Title: The Hinge at Gilboa — When a Crown Falls and a Kingdom Turns 1 Chronicles 10
“Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.” (New International Version, 1 Chronicles 10:13–14)
Overview: Why this chapter matters Chronicles has been tracing names and promises—roots and routes (as we’ve noted in the last days). Chapter 10 is the hinge between the long memory of God (chapters 1–9) and the rise of David (chapters 11–29). It retells Saul’s death with a pastor’s purpose: not to gloat, but to teach. The Chronicler, writing after exile, wants a returned people to understand why kingdoms fall—and how God, in mercy, keeps his purposes moving forward.
Section 1: The battlefield and the backstory - The scene is Mount Gilboa, overlooking the Jezreel Valley. Philistine archers find their mark, Saul is mortally wounded, and he falls on his sword. His sons—including noble Jonathan—die with him. The enemy strips the king, displays his armor in the house of their gods, and fastens his body to a city wall (Beth-shan). - In darkness, the men of Jabesh-gilead retrieve the bodies and bury them, fasting seven days.
Historical notes Western readers often miss: - Beth-shan (modern Beit She’an) sits at a strategic crossroads. Excavations show a powerful city throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages. Hanging defeated leaders on walls was a grim but common public warning in the ancient Near East. Victors often placed war trophies in temples to say, “Our gods won.” - The “temple of Dagon” recalls Philistine religion (compare 1 Samuel 5 at Ashdod). Saul’s armor likely went to a local shrine (1 Samuel 31:10 says “house of Ashtaroth” at Beth-shan), while his head was sent to a major Philistine cult center. - Jabesh-gilead’s courage is repayment. Years earlier Saul rescued their city (1 Samuel 11). This is gratitude with risk. - Chronicles says the burial was “under the oak” (Hebrew allon), while 1 Samuel 31 says “under the tamarisk” (eshel). The difference may be a specific tree vs. a general landmark. Trees in Scripture are often memorial sites—living markers of covenant and grief.
Section 2: The theology beneath the tragedy The Chronicler’s verdict is concise and weighty: Saul died “because of his unfaithfulness” (Hebrew: ma‘al—covenant treachery). This is the same word used of Achan (Joshua 7). Chronicles speaks often of immediate retribution: those who seek God find him; those who forsake him are forsaken (see 2 Chronicles 15:2).
Two key Hebrew verbs matter here: - He did not “keep” (shamar) the word of the LORD. - He did not “seek” (darash) the LORD.
1 Samuel 28:6 says Saul “inquired” of the LORD but received no answer. Chronicles says he “did not seek” the LORD. The tension is instructive. Saul “asked” (sha’al—note the wordplay with his name Sha’ul) for information but did not “seek” God with a yielded heart. He wanted answers more than the Answerer. He went to a ba‘al-’ov—literally a “master of a spirit,” a medium (Endor)—and so crossed a line God had clearly drawn (Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:10–12).
The Chronicler’s point is not about the mechanics of necromancy; it is about trust. When God seems silent, will we wait, repent, and seek him—or grasp at other lights?
Section 3: A hinge that turns toward David—and Christ The final line is the hinge of the book: “So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.” God is not mocked by human kings. He is free to close one chapter and open another. In our notes from earlier days, we traced Benjamin’s bravery and brokenness; here that story reaches its sorrow. Yet God’s mercy moves: from Saul’s collapse to David’s rise; from Jonathan’s death to Mephibosheth’s welcome at the king’s table (2 Samuel 9). The arc bends toward Christ, David’s greater Son, who will not fail in obedience. Where Saul grasped, Jesus trusted. Where Saul’s body was shamed on a wall, Jesus’ body was shamed on a cross—and through that shame he disarmed the powers (Colossians 2:15).
Section 4: What the saints have seen - Augustine noted that God’s sovereignty stands behind the rise and fall of kings; earthly glory is fragile, but the City of God endures. He also warned that Saul’s turn to forbidden counsel showed a heart that would not be taught by God. - Calvin observed that God “put Saul to death” not by a bare act, but by handing him over to consequences he had chosen, a sobering mirror of Romans 1’s “God gave them over.” - Matthew Henry urged readers to “fear sin more than death.” The great tragedy is not that Saul died in battle, but that he had long been dying in soul.
Section 5: Lessons for the faithful - Seek, don’t just ask. Information is not the same as communion. When God seems silent, wait in obedience. Keep praying, keep confessing, keep listening. See Psalm 27:14; James 1:5. - Finish well. Saul began with promise and ended with panic. Ask the Spirit to help you finish your race with a soft heart (1 Corinthians 9:27; 2 Timothy 4:7). - Beware “baptized” divination. We may not visit mediums, but we can still outsource our trust—to techniques, trends, or “secret knowledge.” Christ is our wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30). - Practice covenant gratitude. Be like the men of Jabesh-gilead. Who brought you the gospel? Who stood with you in a hard season? Honor them while they live; stand up for them if they fall (Romans 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13). - Remember that God’s judgments serve his mercy. The kingdom turns toward David so that one day it can rest on Jesus. Even our endings can be God’s beginnings.
Language and literary notes - ma‘al (unfaithfulness) is a covenant breach term; Chronicles uses it to diagnose both personal and national collapse. - darash (seek) is a theme-word in the book: seeking God is relational, persistent, and obedient. - Wordplay: Saul (Sha’ul) “asked” (sha’al) a medium; but he did not “seek” (darash) the LORD. The Chronicler is not just recounting; he is preaching. - The narrative is crafted as a hinge: genealogy → fall → David. The shortness and severity of the chapter sharpen the pivot.
Archaeology and setting - Mount Gilboa and the Jezreel corridor were key battlefields controlling trade routes. The Philistines, probably with Aegean roots (the “Sea Peoples”), employed archers and iron weaponry effectively by the 11th century BC. - Beth-shan’s city wall and gates provide a plausible context for public display. The transport of trophies to temples is widely attested on victory inscriptions across the ancient Near East.
Cross-references for deeper study - 1 Samuel 28; 31; 2 Samuel 1; 21:12–14 (parallel accounts and aftermath) - Joshua 7:1; 1 Chronicles 2:7 (ma‘al; Achan) - 2 Chronicles 15:2; 16:12; 20:3–4 (seeking the LORD) - Deuteronomy 18:10–12; Leviticus 19:31 (forbidden practices) - Psalm 20:7; 27:8; 40:1–4 (trust, seeking, waiting) - Romans 1:24–25; James 1:5; 2 Timothy 4:7; Hebrews 3:12–13
A word tying back to earlier reflections We have been tracing Benjamin’s courage and wounds, and the way God works through messy histories. Today we see Benjamin’s king fall—and yet God’s mercy move. The Chronicler wants us to hold both: exile because of unfaithfulness, and rebuilding because of mercy. Guard your gates, as we said two days ago; keep praise alive; seek the Lord while he may be found.
A hymn to carry this text - Be Thou My Vision — a prayer to seek God himself, not just his answers. - Alternatively: God of Grace and God of Glory — “Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of this hour.”
Prayer Holy Father, you are the Lord of history and the searcher of hearts. Keep us from the shortcuts of fear and the counsel that does not come from you. Teach us to seek you with patience, to obey you with courage, and to finish our course with a soft and faithful heart. Where we have wandered, turn us back. Where we have fallen, lift us up. Turn our small kingdoms toward your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Narrated version of this devotional on 1 Chronicles Chapter 10