“Saul and His Sons”

And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. –I Samuel 31: 2

While David triumphantly pursues the Amalekites, Saul is being routed by the Philistines. Notice how completely different their situations are. God is with David and enables him to redeem the state of his family and the families of his men. They were lost, captives of the Amalekites, ready to be sold into slavery; but David, as the servant of the Lord, sought them, found them, and delivered them from bondage. Through the abiding presence of God, those nearest to David were set free and made subject to the joys of grace.

Saul on the other hand had turned from God and become his enemy. As such, even those of his household who were faithful to God, i.e. Jonathan, were led to destruction. We are not to suppose Jonathan was lost spiritually, but his father’s waywardness was not restricted to himself. It ended up hurting all those around him.

The successes and failures of covenant heads are not restricted to them, but affect all those around them, most particularly their families. David was faithful and would later be called a man after the Lord’s own heart. His faithfulness would bring grace upon his family. Specifically it would deliver his wives, Abigail, who we know was beautiful, and Ahinoam, who was probably the same, at least physically, from the life of degradation fair women faced as slaves in a foreign land.

Saul had rejected God, which in the end brought death and ignominy to his sons, especially in what happened after the battle. His sons were faithful to him, but their fathers faithlessness toward God brought them ruin.

We are to be instruments of redemption in the lives of those we lead. But we are only so in proportion to our own faith in and submission to God’s redemptive work in us. Saul refused to submit to that work and sought his own way. Unfortunately Saul did not travel alone. He took the entire nation with him. He lead them the way he wanted to lead – free from God – but, in the end he had only one destination – Gilboa, and destruction.

When we go our own way we put not only ourselves, but those going with us in peril. Our sins are never restricted to us, but invariably hurt those we are in covenant with. Leaders only bless those they lead when they are themselves led by God. The way of God is the way of redemption, and if we want to see our loved ones there, we must be lead there first.