(DAVID #17)--"HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN?".....(1 Sam. 31:1-13)
Intro: So far, our journey with David has covered about ten years of his life. For about seven of those years, David has been on the run from King Saul. Saul had been a good, godly man in the beginning of his reign; but his rejection of God’s plan for his life, and his refusal to walk with the Lord, had brought about his own rejection by God, 1 Sam. 16:1. From that tragic moment, Saul began a downward spiral into insanity.  Saul’s insanity manifested itself in jealousy and murderous hatred toward young David.
(1 Corin. 5:5-"To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.")
This text records the awful, tragic death of King Saul and his three sons.  David is lamenting the death of Saul and Jonathan. As he sings his psalm of mourning, he makes a statement three times in that passage. Three times David says, “How are the mighty fallen!” 
I. THE TRAGEDY OF SAUL’S DEATH
A. His Death Was A Sad Death –Saul ends his own life by falling on his own sword. The once powerful, handsome king is struck by the arrows of his enemies... and near the king lie the dead bodies of his three sons.  A reign that had begun so well ends in suicide after a tragic military defeat.
B. His Death Was A Shameful Death – (While the death of Saul was sad; it was also shameful. There are two reasons why I say this:)
1. It was shameful because of what happened – After his death, the body of Saul was desecrated by the enemies of Israel. He was beheaded and his head was sent from city to city as a grotesque symbol of the Philistine victory.  His body, along with the bodies of his three sons, were taken to Bethshan and nailed to the city walls. The great king of Israel became a symbol of mockery to the enemies of God. 
2. It was shameful because it did not have to happen – Saul’s life did not start out like it finished. Forty years earlier Saul had been a handsome young man. He had been humble, brave and obedient when he was first inaugurated as king.  God had a far better plan for his life; but he failed to live his life within the plan of God and he paid a terrible price as a result. Sadly, we see the same thing happening to people all around us.
Jesus said this: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly,” John 10:10. It appears from that verse that we can either have the ministry of the thief or the ministry of the Good Shepherd in our lives.
II. THE TESTIMONY OF SAUL’S DEATH (While Saul’s death is a terrible tragedy; it also shares a powerful testimony with those whose hearts can hear it.)
A. There Is A Reminder In Saul’s Death – Saul’s death serves as a clear reminder that death is coming for all of us. Think about it, on that battlefield that day, the poor man and the rich man; the king and the slave; the godly man and the sinner; the Israelite and the Philistine; the weak and the powerful; all entered death together.  This pitiful scene is a tragic, but clear reminder that death plays no favorites.
Ø Heb. 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
Ø 2 Sam. 14:14, “For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person:”
Ø Job 30:23, “For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.”

*An old legend tells of a merchant in Baghdad who one day sent his servant to the market. Before very long the servant came back, white and trembling, and in great agitation said to his master: "Down in the market place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd, and when I turned around I saw that it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture. Master, please lend me your horse, for I must hasten away to avoid her. I will ride to Samarra and there I will hide, and Death will not find me."  The merchant lent him his horse and the servant galloped away in great haste.  Later the merchant went down to the market place and saw Death standing in the crowd. He went over to her and asked, "Why did you frighten my servant this morning? Why did you make a threatening gesture?"  "That was not a threatening gesture," Death said. "I was surprized to see him in Baghdad, for I have an appointment with him tonight in Samarra."     (Each of us has an appointment in Samarra!!!)
B. There Is A Reality In Saul’s Death – The reality is this: we can either die badly like Saul, or we can die well. It is never pleasant when death comes for one who has not properly prepared for it. On the other hand, when a saint of God has lived the right kind of life and death comes; it is not a tragedy, it is a victory!   Psalm 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”  Phil. 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
III. THE TEACHING FROM SAUL’S DEATH
A. The Appearances Of Saul’s Death – (There were two things that appeared to be true when Saul died:) 
1. It Appeared That The End Had Come – When their king was slain, Israel fled away in fear, v. 7. 
2. It Appeared That The Enemy Had Won – v. 7-10   Here we learn that the Philistines occupied the Israelite cities; they mutilated the corpses of Saul and his sons; they sent Saul’s head from city to city as a testimony to the power of their gods; and they rejoiced in their victory over Israel. It looked like the enemies of the people of God had been victorious!  The enemy had won nothing but a little more time. The day was coming when the King of Israel would destroy them forever.-(Satan/Christ arose!)
B. The Accomplishments Of Saul’s Death – God used the death of Saul to accomplish some important matters in Israel. God used the death of Jesus to accomplish some important matters in the spiritual realm.)
1. It Allowed The Introduction Of A New Plan – When Saul and his sons died, the way was opened for David to be the next king.
2. It Allowed The Introduction Of A New People – David was not in the human line to ascend to the throne. The way was opened for him by the death of another.
3. It Allowed The Introduction Of A New Promise – The reign of Saul had been a time of failure and terrible dissatisfaction among the people of Israel, 1 Sam. 22:1-2. When he died, a new era was ushered in. When David came to the throne, he brought a season of prosperity and hope to Israel like they had never known.
C. The Absurdity Of Saul’s Death – In his death, Saul displayed for all to see the foolishness of man. He literally “played the fool,” 1 Sam. 26:21. He had lived like a fool and now he had died like a fool as well.   When Jesus died on the cross, many must have thought that He and God had played fools as well. No one expected the Messiah to be crucified; it would have been foolish to plan anything like that, at least from a human perspective! But that which appeared to be foolishness to man was actually the power of God in action, 1 Cor. 1:18-25.
*Conc: How are the mighty fallen? Saul died like a fool. Jesus died as a Victor, John 19:30. How will you die? What will be said about you when you leave this world?