Okay, you can turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel chapter 1. 2 Samuel chapter 1. Last week we considered the end of 1 Samuel when Saul died. Specifically, the archers chased Saul on the Mount of Gilboa. Saul then said to his armor bearer, draw your sword, this is in 31.4, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me.
But his armor-bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day." Now we'll pick up reading in 2 Samuel 1 at verse 1.
Now it came to pass, after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. So it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. And David said to him, where have you come from? So he said to him, I have escaped from the camp of Israel.
Then David said to him, how did the matter go? Please tell me. And he answered, the people have fled from the battle. Many of the people are fallen and dead.
And Saul and Jonathan, his son, are dead also. So David said to the young man who told him, how do you know that Saul and Jonathan, his son, are dead? Then the young man who told him said, as I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul leaning on his spear. And indeed, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, here I am. And he said to me, who are you? So I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
He said to me again, please stand over me and kill me for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me. So I stood over him and killed him because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm and had brought them here to my Lord. Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.
And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. Then David said to the young man who told him, where are you from? And he answered, I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite. So David said to him, how was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?
Then David called one of the young men and said, go near and execute him. And he struck him so that he died. So David said to him, your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you saying, I have killed the Lord's anointed. Amen.
Well,
Introduction: 2 Samuel's Setting
remember the purpose of the book of 1 Samuel in the first place was to establish the monarchy or the kingdom in Israel. And then the preparation of David to sit on the throne of Israel after Saul's death. Well, Saul is now dead, so David will take the throne. So this book simply picks up where 1 Samuel ends.
Remember, initially, they were put together. There wasn't this sort of break. in between the two. But one thing that we'll see as we continue in 2 Samuel is that David always has had, or what we've seen in 1 Samuel, what we'll continue to see in 2 Samuel, is that David has his fair share of trials and afflictions and difficulties in his life as one of God's people. Notice in 2 Samuel 4, verse 9.
In 2 Samuel 4, 9, David says, as the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life, from all adversity." At the end of his life, in 1 Kings 1, in verse 29, he says essentially the same thing. As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress. And interestingly enough, Joab's words And 2 Samuel chapter 19 in verse 7 indicates that David didn't have some sort of an idea that this was the case, but it genuinely was the case. He was a man of many sorrows, a man of many afflictions, a man of many trials.
Certainly his greater son would experience the same sorts of things. 2 Samuel 19 verse 7. Now, therefore, arise, go out and speak comfort to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.
So David is a man who is no stranger to trial to affliction, to difficulty. He doesn't always handle everything perfectly, for He is just a man, but He certainly does demonstrate faithfulness and determination and consistency for the most part in his relationship with the living God as he rules the throne of Israel. Now
Outline of the Passage
in chapter 1 at verses 1 to 16 we have the report concerning Saul's death. And we'll break this down into three sections. In the first place we have the news concerning Saul in verses 1 to 4. secondly, the examination of the Amalekite in verses 5 to 10, and then thirdly, the response of David in verses 11 to 16.
The News Concerning Saul
But note in the first place, the setting in verses 1 and 2. Now, it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag. So remember, we saw that 27 to 31 function together as a unit. While David in chapter 30 is slaughtering Amalekites, Saul is being slaughtered on Mount Gilboa by the Philistines.
So we see again that whole emphasis on the rise of David and the fall and the decline of Saul in this particular instance. Now the narrator in chapter 31 of 1 Samuel reports the death of Saul in a significantly different way than this Amalekite. I'll just foreshadow it now. The Amalekite is lying, and we'll see that as we move through the exposition tonight in chapter 1.
But the death of Saul occurs chapter 31. It's reported to us here in chapter 1, verse 1. The slaughter of the Amalekites were reminded what David had been doing. He returns to Ziklag.
They are there for two days. And then notice in verse 2, on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn. and dust on his head. So the man gives evidence to proper mourning and sadness. These were tokens or signs or evidences that you were in mourning.
His clothes are torn and he has dust on his head. When David grieves, when he hears the news concerning Saul, David does similar things. This was an expression of mourning in a time of grief. And as well, notice, so it was at the end of verse 2, when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.
