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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, 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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, 
that brings us thirdly and finally to the response of David in verses 
11 to 16. 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 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. Now, just a couple of observations 
in terms of practical lessons from this passage. What are some 
practical lessons? 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. 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, 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. 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.