"What do we suppose to have been the cause of the defeat and overthrow of the army of Israel with their king Saul? Does God chastise the people for the sins of the ruler? Is the child beaten instead of the father? It is hard to swallow, people say, to maintain that the children should bear the punishments due their fathers; the laws do not permit that anyone shall suffer for the wickedness of another. Now God forbid that the judge of all the world (said Abraham) should destroy the innocent with the guilty. On the contrary, says the Lord, as the life of the father, so the life of the son is in my hands; the fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers; every man shall be put to death for his own sin. (Deut. 24:16) That overthrow, then, happened because the people did not oppose Saul when he violated the law of God, but applauded that miserable ruler when he wickedly persecuted David and the priests of the Lord.” - Junius Brutus, Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos
Each dies for his own sins. Sons are not flogged for the sins of their fathers nor subjects subjected to punishment for the faults of their kings. So, when Israel fell while following Saul, it was not for Saul’s sins that they fell, but for their own. What was their sin? Failing to oppose the sins of Saul. Israel was struck down because they disobeyed God by refusing to disobey Saul’s disobedience of God.
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