So the man was cognizant of the fact of who David was. In fact, he probably traveled about 80 miles to get to Ziklag in order to report this to David. And the reason why this Amalekite is lying is probably because he's trying to curry favor with David. He knows that David is now going to be the king.
And if this Amalekite can take the credit for having disposed of Saul, and he brings these particular tokens, Saul's crown and Saul's bracelet, This will confirm his story and David will be so happy with the man that he's taken Saul out of the way that David will esteem him and praise him and probably give him a cabinet position once David ascends the throne. So the Amalekite is a man who works by deception. He's about self-promotion and he is about doing those things that will secure that particular end. So he gives evidence to proper respect to David as the king elect.
And then he gives this cursory report in verses 3 and 4. David says, where have you come from? So he said to him, I have escaped from the camp of Israel. Then David said to him, how did the matter go?
Please tell me. The people have fled from the battle. Many of the people are fallen and dead. Saul and Jonathan, his son, are dead also.
He sort of leaves the best for last. He wants to make sure that David hears this, that Saul and Jonathan are dead. Again, no one doubts or no one was confused about the current situation in Israel. The fact that this man will later refer to himself as being the son of an alien, This man's not a foreigner.
He didn't just show up in Israel. Probably a resident alien. He probably had some sort of status in Israel. Not just a foreigner, but a resident alien in the land.
So he knew what was happening in terms of the decline of Saul, and the rise of David. And so he is seeking, as far as he is able, to ensure a good life for himself in the land of Israel. Also, that tells us, this alien status indicates how he should have known that he was not supposed to touch the Lord's anointed. When David rebukes the man, it implies that the man should have known this.
A raw pagan, a foreigner who had no consciousness whatsoever of the customs of Israel wouldn't have known such a thing, but this man would have known and should have known and was held responsible for having violated this.
Examination of the Amalekite
Now notice in the second place the examination of the Amalekite in verses 5 to 10. David seizes on this information concerning Saul and Jonathan. Again, both men are very important to him. Saul has been his enemy.
Saul has been his nemesis. And we can say with Calvin that David really could not rest until Saul was dead. So on the one hand, this situation is a great blessing for David. This is the means by which God brings judgment to bear upon Saul and uses the opportunity to bring David to the throne.
But David nevertheless will grieve over this particular situation. We'll see that in just a moment. But Saul was important to David for that very reason and as well he wants to ascertain about Jonathan because David and Jonathan were like this in the song that ends this particular chapter, David says concerning Jonathan, that Jonathan's love to David was better than the love of a woman. Now there are those wicked people out there that try to put a homoerotic spin on that situation, but that's not what's going on.
David and Jonathan were in covenant together, they were God-fearers, they were brothers who loved each other, in the Lord God Most High. And so David asks specifically concerning Saul and Jonathan. Verse 5, David said to the young man who told him, how do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead? Now there are inconsistencies in the Amalekite story that we'll see as we move along.
Certainly we know there are inconsistencies because we've just read chapter 31. David didn't read chapter 31. We're not sure if David bought this particular story in totality or not, but we can spot the inconsistencies even within what this man says to David at this particular time. But I just want to read a couple of quotes from a couple of men as to why we ought to understand this as being a lie.
Van Hoy says, the Amalekite spurious story was based on his mistaken assumption that David desired to wrest the throne from Saul and that David would reward him handsomely for taking the life of his political rival. You can understand the motivation. I'm not saying We justify the motivation. But if we ask the question, why would an Amalekite travel 80 miles to Ziklag bringing Saul's crown and bracelet?
Well, he thinks there's something in it. He thinks that there's going to be a handsome reward for him. And again, perhaps a place in his cabinet. Davis renders it in a bit more homey sort of way.
He says the solution to the differences in the stories in chapter 31 of 1 Samuel and chapter 1 in 2 Samuel, the solution is simple. The Amalekite lied. If you ever have a choice between the narrator, the one who wrote chapter 31, and an Amalekite, always believe the narrator. He says, have you ever met an Amalekite you could trust?
