1Sa 19:24 | TNotes | STEP | 19:24 When Saul tore off his clothes and lay naked , he unwittingly acted out his true spiritual condition of having been stripped of the kingship (13:14 ; 15:10-11 , 23 ; see thematic note for Prophetic Sign Acts at end of chapter). • Is even Saul a prophet? In 1 Sam 10:9-13 , Saul was rising as God’s chosen king; here, he is descending under the weight of God’s rejection. Thematic note: Prophetic Sign Acts The prophets of Israel occasionally communicated through sign acts, which were dramatic visual aids performed in public to increase the impact of the message and help people feel the truth as much as hear it. Their purpose was to present an unforgettable message. These acts were unusual, even outlandish—and not just from a modern perspective. Unlike modern readers, however (who might think that the prophet was psychologically disturbed), ancient observers understood these sign acts as a regular part of a prophet’s communication style. Ezekiel was required to act out his message more frequently than any other prophet, perhaps because he was communicating to a particularly hardened audience (Ezek 2:6-7 ). The sign acts reinforced the content of his message and underlined the depth of his personal commitment to it. For example, after he swallowed the word of God (2:8–3:3 ), Ezekiel embodied it for the exiles (3:4-9 ) in a series of judgment scenes (chs 4–6 ). This dramatic form of communication is difficult for even a hostile audience to ignore or forget. The ultimate sign act was performed by Jesus Christ on the cross (see Matt 27:32-54 ). There God visibly depicted his wrath against sin in the darkness, the earthquake, and the agony of the sinless one who was apparently abandoned by his Father. God also depicted his profound love for the world in that he would rather die than let his people go. The cross is a confrontational message of God’s love and wrath that is hard to ignore or forget. Passages for Further Study Jer 13:1-11 ; 19:1-15 ; 25:15 ; Ezek 2:6–3:3 ; 3:4-9 ; 4:1-17 ; 5:1–6:14 ; 12:1-28 ; 21:19-23 ; 24:1-14 , 16-27 ; 37:15-28 ; Hos 1:2-9 ; 3:1-3 ; Matt 26:26-28 ; 27:45-54 ; Mark 6:11 ; 11:12-21 ; Luke 22:17-20 ; Rom 6:3-5 ; 1 Cor 10:16-17 ; 11:23-32

19:24 ^a When Saul tore off his clothes and lay naked, he unwittingly acted out his true spiritual condition of having been stripped of the kingship (13:14 ^b; 15:10-11 ^c, 23 ^d; see thematic note for Prophetic Sign Acts at end of chapter).

• Is even Saul a prophet? In 1 Sam 10:9-13 ^e, Saul was rising as God’s chosen king; here, he is descending under the weight of God’s rejection.

Thematic note: Prophetic Sign Acts
The prophets of Israel occasionally communicated through sign acts, which were dramatic visual aids performed in public to increase the impact of the message and help people feel the truth as much as hear it. Their purpose was to present an unforgettable message. These acts were unusual, even outlandish—and not just from a modern perspective. Unlike modern readers, however (who might think that the prophet was psychologically disturbed), ancient observers understood these sign acts as a regular part of a prophet’s communication style.
Ezekiel was required to act out his message more frequently than any other prophet, perhaps because he was communicating to a particularly hardened audience (Ezek 2:6-7 ^f). The sign acts reinforced the content of his message and underlined the depth of his personal commitment to it. For example, after he swallowed the word of God (2:8–3:3 ^g), Ezekiel embodied it for the exiles (3:4-9 ^h) in a series of judgment scenes (chs 4–6 ⁱ). This dramatic form of communication is difficult for even a hostile audience to ignore or forget.
The ultimate sign act was performed by Jesus Christ on the cross (see Matt 27:32-54 ^j). There God visibly depicted his wrath against sin in the darkness, the earthquake, and the agony of the sinless one who was apparently abandoned by his Father. God also depicted his profound love for the world in that he would rather die than let his people go. The cross is a confrontational message of God’s love and wrath that is hard to ignore or forget.

Passages for Further Study
Jer 13:1-11 ^k; 19:1-15 ^l; 25:15 ^m; Ezek 2:6–3:3 ⁿ; 3:4-9 ^o; 4:1-17 ^p; 5:1–6:14 ^q; 12:1-28 ^r; 21:19-23 ^s; 24:1-14 ^t, 16-27 ^u; 37:15-28 ^v; Hos 1:2-9 ^w; 3:1-3 ^x; Matt 26:26-28 ^y; 27:45-54 ^z; Mark 6:11 ^aa; 11:12-21 ^ab; Luke 22:17-20 ^ac; Rom 6:3-5 ^ad; 1 Cor 10:16-17 ^ae; 11:23-32 ^af