1 SAMUEL LESSON 34


     We will begin this lesson in I Samuel 31:1 "Now the Philistines
fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the
Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa."

     This chapter occurs, actually, just after the happenings of
chapter 28. We find, in this, that the final judgement on Saul
happens.  The LORD had told him, long before the death of Samuel that
the kingdom would be wrenched out of his hand and given to David. This
is the fulfillment of that. For the purposes of the LORD, the
Philistines prevail in this battle. Most of the 3,000 men with Saul
are killed.

     I Samuel 31:2 "And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and
upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and
Melchi-shua, Saul's sons."

     Jonathan, David's friend, is among the sons of Saul who were
slain. The Philistines would not spare the sons of Saul, for fear they
might rise up against them, again. I Samuel 14:49 "Now the sons of
Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchi-shua: and the names of his
two daughters [were these]; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the
name of the younger Michal:" Abinadab is the same as Ishui.

     I Samuel 31:3 "And the battle went sore against Saul, and the
archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers."

     Saul had known before this battle started, that he would lose his
life. He was a brave soldier with tremendous pride. The fact that he
was wounded, was worse to him than being killed outright.

     I Samuel 31:4 "Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy
sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come
and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not;
for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon
it."

     Saul knew that the Philistines would not let him live. He was
afraid they would torture him, before they actually killed him, so he
asks his armourbearer to kill him. Saul did not want these
uncircumcised Philistines to be able to brag, that they had killed
him. The Philistines were known for their cruelty. One example was
when they poked out the eyes of Samson. Saul did not want to be
humiliated like this. His armourbearer was afraid to kill Saul. He
had, probably, taken an oath to protect him. Saul, actually, committed
suicide. He fell upon his own sword. An Amalakite passing by said he
helped him finish the act.

     I Samuel 31:5 "And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead,
he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him."

     The humiliation of allowing his master to die was more than the
armourbearer could take. He could not face that ridicule and he killed
himself, as Saul had. He fell on his sword and killed himself.

     I Samuel 31:6 "So Saul died, and his three sons, and his
armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together."

     We are not told the details of how Jonathan, and the other
brothers, died. We may assume they were killed in battle. In fact, all
of Saul's men, who protected Saul, died in this battle. This may not
mean that all 3,000 died, because Abner and Ishbosheth lived.

     I Samuel 31:7  "And when the men of Israel that [were] on the
other side of the valley, and [they] that [were] on the other side
Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons
were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came
and dwelt in them."

     These are not speaking of the three thousand men that were with
Saul as soldiers. These are the men who stayed at home, and raised the
crops, and tended the sheep. They are no longer protected by the army,
and they know the Philistines will overrun their cities, so they flee
and give them to them. They want to save their lives. The Philistines
just moved right in, and inhabited the vacated cities.

     I Samuel 31:8 "And it came to pass on the morrow, when the
Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his
three sons fallen in mount Gilboa."

     The Philistines took all of the swords, and everything else of
value, off the bodies of the slain. This is how they found the bodies
of Saul and his sons.

     I Samuel 31:9 "And they cut off his head, and stripped off his
armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to
publish [it in] the house of their idols, and among the people."

     The cutting off of his head, possibly, is in revenge for David
cutting off the head of Goliath, and taking it back to show. This
would indicate the total destruction of Saul. His armour, displayed in
the house of their false gods, would be a constant reminder, that they
had defeated Saul with the help of their false gods. They are not
aware, that it was with God's help, they defeated Saul. This was God's
way of punishing Saul.

     I Samuel 31:10 "And they put his armour in the house of
Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan."

     Ashtaroth was the false goddess of these people, along with Baal,
the male false god. This is saying, they nailed his body to the wall
in the temple of this false goddess. This was another form of
humiliation of these Israelites. It appears, from the following
verses, that they nailed the bodies of Saul's sons here, too.

     I Samuel 31:11  "And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard
of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;"

     The inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead remembered the brave deeds, that
Saul had done for his people. It seems, they made a brave surprise
raid on the temple of the false goddess Ashtaroth, and took Saul's,
and his son's bodies, down from the wall.

     I Samuel 31:12 "All the valiant men arose, and went all night,
and 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."  I Samuel 31:13
"And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and
fasted seven days"

     These men could not allow these people to degrade the bodies of
Saul and his sons. It would not only be a disgrace to Saul and his
family, but all Israel. They took their bodies down at night, while
the city was asleep. They burned the bodies in Jabesh. Had they not
burned them up, the Philistines might have been able to find them, and
desecrate their bodies further. This is the only instance of cremation
in the Bible by Hebrews.




































                        1 Samuel 34 Questions


1.  How did the battle go between the Philistines and Saul's men?
2.  What is this chapter telling of?
3.  How many men were with Saul?
4.  What happened to them?
5.  Who were Saul's sons, that died in this battle?
6.  Abinadab is the same as ________.
7.  What did the Philistines do to Saul?
8.  What was worse than being killed to Saul?
9.  Who did Saul ask to kill him?
10. Did he do what Saul said?
11. How did Saul die?
12. Why would his armourbearer not kill him?
13. After he saw Saul was dead, what did the armourbearer do?
14. What may we assume about the deaths of Saul's sons?
15. When the Israelites in the cities heard what had happened, what
    did they do?
16. When did the Philistines find Saul's body?
17. What did they do to Saul, to defame him?
18. What did they do with Saul's body?
19. Who was Ashtaroth?
20. Who did they nail to the wall, besides Saul?
21. Who comes to retrieve their bodies?
22. When did they come for their bodies?
23. What did they do with the bodies?
24. Why did they do this?
25. This is the __________ instance of cremation by the Hebrews in the
    Bible.