So, I would have to say no, I have not. We will certainly take his word for that. Now notice, with reference to the response as he seeks to verify his claim to David that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead.
The Amalekite's Presence at Gilboa
In the first place, notice he indicates his presence at Mount Gilboa in verse 6a. Now, what was happening on Mount Gilboa? It was a battle between the Philistines and the Israelites. Note the way the man relates the story.
Then the young man who told him said, as I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa. Robert Alter makes this observation. Does one accidentally stumble onto a battlefield while the killing is still going on? I think we'd do everything we could in our power to accidentally avoid such a situation.
I don't think it took rocket scientists to surmise that there was a battle going on between Philistines and Israelites. Alter goes on to say, a more likely scenario is that the Amalekite came onto the battlefield immediately after the fighting as a scavenger, found Saul's corpse before the Philistines did, and removed the regalia. That's his royal attire, the crown and the bracelet. That is the more likely explanation for his presence on Mount Gilboa.
The Amalekite's Sight of Saul
Notice secondly, he indicates his sight of Saul, 6b. There was Saul leaning on his spear and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. Kyle and Dalich point out the reality that Saul as a king would never have been isolated. Saul as a king would have never been on his own.
That simply does not happen. Even in the account that we read, it's Saul and his sons, as well it is Saul and his armor-bearer. It is not the case that a king would be left alone. And then notice that last part of verse 6, and indeed the chariots and the horsemen followed Ard after him.
That's an inconsistency because they're on Mount Gilboa. Remember the battle took place probably in the Valley of Jezreel. That's where the Philistines chariots and that's where the Philistines horsemen would have supremacy. No doubt that's why Saul and his sons and probably a host of others ran to Mount Gilboa.
You want to stop horses and chariots, it's a good idea to shimmy up a mountain. unless those are super horses and super chariots. Remember specifically in chapter 31, this was the reason why the archers were dispatched or this is why we believe the archers were dispatched. It doesn't say, but it makes sense. What's most effective when men start to go up a mountainside?
Archers. You can, from a distance, pick them off. And so what this man describes simply is not the case. He's on Mount Gilboa.
Chariots and horsemen are not following hard after him in that particular location.
The Amalekite's Interaction with Saul
Now notice in the third place his interaction with Saul in verses 7 to 10. Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and he called to me and I answered, here I am. And he said to me, who are you? So I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
Now if this in fact had been the case, this would have been terribly ironic for Saul. Remember, Saul in 1 Samuel 15 was told to utterly destroy all of the Amalekites. In fact, it's ironic that it's an Amalekite that's even here having dealings with David. As well, David's just returned from slaughtering Amalekites.
This particular Amalekite was not one of them, to be sure. But that would have been an irony if that would have been the case. Notice the request made by Saul. Verse 9, he said to me again, please stand over me and kill me.
Now Saul did say that, but not to the Amalekite. Saul said that to the armor-bearer. Now the armor-bearer was greatly afraid. When we get down to David's rebuke of this particular man, David says, why were you not afraid?
This man is showing himself to be just a wretch. He thinks he's going to commend himself to David, but rather he is showing himself as a great fool and a criminal. In fact, in 2 Samuel 4.10, David musing on this particular instance, he says, when someone told me, saying, look, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag, the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. So Saul does indeed ask to be terminated, but it's by his own armor-bearer.
Of course, the armor-bearer is greatly afraid, so Saul does himself in. It is a suicide. It is another of the capstone on a wretched life of apostasy. Saul commits suicide.
Now notice what this Amalekite goes on to report. Verse 10, so I stood over him and killed him because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm and have brought them here to my Lord. He did.
He scavenged the body before the Philistines got to him. And if the man was actually concerned about Saul, well, he certainly wasn't. I mean, the least he could have done was dragged his body into the forest because the Philistines took him and nailed him to the wall at Beth-shan. I mean, there's a whole lot of things that this guy did, even in his false report that's probably not commending him to David at this particular time.
Now notice,
David's Response
that brings us thirdly and finally to the response of David in verses 11 to 16.
