1-2 Samuel Week Twenty-Seven: 1 Samuel 31:1-13

Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua the sons of Saul. 3 The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me through and make sport of me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. 6 Thus Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on that day together.

7 When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, with those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and lived in them.

8 It came about on the next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head and stripped off his weapons, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10 They put his weapons in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11 Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men rose and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days. —1 Samuel 31:1-13

Sermon Outline

1. The (MULTILINE)
2. The (MULTILINE)
3. The (MULTILINE)

References

Judges 21:25

1 Samuel 1:10-11

1 Samuel 3:19-21

1 Samuel 8:1-5

1 Samuel 8:19-20

1 Samuel 9:1-2

1 Samuel 10:24

1 Samuel 15:28-29

1 Samuel 16:12-13

1 Samuel 28:18-19

1 Samuel 5:1-5

Romans 6:23

1 John 1:8-9

Weekly Study Guide

I recall going to the library when I was young—looking for a book about spiders. When the librarian returned with the thickest book I had ever seen, I was excited at first. But then after reading for a few minutes, I realized that this was way more than I ever wanted to know about spiders. It’s possible you might be feeling a bit of the same thing right now. You may have never even heard of the Abrahamic Covenant, and we just spent seven weeks covering way more than you ever wanted to know about it. But my hope is that you have come to see that this promise from God is the core, center, foundation, and fount from which all of salvation flows. It is arguably the most important promise in history. And we will not understand the Bible, our salvation, or our God without it. We would do well to learn all that we can about it.

As we wrap up this section, there are a few final notes about this covenant to examine. When looking at the covenants in scripture, we can sometimes get the mistaken impression that these covenants are sequential—in other words, when one covenant is finished, the next comes into force. That is not necessarily the case. The first three covenants we discussed are covenants God makes with the entire human race. The first covenant simply describes the environment in which Adam and Eve dwelt during their innocence in the Garden. The next two are given in response to mankind’s sin and the changing landscape created by that sin. These initial three covenants do run in a sort of sequential pattern—one ends and another begins. But the final five covenants are made with Israel as God’s covenant people. These are not meant to be viewed as sequential, but rather, the key to understanding them is in how they relate to one another. In the next study guide, we will discuss how the Abrahamic Covenant is the mother of all the redemptive covenants, and how all four covenants that follow it are either clarifications of the Abrahamic promise, or help elaborate on provisions of it.

After God gave this promise to Abraham, He then clarified through which of his offspring this promised blessing would flow. Abraham had eight sons in total, so it is a fair question—to whom was the promise made? In Genesis 17, when God gave Sarah a new name, He also revealed that it was finally time for the promised son to come through Sarah. Abraham found this amusing and asked if perhaps Ishmael might actually be the one. God then replied:

No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.

God reassured Abraham that his son Ishmael would indeed be blessed, but not through the Abrahamic Covenant blessing. Isaac was the promised son. God clarified that He would establish the covenant with Isaac in verse 19, and then repeated Himself for emphasis in verse 21. Isaac would be the son with whom the covenant is established. In Genesis 25, we see Abraham give all that he had to Isaac. To the other sons he gave gifts, but he then sent them away.

God then reaffirmed this same promise to Isaac himself in Genesis 26:2-5:

The LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”

God repeated this promise to Isaac later in the same chapter (v. 24) and said He was going to do this for Abraham’s sake. Notice that the same three elements present in the Abrahamic Covenant were repeated to Isaac: land, seed, and blessing. There are those who try to argue that Ismael somehow sneaks into the Abrahamic Covenant and receives some of those blessings, but God is very clear. He would bless Ishmael because he was the son of Abraham, but it would be through his own nation and his own twelve princes (Gen 25). The Abrahamic Covenant of land, seed, and blessing would flow through Isaac alone.

Isaac had two sons of his own and God then reconfirmed this covenant with Jacob, not Esau. In Genesis 28:13-14, God reaffirmed that Jacob was the line through whom this promise would flow. Notice again the repetition of the land, seed, and blessing aspects:

And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

When God says “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” God is giving the definition of what it means to be a Jew. There are sometimes debates about how we go about defining Jewishness. But according to scripture, being Jewish means that you are a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is to the Jewish people that God promised this blessing. It is not just being a son of Abraham that makes you a Jew. That would involve many Arab descendants as well. Nor is it enough to be a son of Abraham and Isaac. That would also include additional Arab tribes that came from Esau. No, it is being a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—meaning that to be a Jew you must come from one of the twelve tribes of Israel (Jacob).

