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Chapter 66
The Death of Saul
[This chapter is based on 1 Samuel 28; 31.]
AGAIN war was declared between Israel and the Philistines. "The
Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem,"
on the northern edge of the plain of Jezreel; while Saul and his forces
encamped but a few miles distant, at the foot of Mount Gilboa, on the
southern border of the plain. It was on this plain that Gideon, with
three hundred men, had put to flight the hosts of Midian. But the spirit
that inspired Israel's deliverer was widely different from that which
now stirred the heart of the king. Gideon went forth strong in faith in
the mighty God of Jacob; but Saul felt himself to be alone and
defenseless, because God had forsaken him. As he looked abroad upon the
Philistine host, "he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled."
Saul had learned that David and his force were with the Philistines, and
he expected that the son of Jesse would take this opportunity to revenge
the wrongs he had suffered. The king was in sore distress. It was his
own unreasoning passion, spurring him on to destroy the chosen of God,
that had involved the nation in so great peril. While he had been
engrossed in pursuing David he had neglected the defense of his kingdom.
The Philistines, taking advantage of its unguarded condition, had
penetrated into the very heart of the country. Thus while Satan had been
urging Saul to employ every energy in hunting David, that he might
destroy him, the same malignant spirit had inspired the Philistines to
seize their opportunity to work Saul's ruin and overthrow the people of
God. How often is the same policy still employed by the archenemy! He
moves upon some unconsecrated heart to kindle envy and strife in the
church, and then, taking advantage of the divided condition of God's
people, he stirs up his agents to work their ruin.
On the morrow Saul must engage the Philistines in battle. The shadows of
impending doom gathered dark about him; he longed for help and guidance.
But it was in vain that he sought counsel from God. "The Lord answered
him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets." The Lord
never turned away a soul that came to Him in sincerity and humility. Why
did he turn Saul away unanswered? The king had by his own act forfeited
the benefits of all the methods of inquiring of God. He had rejected the
counsel of Samuel the prophet; he had exiled David, the chosen of God;
he had slain the priests of the Lord. Could he expect to be answered by
God when he had cut off the channels of communication that Heaven had
ordained? He had sinned away the Spirit of grace, and could he be
answered by dreams and revelations from the Lord? Saul did not turn to
God with humility and repentance. It was not pardon for sin and
reconciliation with God, that he sought, but deliverance from his foes.
By his own stubbornness and rebellion he had cut himself off from God.
There could be no return but by the way of penitence and contrition; but
the proud monarch, in his anguish and despair, determined to seek help
from another source.
"Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar
spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her." Saul had a full
knowledge of the character of necromancy. If had been expressly
forbidden by the Lord, and the sentence of death was pronounced against
all who practiced its unholy arts. During the life of Samuel, Saul had
commanded that all wizards and those that had familiar spirits should be
put to death; but now, in the rashness of desperation, he had recourse
to that oracle which he had condemned as an abomination.
It was told the king that a woman who had a familiar spirit was living
in concealment at Endor. This woman had entered into covenant with Satan
to yield herself to his control, to fulfill his purposes; and in return,
the prince of evil wrought wonders for her and revealed secret things to
her.
Disguising himself, Saul went forth by night with but two attendants, to
seek the retreat of the sorceress. Oh, pitiable sight! the king of
Israel led captive by Satan at his will! What path so dark for human
feet to tread as that chosen by one who has persisted in having his own
way, resisting the holy influences of the Spirit of God! What bondage so
terrible as that of him who is given over to the control of the worst of
tyrants--himself! Trust in God and obedience to His will were the only
conditions upon which Saul could be king of Israel. Had he complied with
these conditions throughout his reign, his kingdom would have been
secure; God would have been his guide, the Omnipotent his shield. God
had borne long with Saul; and although his rebellion and obstinacy had
well-nigh silenced the divine voice in the soul, there was still
opportunity for repentance. But when in his peril he turned from God to
obtain light from a confederate of Satan, he had cut the last tie that
bound him to his Maker; he had placed himself fully under the control of
that demoniac power which for years had been exercised upon him, and
which had brought him to the verge of destruction.
Under the cover of darkness Saul and his attendants made their way
across the plain, and, safely passing the Philistine host, they crossed
the mountain ridge, to the lonely home of the sorceress of Endor. Here
the woman with a familiar spirit had hidden herself away that she might
secretly continue her profane incantations. Disguised as he was, Saul's
lofty stature and kingly port declared that he was no common soldier.
The woman suspected that her visitor was Saul, and his rich gifts
strengthened her suspicions. To his request, "I pray thee, divine unto
me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto
thee," the woman answered, "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?" Then "Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the
Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing."
And when she said, "Whom shall I bring up unto thee?" he answered,
"Samuel."
After practicing her incantations, she said, "I saw gods ascending out
of the earth. . . . 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."
It was not God's holy prophet that came forth at the spell of a
sorcerer's incantation. Samuel was not present in that haunt of evil
spirits. That supernatural appearance was produced solely by the power
of Satan. He could as easily assume the form of Samuel as he could
assume that of an angel of light, when he tempted Christ in the
wilderness.
