God is greater than our shame. Because Saul failed to realize this, his life ended tragically. The Israelites were engaged in a fierce battle and suffered defeat at the hands of the Philistines on Mt. Gilboa. That day, the Philistines killed Saul’s three sons and wounded him. Humiliation, torture, and death were likely to follow his capture. Unable to endure the shame, Saul committed suicide. Beneath this desperate act, however, lurked the larger and the darker issues of disloyalty and disobedience to God.
Saul’s suicide is one of several recorded in the Old Testament (Judges 9:50-57, Judges 16:21-31; 2 Samuel 17:23; 1 Kings 16:15-20; 1 Chronicles 10:4-5). The common psychological denominators seem to be shame arising from guilt, defeat, and failure (2 Samuel 17:23; 1 Kings 16:18; Matthew 27:5; Acts 16:27). In each death, the individual usurped God’s sovereignty.
Since God is Creator, He has authority over His creation and ultimately controls life and death (Genesis 2:7; Job 1:21; Psalm 139:13-15). Therefore, taking life—including one’s own—is sin (Exodus 20:13). It violates God’s commands to love and respect ourselves and others (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 7:12; Ephesians 5:29).
Shame and humiliation can be difficult to bear and often lead people, even some believers in Jesus, to adopt the easiest and most immediate way out—suicide. Yet, God is greater than our shame, and nothing can separate us from His love in Christ (Romans 8:35-39), not even suicide.
In our darkest days, let’s find hope among fellow believers as we look to the One who took our shame on Himself so that we might have abundant life (John 10:10; Hebrews 12:2).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Luke 11:14-32
More:
Read 2 Samuel 17:1-23 and consider why Ahithophel took his life.
Next:
Think about a season in your life where you felt the darkness of shame overtaking you. How did God meet you in that time and show you that He was greater than your shame?
ehdlive on August 3, 2013 at 12:48 am
To adopt the shortcuts, when faced with adverse circumstances, is really the most tempting way to find immediate relief. Marvin is right, for even Christians succumb to this bait.. To fix our eyes on JESUS, the author and perfecter of our faith, is an utmost recourse to consider.
Kathy @ In Quiet Places on August 3, 2013 at 10:26 am
Every time I hear that someone has ended their life, it fills me with so much sadness, and yet I also have also seen people that live out a “slow suicide” of giving up and basically they just stop living and stop trying – to that person – I pray they will open their eyes and see hope because God is a God of hope.
alli on August 3, 2013 at 6:49 pm
So interesting esp what kathy says about a slow death you can hate yourself when you are starving yourself. Or in the case of slowing not living you are telling God life is not worth living. Again saul was not allowing God to be God even in death. It is the ultimate arrogance to say whether you think someone should live or die. Taking matters into your own hands. So its sinful to tell God you dont want to eat, or go through pain when God has given you that call.
Sarah C on August 4, 2013 at 12:59 am
Fellow BELIEVERS , by virtue of the term, imply looking unto Messiah . And the fellow believers that are unseen , I believe, play a more important role than the ones that do . That’s th reason we pray and delve into Scriptures in times of trial . In them, we gain strength when we realise we’re merely participating in the fellowship of Messiah’s sufferings, THAT WE MAY ATTAIN TO HIS RESURRECTION , when we’re empowered to go on and in fact, more than overcome . In the presence of fellow believers, it’s this exact same invisible quality that provides our empowerment . Paul was stoned and left for dead several times, but WHEN THE BRETHREN GATHERED AROUND HIM, he was able to get up and go on . On a negative note, that was the same reason Messiah told Peter ” Get behind Me, Satan . You have not the interests of God but of man ” . He wasn’t addressing Peter .