2 Samuel

2 Samuel 1:1-16 

God is ready to bring restoration and healing to a land that has been decimated by sin.  It has been damaged physically and spiritally and people long for answers.  Read Psalm 78 titled, "God's Kindness to a Rebellious Israel".  God used David to restore the nations.  The final verse of this Psalm reads:

David has just returned from slaughter of the Amalekites (see 1 Samuel 29-30).  While David was doing this, Saul was battling the Philistines.  David had returned to Ziklag and by this same time Saul had been desicrated and displayed. 

The Amalekites stand as a typology of the flesh.  When Israel was given this Promised Land, the Amalekites were to be completely and utterly destroyed.  The Amalekites were allowed to continue on in the land.  In doing so, they continued to rise up against Israel; bringing death and destruction.  Likewise, if we leave a place for the flesh to remain untouched, it has a place to get a foothold.  It will come back to destroy us.  It will leave you lonely, spiritually dead, corrupt, and dishonored.  This is what we see has happened to Saul. 

David was obedient to the Lord in the slaughter of these people who were a plague to Israel because of Saul's disobedience (see 1 Samuel 15:1-33).  Saul & Jonathon were fighting the Philistines when Saul fell on his sword to avoid being a prisoner.  This Amalekite most likely came across Saul's body while pilfering the dead and took his crown and bracelet.  Somewhere along the line he decided to take credit for killing Saul, probably in search of a reward from David. 

This man came to David seeking favor.  In doing so, he brought the news of Saul and Jonathon's death.  After the initial reaction of mourning, David came back and questioned the man regarding his claims.  He had at least three strikes against him:

1. He was an Amalekite.
2. He Either killed Saul or he lied about killing Saul.
3. He was using the death of Saul for his own personal gain.

David had this man executed because of his handling of the matter of Saul.

2 Samuel 1:17-27

David chanted a lament and told the children of Israel to teach the sons of Judah the song.  This song was called "The bow" as David sees Saul and Jonathon as the bow in God's hands.  While Saul did much to harm himself and the land, he was still God's annointed and a warrior defending the nation against the Philistines.  The people may have looked for a song from David regarding him self or how God had struck down Saul and set David on the throne.  Instead, David extols Saul and Jonathon in an act of unity.  David never saw Saul as an enemy. 

Ashkelon and Gath were Philistine cities and were representative of the Philistines.  Much of the lives of Saul and Jonathon were spent fighting the Philistines.  For Saul's death to be spoken of among the Philistines would bolster their confidence; to give them a false sense of accomplishment. 

David spoke a curse against Mt. Gilboa that no rain or dew be on you.  This was the place of the battle and the mountain stands barren today.  The Jews wouldn't plant anything on the mountain because of David's word. 

The kind words about Saul show David's attitude of forgiveness to a man that tried to kill him several times.  Then David speaks of the love he had for Jonathon.  These guys were brothers and friends in every sense of the word. 

© 2016 Doug Ford