The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
What we sow we reap. Saul spent the last half of his reign as king in pursuit of killing David. God, on numerous occasions, had communicated to Saul that David would take his place on the throne of Israel. Because of Saul’s disobedience, God had removed Saul from being king. In fact, just prior to his death, Saul was told that again when he sought to hear from Samuel through a medium:
1 Samuel 28:16-18 (ESV)
And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? The LORD has done to you as he spoke by me, for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day.
Saul had turned his back on God so God turned his back on Saul.
1 Samuel 15:35 (ESV)
And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
What we sow, we reap.
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