Enemies Gloat Over Saul

Synopsis     1Chron 9:41-10:8     12/18/2019 

King Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. And Benjamin was the smallest tribe. Even so, he was the first king over the united kingdom of Israel. Accordingly, he fought against Israel’s many enemies.  

One of these enemies was the confederation of Philistine cities from the southern coastal region of the Mediterranean. In his final battle, the Philistines killed Saul and all of his sons at Mount Gilboa. After this, they celebrated their victory.  

They did this in much the same way as the Israelites had celebrated the defeat of Goliath. When the Philistines found Saul’s body dead on the battle field, they stripped it. They removed his head and his armor and paraded these through their communities. Then they placed the articles in their various pagan temples. 

Enemies Gloat Over Saul 

As king, Saul had a history of mixed military success. But once David came onto the scene as a general in Saul’s army, Israel began to dominate the Philistines.  

However, Saul became jealous of David’s fame. And he feared that David might one day supplant him as king. So, instead of seeking to simply do God’s will, he persecuted David with the intent to kill him. As a result, he became vulnerable and distracted. And so, the Philistines took advantage of this to strike him militarily. This was Saul’s undoing. 

My Evil Makes Me Vulnerable 

It’s God’s way: My evil deeds make me vulnerable. 

Sometimes I resist doing what I know God wants from me. Sometimes I resist because I have other things that I want to do. But more often than not, I resist simply because I’m afraid of what God is calling me to do.  

And, it’s often in this process of avoiding God’s call, that I become distracted. My tendency is to blame others for my problems. And sometimes, I even begin to see other people as a threat. In fact, my fears have even triggered insensitivity or cruelty towards the very people that God is calling me to serve. Of course, this is nothing but treachery.  

Two thoughts on treachery: First, because it is driven by my fears, I’m liable to persecute other people without realizing what I’m doing.

Second, other people look forward to deposing treachery. Even other treacherous people rejoice when a treacherous person is cast down in humiliation.  

And this is what sets me up for failure.  

So, be on guard against fear. Trust God in every circumstance. In this way, you will avoid behaving treacherously and making unnecessary enemies. 

“my God, in you I trust; do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me. No one is disgraced who waits for you, but only those who are treacherous without cause.” Psa 25:2-3