The Book of SamuelSample

The Aftermath of Saul’s Hostility: 1 Samuel 28:1-2 Samuel 1:27

The first segment of the aftermath of Saul’s hostility focuses on preparations for battle with the Philistines in 28:1-31:13. Departing from his usual pattern, the author of Samuel interlaced two episodes involving David and Saul to indicate that these events took place at the same time.

First, we find a brief episode of David’s preparations for battle in 28:1-2. These events took place in the Philistine city of Gath.

The Philistine king told David that he and his men would have to join the Philistine army in the battle against Israel. David deceived Achish by giving him the impression that he agreed with the plan. Delighted, Achish told David he would be the king’s bodyguard for life. The author of Samuel waited to resolve the tension over David’s participation with the Philistines until a later episode.

Second, our author turned to Saul’s preparations for battle in 28:3-25. In the days of Samuel, Saul had removed all the mediums and necromancers from Israel. But the sight of the Philistine army overwhelmed Saul with fear. He inquired of God, but God didn’t answer him. So, Saul did the unthinkable. He consulted with a medium. Now, Leviticus 20:27 indicates that necromancy — consulting the dead — was a capital crime in the law of Moses. But Saul commanded the medium of Endor to summon Samuel. Whether the spirit that appeared was actually Samuel or a demonic deception, the spirit told Saul the last thing he wanted to hear. In verse 17, the spirit repeated Samuel’s earlier words saying, “The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.” And in verse 19, the spirit continued, saying, “Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me.” God condemned Saul and his sons to death in battle with the Philistines.

The narrative in 29:1-30:31 presents David’s victories. In 28:1, the Philistine king Achish had insisted that David accompany him into battle with Israel. But in these chapters, the commanders of the Philistines refused to let David join them. So, David turned back to Ziklag and never went to war against Saul. When David returned to Ziklag, he learned that the Amalekites had burned the city and taken his wives captive. David attacked the Amalekites and destroyed every one of them — something Saul had refused to do. And acting as an honorable leader of God’s people, David shared the plunder of the battle with all those who followed him.

By contrast, our author turned to Saul’s death in the battle with the Philistines in 31:1-13. At Mount Gilboa, God poured out the curses that he’d warned were coming. Three of Saul’s sons died in the battle, including Jonathan. Then, after an archer’s arrow critically wounded Saul, we read in verse 4 that “Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.” The Philistines disgraced the bodies of Saul and his sons by fastening them to the wall of Beth-shan. But courageous men from Jabesh–gilead went at night, took the bodies, burned them and buried their bones.

The author of Samuel then closed his account of the aftermath of Saul’s hostility by turning to David’s reaction after battle in 2 Samuel 1:1-27. This segment focuses on David’s righteous response to the deaths of Saul and his sons after he returned to his home in Ziklag.

First, in 1:1-16, David executed an Amalekite messenger who claimed to have killed Saul, rather than rewarding him. Then in 1:17-27 David lamented publically over the deaths of Jonathan and Saul. As he cried out in verse 19, “Your glory, O Israel, the king of Israel is slain on your high places!” And in verses 19, 25 and 27 he honored Saul and Jonathan by repeating the well-known refrain, “How the mighty have fallen!” Despite the fact that Saul had persecuted him without just cause, David maintained his integrity as Saul’s humble servant right up to the end.

Much like those who first received the book of Samuel, we face troubles in this world. And those troubles often tempt us to lose hope for the victory of God’s kingdom in Christ. But when we humbly consider how God prepared the way for David’s reign through the lives of Samuel and Saul, his words encourage us to put our hopes for the future in the righteous reign of David’s house as well. Jesus, David’s righteous son, has come. And despite the trials we face today, we can be sure that He will grant all who believe in Him an eternal inheritance of endless blessings in the fullness of God’s kingdom.

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