David's Grief for Saul and Israel
Note the grief expressed. If you took 11 and 12 out, the narrative would run just fine. It would just proceed without any hitch whatsoever. The author wants us to appreciate David's response at this particular time.
It says in verse 11, therefore, David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. And they mourned and they wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel because they had fallen by the sword. So this is something that we are to pause for a moment and to consider. Now, David's grief for Jonathan makes sense, doesn't it?
They were close. They were brothers. They loved each other. They were in covenant together.
David's grief for the people of the Lord certainly makes sense. Remember, the Lord had Samuel anoint David in 1 Samuel chapter 16. And since, God has knit David's heart to these particular people. Certainly to hear of his people falling in battle, to hear of the house of Israel, the very kingdom of Yahweh on earth, suffering reproach at the hands of uncircumcised men, this did indeed provoke grief from David." We might ask the question, why does David shed tears for Saul?
Because the text specifies and indicates specifically that Saul is included in this. Saul was indeed a wicked man in terms of David's life. Saul hunted and pursued David. Saul wanted to rid the world of David.
The judgment of God, as we've mentioned, upon Saul was a blessing for David. David could now breathe. David now didn't have to hide. He didn't have to live in ziklag.
He didn't have to run in constant fear for his life. So on the one hand, this judgment upon wicked Saul was indeed a blessing for David. But in verse 12, we see that the judgment upon wicked Saul was nevertheless grief for David. I think this indicates something we considered, I think it was Saturday morning.
There's multifaceted responses that the people of God have to specific situations. You could turn to Psalm 119 for just a moment. Psalm 119. I think the psalmist here, and I think David as well, teaches us something.
I believe that we ought to rejoice when wicked men are taken out of the world. I really believe that the Bible endorses that reality. That if a godless, wretched persecutor of the church is taken out and he is no longer able to do that, there is a sense where the righteous rejoice, the righteous shout for joy to the God of heaven and earth who has spared them from that judgment. But it's not the kind of rejoicing that we would have, say, if the Canucks won a game.
These are still human beings. These are still image bearers. Saul, nevertheless, bore the image of God. And Saul, nevertheless, was used by God.
And this is something that Calvin points out. David was able, in the midst of this blessing, the fact that Saul was now taken out, was able to see that God had used Saul for good. There were some gifts of God that were put through Saul, given to the people of Israel. Let's look first at what we see here in Psalm 119.
This multifaceted response that the psalmist manifests, David probably, to the various expressions of wickedness in his age. Notice in Psalm 119 verse 53, indignation has taken hold of me because of the wicked who forsake your law. That's a good response to wickedness. It's a good response when we see, you know, ISIS beheading men.
We are indignant. It takes hold of us because of the wicked who forsake your law. Notice in Psalm 119 verse 158, He says, I see the treacherous and am disgusted because they do not keep your word. I mean, I think that's a good response, say, to Planned Parenthood, these treacherous butchers of little babies who then sell body parts to the highest bidder.
That ought to fill us with disgust, because it is a disgusting and a heinous and a vile deed. Do you know, smack dab in the middle of all this is Psalm 119 verse 136. This is another response that the psalmist expresses. Rivers of water run down from my eyes, because men do not keep your law.
So you see, it must be the case that a genuine believer, a genuine Christian man or woman can express indignation, disgust, and weep. Now, I'm not here to tell you how to do that, but I am saying it is something that we ought to be able to manage. In other words, though we see wicked men fall under the judgment of God, there ought to be at least some connection in terms of the image of God. There ought to be an appreciation for the grace of God.
I think we often have said that, but for the grace of God, there go I. You know, it almost sounds like it should be on a fridge magnet, but we really ought to ponder it, we really ought to consider it, and we really ought to recognize the fact that but for the grace of God, I would be a Saul. But for the grace of God, I would be an Isis. But for the grace of God, I'd be a butcher working for Planned Parenthood.
