Read 2 Samuel 1:1-27
The focus of the biblical narrative moves on to David following the death of Saul in battle, as we saw at the end of 1 Samuel. David was involved in one conflict against the Amalekites while Saul was being defeated by the Philistines in another. David learned of the death of Saul (and his son, David’s friend, Jonathan) from an Amalekite who claimed to be on the scene and claimed to be the one who dealt the death blow to Saul. But didn’t we read in 1 Samuel 31 that Saul took his own life in the end to avoid falling into the hands of the Philistines? Do we have a contradiction in the Bible? Well, no, because the Amalekite lied. He made up the story because he thought that David would be pleased with him smoothing the way to the throne and would reward him handsomely. What he did not realise was the respect that David had for Saul because Saul was the Lord’s anointed (v14). We saw this several times in 1 Samuel. Even when Saul pursued him and tried to kill him, David, when he had the opportunity to, would not kill Saul. Saul had been appointed king by the Lord and it was not for David to take Saul’s life; he respected God’s sovereignty and God’s will. The Amalekite received justice laced with irony. He was killed for what he said he did, even though he didn’t do it! God’s judgement found him out in his lie and he died for his greed and his deceit. The difference between David and the Amalekite shows the difference between Kingdom values (put God first) and worldly values (put self first).
The second half of the chapter is David literally ‘lamenting a lament’ over the loss of Saul and Jonathan. A lament is something more considered and formal than an expression of grief pouring out from someone (as in vv11 and 12). A lament is no less sincere but is an expression of grief in a more thoughtful way. And in his expression of grief for Saul and Jonathan, David calls upon the Israelites to remember the difficult times under Saul’s kingship and the national disgrace of defeat to their enemies. And yet there is great respect for Saul and Jonathan personally. ‘Saul and Jonathan – in life they were loved and gracious’ (v23). ‘O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold’ (v24). Things weren’t all bad under Saul, but there is more than ‘don’t speak ill of the dead’ here; the call is to remember and grieve for people as real people; not to demonise them nor to elevate them to sainthood, but to remember them as they really were.
Finally, David laments the loss of his great friend Jonathan. In 1 Samuel we saw that they were great friends, even formalising that friendship in a quasi-legal manner by a covenant. In v26 David expressed his love for Jonathan in the strongest of language, ‘I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother, you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of a woman’. There is nothing gay here, just absolute respect, exemplified by Jonathan saying selflessly to David, ‘You will be king over Israel and I will be second to you’ (1 Samuel 23:17).