Nor the blood of Nabal. David is very sensitive about authority and rule, and knows that this is given by God. Revolution and murder are not avenues for the people of God. If David could not justify rebellion against Saul, how do we justify rebellion against godly ministers and elders?
D. His confrontation with Saul: Chapter 24.
E. But Saul cannot deliver himself from his wickedness. He was encased in it and without repentance.
F. The death of Samuel
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A. David takes his nephew, Abishai the brother of Joab, and sneaks into Saul’s camp. When Abishai, one who later would become one of David’s mighty men, sees Saul, he begs for permission to hit him once. I would only need one blow. But David refuses, for this is the Lord’s anointed.
B. David takes away Saul’s water bottle and Saul’s spear and goes out of the camp and calls to Abner, Saul’s general. 26:9-11
C. Saul is again filled with remorse, but has not repentance from God. He is hardened again and again. Though one rises from the death, the wicked will not repent.
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A. Endor
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1. Sauls despair: his fake priests and ephod and urum and thummand. The real was with David. Like sewing up the veil of the temple again. Empty worship of an empty temple by an empty priesthood.
2. Israel continued to pretend that they had favor with God even though God’s real servants were hiding in the wilderness.
3. The calling up of Samuel. This is what the history says. Calvin, Luther, were wrong. This was not a fake or a pretense. The soul can exist without the body. F. Delitzsch and C. F. Keil give many sufficient reasons.
4. God would speak nor more for the good of Saul, but would send Samuel to pronounce his doom so that all would know that this came from God. The flower of Israel that followed Saul would also perish at the hands of the Philistines. This, to you and to your king. What had their king done for them: wasted them and their wealth; slaughtered their priests;
5. Like Abel, who being dead yet speaketh, so Samuel comes to pronounce the death sentenc eon Saul. Their lives had been closely connected in life, and now God permits Samuel to announce the end of Saul’s kingdom. God can do as He pleases and we must be very careful about setting aside the plain words of the Bible.
6. They will not repent though one rises from the dead. Not the tears, not the family, not the death of the priests, not the obvious virtue of David—none of these moved Saul. His rebellion was as witchcraft and ended in witchcraft.
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1. Israel is scattered before the Philistines. Jonathan is slain with two other sons of Saul
2. Saul when he sees the battle lost, commits suicide by falling on the sword.
3. The Philistines take his head and the heads of his sons and displayed bodies on the wall of the city of Bashan and put Saul’s armor in the temple to Asharoth. But brave men of Israel make a raid and take away the bodies and burned them at Jabesh. Thus ends the tale and a sad one it is. It is a very useful one for us and many lessons can be learned from it.
4. We are not to judge men according to appearances. Only God can change the heart. Tears may mean nothing at all; oaths and vows likewise. Sin is a horrible tyrant and no one can deliver himself from the bondage of sin. Only the Holy Spirit can transform the heart and the mind of the sinner. This is only through faith in Christ and submission to the rule and the faith that He has established for his people. Saul did neither. Saul’s reign was a chastening of Israel for their departure from the Lord. Seven long years would yet come to pass before David would enter into his kingdom.
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1. Sauls despair: his fake priests and ephod and urum and thummand. The real was with David. Like sewing up the veil of the temple again. Empty worship of an empty temple by an empty priesthood.
Amen and Amen