Theory question 103
Saul and the Monarchy(a) Describe Saul's battle with the Philistines on Mount Gilboa (b) Give two reasons why the outcome of this battle could be blamed on Saul.
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(a) The Philistines gathered at Shunem and Israel at Gilboa; Saul was afraid (1 Samuel 28:4-5).
God did not answer him by dreams, Urim or prophets, so he consulted the medium at Endor, who brought up Samuel (1 Samuel 28:6-14).
Samuel said the Lord would give Israel to the Philistines and Saul and his sons would die the next day (1 Samuel 28:19).
The Philistines fought Israel; the men of Israel fled and many fell on Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:1).
They killed Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul's sons (1 Samuel 31:2).
Saul was badly wounded by archers (1 Samuel 31:3).
His armour-bearer refused to kill him, so Saul fell on his own sword; the armour-bearer did the same (1 Samuel 31:4-5).
The Philistines cut off his head, put his armour in the temple of Ashtaroth and fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan (1 Samuel 31:8-10).
The men of Jabesh-gilead took the bodies, burnt them and buried the bones (1 Samuel 31:11-13).
(b) Any two: his disobedience in sparing Amalek (1 Samuel 28:18); consulting a medium against God's law (1 Chronicles 10:13-14); his offering sacrifice unlawfully at Gilgal (1 Samuel 13:13); God had departed from him; fear and loss of confidence.
Narrate 1 Samuel 28 and 31, then two reasons.