God reveals His identity as “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” over a dozen times in scripture. This appellation not only confirms the specific identity of His chosen people, but it also intentionally excludes those whom the covenant does not go through. It both identifies Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as being in the covenant, and says that Ishmael and Esau are out of the covenant. Paul makes this very clear in Romans 9:6-13. God chose Abraham and specific offspring of Abraham to be the channels of His blessing to the world.

One very important thing to note about Israel being God’s chosen people. This is a term that points us to national salvation, not personal, individual salvation. And the idea of “national salvation” has nothing to do with going to Heaven. God saves and protects the nation of Israel from their enemies, provides for them, preserves them, takes them to be His wife, and centers His plan of rescuing humanity around them. But that has nothing to do with individuals in that nation being saved in an eternal sense. Salvation from our sins is always personal. There is no such thing as nations being saved. Salvation is always and only by grace through faith in the provision of Messiah. It is by believing God. Many people were part of the commonwealth of Israel but not part of God’s family. They received many of the benefits that God poured out on His chosen people, but they still were not saved. Paul highlights this in Romans 9:6-7: “For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants…” Just because they are ethnically descended from Israel does not mean they are children of God. We see this same overflow of blessing today in the church. Many people attend church who have not surrendered their lives to Christ, who still benefit from the love and blessings present in the church.

The provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant can be categorized into three areas: to Abraham, to the Seed (Israel), and to the Gentiles. First, Abraham was to be the father of a great nation. He was to possess the Promised Land. Other nations would descend from him as well. Many of his descendants would become kings, both Jewish and non-Jewish. He would receive many blessings and would be a blessing to others. His name was to be great—as we see that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all venerate Abraham. Second, Israel, too, was to become great. In fact, it would grow to be innumerable. It would possess all of the Promised Land and would enjoy victory over its enemies. These promises have yet to be fully fulfilled and will finally be seen complete in the Millennium. Then third, to the Gentiles would flow spiritual blessings—ultimately through Messiah—but also through being grafted into the family of God through exercising the faith of Abraham. The Gentiles would be blessed for blessing Israel, and would be cursed for taking Israel lightly. While the physical blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant were reserved for Israel, the spiritual blessings would fall upon the Gentiles as well.

So far, we have identified the provisions of the Abrahamic blessing as falling into three groups: land, seed, and blessing. But in fact, there are upwards of 14 different provisions mentioned in the passages we have looked at. Again, each of these three categories will be developed further in the subsequent covenants we will look at. The provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant are described well by Arnold Fruchtenbaum and include:

• A great nation would come out of Abraham—the nation of Israel (Gen 12:2, 13:16, 15:5, 17:1-2, 22:17).
• Abraham was promised a land—the land of Canaan—with borders much larger than he or his descendants had ever yet possessed (Gen 12:1, 12:7, 13:14-17, 15:17-21, 17:8).
• Abraham was to be blessed (Gen 12:2).
• Abraham’s name would be great (Gen 12:2).
• Abraham would be a blessing to others (Gen 12:2).
• Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Gen 12:3).
• Those who curse Israel will be cursed (Gen 12:3).
• In Abraham, all will ultimately be blessed (Gen 12:3, 22:18).
• Abraham would receive the son of promise through his wife Sarah (Gen 15:1-4, 17:16-21).
• Abraham’s descendants would have to undergo the Egyptian bondage (Gen 15:13-14).
• Other nations as well would come from Abraham—including Arab nations (Gen 17:3-4, 6).
• Abram’s name would be changed to Abraham (Gen 17:5).
• Sarai’s name would be changed to Sarah (Gen 17:15).
• Circumcision on the 8^th day would be the sign or token of the covenant. It would be the identity marker of being a Jew (Gen 17:9-14).

To wrap up our time together in this study guide, and in the Abrahamic Covenant, it might be good to summarize a bit. We have seen that as we make our way through scripture, we have witnessed how God enters into contracts, or covenants, with His children, promising certain things. By making covenants, God is establishing a relationship with us, giving us confidence that He will fulfill what He has promised. The Abrahamic Covenant is the overarching promise to bring blessing back to the world and is the foundational covenant to which all other redemptive covenants are related. It is the core, source, and anchor of our confidence that God will save us. We cannot overstate or overestimate the importance of the Abrahamic Covenant in the unfolding story of salvation. It is literally step one and the fount from which all other salvation promises flow. This promise to Abraham is not only God’s contract with him that He will bless Abraham, but also God’s declaration to the world that He will save mankind.

