THEMES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT (a) Give a detailed account of the death of Saul on Mount Gilboa. (b) State two effects of disobedience.

Answer Details

(a) The death of Saul on Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:1-13)

The Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers found him and wounded him critically. In great distress Saul said to his armour-bearer, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and make sport of me." But the armour-bearer would not, for he was terrified. So Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. When the armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell upon his sword and died with him. Thus Saul died, along with his three sons, his armour-bearer and all his men that same day.

When the Israelites on the other side of the valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled, and the Philistines came and occupied them. The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. They cut off Saul's head, stripped off his armour, and sent the news throughout the land of the Philistines to their idols and people. They put his armour in the temple of Ashtaroth and fastened his body, with those of his sons, to the wall of Beth-shan.

When the men of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done, all the valiant men arose, travelled through the night, and took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. They brought them to Jabesh, burned them there, buried their bones under the tamarisk tree, and fasted seven days.

(b) Two effects of disobedience

• It brings punishment, downfall and loss. Saul's disobedience to God led to the loss of his kingdom, his defeat and his shameful death.
• It causes separation from God and suffering for others. Disobedience withdraws God's favour and protection, and its consequences often fall on the offender's family and people, as Saul's sons and army perished with him.