II SAMUEL 1 lesson # 1
GRIEF NOT VENGEANCE
I. Introduction:
Q Can any one tell me how Saul treated David the last dozen or chapters of I Samuel?
An = Let this be a bit of review.
Q What happened to Saul in chapter 31 of I Samuel?
An = He was terribly wounded and to keep himself from being possibly abused and tortured by the Philistines he fell on his own sword when his armor bearer would not finish him off. >>> Have someone read I Samuel 31:3-5.
Q Has anyone terribly hurt you or someone you know, seemingly got away with it for a long time but eventually met some measure of justice?
Q How did you feel when you heard of the unjust person getting what they deserved?
II. A Messenger in the Camp.
A. Setting the Scene to the Story in the Camp: II Samuel 1:1-2
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 1:1-2
Q What happened on the third day?
An = Can you imagine what this story might have looked like? David has returned to a camp from a victory and in comes a messenger who falls down at David’s feet.
B. Dialogue Between David and the Amalekite: II Samuel 1:3-10.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 1:3-4.
Q What two questions did David ask of the messenger in these two verses?
An = David wanted to know where the man came from and how Israel fared in battle.
Q What is the answer to the second question in 1:4?
An = The people have fled, many are fallen or dead and Saul and Jonathan are dead.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 1:5-8.
Q In the man’s report what was Saul leaning on?
An = Saul’s infamous spear. Note also a couple of themes present in the last book are repeated here. 1) Saul and his “spear”. The same item used in the attempted murder of David. 2) It was an Amalekite who figured in one of the last stories of Saul’s life. It is ironic how these same dreaded and disliked Amalekites, whom Saul was supposed to destroy, were the last straw in his string of disobedience that cost him the kingship. Now one from this tribe claims to have finished Saul off at his request.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 1:9-10
Q What is wrong with the Amalekite’s story?
An = It does not seem to match with what we know of Saul’s death from chapter 31. It could be this Amalekite is an opportunist who looted the body of Saul and tried to get in good with David by bearing the news of his enemy. Notice how he bows down to David at the end of verse 2. Notice also that the Amalekite did not bring any tokens from Jonathan’s body, just the dead king Saul, who had so mistreated David.
Q How would you react to the death of Saul if you were David? How would you react to the death of the man who had repeatedly tried to kill you?
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 1:11-12.
Q For whom did David and his men grieve?
An = For the nation, for Jonathan and for Saul.
Q How long did they grieve?
An = Wept, fasted and mourned until evening.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 1:13-16.
Note: The second interview with the Amalekite did not take place until a fairly long period of fasting and grieving.
Q What did you think of the Amalekite’s reward?
Q What is the motivation for the slaying of the Amalekite?
An = He harmed the Lord’s anointed. He executed this messenger for claiming to have killed Saul. David had fought through his feelings with Saul and still believed he was the Lord’s anointed. He did not rejoice in the death of his enemy. The man’s guilt was established by his own testimony. He probably did not think he was setting up his own guilt but establishing his right to a large reward. Imagine his surprise!!
Q What is David showing us about revenge?
III. David’s Song Over Jonathan and Saul: II Samuel 1:17-27.
Note: Our chapter ends with David making a song to be sung in honor of Saul and Jonathan. It was a song to be passed on and preserved. The song is quite beautiful and eloquent, and it gives us a practical model for making songs or speeches ourselves when we have to grieve the death of people in our lives.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 1:17-19.
Q If we looked at just the first verse of this song (1:19) what would you suspect that the major theme of this is going to be?
An = The death of great people. Israel has lost “her mighty ones”.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 1:20-21.
Q What does the author not want to happen in 1:20?
An = He does not want the news spread in their enemies’ cities of their defeat. David is trying to prohibit a natural occurrence. Anyone who has watched a tough ball game or athletic contest, or close election always watches the elation of victory when a tough opponent is defeated. Spreading the news and celebrating a victory is natural. When a city wins a professional world championship it is natural to have a victory parade for the team.
Q Why is David saying one should not spread the news?
Q Why does David not want a natural thing to happen?
Q What other natural occurrence is David trying to prevent in 1:21?
An = Rain or dew or growth on a mountain. Again David is trying to prohibit a natural occurrence.
Q Again, what is the intended goal of David’s two verses here?
An = That something so tragic has happened that natural occurrences should stop both in nature and in human behavior. Deference should be showed to these two men by the suspension of natural behavior.
Q What does this mean for our own grieving at the death of a loved one?
An = That maybe some form of suspension is appropriate to show honor to the dead.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 1:22.
Q What is being done here? What is David highlighting in his eulogy?
An = The character, skill, abilities and benefits of these two men. In 1:22 the courage and effectiveness of Saul and Jonathan in battle is celebrated.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 1:23-24.
Q What is David speaking of in verse 23?
An = In 1:23a the positive relationship between Saul and Jonathan is spoken of and their abilities of swiftness and strength in 1:23b.
Q What is David speaking of in verse 24?
An = In 1:24 the daughters of Israel are to weep because of the past benefits of Saul’s victories. So we are to eulogize in the following manner, recount a deceased man’s 1) character, 2) skills and abilities, 3) positive relationships, and 4) their benefits to others.
If you ever have to write a eulogy for someone, here is a guide.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 1:25-27.
Q What is new in 1:25-26?
An = David expresses his personal feelings towards Jonathan. He expresses how he personally felt about his friend. He tells us how Jonathan’s death hurts him (1:26a) and how good their friendship was (1:26b). It is OK to express how much you will miss someone and how wonderful your friendship was. Again, here is a model for how to write a good eulogy for a relative or friend that passes on before you.
Q What phrase is repeated three times through out this song in 1:19,25,27?
An = “How have the mighty fallen.” This phrase seems to be the reframe through out the song. It spells the major theme of the song: tragedy of losing great people.
Q Is David happy at the death of his enemies?
Q Why not?
IV. Conclusion.
Note: There are a few concluding remarks.
1) In grief David sees fit to just mention only the good abilities and benefits of Saul and not mention the bad. David is noticeably silent on his relationship to Saul. He speaks of the relationship of Saul and Jonathan and his relationship to Jonathan but not of his (David’s) relationship to Saul. Saul messes up there relationship and David is silent on the matter.
Q What can we learn from this when we are in the position to comment on the death or demise of a former enemy?
An = Few men are all good. Perhaps, David shows how to handle the “mixed” situations of the people we deal with in our lives. People in our lives do some great things but were less than perfect in other ways.
2) Taking time to grieve and get poetical about it is biblical. Eloquence is appropriate. We should be willing to disrupt our lives, put things on hold and “pay our respects”.
3) A model of how to eulogize is given here.