A Man Who Fell On His Own Sword

1 Samuel 31:1-6

There is a man who killed himself in the Bible by falling upon his own sword. We just read those Scriptures. If I asked you who it was, would you know the answer? It’s important to come to church and get focused in on the word of God. We have to give attention to God’s words.

The man, a king, the first king of Israel, king Saul, is that man who killed himself by falling on his own sword.

1 Samuel 31:3-4
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.  4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

King Saul killed himself right there in those Scriptures. Suicide is a great sin.

King Saul Committed Suicide and Led Others to Do the Same

1 Samuel 31:5-6
And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.  6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

Now Saul’s armorbearer commits suicide too. “He fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.” Look at verse 6 closely, and I want you to keep this in mind as I will come back to this later in the sermon.

“So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.”

Most people in today’s world, because Saul committed suicide, would say that he went to hell when he died. I want to show you the life of king Saul today. We’re going to learn a lot about the first king of Israel, king Saul.

The First Appearance of Saul in the Bible

Where do we see Saul first in the Bible? We see him first in 1 Samuel Chapter 9.

1 Samuel 9:1-2
Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.  2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

Saul comes from one of the twelve tribes of Israel: the tribe of Benjamin. There was not a goodlier person than Saul among the children of Israel. Saul was a good man. He was a big man. From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. No other man was as tall as the shoulders of Saul.

1 Samuel 9:15-17
Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,  16 To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.  17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.

God Didn’t Rule with Kings

The people wanted a king to reign over them. That was not God’s way. God had judges to rule over the people through him. But the people wanted to be like all the other nations in the world. They rejected God’s way and instead wanted their own way.

So God gives them what they want. He gives them a man that they would love to have as king. A goodly man. A man that physically looked like the king of the people. A tall man. God tells Samuel, the current judge at the time, who the first king will be.

1 Samuel 9:21-22
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?  22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.

Saul was a humble man at that time.  The Benjamites were the smallest of tribes. Saul’s family was the least of all the families within their tribe of Benjamin.

This is how God does things. He chooses the humble. He chooses the lowly. He doesn’t choose the proud, high, and lifted up. For example, many people will say that God put Donald Trump in power. They think he is God’s chosen leader. Did God choose him? God chooses the humble. Are the richest and most powerful people in the world the most upright people? You tell me.

Are they humble or prideful?

Churches Support Trump Though We Would Be Kicked Out

If I did some of the things that Trump has done, I would be kicked out of the churches. But many of the churches worship him as their savior. They lift him up. They believe he is God’s chosen leader.

If I were you, I would take a closer look at who God chooses in the Bible. See if Donald Trump matches. See if Joe Biden matches. See if any of them match God’s chosen leaders. Use the Bible as your source of truth and not Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN. See how God does things in the Bible, and you will learn God. You will know things.

For example, you have the richest man in the world going after corruption. You have the most powerful man, arguably, in the world going after corruption. You’ve got this team of the most powerful man and the richest man in the world going after corruption.

Take a minute to think about that one. Do you think they got to that point by being good upright people? Do you really? This world is evil. And they are the most powerful and richest in the world. He chooses Paul White to lead the faith office. The so-called faith leaders of this country put their hands on the President in the oval office and pray for him. Donald Trump isn’t saved.

Paul White = False Preacher = Has Devils

Paula White has a devil or two or three or four. Devil infested men and women putting their hands on the President to “pray” for him. Do you think they are praying to God and Jesus Christ? If you do, something is greatly wrong. I’m warning you about this. He wants more money to go to these so-called “faith-based” organizations.

God chose Saul out of the least of the tribes and the lowest of the families. We see Samuel show Saul the word of God. Samuel anoints Saul. We see Saul saved by the word of God. He believed.

1 Samuel 10:5-7
After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:  6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.  7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

“And shalt be turned into another man.” Saul will be saved. He will receive the new man, the spiritual man, the saved man.

1 Samuel 10:9-10
And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.  10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

Saul is a Saved Man

God gave Saul another heart. He is a saved man. He has everlasting life. Now, think of this. Saul is saved. He has a new man. But his old man is still there. When you get saved, you are a new creation in Jesus Christ. You have a new spiritual man. But your old man is still there. The flesh is still there.

Saul started as a humble man. He was a saved man. He becomes the first king of Israel. He gets power. But now he has great responsibility. His first test is against the Ammonites.

1 Samuel 11:3-4
And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.  4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.

The people are crying because they are afraid.

1 Samuel 11:5-7
And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.  6 And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.  7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

Don’t Be Afraid of Anything But God

The Spirit of God comes upon Saul and he isn’t afraid. Don’t be afraid of the evil. Don’t be afraid of the tests that you will be put through. Put your trust in the Lord who can do anything. King Saul started out doing good.

Can God defeat the Ammonites? That’s laughable. Can God defeat Satan and his army of evil angels? That’s laughable. Be on God’s side.

King Saul begins to win some battles. He begins to be lifted up with pride.

1 Samuel 12:6
And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

Who brought king Saul up? The Lord did. How did we get here to this church? The Lord did it. We cannot forget any of this. How did you get saved? The Lord did it. When we go out soul winning, whose doing it? We’re working, but we would get nothing without the Lord. The Lord did it.

It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron. It is the Lord that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. It is the Lord. When you get a little bit of power in your life, don’t be lifted up.

Samuel Warns the People Over and Over Again

Samuel warns about this over and over again.

1 Samuel 12:24-25
Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.  25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

Saul is next going up to battle the Philistines. Watch what happens.

1 Samuel 13:7-8
And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.  8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

The people were trembling. Saul was waiting for Samuel. Samuel was taking longer than king Saul wanted. So watch what he does.

