God’s Judgment on the Hard-Hearted
If the theme of Israel was idolatry and the theme of Saul’s life was his refusal to repent, then the theme governing God’s response was that of judgment. God had long threatened Saul with judgment, starting with his reproofs in 1 Samuel 15:23–28. Had he known Hannah’s Song, Saul would have taken its threats seriously. Sketching out the themes of this era of history, Hannah concluded: “The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces … The Lord will judge the ends of the earth” (1 Sam. 2:10). Saul should also have profited from the poor example of Eli and his sons, whose promised death arrived exactly on God’s schedule (2:27–34; 4:12–22). But Saul did not profit from the experiences of others, and thus the judgment threatened on the night before this battle (28:19–20) came to him with terrible efficiency.
A great judgment awaits everyone. The Bible warns that “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). Paul writes that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:10). God’s judgment is promised on all unrepentant sinners, and its end is coming swiftly.
Fortunately, the fulfillment of God’s Word regarding Saul’s judgment reminds us of the confidence we may have in the whole message of the Bible. If God’s promise of judgment on Saul was true, then God’s gospel promises of eternal life to those who believe are equally true. “Israel may fall on Gilboa, Saul may fall on his sword, but the word of Yahweh will not fall.” Jesus insisted, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). Since there is a certainty of judgment on those who will not turn, and also an assurance of salvation for all who repent and believe, the great issue in every life is therefore how we stand toward the salvation offered to sinners in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).
For all of Saul’s outward adherence to Israel and his belief in the existence of God, he had never repented and turned to the Lord in a true and living faith. On Mount Gilboa, Israel’s idolatry, Saul’s impenitence, and God’s judgment all came together in a disastrous end that could have been averted if only Saul had humbled himself before the Lord, called to the Lord for salvation, and sought the grace of the Lord to turn from his rebellion and sins. Because of this single difference, Saul died while David lived, just as Saul will spend eternity in the condemnation of hell while David dwells above in the glory of heaven. This is the decisive issue in every life: will we repent and be saved, or will we harden our hearts against God and perish?
Phillips, R. D. (2012). 1 Samuel. (P. G. Ryken & R. D. Phillips, Duguid Iain M., Eds.) (1st ed., pp. 516–517). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.
