”So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines, to proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the people. Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.“ I Samuel 31:8-10 NKJV
a. To proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the people: Saul’s tragic death gave an opportunity for the enemies of the Lord to disgrace His name. Saul’s death was used to glorify pagan gods and to mock the living God.
b. They fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan: This was the ultimate insult against Saul. In that culture, to have your dead body treated this way was considered a fate worse than death itself.
i. You can go to the ruins of Beth Shan today, as the foundations to the city sit high on a hill overlooking the Roman ruins destroyed in an earthquake. It was high on that hill that the Philistines hung the decapitated corpse of King Saul in the ultimate humiliation. (Guzik)
But Dust
I am reminded of a verse: ”In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”“ Genesis 3:19 NKJV
Life is short and no matter your earthly status we all end up but dust, unless Jesus returns and we are taken away in the rapture!
”Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes.“ Genesis 18:27 NLT
A child after hearing their preacher recite this verse asked his mother, mommy what is butt dust?
A congressman used to say: If, if’s and’s and but’s were honey and nuts, we’d have Christmas every day! 😇
Blessings
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