Matthew Henry on the Consequences of Sin

Matthew Henry is, in my mind, one of the best dead mentors* that anybody could have. His style is lucid; his commitment to the Bible is firm; he makes his points with warmth, honesty, and wisdom. Although his major Commentary on the Whole Bible was written 300 years ago, his voice is still relevant today, calling out from the historical wilderness to prepare a multitude of modern readers for service to Jesus Christ. I hope and pray that you will find Matt as encouraging and beneficial to read as I have found him. -Sean Rice

Matthew Henry on 1 Chronicles 10:1-7

Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and mistreat me." But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died. Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together. And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and lived in them.

-1 Chronicles 10:1-7

This account of Saul's death is the same with that which we had in 1 Samuel 31:1, etc. We need not repeat the exposition of it. Only let us observe,

Leaders Sin and the People Suffer
I. Princes sin and the people suffer for it. It was a bad time with Israel when they fled before the Philistines and fell down slain (1Chronicles 10:1), when they quitted their cities, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them (1 Chronicles 10:7). We do not find that they were at this time guilty of idolatry, as they had been before, in the days of the judges, and were afterwards, in the days of the kings. Samuel had reformed them, and they were reformed: and yet they are thus given to the spoil and to the robbers. No doubt there was enough in them to deserve this judgment; but that which divine Justice had chiefly an eye to was the sin of Saul. Note, Princes and great men should in a special manner take heed of provoking God's wrath; for, if they kindle that fire, they know not how many may be consumed by it for their sakes.

Parents Sin and the Children Suffer
II. Parents sin and the children suffer for it. When the measure of Saul's iniquity was full, and his day came to fall (which David foresaw in 1 Samuel 26:10), he not only descended into battle and perished himself, but his sons (all but Ishbosheth) perished with him, and Jonathan among the rest, that gracious, generous man; for all things come alike to all. Thus was the iniquity of the fathers visited upon the children, and they fell as parts of the condemned father. Note, Those that love their seed must leave their sins, lest they perish not alone in their iniquity, but bring ruin on their families with themselves, or entail a curse upon them when they are gone.

Sinners At Length Suffer Themselves
III. Sinners sin and at length suffer for it themselves, though they be long reprieved; for, although sentence be not executed speedily, it will be executed. It was so upon Saul; and the manner of his fall was such as, in various particulars, answered to his sin.

• He had thrown a javelin more than once at David, and missed him; but the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.
• He had commanded Doeg to slay the priests of the Lord; and now, in despair, he commands his armour-bearer to draw his sword and thrust him through.
• He had disobeyed the command of God in not destroying the Amalekites, and his armour-bearer disobeys him in not destroying him.
• He that was the murderer of the priests is justly left to himself to be his own murderer; and his family is cut off who cut off the city of the priests.
  

See, and say, The Lord is righteous.
-----------------------------------------------------------
*Dead Mentors are those who, historically beyond the reach of our own culture's customs and assumptions, can teach us through the writings that they have left behind.