1 Samuel - Chapter 31 with Psalm 91

The host discusses the events of the last chapter of 1 Samuel, including the death of King Saul and his sons. It is mentioned that David sought guidance from the Lord and received direction. The story also references the history of the Amalekites and their attack on the Israelites. Saul's downfall is attributed to his disobedience. The chapter concludes with the Philistines fighting the Israelites and the bodies of Saul and his sons being taken down and buried. The host then reads Psalm 91, emphasizing the benefits of finding refuge in the Lord. The importance of listening to and obeying God is highlighted. I am Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at theab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are covering chapter 31, the last chapter of 1 Samuel with the death of King Saul and three of his sons, and then we will read Psalm 91 to end the lesson. As a reminder of where we are in the story, I am thankful for a graph found in Robert D. Bergen's commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel, which puts the order of events found in 1 Samuel 28 through 2 Samuel 1 verse 2. Just an added note, in the Hebrew Bible, 1 and 2 Samuel are considered one book called Samuel. So, 2 Samuel continues where 1 Samuel ends. David is living with the Philistines in Ziklag, and he is Akish, son of Maok, king of Gath, right hand man. The Philistines are planning a major attack on Israel and King Saul, and they gather for war. Israel follows suit. Day 1, the Philistine rulers march from Aphek in formation with David, chapter 29 verse 2. Then in verse 3, the Philistines exclude David from battle. Day 2, David and his men leave early in the morning to go back to Ziklag, chapter 29 verses 10 and 11. Day 4, Saul saw the Philistines and became terrified. He tried to hear from the Lord, but he would not answer, so he goes to a medium at Endor. That same evening, David arrives at Ziklag and discovered it was destroyed. He sought guidance from the Lord, and he answered. David set out for the Amalekites. Day 5, David fights the Amalekites till evening, recovers the plunder and their families, and at the same time, the Philistines fight Israel and King Saul and his sons. Day 6, the Philistines cut off Saul's head, strip him of his armor, and place Saul and his son's body on a wall, and at the same time, David and his men return to Ziklag after defeating the Amalekites. Day 7 and 8, David and his men stay in Ziklag two days, this is found in 2 Samuel chapter 1 verse 1, and David sends gifts to the elders of Judah, 1 Samuel chapter 30 verses 26-31. On day 9, which is found in 2 Samuel chapter 1 verse 2, an Amalekite informed David of Saul's death. This shows us a few things. First, it is clear that David had nothing to do with the death of King Saul and his sons. Second, it shows a distinction between Saul and David. Saul tried to hear from the Lord, but God would not answer him because of his disobedience. But David sought the Lord and he received direction from God. With the third point, we have to go back in history a little bit farther. Way back in Exodus 17, when Moses and the first generation of Israelites were heading to the promised land, the Amalekites attacked the Israelites. This is the story that Joshua was fighting them, and as long as Moses' hands were up, the Israelites were winning. But every time Moses put his hands down, the Amalekites were winning, so Aaron and her held up Moses' hands. The end of Exodus 17 says the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation. Then in Deuteronomy chapter 25, when Moses was giving his last words to that second generation that is about to enter the promised land with Joshua, Moses said in verses 17-19, Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind. They had no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he has given you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget. So in 1 Samuel chapter 15 verses 2 and 3a, when the Lord said through Samuel to King Saul, I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came out from Egypt. Now go attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. This is the first time that King Saul did not obey completely. Verse 9b tells us they were unwilling to destroy completely. This was when Samuel told Saul to obey is better than sacrifice. Verse 22 and because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king. Verse 23, then in verses 27 and 28 of chapter 15, Saul grabbed Samuel's robe and it ripped and Samuel said, the Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors, to one better than you. The downfall of Saul came because he was not willing to completely destroy the Amalekites and when the kingdom was ripped from Saul's hand, David destroyed the Amalekites. Now back to chapter 31, the Philistines fought the Israelites. Verses 2 and 3 tell us three of Saul's sons were dead, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua and Saul was critically wounded by an arrow. The story continues that Saul asked his armor bearer to kill him, but he would not kill the Lord's anointed, so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. Verses 5 and 6 read, when the armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his armor bearer and all his men died together that same day. This fulfilled what Samuel told Saul when he was at the medium's house in Endor. The Israelites knew they were defeated and they fled and abandoned their homes. The Philistines occupied them and then the next day they stripped the dead and found Saul and his three sons dead. They stripped them, cut off their heads, and hung their bodies on a wall. When the men of Jabesh Gilead heard what happened to their bodies, the valiant men traveled and snuck in at night, took down the bodies off the wall at Beth-shon, and brought them to their town. They burned them and took the bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh. They mourned and fasted for seven days. Two things to remember to add in understanding this story. In chapter 11 of 1 Samuel, when Saul had first become king, his first act of bravery was to rescue the city of Jabesh against the Ammonites. We also saw King Saul in chapter 22 verse 6 sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, his palace, and so they may have buried him under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh in order to pay homage to his leadership for Israel. One thing Ben F. Thilbert Jr. said in his commentary on 1 and 2 Samuel, quote, although Saul had stubbornly refused to acknowledge the Lord's selection of his successor, he had made an irreplaceable contribution to the history of his people. As Israel's first king, he had won a respect and love which even his later failures could not erase. To end today's lesson, I'd like to read Psalm 91. There is no title with this psalm, so we do not know who wrote it. It is a wisdom psalm with a theme of refuge being found in the Lord. It seems fitting as we have compared the first king of Israel, Saul, and the soon to be second king of Israel, David. Verses 11 through 12 of this psalm were used by Satan in Matthew chapter 4 verse 6 and in Luke chapter 4 verse 11 when he tempted Jesus, the king of kings, to put the Lord to the test, but Jesus overcame. Now Psalm 91. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. Surely He will save you from the fouler snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling, even the Lord who is my refuge, then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra. You will trample the great lion and the serpent. Because He loves me, says the Lord, I will rescue Him. I will protect Him, for He acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer Him. I will be with Him in trouble. I will deliver Him and honor Him. With long life will I satisfy Him and show Him my salvation. Ladies, there are huge benefits when the Lord is our refuge, our dwelling. So if you have heard His voice today, thank God for it. It is a gift from the Lord. Don't risk not hearing it again because you want to do your own thing and go your own way. Let's not harden our hearts against the Lord like Saul. Instead, let's be women who listen to the Lord and obey like King David, and then ultimately like Jesus did when He willfully went to the cross and died for our sin. He did that because He loved the Lord and because He loves us. And He honored the Father with His life, death, and then ultimately His resurrection and ascension. Ladies, let's be like Jesus and obey the Father. Until next time, and thanks so much for listening.