The People’s King Falls

As we come to the final chapter of 1 Samuel, the author once more shifts his attention to Saul. The Israelites and Philistines have already gone into battle when he picks up the story. Although Saul no doubt remembers the dire warning delivered by Samuel’s spirit (28:19), he goes into battle anyway. In truth, he has no choice—as the king of Israel, he must try to deliver his people from this threat. He will forfeit his crown if he does not make the attempt.

The narrative wastes no words. The abrupt account suggests that things quickly go bad for Israel and then get worse. Saul’s men break and flee before the Philistines, and soon begin to fall slain on Mount Gilboa. Then, suddenly, the Philistines seem to focus their attack on Saul and his sons. Quickly the lives of Saul’s three sons are snuffed out, including that of Jonathan, that valiant, faithful, God-honoring man who was David’s great friend. Then Saul himself comes under attack, and is badly wounded by Philistine archers. Believing that there is no escape, his asks his armorbearer to kill him with his sword, lest the Philistines have the “honor” of ending his life. The armorbearer, however, is unable to bring himself to strike his master, so Saul lets his body fall onto a sword, ending his life by his own hand. At that, the armorbearer takes his life, too, The rout is now all but complete, and the Israelites living in that region flee their homes, yielding a large chunk of central Israel to the Philistines for a time.

Thus, the reign of the people’s king comes to a tragic and ignoble end. It began with high hopes, but it quickly degenerated as Saul showed himself unwilling to be ruled by Israel’s true King. He gave lip service to God’s commands, but he consistently refused to bow to Him when the chips were down. Again and again he showed himself to be an enemy of God, even in his final actions. Matthew Henry writes: “He was desirous to the by the hand of his own servant rather than by the hand of the Philistines, lest they should abuse him as they had abused Samson. Miserable man! He finds himself dying, and all his care is to keep his body out of the hands of the Philistines, instead of being solicitous to resign his soul into the hands of God who gave it, Ecclesiastes 7:7. As he lived, so he died, proud and jealous, and a terror to himself and all about him.”