I mean, if God withdraws his grace from a man or a woman for a time, horrible, wretched, despicable things can take place. So the death of the wicked ought to be an occasion as well. for us to reflect upon the goodness of God, upon the mercy of God that has been displayed unto us, and hopefully that will produce a sense of humility before the living God, and hopefully get the waterworks flowing on behalf of those who have fallen under the wrath and fury of a holy and a righteous God. Calvin says, with reference to David's tears for Saul, he said, for he considered not only the evil side of Saul, his desperate rage driving him to murder the innocent, but he also recognized that he was king, elected and chosen by God as head of the people and placed in the seat that God had consecrated. Thus, he could not have the evil in him without at the same time honoring the favors God had bestowed on him.
The Jabesh-Gileadites certainly appreciated Saul, didn't they? Remember, it was Jabesh-Gilead that was confronted by Nahash the Ammonite in 1 Samuel 11 who asked for their eyes. Well, they being typical of Jabesh-Gileadites didn't want to give their eyes up. And so they contact, or it's made known to Saul, Saul comes and he's killing Ammonites until the heat of the day.
Jabesh-Gilead was quite thankful for Saul, the Lord's anointed, on that particular day. So much so that when his body was nailed to the wall at Beth-Shan by the Philistines, it was the Jabesh-Gileadites who went and took his body down along with his sons, burned the bodies, and then buried their bones under a tamarisk tree. So J. Bashgiliad was quite content with what Saul had done in delivering them back in 1st Samuel 11.
And then notice in 1st Samuel chapter 14. Again, in the midst of Saul's downward spiral, he's not as bad as he will be, But nevertheless, he is not as good as he ought to be. Notice in 1 Samuel 14, 47 to 52, we have a typical summary statement, and it sounds as if Saul is doing a bang-up job. Saul established his sovereignty over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines.
Wherever he turned, he harassed them. and he gathered an army and attacked the Amalekites and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them. That was real. That was legit. I mean, even in a wicked Saul, there was a time when he did some righteous things.
So that elicits from King David grief over this particular man. So back to 2 Samuel 1. This grief is legit. This grief is the real deal, and this grief is what David showed. on the hearing that Saul and Jonathan and the people of Yahweh and the house of Israel had fallen by the sword to the Philistines.
Now
David's Interrogation and Execution
note the interrogation conducted of this particular young man. Verse 13, then David said to the young man who told him, where are you from? And he answered, I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite. And now notice, so David said to him, how was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?
You are an alien in Israel. Again, I don't know all the particulars how immigration Israel might have worked, but this seems to legitimize the idea that the man was a resident alien who should have known the rules. I wonder if he got a little book from you know, the Department of Immigration and had to study his book and make flashcards with his wife and then go take his test in a room with 60 or 70 people and find out that he passed. Well, one of those test questions most certainly would have been, are you ever supposed to kill the king?
No. You do not touch the Lord's anointed. You do not commit regicide. You do not stab the king, even if the king is asking for it.
Mercy killing is frowned upon, even in this passage. It is wrong to euthanize somebody, even who asks you to do it, because they don't want to be abused by Philistines. David's question is pointed, and it's something we will apply to ourselves in a few minutes, but how was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed? What does David underscore?
You should have been afraid. You should have feared. You should have been terrified at the thought of ever raising your hand against the Lord's anointed. You should have been like David.
Remember David had several opportunities to destroy Saul. First in the cave, in 1st Samuel chapter 24, then again in 1st Samuel chapter 26, David was afraid. He didn't want to hurt the Lord's anointed. He didn't want to touch the Lord's anointed.
David had a proper esteem and respect For the doctrine set forth by the Apostle Paul in Romans 13, 1 to 4, let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Now the people sinfully cried out to Yahweh for a king, but Yahweh answered them and provided Saul. Now we may not always like the king that God gives us, but nevertheless, he is the one that God gives us. and therefore we must be subject, we must be subordinate, we must work in the confines of Romans 13, 1 to 4.
It's not wrong in a country where they say you have freedom of speech to speak about certain things if we have in place the opportunity to voice our concerns and express our desires, that's all good. But we are not to engage in a violent revolt or an overthrow of the government I mean, is there a place ever for a lawful revolution? I would say read Calvin and talk to me at another time. That's not the point here.