Yes, this is a promise God made to Abraham, and thus to Israel, the nation that came from Abraham. But we Gentiles are able to access this promise because we are grafted into the family of God through having the faith of Abraham (Rom 11). This is where we get the picture of being adopted. Because we are adopted into God’s family (Rom 8:15), we can call God our Father, and we are heirs to the salvation God promised Abraham’s offspring. Our confidence in our salvation comes directly through our connection to Abraham (Gal 3:29; Rom 4:16) with whom God made this unconditional covenant.

What are some of the things have we seen in our exploration of the covenants so far? How might we put together the pieces in the big picture? In summary:

• Mankind is created and God blesses creation.
• Mankind falls into sin and deserves judgment.
• We wouldn’t survive if God gave us the judgment we deserved so He graciously enters into covenants with us.
• God chooses one man, and states that through this one man, He will raise up a nation—and through that nation, He will bring a savior who will deal with that sin problem once and for all.
• Knowing that man could never keep up his part of the bargain, God makes this covenant unconditional—so that it is incumbent upon God and God alone to bring this covenant to completion.
• This promise to Abraham is a grant or a gift graciously given—one that would also provide ultimate redemption for the world.
• It is God’s unconditional promise to bless. There is nothing anyone can do to abrogate those promises.
• God has chosen to design His plan of redemption and channel His salvation through the Jewish people, and the rest of humanity is blessed through that chosen nation.

Hopefully, the big picture of our salvation and the plan of God is coming more into focus. It is so easy to get lost in the details of the individual stories in scripture, that how it all fits together sometimes eludes us. When we are able to step back and explore the broad strokes of God’s plan, then all the little pieces that make up that plan make so much more sense. In our next study guide, we will continue to explore the plan of God, as seen through the remaining covenants—in hopes of understanding the central role that Israel plays in God mediating His salvation to the world. When we understand Israel better, we will understand 1^st & 2^nd Samuel better.

(MULTILINE)

Discussion Questions

1. The day before Saul died, the spirit of Samuel told him he would die the next day. If you had the opportunity to know the timing of your death, would you want to know? Why or why not?(MULTILINE)
2. How does the way Saul died reflect the rest of his life and kingship? Was the way Saul chose to die brave or cowardly? Why? What major themes highlight the life of Saul? What were the major issues he struggled with? What lessons can we learn from Saul as a leader, a king, and a person? In what ways would you contrast David and Saul as kings and shepherds of their people?(MULTILINE)
3. Why do you think God chose Saul to be the first king of Israel? How do we see the hand of God at work throughout the reign of Saul? How was God preparing His people for the true king He had planned for them? What do we learn about God from the stories in 1 Samuel? How is chapter 31 a fitting end to the book?(MULTILINE)
4. How does the world view suicide? What does scripture say about suicide? Why do you think the Roman Catholic Church views suicide as a mortal sin? Do you think suicide affects our eternal destiny? Why or why not? Saul asked his servant to help him die more quickly. What do you think a Christian’s stance should be on physician-assisted suicide?(MULTILINE)
5. How do you feel about the sons of Saul succumbing to the same fate as their father? Was there anything about Jonathan that would lead you to believe he deserved to die in this way? What does this teach us about the consequences of our sin? How do the deaths of Saul’s family prepare the way for David’s forthcoming ascension to the throne? Where do you see elements of Saul and elements of David in your own life? How would you apply the lessons of 1 Samuel to how you make decisions?(MULTILINE)

Going Deeper

1. Why do you think Saul’s armor bearer was so terrified to comply with Saul’s request? Why would the men of Jabesh-Gilead have gone to such great lengths to recover and bury the body of Saul (1 Sam 11)? Why do you think so many of the Israelites abandoned their towns and fled? Why would the Philistines treat the bodies of Saul and his sons in such a manner?(MULTILINE)
2. What do we learn about David from the pages of 1 Samuel? How does this book prepare him, and us, for what happens in 2 Samuel? How does 1 Samuel advance the narrative and picture of God’s redemption that He is painting for us? What are some of the biggest lessons you learned from our time together in this book?(MULTILINE)

Transformational Activity

Prayer

One of the clearest lessons we learn from the book of 1 Samuel is that when Saul and David sought the Lord through prayer, they prospered. When they didn’t, they failed miserably. As we end our time together in this book, let’s really take this lesson to heart. Let’s not only pray that God would help us to see the priority that prayer should have in our lives, but let’s dedicate ourselves to passionately pursuing living out a life of prayer. Take some time as a family or a group to pray that God would use our time studying 1 Samuel as a spark that would ignite a flame of passion for prayer—both personally and corporately. Pray together that God would impress on each of our hearts the importance of prayer.