Amazing Lament

 

II Samuel 1:23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
    In life and in death they were not divided;
they were swifter than eagles;
    they were stronger than lions.
24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
    who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,
    who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
25 “How the mighty have fallen
    in the midst of the battle!
“Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
26     I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
very pleasant have you been to me;
    your love to me was extraordinary,
    surpassing the love of women.
27 “How the mighty have fallen,
    and the weapons of war perished!”

As we transition from the death of Saul in I Samuel to II Samuel, the first thing we find is this lament of David, written in loving memory of both Saul and Jonathan.  David's kind words for Jonathan make sense, as he and David were friends "closer than a brother." But the words he uses for the two together are almost baffling. Saul was vicious in his pursuit to destroy David, but all David does here is sing his praises and call for people to weep over his passing. Do we respond to others' downfall in the same way?

A Culture of Sharing

 I Samuel 30:22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.” 23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” 25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day. 26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord.”

We have begun to see the stark contrast in character between Saul and David. This chapter begins with David's wives being captured by none other than the pesky Amalekites, always a thorn in the flesh for Israel. David gathers troops to help rescue them, and as a way to thank those who helped, he divides the spoil among all who assisted in any way.  This was both generous and wise.  David demonstrated that he knew it was not all about him, by him, and for him.  This was much different than Saul. David's act of sharing helped unite the people behind them so that when his time as king did come, they would stand together. Sharing helps create an atmosphere of unity. 

Historical Characters

I Samuel 25:23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from the donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant. 25 Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your servant did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. 26 Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, because the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal. 27 And now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. 

Having seen the foolish, rash decisions Saul was making, we see a sharp contrast with the wise decisions others were making, like David and Abigail. Abigail saw the foolishness of her husband, Nabal, in his opposition to David and disrespectful treatment of David's men.  She was wise and discerning enough to see that God's hand was on David to become the king and she sought to smooth over the rough road her husband had created. She was able to discern character and courage and to demonstrate them herself. Which character do you resemble? Saul? Nabal? David? Abigail?  What would a historian say about you?

The Rock of Escape

I Samuel 23:24 Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27 a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.” 28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape. 29  And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi.

Saul's constant pursuit of David in order to eliminate him is a study in futility.  God had chosen David and Saul knew it, yet he bitterly tried every method to do so.  God intervened. Here it was simply something else Saul had to tend to.  Time after time, David could have turned and taken out Saul, but instead he allowed God to do so His way. He put his trust in The Rock of Escape.  God provides a way of escape for us when temptation, trials, and even traitors come after us. Do you trust Him?

Hurting Those Closest to Us

 I Samuel 20:26 Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean.” 27 But on the second day, the day after the new moon, David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?” 28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Let me go, for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king's table.” 30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness.? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.”

As we have been walking along this downhill journey of Saul's reign, we noted yesterday that his rash actions and irrational reactions affected not only himself and David, but his family. Jonathan was caught in the middle of the one-sided hatred and rivalry of Saul toward his best friend, David.  If you have ever been in a triangle relationship like this, you know the hurt it brings. Have you pitted family or friend against one another?  Who, besides you, have you hurt by your bitterness and unforgiveness?

Falling into Your Own Trap

 

I Samuel 18:24 And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David speak.” 25 Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king's enemies.’” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. Before the time had expired, 27 David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. 28 But when Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him, 29 Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually.

The life of Saul is like a movie that is hard to watch: you know something bad is coming and your whole body cringes, even though you know it's coming. Saul made one bad choice after another.  "The writing was on the wall" for him to lose his kingship, but he grasped for every straw to keep from losing it and his successor, David, from living to receive it.  Every plot went badly, resulting in pain and suffering for himself, his family, David, and the whole nation.  What ways to we come up with to get back at others, only to find devastating results for ourselves? 

Seeing What No One Else Sees

 

I Samuel 17:24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” 26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.”

This account is one of the best-known events in the Old Testament.  Everyone loves to see the underdog win, for courage to pay-off, and some big, arrogant jerk get what's coming to him.  It is so easy for us to miss what is most important here: David saw what everyone else missed: this guy was mocking God, and no one was willing to care enough to do anything about it.  Goliath and the Philistines were denying Truth, and no one stood up for Him. If that is the case, what hope do we have? Are we willing to stand up for Him?