But this man should not have put forth his hand to destroy the Lord's anointed. Now notice verse 15, then David called one of the young men and said, go near and execute him. And he struck him so that he died. So David said to him, your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, I have killed the Lord's anointed." Now, that's a severe act of summary execution, isn't it?
I mean, this is David, king of Israel. This is God's anointed. This is the man who is going to accede the throne there in Israel. We've got to ask the question, I think, was that just?
Would you want Justin Trudeau to function like this? Would you want Barack Obama to function like this? I've got to say, I wouldn't. I don't think an arbitrary expression of authority is always the best prescription for a president or a prime minister or a king.
I mean, David is bound by the same law that governs Israel as a whole. And God the Lord demands that on the basis of two or three witnesses, every fact will be established, even when there's a confession. One justice in the history of the United States Supreme Court says that confessions are the most shaky bits of evidence. You can't just take a confession.
Even if you have a confession from the defendant, there still needs to be corroboration between two and three witnesses. That is a safeguard built into the law of God. Deuteronomy 17, Deuteronomy chapter 19. Did David take that to consideration?
He didn't listen to two or three witnesses. In fact, this was a lie. This didn't actually happen. So when we look at this particular passage, it should at least provoke us to ask the question, is this a lawful use of kingly authority and royal power?
I'm not going to answer that particular question, just introducing it for us to consider. So, David bypasses what is in the Book of Deuteronomy. It could have been the exercise of royal authority. A particular event determined, or a particular situation determined the use of authority.
Gil is wrestling with this whole thing as well. And he says, David might suppose that he killed Saul to take vengeance on him, for what he had done to their nation. But after all, both he and Maominides allow the punishment of him was not strictly according to law, but was a temporary decree, an extraordinary case, and an act of royal authority. For in common cases, a man was not to be condemned and put to death upon his own confession.
Since it is possible, he may not be in his right mind. I mean, the due process does apply to everyone. Now, we don't always like that because if somebody is a particularly nasty criminal, we just think he ought to get his due right now. But brethren, it could be the case that somebody framed you and wouldn't you want due process?
Due process is a blessing instituted by God in His holy law. Thankfully, Western nations have adopted this principle. Now again, maybe it is the case that every dirty rotten scoundrel out there does everything they've been accused of, but there are instances where men have been found out to be innocent. after having served 20 or 30 or 40 years in prison. Due process is a blessing that we ought not to want to dispose with or of.
And if they get rid of due process for these dirty, rotten scoundrels, they'll get rid of due process for those dirty, rotten Christians who preach another king, even Jesus. Due process is a good thing. He goes on to say, but David chose to exercise severity in this case, partly to show his respect to Saul and to ingratiate himself into the favor of his friends, and partly to deter men from attempting to assassinate princes. David would have a vested interest in discouraging regicide.
David would have a strong interest in discouraging those who would touch the Lord's anointing. Wouldn't he? I'm not saying that David acted selfishly or vilely. This is just a passage.
We've got to think through some of these things. He goes on to say, who himself was now about to ascend the throne. Certainly a king cannot sanction king killers. That just doesn't go.
If king killers get out there and start boasting about what they've done, then other king killers might then assault David. Robert Vanoy makes this observation on this particular text. He says, in this act, David vindicated himself from any complicity in the death of Saul and opened the way for his own lawful and orderly accession to the throne. So what David does here It shows that he had no hand or no part whatsoever in the death of Saul.
So all that to say, David was the king in Israel. David was bound to obey the law of God. This could have been an extraordinary circumstance or situation. But under normal, regular circumstances, we ought to pray that if we're under kings, or we ought to pray if we're under prime ministers or presidents, that due process and the necessity of witnesses and evidence and corroboration and testimony, all that ought to be respected.
It is a blessing to have a court system that does function properly. Now, I realize there's problems and we need reform and all those sorts of things, but what we have must certainly be better than anarchy or a lack of due process in terms of our civil government.
Application
Now, just a couple of observations in terms of practical lessons from this passage. What are some practical lessons?
