1 Chronicles 10

The first king of Israel was Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. Though he was a very significant man in the history of God's people, the Messiah King would eventually come from the tribe of Judah and from the line of David. Saul and his sons died at the hands of their enemies, the Philistines.

Saul's death was not glorious. It did not inspire courage among the fighting men of Israel. When they saw what had happened to Saul and his sons they fled for their lives.

Even the dead bodies of Saul and his sons were treated as objects of disrespect. The Philistines hung these important men up as trophies in the temple of their god. They wanted everyone to see that they were superior to Israel and that the god of the Philistines was greater than the Lord God Almighty.

At least one town in Israel could not let this attack against the Lord stand. The men of Jabesh-gilead came by night and removed the bodies of Saul and his sons, granting them a respectful burial in their town.

Saul died “for his breach of faith.” His failure was not merely a matter of relative military strength or poor economic policy. Saul did not hear the Word of God and obey it. When the Lord abandoned Saul, he sought spiritual guidance from someone who communicated with the dead rather than admitting that the Lord had plainly turned over the kingdom to David, the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah.

Saul did all that he could to resist the will of the Lord that David would be king. In the end, Saul and his sons were dead on Mount Gilboa, and God had turned over the kingdom to David.

Many centuries later, the Lord God, the Father of Glory, was not surprised when Jesus of Nazareth came into Jerusalem as the ultimate Son of David. Numerous rulers were against Him in the seats of religious and civil power. They did what they could to prevent Jesus from being known as the true authority over temple and country. Yet they could not stop the plan of God. Though others would have greatly desired to keep the body of Jesus in a borrowed grave, Jesus was able to take up His life again in His resurrection. It was the unstoppable plan of God that Jesus, the Resurrection Man, would be the eternal King of a new world full of blessing and life.

We honor the death of Jesus, not by building a beautiful monument to Him in His death, but by acknowledging Him in the power of His resurrection. When we worship Him, we honor One who is alive and who reigns in us and through us for the glory of His Name. Even when we remember His death, we do so as those who know that He is alive and that He is coming again. We want to hear His Word even now and obey Him.