Year 1, Week 35, Day 3 Bible Reading Observations

Year 1, Week 35, Day 3

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of 1 Chronicles 10; Psalm 102-103.

Today’s reading reinserts us back into the historical narrative that we had last been in while completing 1 Samuel and beginning 2 Samuel. Our last look at 2 Samuel was chapter 4. Today’s reading from 1 Chronicles 10 corresponds to 1 Samuel 31. As 1 Samuel 31 did, 1 Chronicles 10 records the death of Saul. Today’s reading also includes two Psalms. Psalm 102 is a lament in which the Psalmist describes his affliction before the LORD as he awaits the LORD to intervene: “But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations. You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come” (Psalm 102:12-13). Psalm 103 is filled with exuberant praise as the Psalmist rehearses all the blessings that the LORD richly supplies to those who are His people: “But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments” (Psalm 103:17-18). These two side-by-side Psalms reflect the full range of human experiences that are captured throughout the Psalms.

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading is the LORD’s determination to put Saul to death: “The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth” (Psalm 34:16). The scope of Saul’s life that the Chronicler provides is simply the day that he died. While 1 Samuel provides us with much more historical narrative concerning the kingship of Saul, the Chronicler, while offering a historical narrative, is much more selective in what he says about people’s lives. The Chronicler records the history of Israel that parallels the Books of Samuel and Kings, and yet, the Chronicler has an agenda other than just writing down what happened. The Chronicler wishes to focus on the people who sought to obey the LORD and honored Him in worship. Therefore, the Chronicler will either not say much good about those who did not obey and honor the LORD, nor say anything at all one way or the other. So, for Saul, the Chronicler merely records the occasion of his final demise.

The Chronicler records the fact of Saul’s death: “The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it” (1 Chronicles 10:3-4).  Wounded in battle by the Philistines, Saul requested that his armor-bearer finish him off before he falls into enemy hands. When the armor-bearer refuses, Saul kills himself. But the Chronicler does not merely record the fact of Saul’s death, he probes into the reason for his death as well as the LORD’s role in his death: “So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse” (1 Chronicles 10:13-14). Saul may have fallen on his own sword killing himself in order to prevent capture by the Philistines, but there is much more going on than this fact.

Saul died because of judgment from the LORD. Saul was unfaithful to the LORD. 1 Samuel aptly records a number of specific examples of Saul’s unfaithful. Saul’s consultation with the witch of Endor (see 1 Samuel 28) was a final example of Saul’s rebellion against and dishonor towards the LORD. One of the themes that the Chronicler will highlight (used over forty times) concerns seeking the LORD and/or seeking guidance from the LORD. For the Chronicler, this notion of seeking the LORD for guidance reflects true devotion to the LORD and genuine dependance upon Him. So, Saul’s actions of turning from the LORD and seeking guidance elsewhere is something of a hand-handed rejection of the LORD. Such rebellion warrants swift and severe judgment. It is interesting to see who the LORD executed his justice. Dishonor against and disloyalty to the LORD should be understood to result in personal disaster.

Saul’s decision to fall on his own sword was his own choice. The LORD did not override Saul’s agency of choice forcing Saul to do something that he did not want to do. No, Saul wanted to kill himself; he regarded death as more favorable than falling into the hands of the Philistines. While I do see times in the Scripture where the LORD steps in and redirects people away from doing evil, the LORD never has to force people to do evil. Human beings have a nature bent toward and bound up by evil. Such a nature is what moves us to make the choices that we make. But having affirmed the responsible actions of free creatures, we also see from the Chronicler’s words that Saul’s suicide was by decree of the LORD as a sovereign and just act of His judgement. Thus, while people have free moral agency by God, and this is the basis of our moral accountability before God, on the other hand, all human actions are under the control of God, who achieves His good and just purposes through the free actions of human beings.

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe