Compare Saul's end in 1 Samuel 31:10 with God's promises in Deuteronomy. Saul’s Final Scene (1 Samuel 31:10) “They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.” God’s Covenant Framework in Deuteronomy • Blessings for obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) • Curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68) God spells out, in advance, exactly what Israel can expect depending on its response to His commands. Specific Word of Judgment—Deuteronomy 28:25-26 “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. Your carcasses will be food for every bird of the air and beast of the earth, with no one to scare them away.” Point-by-Point Comparison • Defeat in battle – Deuteronomy 28:25 promises it; 1 Samuel 31 records it. • Public disgrace before the nations – Deuteronomy 28:25: “a horror to all the kingdoms.” – 1 Samuel 31: The Philistines display Saul’s armor in a pagan temple. • Unburied corpse exposed to birds and beasts – Deuteronomy 28:26 predicts it. – 1 Samuel 31:10: Saul’s body is hung on a wall, subject to scavengers until the men of Jabesh-gilead recover it (31:12-13). Why the Curse Fell on Saul Scripture traces the cause directly to Saul’s rebellion: • 1 Samuel 13:8-14 — presumptuous sacrifice. • 1 Samuel 15:1-23 — failure to destroy Amalek; “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.” • 1 Samuel 28:7-18 — consulting the medium at Endor. • 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 — “Saul died for his unfaithfulness… therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom over to David.” Each step aligned Saul not with covenant blessing but with covenant curse. What Might Have Been—The Blessing Side “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will march out against you in one direction, but flee from you in seven.” (Deuteronomy 28:7) Had Saul walked in obedience, the very opposite outcome lay within reach: victory, honor, a secure dynasty (cf. 1 Samuel 13:13-14). Takeaway for Today • God means exactly what He says in His Word. • Blessing and curse are not random; they track with obedience or rebellion. • A good start (Saul’s anointing, 1 Samuel 10) is no substitute for a faithful finish (cf. 2 Timothy 4:7-8). • Christ became “a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13) so that those who trust Him might know the blessing side of the covenant forever. |
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