How Are The Mighty Fallen” A Memorial 2 Samuel 1: 17-19
In every city, town, and community there are memorials. We see memorials in the form of crosses along the highway signifying where a loved one was killed in a traffic accident. Memorial monuments are set up in nearly every city to commemorate war heroes or great citizens of that town. Building, bridges, highways, colleges and universities, hospitals, airports are named after people to help us remember them.
Every memorial has a message. A memorial is a commemoration to recollect, rehearse, and remember.
World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O’Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold. A squadron of Japanese aircraft were speeding their way toward the American fleet.
The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was defenseless. He couldn’t reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber’s blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.
Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Deeply relieved, Butch O’Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival he reported in and related the event surrounding his return.
The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch’s daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had in fact destroyed five enemy aircraft.
This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy’s first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O’Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.
In our text, we have a MEMORIAL for Jonathan and Saul instituted and set up by David.
Three times in verse 19, 25, 27 we find the words, “How are the mighty fallen.”
There is a LOSS TO BE LAMENTED - Saul and Jonathan have died
A. Many have fallen through DEATH
Greene, Roloff, John R. Rice, Sightler, Roloff , Kelly, Tom Malone, Lee Roberson
B. Some have fallen through DISCOURAGEMENT
C. Few have fallen through DISGRACE
How my heart hurts to hear of those men who have fallen through females and finances.
There are some LESSONS TO BE LEARNED in this story.
David “bade them teach the children of Judah the bow.” David used this time to instruct the people and set up a memorial to his friend Jonathan.
I. REMEMBER THAT LABORING (activity) IS A VALUABLE COMFORT IN ANY LOSS.
The people were very grieved, for Saul and Jonathan, the king and the crown prince, were slain. David pampers their grief by writing a song which the daughters of Israel may sing.
A. There was the sorrow that must have shattered
Sure there was grief; Saul and Jonathan were going to be missed. Their seat would be empty.
B. There was the summons which must have startled
To take their minds off their sorrow, he, at the same time, issues an order to teach the children of Judah the use of the bow—for activity is an effectual remedy in the time of sorrow. Certainly the opposite of it would tend towards depression and despair.
In any loss activity is valuable as a comfort.
Do not just sit and brood over your loss.
Do not shut yourself up to meditate upon the great loss that has befallen you.
This can do you no good whatever!
Rather imitate what David did, who, when his child was sick, fasted and prayed, but when it was dead, he arose and went into the house and ate bread, for he said, “Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”
Do not fall under the temptation of Satan to cease from your daily activity.
While inactivity will lead into blank despair, I am certain that work distracts the mind from the sad loss upon which it is apt to thrust itself.
Nothing is more healthy than to have work to do.
Toil can be to be a blessed activity by withdrawing the mind from the sorrow which would have become engrossed it.
If and when you experience a loss, and Satan tempts you to get alone and to cease from activity, resist his injurious suggestion!
David was absolutely correct. The way to raise the people out of their despondency was to teach them the use of the bow — their own arrows would slay their grief—and the way to get you mourning ones out of your sorrow is to get them to in love themselves in an activity
See Joshua 1:1,2.
II. RECOGNIZE THE LESSONS OF OUR LOSSES.
What was the disaster?
Saul and Jonathan had been shot by archers. The Philistines were evidently good in the use of the bow, but Saul’s army was weak in this area; as a result, o they were not able to strike the Philistines at a distance. Before they came to hand to hand combat, where Israel might have been a match for Philistines, the arrows of the Philistines had reached their king and his son
If they known how to use the bow, they might have been conquerors and, therefore, David hastens to teach the men of Judah the use of the bow.
I imagine we all have met with failures and sometimes even great loss. What shall you do? Sit down and fret and trouble yourselves, and give up in despair? God forbid!
As the men of Judah learned the use of the bow through their being beaten by the bow, so you gather wisdom from that which has beaten you!
