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| King Saul - The Original Highlander |
King Saul - The first known account of MDS (Multiple Death Syndrome
One of the worst cases of MDS (currently not covered by the NHS) that is recorded in the Bible is that of King Saul.
He was not a very popular man. It seemed that everyone wanted him dead - himself, the Philistines, his attendant, and even God. Let's take a look at some of his deaths.
Please open your Bibles with me to 1 Samuel 31:4:
Therefore, Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.
This is a pretty straight forward, definitive statement of how Saul died. A bit too much Samurai in it for me, but I suppose it will do for now.
Well, this is the Holey Bible we're talking about here. Nothing is ever so simple when death is involved.
Please turn with me to 2 Samuel 1:10:
So I stood beside him, and I slew him...
Hmm. Confused? I know I am. Basically, a young Amalekite takes credit for Saul's murder. You can hardly blame him. After being killed three times himself, he probably just wanted to be on the giving end of one of these deaths.
Therefore, when verse 10 claims: "So I stood beside him, and I slew him..." technically, this isn't a problem in the Bible. It is understood that the young man was lying. It's really just an interesting aspect in the chain of events.
But wait! In 2 Samuel 21:12, we find another definitive statement regarding Saul’s death:
David went and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-Gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-Shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa.
Come on now, you're pulling my leg? So Saul didn't kill himself and it's obvious that the Amalekite was lying, for it was the Philistines that killed Saul!
But, we’re not done, yet. In 1 Chronicles, chapter 10, another person takes credit for Saul’s death, and we have to assume that this one isn’t lying. Verses 13 and 14:
So Saul died for his unfaithfulness... Therefore, the Lord slew him, and turned the kingdom over to David, the son of Jesse.
Let's recap. Saul committed suicide, was killed in war, and was executed by God. I guess the Bible writers really wanted him dead.
Have you ever been called a "Judas"? I know I have by the Elders (don't know what I mean? Take a look at my other site, Jehovah's Witness Blog.com). Well, seeing that I have been likened to him, next week, I discuss how this sick and twisted individual dies....twice!