Guard Against Self-Promotion
Well, in the first place, we ought to guard against self-promotion. Self-promotion, that's what drove this Amalekite, isn't it? Dare not to be an Amalekite. Do not be like this man who cooked up a story to try and commend himself to David so that he could get certain things.
Now, bring this into our own sphere. There are times where we might Now, I'm not saying all of us. I'm not saying everyone here. It's probably everybody else.
But there might be instances where, you know, that fish that really was that big, you know, was that big. Because we want to look like the mighty fishermen we know ourselves to be. There's a self-promotion tendency that we possess as men and women fallen in Adam and even redeemed in Christ. Remaining corruption.
The desire to have people think good things about us. The desire to make ourselves look like something that will commend ourselves to others. the desire that people will reward us and esteem us and highly praise us. That's what's driving this Amalekite and that's what ultimately cost his life. I mean, this man thought he was going to get privilege.
What he got was the edge of David's sword and he got executed in a summary fashion. John Calvin says, however, we also notice that God puts down the arrogance of people who exalt themselves for no reason and indeed against what is actually true. He says, for when we are led by a haughty spirit to speak of our own virtue because we wish to be highly esteemed, we are partaking of a vice that God cannot stand. God cannot put up with it.
Paul speaks to this in the book of Romans, in Romans chapter 12. It's very intriguing, not using the Amalekite as an example or as a reference, but Paul speaks about this sort of thing with reference to believers. He says in verse 16, be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.
Do not be wise in your own opinion. Isn't that what the Amalekite was doing? I mean, can't we extrapolate that principle from 2 Samuel 1? Brethren, it ought not to be about or it ought not to be our our our goal and our focus to be everybody's favorite guy to be everybody's favorite girl.
Just mind your business and do what you're supposed to do. If this Amalekite just minded his business and did what he was supposed to do, he would have lived happily ever after in the land of Israel. Self-promotion is a wicked sin. And what Calvin says, it is a vice that God cannot stand.
He cannot put up with it. How does Paul address this in Philippians 2, verses 3 and 4? Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. not insist that you're the bestest, not insist that everybody knows how great you are, not make sure you blog, Facebook and tweet your recent accomplishments.
So everybody will applaud you. Verse four, let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Notice how we don't have to be commanded to look out for our own interests? We do that by default.
You don't have to teach a child to say mine. That's a word he just knows. Try to take his toy. What does he say?
Please let me share with you. I didn't have one of five that ever did that. They said mine. That is our default setting.
We always pursue our own interests. We have to be commanded to pursue the interests of others. So let's learn from this Amalekite to guard against the sin of self-promotion.
Proper Mourning and Esteem
In the second place, we ought to acknowledge or we ought to see the response of David. The first place, the proper place for mourning, acknowledging that even through a wicked man, God did good things. God saved Jabesh Gilead by the hand of Saul. God extended the kingdom and God blessed the people of Israel, at least for a time, according to chapter 14, through Saul.
We ought to be able to appreciate the good gifts of God even when they have been used through a wicked, sinful man. As well, when we have this sort of multi-faceted approach to things, like we see in the psalmist in Psalm 119, and like I think we see here in David, it will help prevent our righteous indignation from becoming bitterness. I think there is a sense where the people of God ought to have a righteous indignation. Again, take those particular examples.
ISIS chopping heads off. Planned Parenthood, chopping baby heads off. There ought to be a righteous indignation that we have with such expressions of evil and malice. But we ought not to be of a bitter spirit.
We ought not to have a righteous indignation at a brother or a sister that turns into bitterness. We need to make sure we remember that blessed are they who mourn You know, we are those who rightly imbibe the justice of God, those who rightly imbibe the righteousness of God, and we want to see the execution of righteousness. But blessed are they than more. And Paul was able to tell the Philippians and to warn them with reference to the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Paul does this while weeping. Now, we might say that Paul was weeping because of the threat posed to the Philippians. But you know, when you read Philippians, there's no indication whatsoever that the Judaizers had made inroads there. Paul gives them a caution.