Have you ever been defeated by your adversary? Learn where your weakness is. Determine to know the cause and reason for the defeat.
Search and see. Was it pride? Was it some point where you ought to have been guarded, but where you were not watching?
Was it weakness in prayer? Was it a neglect of the Word of God?
Was it indifference to House of God? Was it caused because of coldness of heart?
If you have been defeated, there is a cause for it. There was a reason for your defeat.
Be not content till you have got to the bottom of it and found out the root that lead to your defeat
Is it not wisdom to discover the why?
Search out the cause of your defeat. Strive to learn the lesson which it is meant to teach you.
Is there any secret sin with you? Perhaps by looking at the defeat you may learn the way to victory.
David judged that if they were defeated by the bow, they might win next time by the bow.
It is right to learn from your adversaries.
There are some things we can learn from Satan. For one thing we can learn from his diligence.
Let us all be diligent to learn the lesson which every disaster would and could teach.
Saul had a little standing army and did not drill the nation in ths use of the bow. But David says, “I will teach my own tribe the use of the bow.”
Peter was stronger after his fall than before it, and he set out to strengthen his brethren.
What is done cannot be undone, but we learn from it, and by God’s we may never do it again.
Learn the use of the bow and be more ready the next time.
III. RESOLVE TO LIVE A MEMORIAL IN HONOR OF YOUR DEPARTED LOVED ONE BY IMITATING THE QUALITIES THEY POSSESSED.
How does that come from the text?
When Jonathan and David met together on one occasion, they determined their meeting by Jonathan’s shooting arrows.
It is obvious that Jonathan was a man who used the bow. Though his father did not introduce it into the army, yet Jonathan was familiar with the bow.
“Well then,” says David, “in memory of Jonathan, instead of piling up a great monument, we will teach the children of Judah the use of the bow.”
If you want to keep a memorial to your beloved mother, exhibit in yourself the virtues that shined in her.
If you want to keep a memorial to your departed father, manifest in yourself the qualities that shined so brightly in him.
No memorial is more fit than imitation—be a monument to the departed by exhibiting within yourself all that was good in them.
Imitation is the highest compliment that can be paid an individual.
How much should you and I emulate Christ! Walk as He walked...love as He loved...forgive as He forgave.
Some will give money for a stain glass window in the church for a memorial to their dear departed one. I shall not condemn them, for their generosity may well be the spirit of their departed one.
But I would suggest that to build up within oneself, by the power of God’s Spirit, the Christ-like character of their departed loved one is by far a better memorial than any window that could ever be purchased.
What if you could employ the greatest of sculptures and he with his cunning hands could mold the marble till it seemed to be real? Would not the monument mainly point to the artist and rather make men think of the expense of the work more than of anything else? Whereas, if you in living flesh live like Christ, will not men then take notice that you have been with Jesus and have been taught of Him — this will keep Him best in the memory.
If we do what Christ would have done under our circumstances, we shall be exhibiting a far better memorial of Him than wealth can possibly purchase.
When David taught these people the use of the bow, every time they stringed an arrow they would remember Jonathan! Every time they shot an arrow, they would remember Jonathan.
And whenever a regiment of archers went through the streets to the battle, they brought Jonathan before the public mind.
David instituted this form of royal artillery, on purpose, so that Jonathan might be kept in mind before the people.
Every time you go forth to do the service of God, obediently and zealously, as Jesus did it, you put men in mind of Jesus and they say, “God has set these men in the world to be witnesses for Christ, to keep His name alive in the earth. These men are a blessing because Jesus, Himself, has blessed them.”
I would thus stir you up to endeavor all the days of your life to live and serve God, that the name of Jesus Christ shall be kept alive in this nation of ours and throughout the world!
Conclusion:
Memorial Day is a United States Federal Holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May. It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it was expanded to include those who died in any war or military action.
May we learn and profit from David’s memorial to his dear friend Jonathan.
