When Leaders Fall There’s A Hope That Never Fails | 1 Samuel 31:11-13

When human power crumbles, where will you place your hope?

We have arrived. Our final devotional is 1 Samuel 31:11-13:

But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days. — 1 Samuel 31:11-13

At the close of 1 Samuel, we read about an unexpected act of courage in the shadow of our tragedy. The brave men of Jabesh-Gilead, the very people Saul once delivered from shame and destruction in his first act as king (1 Samuel 11), embark on a daring mission to retrieve the desecrated bodies of Saul and his sons. Risking their lives, they travel through enemy territory to honor the memory of the king who had once been their redeemer. They bury his bones beneath a tamarisk tree, a poignant reminder of Saul's rise and fall.

This moment is rich with contrasts. Once, Saul sat under a tamarisk tree (1 Samuel 22:6), spear in hand, commanding authority. Now, his remains rest beneath one—a reminder of our human frailty and the futility of misplaced hope. The people’s demand for a king “like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:19–20) ends with that king stripped of glory, buried by night, and mourned in ashes.

Yet, this is the end of 1 Samuel but not the end of the story. Saul’s death points us forward. While Saul’s kingdom was shattered by sin and pride, David’s rise offers hope. But even David—Israel’s greatest king—would fall short. No matter how noble, every human king serves as a shadow of the true King to come.

Centuries later, another King would face humiliation, stripped and mocked by His enemies, His body hung for public scorn. But unlike Saul or any of Israel's subsequent kings, Jesus bore no sin of his own. He died not for failure but for the redemption of ours. His death was not the end but the turning point in history. Rising from the grave, he defeated death, securing a kingdom that will never fade.

We end 1 Samuel learning one central and vital lesson:

Hope in kings, presidents, and leaders will fail—hope in King Jesus will prevail.

Don't put ultimate hope in human power. It will let you down every time. Only King Jesus reigns with perfect justice, eternal love, and unshakable victory. Saul’s tamarisk marked his end, but Christ’s empty tomb marks a beginning—a King with a kingdom without end.

#KingJesus #EternalHope #TrueDeliverance

Ask This:
Where have you placed your ultimate hope—in human leaders or in the eternal reign of King Jesus?
How does the victory of Christ’s resurrection inspire you to trust Him over earthly powers?
Do This:

Hope in King Jesus who prevails.

Pray This:

Lord, help me to see the futility of trusting in human strength and to anchor my hope in Jesus, the true and eternal King. Amen.

Play This:

King Jesus.