1 Samuel 31
I've decided to put the last chapter of 1 Samuel and the first chapter of 2 Samuel together - for so long Saul and David have been linked - though battle, hatred, marriage, friendship and respect.
David, as you may remember is sent home from the battle by the commanders of the Philistine army who do not trust him.
The Philistines attacked the Israelite camp and killed many people, including Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua are killed in the battle. The archers get Saul in range and he is critically wounded by arrows.
Saul asks his chariot driver and armour bearer to kill him quickly rather than be captured by the Philistines.
Unwilling to help his king die, the armour bearer refused to kill Saul and Saul fell on his own sword. At which so did his armour bearer.
On one day, Saul's male line is all but wiped out along with his innocent sons and the armour bearer and so much of his army.
The inhabitants of the nearby Israelite towns all made a run for it as well as they were now kingless and without an army to offer protection.
Next day when they came to strip the bodies. the Philistines found Saul and his sons close together, dead on the mountainside - they stripped the bodies of the armour and put the armour in their temples.
The bodies of Saul and his sons were not allowed to rest - they were hung outside the walls of the city for all to see.
The men of a town called Jabesh Gilead went by night and cut down the bodies and cremated them and buried the ashes under a tree.
Thus Israel's king Saul passes from the story.
2 Samuel 1
David has re-captured his captives from the raiding party and got back to Ziklag for 2 days when a ragged messenger arrives from the Israelite army camp.
This man relates that the battle did not go well and that Saul, Jonathan and the royal sons are dead - this man is an Amalekite who happened to be on the mountain at the time and he found Saul close to death but not yet dead and Saul begged him to finish him off - which the man did.
He also took Saul's crown and armband and bought it to David.
David does not rejoice or breathe a huge sigh of relief - he turns on the messenger and orders him killed for killing the Anointed king of Israel.
David and his men weep and mourn for Saul and his family fasting until nightfall.
David then sings a lament - if you want to read it starts on verse 17 and was written also in another non biblical book - the book of Jashar.
The repeating refrain "How the mighty have fallen" has passed into the language and the expression is well known if not common.
The lament is actually quite moving and many of the sentiments are still valid in the aftermath of conflict and defeat and disaster, even today.
I've decided to put the last chapter of 1 Samuel and the first chapter of 2 Samuel together - for so long Saul and David have been linked - though battle, hatred, marriage, friendship and respect.
David, as you may remember is sent home from the battle by the commanders of the Philistine army who do not trust him.
The Philistines attacked the Israelite camp and killed many people, including Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua are killed in the battle. The archers get Saul in range and he is critically wounded by arrows.
Saul asks his chariot driver and armour bearer to kill him quickly rather than be captured by the Philistines.
Unwilling to help his king die, the armour bearer refused to kill Saul and Saul fell on his own sword. At which so did his armour bearer.
On one day, Saul's male line is all but wiped out along with his innocent sons and the armour bearer and so much of his army.
The inhabitants of the nearby Israelite towns all made a run for it as well as they were now kingless and without an army to offer protection.
Next day when they came to strip the bodies. the Philistines found Saul and his sons close together, dead on the mountainside - they stripped the bodies of the armour and put the armour in their temples.
The bodies of Saul and his sons were not allowed to rest - they were hung outside the walls of the city for all to see.
The men of a town called Jabesh Gilead went by night and cut down the bodies and cremated them and buried the ashes under a tree.
Thus Israel's king Saul passes from the story.
2 Samuel 1
David has re-captured his captives from the raiding party and got back to Ziklag for 2 days when a ragged messenger arrives from the Israelite army camp.
This man relates that the battle did not go well and that Saul, Jonathan and the royal sons are dead - this man is an Amalekite who happened to be on the mountain at the time and he found Saul close to death but not yet dead and Saul begged him to finish him off - which the man did.
He also took Saul's crown and armband and bought it to David.
David does not rejoice or breathe a huge sigh of relief - he turns on the messenger and orders him killed for killing the Anointed king of Israel.
David and his men weep and mourn for Saul and his family fasting until nightfall.
David then sings a lament - if you want to read it starts on verse 17 and was written also in another non biblical book - the book of Jashar.
The repeating refrain "How the mighty have fallen" has passed into the language and the expression is well known if not common.
The lament is actually quite moving and many of the sentiments are still valid in the aftermath of conflict and defeat and disaster, even today.
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