1 Samuel 13:9-10
And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.  10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

Saul cannot offer burnt offerings and peace offerings. That was not his job. God gave them rules. Saul knew the rules. Saul broke the rules.

Saul Continued to Break the Commandments of God

1 Samuel 13:11-12
And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;  12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.

As the king, it is a very bad thing to set a bad example of breaking God’s laws.

1 Samuel 13:13-14
And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.  14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

Saul continues to break God’s commandments. Saul did some good things, but he begins to break the commandments of the Lord more and more.

1 Samuel 15:11
It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

God decides to remove Saul as king of Israel. David will be the next king. Saul doesn’t like that. He gets jealous of David and wants to kill him. David was a wise man and a humble man. King Saul continues as king of Israel for a while.

King Saul Murders Priests of the Lord

At one point, I want you to see what king Saul does. And remember that Saul is a saved man. Ahimelech is a priest of the Lord that helped David. Since he helped David, Saul wants him dead.

1 Samuel 22:16-17
And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.  17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.

Saul is going to kill the priests of the Lord. Those are God’s priests.

1 Samuel 22:18-19
And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.  19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

Saul killed 85 priests of the Lord. But that’s not all. He killed the men, women, children, babies, and the animals. Now, that once humble and lowly man that was the least of the tribes and the least of the families in that tribe is high and lifted up with pride and arrogancy. He is jealous of David.

Saul Does This to Himself But Blames it on Others

Saul went against the Lord over and over again and is angry at David. He should be angry with himself.

One of the last things Saul does is seek after a witch. God isn’t answering him. Samuel is dead so Samuel isn’t answering him. So Saul wants to seek out the familiar spirit of Samuel to see what that familiar spirit will say. This also greatly breaks the law of God. Samuel, not a familiar spirit, is brought up from the dead. Samuel speaks to Saul.

1 Samuel 28:15-16
And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.  16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

Listen, you can be saved and an enemy of God. Why? Because you won’t do anything God asks you to do. Let’s say I stayed at this church but also secretly went out and became the leader of West Louisville’s biggest drug gang. I become the enemy of God.

It’s not okay to do what king Saul was doing especially as the king of Israel. He was the leader of God’s people. And he showed them how to do wrong like it’s okay to do that.

Samuel is Speaking Because the Bible Says So

Before I go to the next verse, look at the first part of that verse there. “And Samuel said to Saul.” The Bible tells you that Samuel is speaking. It’s not an imposter. It’s not a devil or a familiar spirit. It’s Samuel. “And Samuel said.”

1 Samuel 28:17-19
And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:  18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.  19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

This is how we know Saul went to heaven. We know Samuel went to heaven. His soul is in heaven. In verse 19, Samuel says: “To morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.”

Do you remember the beginning of this sermon when I told you to keep something in mind? Saul and his sons are going to die the next day. And they will all go to be with Samuel. Jonathan, who was David’s best friend, will die the next day. Saul and Jonathan are going to the same place as Samuel. That place is heaven. I’m going back to that Scripture from the beginning of this sermon.

1 Samuel 31:4-6
Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.  5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.  6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

Saul Died, His Three Sons, His Armourbearer, His Men

Saul died. His three sons died. His armourbearer died. All his men died that same day together. Saul and his sons went to heaven to be with Samuel. How did king Saul die?

King Saul is the man who fell on his own sword. He did all of that to himself. He killed himself. He committed suicide. But where did he go? He went to heaven? That was a horrible ending to king Saul.

And his example is there for you and I. Committing suicide is a horrible, horrible sin. Don’t ever do that. Jesus paid for all the sins of Saul. He paid for some huge sins that Saul committed. He murdered 85 priests of the Lord and women, children, and babies in an entire city. He went to heaven because he had already believed in God.

Why did Saul die? The Bible directly tells us why he died.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14
So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it;  14 And inquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

Saul went up against the word of the Lord. God warned him many times through Samuel. Saul didn’t keep the word of the Lord. As king, he ignored God’s words. He lifted himself up against God. That’s not humble. That’s proud. That’s arrogant.

Never Go to a Witch for Advice

He went to a witch to inquire of the familiar spirit. He didn’t go to the Lord. He went to a witch instead. God’s law says, Exodus 22:18 says: “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” It’s pure evil. There is no good witch. They are using devils. They are together with devils. Don’t be fooled.

Verse 14 says, “Therefore he slew him.” Who killed Saul? God did. Not directly. But he brought the Philistines against Saul and Saul decided to take his own life. That was God getting rid of Saul because he became the enemy of God.

If you’re saved, and you want to continue sinning and not follow the word of God, I would be very careful. When you know something is wrong, and you do it anyway, be very careful. God owns the life within you.

Be humble. Be lowly. Follow the laws of God. Get sin out of your life. Do your best for God. Please. Saul’s life ended horribly. God can and will punish you. Please stick closely to Jesus Christ, and don’t go the wrong way.

Saul Went to Heaven but Lost His Life

Saul went to heaven. But Saul was greatly punished. He lost his life. That’s a punishment. You don’t want to lose your life. Sin leads to death. So let’s get things right together. That’s why we’re here.

Saul’s sin led to his sons dying and his men dying. Your sins can lead to that in your life. That’s why it’s so important to get things right. When? Right now. Change things.

Remember the life of king Saul. He is the man who fell on his own sword. You get to make decisions in your life. Where are you headed? What are you doing? Each day matters. What will you do? Choose God? Choose good? Or choose evil? The choice is obvious.

Saul could have gotten it fixed. You’ve got time right now to get it fixed. Stick with us. Come to church. Learn and apply to your life.

Let’s pray.