David laments over Saul and Jonathan- 2 Samuel 1

 

2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27; 

Psalm 130; 

2 Corinthians 8:7-15; 

Mark 5:21-43

We are continuing with our series following King David, and today he actually becomes King because Saul has died.

We skip over quite a bit to get us here. Last week we looked at the battle between little David and Goliath. This is when David steps into his role as a warrior. He becomes famous for battling against the enemies of the people of Israel.

As David’s fame grew, so did King Saul’s jealousy. When returning from defeating Goliath the people were celebrating and we read, 

“the women sang to one another as they celebrated, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’” (1 Sam 18:7).

One of David’s tasks in the royal court was to play music for Saul, to calm him. While playing for him, King Saul twice attempts to kill him by throwing a spear at him. This wouldn’t be the only occasion he tries to take David’s life, but in the future he is warned with enough time to escape the kings plan.

Saul knew that God had rejected him as king and was going to replace him. Saul was not going to give up his power easily. And yet, he still made David a commander of a group of 1000 soldiers in his army, and David thrived in that roll. David even became Saul’s son-in-law by marrying his daughter (Michal), and became a very close friend to his son, Jonathan. … Saul still maintained his jealousy, however. So, there was this constant back and forth between Saul and David. David always remaining loyal, and Saul always trying to threaten David.

Eventually things get so bad that David has to run away, but Saul pursues him and tries hunting him down.

Twice, David had the opportunity to kill Saul while he was asleep. But, David did not believe it was right for him to kill Saul, saying, 

“The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord's anointed” (1 Sam 24:6).

 Killing Saul would have been advantageous to David personally and to the whole nation, but David wouldn’t do it. David knows that he would not take the throne through his own violence against the king. David believed Saul would be king, until God removed him. … Some have seen here maybe a foreshadowing of Jesus’ teaching about not responding to violence with violence- 

“if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also” (Matt 5:39).

 There is a nobility and loyalty that is expressed by David that expresses his worthiness that opposes Saul’s jealousy. …

David’s loyalty and refusal to do violence to Saul evokes a hopeful response- 

“You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand” (1 Sam 24:17-20) (see also 1 Sam 25:8-25).

 … But Saul’s heart is fickle, and it isn’t long before he is after him again. …And David is forced to hide from King Saul among the dreaded enemies of Israel- the Philistines- (Goliath’s people!).

After the Prophet Samuel dies, Saul is desperate for advice and goes to the witch of Endor to help him speak with Samuel from the place of the dead, whose practices were outlawed by Saul as being against God’s law. … This is another disobedience on the part of Saul. … She succeeds in calling Samuel, but he doesn’t have good news for the king. Samuel reveals, 

“the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me” (1 Sam 28:19).

Samuel’s words come true. King Saul faces the Philistines in battle, but the Philistines overtake them. Saul’s son, Jonathan, is killed. Saul is badly wounded and asks his armour-bearer to kill him, so that the Philistines won’t capture him, but he refuses. Saul then takes his own life by falling on his sword. It is an undignified death- the tragic death of a failed king. He was God’s chosen, but was unwilling to follow God’s direction. He was unwilling to allow God’s will to manifest, through him, on earth. … In a way, it is a replay of Adam’s fall- Adam who was meant to have dominion (kingship) over the creatures and to reflect God’s image into creation, but failed to do so, subjecting himself, instead, to a creature, the serpent.

David hears about Saul and Jonathan’s death from a man who claims to have escaped from the camp of Israel- an Amalekite (an enemy people- Ex 17:14). He says that he killed Saul to fulfill his request to put him out of his misery and before he is captured. We know this isn’t the case, having read the previous chapters. We know Saul fell on his own sword. … It’s probable that the man was looting the bodies on the battlefield. The man presents Saul’s crown to David probably thinking that he would be rewarded, both for presenting the crown to David, and for being the one who ended Saul’s life.

It is important that we review the story between last week’s story and where we are now so that we understand the complexity of the relationship between Saul and David. David was nothing but loyal to Saul- he fought for him- he risked his life for him- he married his daughter and entered into his family- he was very close friends with his son, Jonathan. And Saul continuously tries to kill David- Over and over. Saul’s jealousy causes David to be on the run constantly. David has the opportunity to kill Saul (twice!), but he refuses to kill the one God has decided would be king. David has every reason to be glad to hear the news that Saul is dead.

But David isn’t glad to hear this news. He tears his clothes, and he and his soldiers mourn, weep, and fast. And this is where we arrive at our reading today. David, the poet, the musician (1 Sam 16:18), eulogizes Saul and his son Jonathan.

He describes this person who tried to kill him and made his life hell by saying, 

“Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!” (v19).

 It’s obviously difficult to translate something like poetry into another language. Fort example the word for “glory” can also mean “gazelle”, which leaves the reader/hearer with the implied image of the fallen soldiers and their king as being like graceful animals.

The references to “high places” can point to the preferred place of battle for Israel, where the Philistine chariots wouldn’t be of any use. … But “high places” also carries a religious overtone. All through the Old Testament the high places are where the false gods are worshipped (Lev 26:30; Num 33:52; Ez 6:3,6-7). David may be drawing a connection between the death and failure of Israel and her king in this battle and the high places of false worship to the gods of other nations. Perhaps it points to Saul’s disobedience to God?

David’s lament continues, 

“Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult” (v. 20).

 These are the two main cities of the Philistines. The Israelite women sung about David’s victories, and David cannot bear to hear the joyful song of the Philistine women regarding Saul’s death. It is a blow to their reputation, but it is also horrifying to imagine someone rejoicing over the death of someone your respect and love. … So David pronounces a curse on the place where the battle happened- 

“You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings!” (v. 21a).

 

“For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.” (v. 21b).

 The king’s shield has lost it’s use. It no longer has a king to protect. Shields were sometimes anointed with oil to make them more resistant to damage, but this could also refer to Saul as the ‘anointed one’- God’s “messiah”- which refers to being anointed with oil. The kings of Israel were anointed, rather than crowned. Saul has lost his kingship, which was given to him by God, and it was because he was inattentive to God’s ways.

David references the warrior nature of the king, as the protector of his people- Turning away those who would destroy them. 

“From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty” (V. 22).

 David also laments the death of his very dear friend, Jonathan, and he directs the daughters of Israel to weep over this loss. …

I won’t go through the whole song, but I think we have seen enough here to see something of the character of David and his unusual loyalty to Saul and Saul’s family. David had every reason to turn against Saul, but he didn’t. He considered him God’s anointed. What we often see through these stories is that David has an ability to look on earthly events with heavenly eyes. David doesn’t just see a tyrant; he sees God’s anointed. He trusts that God is still working, despite how things seem. … 

Jesus, the son of David, would invite us to see in a similar way. When we are in the midst of a conflict with someone, the person in front of us is not just someone who has thwarted our will, or hurt us, or neglected us- they are someone made in the image of God- they are someone God loved enough that Jesus was willing to die for them. That change in perspective is essential to live with others the way Jesus taught us to. … Our earthly way of dealing with this is often to gossip with our friends about how mean that person has been to us. David wasn’t willing to do that to Saul even after he was dead. … In a way, for David, the most important thing about Saul was what God said about him- He was the anointed king of Israel. Perhaps we can learn to see this way as well. The most important thing about the person that is before us isn’t what they have done to us, or said about us behind our back, but what God has said about them- they are beloved of God, one whom Christ died to save. AMEN