The woman's first words under the spell of her incantation had been
addressed to the king, "Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul."
Thus the first act of the evil spirit which personated the prophet was
to communicate secretly with this wicked woman, to warn her of the
deception that had been practiced upon her. The message to Saul from the
pretended prophet was, "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."
When Samuel was living, Saul had despised his counsel and had resented
his reproofs. But now, in the hour of his distress and calamity, he felt
that the prophet's guidance was his only hope, and in order to
communicate with Heaven's ambassador he vainly had recourse to the
messenger of hell! Saul had placed himself fully in the power of Satan;
and now he whose only delight is in causing misery and destruction, made
the most of his advantage, to work the ruin of the unhappy king. In
answer to Saul's agonized entreaty came the terrible message,
professedly from the lips of Samuel:
"Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from
thee, and is become thine enemy? 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 neighbor, even to David: 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. Moreover the
Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the
Philistines."
All through his course of rebellion Saul had been flattered and deceived
by Satan. It is the tempter's work to belittle sin, to make the path of
transgression easy and inviting, to blind the mind to the warnings and
threatenings of the Lord. Satan, by his bewitching power, had led Saul
to justify himself in defiance of Samuel's reproofs and warning. But
now, in his extremity, he turned upon him, presenting the enormity of
his sin and the hopelessness of pardon, that he might goad him to
desperation. Nothing could have been better chosen to destroy his
courage and confuse his judgment, or to drive him to despair and
self-destruction.
Saul was faint with weariness and fasting; he was terrified and
conscience-stricken. As the fearful prediction fell upon his ear, his
form swayed like an oak before the tempest, and he fell prostrate to the
earth.
The sorceress was filled with alarm. The king of Israel lay before her
like one dead. Should he perish in her retreat, what would be the
consequences to herself? She besought him to arise and partake of food,
urging that since she had imperiled her life in granting his desire, he
should yield to her request for the preservation of his own. His
servants joining their entreaties, Saul yielded at last, and the woman
set before him the fatted calf and unleavened bread hastily prepared.
What a scene!--In the wild cave of the sorceress, which but a little
before had echoed with the words of doom--in the presence of Satan's
messenger--he who had been anointed of God as king over Israel sat down
to eat, in preparation for the day's deadly strife.
Before the break of day he returned with his attendants to the camp of
Israel to make ready for the conflict. By consulting that spirit of
darkness Saul had destroyed himself. Oppressed by the horror of despair,
it would be impossible for him to inspire his army with courage.
Separated from the Source of strength, he could not lead the minds of
Israel to look to God as their helper. Thus the prediction of evil would
work its own accomplishment.
On the plain of Shunem and the slopes of Mount Gilboa the armies of
Israel and the hosts of the Philistines closed in mortal combat. Though
the fearful scene in the cave of Endor had driven all hope from his
heart, Saul fought with desperate valor for his throne and his kingdom.
But it was in vain. "The men of Israel fled from before the Philistines,
and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa." Three brave sons of the king died
at his side. The archers pressed upon Saul. He had seen his soldiers
falling around him and his princely sons cut down by the sword. Himself
wounded, he could neither fight not fly. Escape was impossible, and
determined not to be taken alive by the Philistines, he bade his
armor-bearer, "Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith." When
the man refused to lift his hand against the Lord's anointed, Saul took
his own life by falling upon his sword.
Thus the first king of Israel perished, with the guilt of self-murder
upon his soul. His life had been a failure, and he went down in dishonor
and despair, because he had set up his own perverse will against the
will of God.
The tidings of defeat spread far and wide, carrying terror to all
Israel. The people fled from the cities, and the Philistines took
undisturbed possession. Saul's reign, independent of God, had well-nigh
proved the ruin of his people.
On the day following the engagement, the Philistines, searching the
battlefield to rob the slain, discovered the bodies of Saul and his
three sons. To complete their triumph, they cut off the head of Saul and
stripped him of his armor; then the head and the armor, reeking with
blood, were sent to the country of the Philistines as a trophy of
victory, "to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the
people." The armor was finally put in "the house of Ashtaroth," while
the head was fastened in the temple of Dagon. Thus the glory of the
victory was ascribed to the power of these false gods, and the name of
Jehovah was dishonored.
The dead bodies of Saul and his sons were dragged to Beth-shan, a city
not far from Gilboa, and near the river Jordan. Here they were hung up
in chains, to be devoured by birds of prey. But the brave men of
Jabesh-gilead, remembering Saul's deliverance of their city in his
earlier and happier years, now manifested their gratitude by rescuing
the bodies of the king and princes, and giving them honorable burial.
Crossing the Jordan by night, they "took the body of Saul and the bodies
of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt
them there, And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at
Jabesh, and fasted seven days." Thus the noble deed performed forty
years before, secured for Saul and his sons burial by tender and pitying
hands in that dark hour of defeat and dishonor.
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