Paul tells them to beware. But there's no internal evidence in the letter to the Philippians that they had actually bought the Judaizing error. There is in Galatia. the Galatian epistle. So when Paul is telling them even weeping, yes, certainly he might be weeping about the Philippians and the churches that are threatened by these Judaizers, but he might also be weeping at the reality that there are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Because Paul at one time was an enemy of the cross of Christ. And if it hadn't been for Jesus coming to him on the road to Damascus, Paul would have continued as an enemy of the cross of Christ and ended up in hell. So brethren, if we remember that rock from whence we were hewn, perhaps that might promote some holy mourning in us when it is appropriate. As well, we see the proper esteem for God's anointed.
I've already cited Romans 13. There ought to be proper esteem for God's anointed, and David evidences that. And then as well, with reference to David, the proper concern for the House of Israel. When you hear that the Church of God has suffered a blow, when you hear that the Church of God has been hurt, it is right to weep.
It is right to grieve. It is right to fast. It is right to respond in this particular manner. And that's what David does.
When the house of Israel is devastated by the Philistines, by uncircumcised wretches, David mourns over the condition of his beloved people. As well,
The Fear of God as Motive
a third lesson that I think jumps out at us from this passage. I'll call it the motivating power of the fear of God. The motivating power of the fear of God. Notice, how was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?
Now, some may question this particular title or this particular identification, the motivating power of the fear of God. But I don't know how better to explain it because I think that the New Testament sets this forth for the people of God. For instance, in Matthew chapter 10, our Lord says in verse 28, do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Romans 11 verse 20, when the Apostle Paul is telling the Gentiles what the situation is concerning the Jews, he tells Gentiles not to be haughty, but fear.
Why? Because if God did not spare the branch Israel, He ain't going to spare you either. If you apostatize, and you defect, and you turn from the living God, He's not going to say, well, but you're Gentile, so I'll let you slide. No, do not be haughty, but fear.
For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. And then notice in 2 Corinthians chapter 7 and verse 1. Therefore, having these promises, and the promises are covenant promises, the blessing of God with his people, I will dwell in them, I will walk among them, I will be their God, they shall be my people. This is the end of chapter 6, the very end of chapter 6.
I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. You see that filial connection. You see, that father-son relationship, and on the heels of that, having these promises, the fact that God is your Father, the fact that you're His son or daughter, you're His children. Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in what?
In the fear of God. You see, some will say, well, if God is your Father and you're His son, then how in the world could you ever fear Him? I like to think my children feared me when I was bringing them up, not because I was going to crack them across the head with a piece of tubing, but because of reverence, because of respect, because that's the way children ought to respond to their fathers and mothers. Honor your father and your mother.
Children, obey your parents and the Lord. That should promote a righteous fear in their hearts of violating the commandments, of transgressing the rules, and of doing those things that displease their parents. The filial relationship between father and son does not throw out the reality of a healthy dose of fear on the part of the subject to the superior. Dale Ralph Davis makes this comment in his commentary.
He says, David's question concerning the Amalekite, not fearing, he says, David's question expresses a principle that should direct all kingdom ethics and behavior. There is in kingdom living such a thing as healthy, saving fear, a fear that preserves, a godly fear that should control us. He says there once was a Polish prince who always carried a picture of his father next to his heart. At certain times, he used to take it out, look at it, and say, let me do nothing unbecoming so excellent a father.
Davis says that is the way all kingdom servants should live, controlled by fear, grounded in love. I think that's a great observation on this particular text and one I hope that we can take and apply along with the way that David responds and along with killing this tendency to promote ourselves at the expense, usually, of others.
Closing Prayer
Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank you for your word. God, it's such a refreshing tonic to our souls. We are needy, we are weary, and we thank you for these Wednesday nights when we can come and go to the Old Testament and be refreshed.
We thank you for the way that you sustain your servants now, the way you sustained them then. We thank you for David's example. We thank you ultimately for David's greater son and for the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We praise you that you made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Help us to take these lessons to heart. Help us to kill the sin of pride and self-promotion. Help us to be holy mourners at the appropriate time. and help us to live in the fear of God, to pursue holiness, to pursue these things in the fear of God. Go with us now and watch over us and bring us together on the Lord's day that we may worship you in spirit and truth.
We ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.