Read 1 Chronicles 10
Saul Takes His Life
10 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.
4 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. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died. 6 So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together.
7 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.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 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.10 They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung up his head in the temple of Dagon.
11 When all the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what 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.
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.
Go Deeper
After nine chapters of detailed genealogy, the focus turns to the beginnings of the kingdom of Israel. The tragic end of King Saul’s life is revealed as we read of his fear of the Philistines and of his death inflicted by their arrows and his own sword. Amidst the description of the death of Saul and his sons is a summary of Saul’s reign. Ultimately, he was unfaithful to the Lord. This poignant statement will stand in stark contrast to God’s next king, David, described as a man after God’s own heart. Throughout the remaining chapters of Chronicles, the theme of faithfulness versus unfaithfulness will be presented.
What can we take away from this description of Saul’s end? In a devotional of 1 Chronicles 10, pastor David Platt suggests that the necessity of avoiding Saul’s breach of faith is a strong message for us to consider. Saul disobeyed God’s word and failed to seek Him for guidance resulting in unfaithful actions and weak leadership. The result for Saul was God’s judgment and the kingship turned over to David. Clearly, to avoid breaking faith with God, we are encouraged to obey His commands. Only as we depend on God to enable us to obey and walk with Him continually will we avoid unfaithful steps.
Saul’s disastrous decision to seek guidance from a medium, rather than the Lord, exposed his pattern to avoid seeking the Lord for direction. This breach of faith led to the tragic end of Saul and his sons. Again, the encouragement for us is clear. God alone is our perfect source of guidance and direction. As followers of Jesus Christ, our first best search for guidance is from our Lord. Our temptation to look elsewhere may not include a medium, but rather a search engine on our phone or computer. How do we resist the distractions that pull us away from seeking God’s wisdom first? Voicing a prayer to ask God for wisdom and direction is a start. May our eyes and heart and mind be fixed on Jesus as we face our daily decisions.
Questions
- How does Saul’s demise prompt you to reflect and reorder your obedience to God’s
- Where is your first “go to” source when faced with a decision? Is it God? Google? Your wisest friend?
- How might your prayer life change if your initial source for guidance is the Lord instead of all the alternatives exist?
Pray This
Heavenly Father,
Help me to live out the words of Proverbs 3:5-7 and to “trust in You with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding; in all my ways lead me to acknowledge You, confident that You will direct my paths. Keep me from being wise in my own eyes; may I fear You, God and turn away from evil.”
Amen
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6 responses to “1 Chronicles 10”
The greatest, most timeless resource we have readily available to us is the Bible. It is absolute truth that has stood the rest of time and is eternal. May we treasure it, memorize it, share it, and build our lives on its firm foundation. “On Christ, the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
Impatienence
That is so me! God forgive me. I want things done now, my way, and correctly. Then I think and read about God and how He also wanted things do His way and correctly.
13 So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. 14 He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
He was impatient.
Bring all things captive to the throne of God. ALL THINGS. Should I weed eat today? Where should I weed eat? What is for dinner these coming days? Even these kind of thoughts.
God thank You that I can come bodly to Your throne with all kinds of needs. Your word does not say just big things or only health desires, but all things with thanksgiving. I am so thankful You forgive me for my impatienctness. God thank You I can just breath through and know that You are with me always. God thank You for seeing people through Your love goggles and knowing that You will guide me with my interaction with them if I let You. God I am so blessed with Your peace, love and joy in these minutes of this day in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
13 “he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, 14 and did not inquire of the Lord.“
We need to always go to the proper source for wisdom. The world we live is full of noise, advice, and “influencers” which seek to direct our paths. And yet Proverbs 3 tells us “in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths.”
PS – Amazon Prime has a series, House of David, which does a good job of showing the impact of the mediums upon Saul and his wife.
Good to know; thanks for the suggestion!
“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.” (vs. 13–14)
What does the end of Saul’s life teach us about living faithfully for God and following Him only… daily… and always?
1 Chronicles 10 makes clear that Saul’s death isn’t just a battlefield tragedy — it’s a spiritual one. Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord.
What a terrible waste. To begin so well — but then end SO badly. After all, Saul was chosen by God, anointed by Samuel and empowered by the Spirit.
Then somewhere along the way, fear took root where faith once lived. Saul stopped waiting on God. Stopped obeying fully. Stopped listening when it cost him something.
And once Saul stopped listening to God, he stopped HEARING from God. In the end, he turned to a counterfeit voice that could not save him.
This is deeply sobering — and a lesson worth listening to.
If *I* stop listening to God just because it’s “inconvenient” — I may not hear Him when it’s crucial.
If I’ve learned anything from Saul’s story, it’s that faithfulness isn’t a single decision we start out with — it’s something we keep choosing. Daily obedience. Daily surrender. Daily trust that God alone is enough.
Because today’s “lesser gods” — comfort or control, reputation and success — will keep offering quick answers and immediate relief. But they “over-promise and under-deliver.”
And the results are devastating.
Only the Lord is faithful, and only He can carry us safely all the way to the end.
“Lord, keep my heart turned always toward You. Don’t let fear, pride or faithlessness pull me away. Remind me DAILY me to look for You, listen to You and live for You… to the very END of my days.”
Saul’s life serves as a powerful example of what not to do. The lesson encourages us to maintain a humble heart, ready to repent and seek God’s forgiveness when we stray off His path. By studying his life, we can avoid similar pitfalls and strive to live in a way that honors God.