The Bible Study Podcast, episode 523. Today, the Bible Study podcast continues a study of the kings of Israel and Judah as we wrap up First Samuel.

Welcome to the Bible Study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen. We're going to wrap up

1st Samuel today and possibly start 2nd Samuel. We're definitely going to continue on into that. I just

don't know for sure. I think we're going to do that today, but stay tuned and find out.

As I said, Saul's days are numbered here. The title that's been given to Chapter 31 of 1 Samuel is Saul takes

his life. Now, the Philistines fought against Israel. The Israelites fled before them, and many

fell dead on Mont Gilboa. The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they

killed his sons Jonathan, Abinidad, and Mi Shua. The fighting grew fierce around Saul,

and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically. Saul said to his armor-bearer,

draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and will run me through

and abuse me. But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it.

So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his

sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his armor bearer and all his men died together

that same day. When the Israelites along the valley

and those across the Jordan saw the Israelite army had fled, and that Saul and his sons had

died, they abandoned their towns and fled, and the Philistines came and occupied them. The next day,

when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons

fallen on Mont Gilboa. They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent

messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and

among their people. They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtherths and fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.

When the people of Jabesh-Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

all their valiant men marched through the night to Bethshan.

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