Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him.
Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and abuse me.”
But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died. So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together.
When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.
The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. They stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news among their idols and their people. They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung up his head in the temple of Dagon.
When all the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 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.
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, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

• 1 Chronicles 10:1-14

For a link to 1 Chronicles 11, click HERE.

For a link to 1 Chronicles 11, click HERE.

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

1 Chronicles 10:14 ‘He killed him’: “Though Saul killed himself (v. 4), God took responsibility for Saul’s death, which was fully deserved for consulting a medium, an activity punishable by death (cf. Deut. 17:1-6). This demonstrates that human behavior is under the ultimate control of God, who achieves His purpose through the actions of people.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Chronicles 11:11 ‘Jashobeam … Hachmonite’: “In 27:2, he is called the son of Zabdiel, so Hachmon may be, strictly speaking, his grandfather (27:32). For a variation in name and number (300), see … 2 Samuel 23:8. A copyist’s error would best account for 800 being reported in 2 Samuel 23:8.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Chronicles 12:1 ‘Ziklag’: “Located in the south near the Edomite border, the territory was ruled by the Philistines, who made David a ruler over it during the latter period of Saul’s reign when he was pursuing David (1 Sam. 27:6, 7). This was prior to David’s taking the rule over all Israel (cf. v. 38).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Chronicles 12:8 ‘David – Despised and rejected’: “David, compelled to flee from his own country and to hide himself from the malice of Saul, was a type of our Lord Jesus Christ who, in the days when he dwelt here on earth, was despised and rejected. And at this moment it is well known that Jesus, the Son of David, is not received, acknowledged, or tolerated in this present evil world. He has gone forth outside the camp. All who would follow him must go likewise, bearing his reproach. These eleven Gadites embraced the cause of David when he was in his worst condition. They left the ease and comfort, the honors and elements of their own homes to associate them-selves with him when he was regarded as an outlaw under the ban of society. To this day every true Christian must separate himself from the world to be a follower of the despised Jesus. In that way and with that faith that people still count heresy, must he join himself with what is everywhere spoken against, running the gauntlet of the age if he would support the cause of the Lord’s anointed.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Chronicles 12:18 ‘the Spirit’: “A temporary empowerment by the Holy Spirit to assure David that the Benjamites and Judahites were loyal to him and that the cause was blessed by God.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Chronicles 12:18 ‘on Christ’s side’: “David was an exile, and not everyone cares to cast in his lot with a banished nobleman. He was outlawed, and his sovereign would have slain him with his own hand if he had found opportunity. Few care to stake their all with someone in such a condition. The many on Saul’s side spoke bitterly of David; and wishing to curry favor with the king, they slandered him to the blackest degree. Few respectable people care to associate themselves with a person who is in ill repute. Many to whom David had done no ill were eager to betray him and sell him into the hand of his enemy, for people sought their own gain and did not care whom they sold so long as they clutched the reward. It was no small thing for a band of men to unite with a man on whose head a price was set. David had to stand his guard, for traitors were all around. The people of Keilah would have delivered him up when he went within their gates. The fortunes of David were at low ebb; therefore, when these men came to David, they did a valorous action—an action that he would be sure to remember in the later days of his triumph. And they testified that they belonged to David and were on his side. Likewise, in religion, morals, and politics, we are on the side of the despised and rejected Christ to whom we belong. Here is the side of the learned; there is the side of the ignorant—we are on neither the one nor the other; we are on Christ’s side. In every political question we desire to be and ought to be on Christ’s side. We are neither of this party nor of that but on the side of justice, peace, righteousness. In every moral question we are bound to be on Christ’s side. In every religious question we are not on the side of predominant thought, nor on the side of fashionable views, nor on the side of dishonorable gain, but on the side of Christ. Make this our counsel: ‘What would Jesus do?’ Go and do that. ‘How would Jesus think?’ Go and think that. ‘What would Jesus have me to be?’ Ask God to make us just that.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Chronicles 12 ‘Reflections’: “A prophet is one who knows his times and what God is trying to say to the people of his times. …
Today we need prophetic preachers—not preachers of prophecy merely, but preachers with a gift of prophecy. The word of wisdom is missing. We need the gift of discernment again in our pulpits. It is not the ability to predict that we need, but the anointed eye, the power of spiritual penetration and interpretation, the ability to appraise the religious scene as viewed from God’s position, and to tell us what is actually going on. …
“What is needed desperately today is prophetic insight. Scholars can interpret the past; it takes prophets to interpret the present. Learning will enable a man to pass judgment on our yesterdays, but it requires a gift of clear seeing to pass sentence on our own day. …
“Another kind of religious leader must arise among us. He must be of the old prophet type, a man who has seen visions of God and has heard a voice from the Throne.”

