And now the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend I’ll say it clear
I’ll state my case of which I’m certain

I’ve lived a life that’s full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way

Yes there were times I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out, I faced it all
And I stood tall and did it my way…

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows
I took the blows
And did it my way…Yes, it was my way

“I did it my way” is a famous line from the song “My Way,” popularized by Frank Sinatra. It expresses a sentiment of self-reliance and living life on one’s own terms, facing challenges and making choices without compromise and kneels to no one.  Our world still today sings this song as if it is the song of a hero.  Mm.

This song could be the anthem of King Saul’s life.  He not only was disobedient to God who made him king; Saul assumed himself to be God!  Saul was rebellious; rejecting the God of his youth and Lord of his life. His heart was far from God as he reigned as King of Israel.  His arrogance and obnoxious behavior toward God and His People caused extreme despair and eventual death for his family.  King Saul was proud, so proud that he fell on his own sword—committing suicide before the enemy could murder him.  He did it his way, for sure! 

1 Samuel 31

Saul Takes His Life

31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. ³ The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.

⁴ Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”

But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. ⁵ When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. ⁶ So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.

⁷ When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

⁸ The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. ¹⁰ They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

¹¹ When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. ¹³ Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Saul’s soldiers were no match for the Philistine army with its large divisions and its many chariots. The Philistines preferred to fight on level ground because they depended on their chariots, while Israel tried to lure them into the hill country around Mount Gilboa. Without Samuel’s prayers and David’s anointed leadership, the army of Israel was destined for defeat because King Saul was still operating with only his own strength and small mind.  Even if Samuel was still alive to rely God’s direction to Saul; Saul no longer listened to God.

One of the first rules of ancient warfare was, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king” (see 1 Kings 22:31). The Philistines were notorious for abusing and humiliating victims, especially officers and kings. Fear is the reason Saul fell on his own sword—to avoid what he knew would happen to him in front of his men.

Cultures collide.  For an Israelite not to receive proper burial was both humiliating and sacrilegious, and for the body to be mutilated and then exposed was even more scandalous. The Philistines were letting their people and their idols know that they had won a great victory over their chief enemy, the people of Israel. They wrongly concluded that Dagon had triumphed over Jehovah!

Some of Israel’s courageous men gathered to cross the Jordan River and go through enemy territory to retrieve what was left of Saul and his closest officers who had been burned. Saul hadn’t been a spiritual leader, but he was a courageous leader and the first king of Israel. Even if they didn’t respect the man, they were compelled to show respect for the office, just as David had done for God’s first chosen and anointed, Saul. Saul and his men’s bones were given an honorable burial.

What is our response to those we do not agree with culturally, politically, or spiritually? Who we believe, love, trust, and obey as truth and righteousness will certainly be reflected in our response.

In times of trouble, David turned to God for wisdom and help, while Saul consistently turned away from God, even at his death.  David was given more than one opportunity to slay King Saul but he did not.  He waited for God’s direction then trusted and obeyed.  David, no matter how many times Saul attacked him, was not going to disrespect the anointed one of God.

Be a David, known for being one after the heart of God.  David even wrote songs about this intimate relationship with God that fills the middle section of our Bibles!  David was no perfect; but he knew God would remove his repented sins “as far as the east is from the west”. 

In the coming days we will walk with David through 2 Samuel to learn even more as God’s Holy Spirit teaches us a few principles of godly leadership but also the sin of being distracted from God’s will and plan with accompanying consequences.  Yes, we will see ourselves in the story of God through David. How will we respond?

Lord,

Thank you for the writings of 1 Samuel that took us through crucial, sometimes cruel human responses in a hostile land.  A shepherd boy had an intimate, growing relationship with you, leaned on you and asked in faith your help, wisdom, insight and understanding.  King Saul knew of you but didn’t know you.  Indeed, doing life our way, full of pride does lead to a tremendous fall. I cannot and will not do life without you. You are everything to me!  Forgive my own pride and DYI attitude at times and fill me with your wisdom. Thank you for love, mercy, and grace.  You are one I trust with my life for you are Life!

In Jesus Name, Amen