I Chronicles 10 (NIV)

Summary:

Saul Takes His Life
Verses 1-14

Who: Philistines vs. Israel
What: War!
Where: Mount Gilboa
When: During King Saul's Reign
Why: Saul was unfaithful to God

The Philistines slew some Israelites on Mount Gilboa and the rest of the Israelite army fled.  The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons, killing Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.  The archers overtook Saul and wounded him.  Saul commanded his armor-bearer to run him through with his sword, so that the 'uncircumcised fellows' wouldn't torture him.  The armor-bearer was too scared to kill Saul, so Saul fell on his own sword and died.  The armor-bearer did the same.

Saul's house died together.  When the Israelites saw this and that the army had fled, they abandoned their towns and fled as well.  The Philistines then occupied the Israelite towns.

The next day, the Philistines went to strip the dead.  They found Saul and his sons on the Mount, stripped and beheaded Saul, taking his armor.  They sent messengers to tell the other Philistines about their victory, proclaiming the news among their idols and people.  They put Saul's armor in the temple of their gods and his head in the temple of Dagon.

When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what they had done to Saul, all of their valiant men retrieved his body and the bodies of his sons, taking them to Jabesh.  They buried the bones under the great tree in Jabesh and fasted for 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."  (Vs. 13-14)

Lori's Thoughts:

1.  If we are fully connected to God, those that worship false gods will know the error of their ways.  If the wicked defeat us, they will believe that their gods are real.  Then all of us will perish.  Be the kind of person that leads people to light and life.

2.  I reiterate: God wants to bless us, but cannot if we stop serving Him.  If we stop serving Him, we serve the devil, whether we choose to or not.  Saul prospered when he was on fire for God.  He suffered when he began to worship himself, he was tormented by an evil spirit (read his story in the books of Samuel), and he died for his unfaithfulness.

3.  Saul sought counsel from a medium: a speaker with the spirits of the dead.  If you seek counsel from anyone but God, you seek counsel from the devil.
  I was ignorant and curious.  I studied my astrological sign.  I had someone read my tarot cards.  I wanted to know if my future was better than my past and to discover if my personality was a product of my broken childhood or if I was like this by nature.  My sign is an accurate description of my personality and tendencies.  My tarot cards accurately predicted my future.  However, I opened doorways to my soul for the devil to send evil spirits to torment me.  Don't believe me?  Ask my ex-fiance' or one of my four psychologists.  Ask my brother or sisters.  BUT!  I prayed with my sisters to God, asking Him to bind and expel the evil spirits, close the doorways I had opened, forgive me of my unfaithfulness, and fill me with the Holy Spirit.

**If you do not fill yourself with God after you empty yourself of evil - it allows for more demons to attack and fill you.  Believe me, they will come back in greater force.  The devil wants to take you down.  If you are filled with God, there is no room for evil.  And God will protect you.  He is bigger and stronger.**

Don't let yourself fall as Saul did.  Saul had chances to turn back to God, but did not take them.  God is giving you a chance, right now, to return to Him or to accept Him for the first time.  If you haven't read my post on II Peter 3, I encourage you to do so.  You'll see how God is patient and merciful.

It's not too late now.  Don't wait until it is.