“Saul groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me.” But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king. So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day. When the Israelites on the other side of the Jezreel Valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns. The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa. So they cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his armor. Then they proclaimed the good news of Saul’s death in their pagan temple and to the people throughout the land of Philistia.”
‭‭‬‬

1 Samuel‬ ‭31‬:‭4‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT

This passage describes the final fate of a man who is unwilling to bend before God. Saul was given the keys to the kingdom, but over and over he refused to relent his own way. He continually viewed God as a means to an end. He refused to allow God to be the driver in his life, only giving him control when it directly benefited him. He accepted God’s charity and grace but never his correction, instead preferring to proffer what seemed right in his own way. Beyond this, he hated God’s anointing for anyone but him. He led a life besieged by bitterness, jealousy, and selfish ambition and opened himself to demonic oppression because of it. At the end, he left this world on his own terms, a bitter and weak man. He was a masterful demonstration for the nation on what a king is, without God guiding his way. We ought to view him as a sad tale of the unrepentant heart, and a cautionary tale of pride mixed with power. We must view him as a call for our own repentance, for the sake of our families and those we care about.

Saul’s Relationship with God: Saul viewed God as a means to an end, refusing to submit to God’s guidance and correction.

Saul’s Character and Consequences: Saul’s pride, selfish ambition, and bitterness led to demonic oppression and a tragic end.

Lesson for Us: Saul’s story serves as a warning against unrepentant pride and a call for repentance.