• A. W. Tozer, Of God and Men

 

My Thoughts

The Philistines defeat Saul’s army, killing three of Saul’s sons.  Note from 1 Chronicles 9 that Saul had a fourth son, Esh-Baal.  Saul was wounded.  He feared torture and degradation at the hands of the Philistines.  He asked his armor-bearer to run him through with a sword.  His armor bearer refused.  Saul fell on his sword and seeing this, the armor bearer followed suit.  This is reminiscent of Abimelek (Judges 9:54) who sieged a tower and a woman tossed a millstone from the roof, hitting Abimelek on the head.  He asked his armor bearer to run him through with a sword so that it could not be said that a woman had killed him.  In this case, his armor bearer did so.

When the Philistines saw that Saul was dead, they cut off his head and placed it in one temple and his armor in other temples.  They also took the three sons of Saul.

Men of Jabesh Gilead heard of this atrocity and they raided the temples and returned the bodies of Saul and his sons and had them buried in Jabesh Gilead.  Note: In 1 Samuel 11, Saul had rescued Jabesh Gilead.  They returned the favor in Saul’s death.  Also note:  Gilead is the land east of the Jordan.  Thus, they went a long way to accomplish this mission.

Saul was unfaithful to God.  Repeatedly, Saul did not consult God, and the final stroke of seeking out a witch and medium was too far of a rebellion from God and it sealed Saul’s fate.

David was in Hebron, and it took the elders from all the tribes for David to be convinced that he should be the king of all Israel, even though David had been anointed by Samuel.  They anoint David again. The last chapters of 1 Samuel and the early chapters of 2 Samuel give more details about David’s reluctance and his mourning of the death of Saul, and especially Jonathan.

The Jebusites controlled Jerusalem and had done so since the days of Joshua.  David used a great plan in attacking the city.  He gave Commander in Chief honors to Joab for being first in battle in the attack on Jerusalem, which became known as David’s City.

The rest of 1 Chronicles 11 and all of 1 Chronicles 12 details some of the exploits and listing the major mighty warriors who served under King David.

The exploits are much like some of the Judges, who had a single line in Scriptures – the person killed so many enemy soldiers armed only with a small implement (sometimes not even a weapon).  As I was in the Army, each exploit is notable, but most people read through these rather quickly, maybe too quickly, for it was God protecting them in battle as He will protect us in our daily lives.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

“1 Chronicles 10: 1. The Puritans stressed ‘dying well’ as a Christian witness. How can you be prepared to ‘die well’?
“2. What is the relation between ‘living well’ and ‘dying well’ as typified by Saul? Why is Saul’s story so sorry?
1 Chronicles 11:1-9 David becomes king and David Conquers Jerusalem: 1. Do you think God’s will has anything to do with national elections or national prosperity, as was so obvious in David’s day? Why or why not?
1 Chronicles 11:10-47 David’s Mighty Men: 1. Take a sample cross section of 100 ‘average’ Christian soldiers in the Lord’s army. Would you place yourself in the top 30? Why or why not? What strengths would you need to develop to be among your King’s mighty warriors?
“2. When is ‘bravery’ most obvious? How do you practice day-to-day tor the rare crisis moment when such bravery is required? What enemies and obstacles would you bravely hope to strike down with God’s help? Ln the near future, in what battle of yours would you like God to give you the victory?
“3. Do you feel like you are fighting any battles all by yourself? ln years past, who have been the ‘spiritual giants’ who have fought with you at your side? In what way might your small group provide reinforcements today?
“4. Every nation memorializes their ‘mighty’ men and women. Where do you find such lists today? What mighty deeds are memorialized where you live or work or worship? What feelings arise within as you put faces and loved ones with those who have died in service to their God and country?
“5. In the ‘Greatest Military Heroes of All Time’ category (excluding Bible characters), who would you place in your ‘Top Three’? Pooling the group’s nominees for a secret ballot, who would you vote for as ‘Chief’ of your ‘Mighty Men’?
1 Chronicles 12: Warriors Join David: 1. What special commandos today might rival the men who joined David in exile? How would you like them as bodyguards?
“2. For what reasons might someone be suspicious of you and withhold their trust? How do you win over those who are suspicious of you?
“3. Like these defectors from Saul pledging themselves to David, to whom have you felt inspired to pledge your service (with heart and will open to God)? What normally prevents such commitment?
“4. Adnah, Jozabad and the others had to surrender loyalty to Saul in order to side with David. How do you decide which way to go when divided loyalties force a choice? Where in your life now are you facing such a conflict of loyalties?
1 Chronicles 12:23-40 Others Join David at Hebron: 1. While huge numbers eating and drinking at David’s three-day coronation may seem problematic, what does such imagery say about the ‘joy’ that attended this banquet?
“2. When have you given ‘joy’ three days of your time? What was the occasion? Why is it we often feel guilty about such time-consuming pleasure?
“3. As a Christian anticipating the final banquet crowning your coming King (see Lk 13:28-30; 14:16-24), what will you do with the limitless opportunity for enjoying your King?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

1 Chronicles 10 has one set of questions.  There are two sets of question(s) for 1 Chronicles 11 and 12.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.