Scripture:
2 Samuel 1:11-16 ESV
[11] Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. [12] And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. [13] And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” [14] David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” [15] Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. [16] And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’”
Observation:
After a long time of hiding from Saul. Waiting to take the spot that the LORD told him was his. Through Samuel the profit. David is now stepping into the promise. However, it doesn’t come with the joy that might be expected. Saul and all his sons had died in battle. Saul had asked for his life to be taken due to an injury inflicted by an arrow that found its mark. This report did not come with the celebration you might expect from someone who had been running from an enemy that wanted him dead. A man who seemed to be in the way of the promise GOD had spoken over him. Through HIS profit. It came with sorrow and morning. GOD’s anointed king was dead, and the man whose hands landed the final blow was standing in front of the new king. Telling him the story. I wonder if he was thinking he would be rewarded for his participation in the elimination of Saul. I can almost see his face when King David calls the young boy to him and says execute him. I can see two reasons for this action. 1) if this man was unafraid to put Saul…the LORD’s anointed to death. Why would he not do it again when David was king? 2) the sorrow that David and his men had would point to the execution of this man being an act of loyalty to GOD and the now-dead King Saul.
Application:
How do you act when your enemy falls? Do you celebrate? What if they were in your way from a promotion at work? Is there rejoicing going on? Let’s take this example that David gave us. It should never bring us comfort when something tragic happens no matter who it happens to. GOD has made us all and HE has a purpose for every one of us. When a tragedy in someone else life brings anything but sorrow to us we need to check our hearts. We should always be praying for those who stand in opposition to us. The Bible says to pray for your enemy and bless those who persecute you. It also says if your enemy is hungry feed him if he is thirsty give him something to drink. The Bible always brings us back to love. It’s easy to love those who love you, but it seems clear to me that GOD wants us to love them all even the ones who want us dead. The ones who will make our lives hard. The most difficult ones. Those are the ones we need to love the most. Our loyalty should always be to GOD, and GOD is love. Love is not an emotion it is an action. It’s something we choose. 1st Corinthians chapter 13 is a great example of this. Love is patient. That’s a choice, not an emotion. Love is kind. This is another action word. It holds no record of wrong. I’m sure this is one we all could work on. It’s one King David had stored in his heart. Saul had a long list of things he had done to David. But where was that list at this moment…I will tell you where… It didn’t exist. Can you forget about the past and love your enemy? Because that’s exactly what GOD has called you to do.
Prayer:
Father, let us see the world through your eyes. We don’t need or want to keep a record of right and wrong that is your job. Help us to love those who have hurt us, to forgive with a pure heart. It’s not up to us to figure out who deserves what, and honestly if it were we would get it wrong. We see the right now. We get stuck in the hurt. You see past all that to the healing. Father, we ask that you heal our hearts. All the hurt and wrong that we feel has been done to us help us to wash it away just like you did. With the blood of your son. Allow forgiveness to be our first thought not a begrudging last-ditch effort. We want to love them all like Jesus. HE not only did not keep a record of right from wrong, but he smashed the records that had been kept so far. Help us to live like that. Mold us and shape us to be like HIM. Willing to lay our lives down for those who not only reject us, but spit in our faces walk on our hearts, and cry out for everything that is against what is good for them. We truly do love you, Father. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen