1 Chronicles 10:1-14 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 10:1-14. Let’s go!
1 Chronicles 10:11-12 (NIV)
11 When all the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard of everything the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 all their valiant men went and took the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones under the great tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
On verses 1-12: Saul is wounded in battle against the Philistines. So that he would not be killed by his enemies, Saul falls on his own sword and eventually dies on the hill of Gilboa. His sons Jonathan, Malki-Shua and Abinadab are killed as well. The Philistines find Saul’s body, strip him, cut off his head, and hang his dead body and the bodies of his dead sons on the city wall of the Philistine town of Beth Shan (1 Samuel 31:10). They also place Saul’s head in the temple of their god Dagon (v10). When they saw that Saul and his sons had died, most Israelites abandon their towns and flee for their lives (v7), with one important exception: when the people of Jabesh Gilead hear about what the Philistines have done to Saul’s body, the men of Jabesh-Gilead enter the Philistine city of Beth Shan, take down the bodies of Saul and his sons, bring them back to Jabesh Gilead and give them an honorable burial.
Why did the people of Jabesh-Gilead risk their lives to retrieve Saul’s body while other Israelites fled to save their own skin? It’s because years before, when Jabesh-Gilead was under attack by the Ammonites, Saul came to their rescue (1 Samuel 11:1-11). Having never forgotten how Saul risked his life to save them, now the people of Jabesh-Gilead were returning the favour.
What can we learn from this? When you remember the sacrifices that others before you have made, it causes you to live your life with courage, humility and for a purpose bigger than yourself. Centuries later a far greater king – Jesus Christ – would die on a hill, not because he lost a battle, but in order to win a battle. This king would risk His life to save us. When we remember the tremendous sacrifice Jesus made for us, it causes us to live our lives with courage, humility and for a purpose bigger than ourselves. Want to live life with courage? Remember how Jesus Christ gave His life for us. Remembering how Christ died and rose again for you will cause you to live with greater courage.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (NIV)
13 Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,
14 and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.
On verses 13-14: Saul’s life, death and the sad ending to his reign as king of Israel teach us an important lesson: what determines the course of your life is not what talents you have, but how well you keep the word of the Lord, and how much you trust Him and seek Him. Because Saul did not keep God’s Word, because he did not seek or trust in Him but rather put his hope in much lesser things, Saul fell short of his destiny. As a result, the blessings God intended to bring in and through Saul’s life ended up going to his successor David.
Fortunately, David would have a much different heart than Saul: though David made arguably much bigger mistakes than Saul, David would keep coming back to God and keep looking to Him for help, mercy and strength. May we learn to do the same. Like David and Saul, all of us will from time to time stumble and fall. But blessed are those who get back up and keep going to the Lord for strength.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the sacrifice You made when You died on a hill to save me. May I live today and every day in light of Your amazing sacrifice. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
