1 Samuel 31

“So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day.” (1 Samuel 31:6).

1 Samuel is focused around the first king of Israel, Saul. Though he was the greatest man in Israel in terms of size, he did not follow after the Lord. Where David found strength in the Lord, Saul found strength in his own commodities. In the end, because of his sin, it ended up costing not only his own life, but that of his sons as well.

Sin is a sad thing. Too often we live as if our own decisions only affect us. However, as shown by this story, sin affects others too! Jonathan, Saul’s God fearing son, would also die in this battle. When we study the life of Jonathan we see one of complete selflessness. He knew his throne would be given over to David so instead of fighting David, he recognizes the Lord’s will and becomes best friends with David. Jonathan also knew that he must stand by his father if he were to honor him. He faithfully fought with Saul until this battle.

Do not live as if you are in a bubble. Remember, sin = death. Your sin affects those around you. If Saul could have gone back to the beginning of his career as king, and watched all the choices he made to lead him up to this point, do you think he would of made them? Satan is patient. He will chip away at you until he can take down as many people as he can because of your fall. When Saul fell, his sons fell, and all his men fell. What a tragic end to the first King of Israel.

Our scene is going to turn now from Saul to David. 2 Samuel is the kingship of David. Although David made mistakes, he truly was a man following after the Lord. He sought to do the Lord’s will. Nevertheless, keep in mind how David’s sin would cause chaos in his life. We cannot go back. Be careful of the decisions you make. Read you Bibles, and weigh everything accordingly.