1 Samuel 31:1-13 | Food for Thought
1 Samuel 31:1-13
Food for Thought:
Fate of a King • The Philistines attacked Saul and his men. After giving chase, Saul is mortally wounded and begs his armor bearer to finish the job. His armor bearer understandably wavers, so Saul decides to fall on his own sword - followed by the armor bearer himself. That day, Saul, his armor bearer, his sons, and many others were killed or fled that day.
Do you ever think about fate, in the sense that you may not have final say over your future, what it looks like, etc.? How’s that make you feel? Why?
Consider this chapter and the last chapter (1 Samuel 30). How were the fates of both David and Saul’s followers tied to their respective leader? How were those fates vastly different?
How do the fates of these two leaders illustrate the ultimate fates before us?
What if your fate was up to you? How does that make you feel?
Why is it good news that - in Christ - your fate is out of your hands?
These chapters - and this whole book! - have a lot to say about the significance of leaders. Sometimes you can choose them, and sometimes you can’t. How has 1 Samuel challenged you to be a more careful and conscientious follower?
Strength of a King • When the surrounding Israelite cities saw that Saul and his men had fallen or fled, they followed suit and left their towns. The Philistines then came and settled in them.
Kingdoms naturally look to their kings for strength. In what ways do you look to the leaders in your life for strength? How does who is leading you change your confidence, eagerness, hopes, etc.?
Hypothetical: What do you think the Israelites in those cities would’ve needed to see or hear in order to stand their ground? Why?
Have you ever been drawn to give up on a Christian community, church, group, etc.? Has it ever drained your strength to stay? What did you see or hear / would you have needed to see or hear in order to stay? Tell us more.
In what way is the local church a close modern-day analogy to these Israelite cities? When you think about people fleeing cities in fear and Philistines settling in them, how might this translate to the church?
Where does this analogy hold up? Where does it break down?
Where do we draw our strength from in the church? How would we know if it’s worth stay in / fighting for?
Glory of a King • Saul’s body is found by the Philistines and desecrated. Not only did they hang his armor in their place of worship, but they also hung his body on the wall of a city, shaming him and triumphing in their victory over the Israelites. When residents of Jabesh heard what had happened to Saul, however, they removed the body and gave him a proper burial in honor of him.
We see two very different groups of people have two very different takes on the legacy of Saul. Why the difference?
Which seems more appropriate to you? Now that we’ve reached the end of Saul’s life, what’s your take on him?
How do both perspectives fall short in recognizing Saul for all he was in some way?
How do you see yourself in Saul - and in the different ways different people saw him? How do you feel about being the villain in some people’s stories and the hero in other people’s?
It can be tempting to try and “get glory” from seeing our enemies humiliated. When you think of the way you engage with people you might be at odds with, how do you see yourself in the Philistines?
Why is trying to glory in the disgrace of our fellow image bearers actually a matter of unbelief in the glory God has in store for us?
Likewise, it can be tempting to “protect the glory” of yourself or your heroes. How do you see yourself in the folks at Jabesh?
Why is trying to save face or define someone by only the best things they’ve done also a matter of unbelief in Christ’s righteousness?
No matter what others think of us, how does Jesus provide rest for our hearts? How is he the remedy for both of those temptations?