Suicide

Bloodied bodies dead and wounded lay on the ground- scattered all the way up the slopes of Mount Gilboa. Saul and his three sons and the remainder of his troops fought shoulder to shoulder. It had become clear that this battle would not end with their triumph but their demise. So with every ounce of loyalty and strength they fought with spear, sword, fist, rock and tree branch. They had taken down many Philistines in this last stand.

A row of Philistine archers took aim up to where Saul and his men stood. Their commanding officers ordered them to fire. Instantly their arrows shot into the blue and came down without warning like rains from the skies. Men fell on all sides of King Saul, some silently and some in the screams of horror and agony. Saul somewhat shocked stood with an arrow in him. He had seen this kind of wound before and it was always fetal. He slowly got up as he leaned on one of his dead.

Philistines went after the men who managed to escape the fiery of arrows leaving Saul alone. His armor bearer who had only suffered sacrificial cuts from the onslaught pushed a dead warrior who had fallen on him off him. It was then he heard the exhaled groan of his king.

The king’s legs shook as they tried to hold up his weight. A stony deathly expression filled Saul’s face.

Quickly his armor bearer went to his side. “Your majesty,” he said in disbelief as he saw the arrow sticking through the king’s armor.

Slowly and carefully the armor bear lifted the armor on the king and saw a large amount of blood netted in the king’s tunic where the arrow had entered.

Seeing his armor bear’s expression, Saul shook his head in confirmation to his belief of his wounded condition.

Armor bear slowly recovered the king’s wound with his armor seeing there was nothing he could do.

“Take your sword and kill me before those pagan Philistines run me through and humiliate me,” the king growled in disgust as he took the feathered end of the arrow and broke it with his hand.

The armor bearer was shocked. His pledge was to protect the king not kill him. He stood up and walked a few steps away as he considered the king’s request. He looked down at all the lifeless pile of bodies around him. A sense of hopelessness filled him. “Was this all there was to life? The heroic dreams he once carried faded like steam in the wind.

Saul knew the heart of his armor bearer. He knew he wouldn’t kill him and all this waiting only meant his enemy would have a greater chance of fulfilling his worst fears.

Saul took his sword and laid the handle on the ground. He then pointed the other end up under his armor and against his stomach. He then let go of the spear where his body weight fell sharp against the blade and into his unprotected gut. His body armor sounded as it hit the ground.

The armor bearer quickly turned and saw what Saul had done to himself. A man who had given in some type of value and hope was gone. He was an armor bearer to a dead king. He was nobody now. Hearing the galloping of horse, he looked to see dust rising into the air from the enemies’ approaching chariots below. The enemy would certainly not have mercy on him. He then took his own sword and fell on it for what was a good death for his king was a good death for him as well.

It wasn’t long after this when an Amaliekite hiding in the forest crossed the area where Saul, his sons, and men had fallen. He imaged everyone dead but surprisingly he heard someone still alive clutching on to a pole of spear. The man recognized that this was no ordinary man but one of royalty. “How may I help you lord?”

Saul had not finished the job he had hoped by falling on his sword. He tried to find a way to hide himself but he could not. He looked up to the man who appeared only as a dark silhouette in the sun’s light. “Who are you?” he asked in a short breath hoping he was not a Philistine.

“I am an Amaliekite,” the man answered.

“Come over here and put me out of my misery, for I am in terrible pain and want to die,” Saul requested.

The Amaliekite knowing the man’s wounds would kill him shortly anyway helped the badly wounded man onto the ground. He put one hand over Saul’s eyes. One knee on Saul’s chest and with quick deadly precision removed Saul’s sword from his gut and thrust it back in again.

There Saul’s body shook and then went motionless.

The Amaliekite quickly scoured the dead man’s body for riches and to his astonishment he found a royal crown and gold and silver bracelets.

Hearing some men approaching, he quickly grabbed Saul’s crown and one of his large gold bracelets and disappeared into the dense forest.

There in the safety of the trees he heard that the man he had put out of his misery was no other then King Saul.

Biblical story information came from 1 Samuel 31 & 2 Samuel 1 in your bible.

Suicide.

Suicide is not some heroic act. Suicide is an act of selfishness. The road to suicide is only seeing one’s value in material possessions and the way people see you. Suicide is driven by hopelessness and a lack of ignorance and understanding of God and His love and grace.

Saul’s tried to commit suicide why? What led him there?

Ahithophel, advisor, committed suicide because his advice was no longer sought out as worthy by Absalom. (2 Samuel 17:23)

Judas, the disciple who the devil entered and betrayed Jesus committed suicide because of guilt. (Matthew 27) Once Judas fell for the devil's temptations, he used him until he was no longer useful to him and then he dropped him in the pit that Judas himself had dug.

Jesus said, “The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10)

The only way out of a situation a person has found themselves in (because of their own sin) is through God.

People are “played” by the devil. People who think they are serving God by killing themselves and others are being “played” by the devil. Your actions either serve the devil or serve God.

“For the commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting--and any other commandment--are all summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself.” Romans 13:9

If you love yourself, as God wants you to love yourself, you would not kill your neighbor.

1 Peter 5:8 “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.”

You would never easily let a lion devour you…

Remember the true lion, the lion of your salvation- Jesus Christ. The lion of Judah, the lion that is portrayed as the great Aslan of Narnia. Your faithful friend and protector.

People who are being played by the devil open themselves up to every suggestion and temptation he has in his arsenal. They open the door of their soul and let the enemy of their soul steal what they instinctively know what is right from wrong.

“Yes they know God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead.” Romans 1: 21

“When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises and are heartless and unforgiving. They are fully aware of God’s death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worst yet, they encourage others to do them, too.” Romans 1:28-32

What is a person encouraging by committing suicide… more suicide.

Satan will manipulate a person into thinking suicide is the only option. He convince you that you are surrounded and there is no way out. He will make an individual so overwhelmed in his or her own thinking and emotions that they can see no way out. There is no clarity of God in those who commit suicide.

I am not talking about someone who takes a bullet for someone they love for that is murder by the hand of another human being -not suicide. Jesus Christ didn’t commit suicide. He willing and supernaturally laid down his life for our sins because he knew our sins would lead to our eternity in hell without his sinless sacrifice as the Lamb of God.

People have killed themselves because they lost every cent in the stock market… People have killed themselves because they have seen no cure to their disease. People have killed themselves because of pride and feeling humiliated. People have killed themselves because of failure. People have killed themselves because- who they thought was the love of their life had left them. People have killed themselves because they believed no one loved and appreciated them. People have killed themselves because they saw no reason or point in their life.

Strongholds of the devil in the human mind are to kill, steal and destroy a human being and those that surrounded that person. The devil wants to sift you. He wants to find your incompetence and use it against you.

That is why it is so important we don’t take God’s grace, love and wisdom for granted.

A person who commits suicide has either forgotten about God’s grace or knows very little about God’s grace. That is the same for God’s love and wisdom as well.

God’s grace is to empower us even in our weakest moment. God’s grace can be a powerful weapon. It can help us overtake and rise above where others and ourselves have failed. Be mindful of God's presence in your life.

A person who commits suicide has taken their destiny out of God’s hands. They have placed their destiny in themselves.

Jeremiah 29:11-12 “For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen."

Where is your hope and future if you have not placed it with God?

A person who commits suicide either has no hope or has a false hope and no future.

Do not take God for granted. Do not take what God has given you for granted.

Lamentations 3:22-26 “The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him! The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.”