Text: 2 Samuel 1:17-27
Theme: The Mighty Have Fallen
I greet you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The LORD is Good; His steadfast love endures forever. God willing this month we will be meditating under the theme “Take heed lest you fall”(1 Corinthians 10:4). As we are going through various needs and difficulties due to the Coronavirus, there is a possibility of losing heart and faith. Desperation may come. It is the time to be careful and watchful of our steps, words, and deeds.
The theme for this Sunday is “The Mighty have Fallen”. This passage talks about three noteworthy personalities of Israel, namely King Saul, Prince Jonathan, and King David. We are going to learn spiritual lessons from their relationship with one another and with God. This lamentation had written for the honor of King Saul and Jonathan. It is a homage rendered to them (2 Samuel 1:17-18).
1. King Saul Strived for Kingship and Authority
Saul was a very ordinary young man when he met Samuel. He was introduced in the Book of Samuel withy these words: “He was an impressive young man without equals, handsome young man, fine young man, choice and the goodly young man” (1 Samuel 9:1-2). God Chose Saul to be the first king of Israel (1 Samuel 9:15-16).
God raised him to authority from dust, from the least of the Benjamin among the tribes of Israel. God chose Saul because of his humility and self-control as per his statement to Samuel (1 Samuel 9:21, 10:22). He was a searched leader he never sought leadership. God appointed him and people approved his kingship (1 Samuel 10:24-25).
Saul was a man of different hearts. He spent the whole night with the man of God discussing the secrets of prophecy (1 Samuel 9:25-26). Saul was mute for both praises and dejection of People (1 Samuel 10:24, 27). though Saul was despised and ridiculed; however, he kept his mind was in quietness, but God affirmed his calling by being with him in the battles and enabled him to overcome all the hurdles and crowned the victory, then Saul glorified God. Samuel confirmed the kingship of Saul to all Israel (1 Samuel 10:27 and 11:13-15).
But quickly, Saul learned all the habits of gentile kings; he learned the luxurious living, enjoyment of the powers, and despised Samuel and God. He distanced himself far from God and his purpose. Saul did not consider David as his equal. So, he hunted him for many years. He vainly spent time and energy against the will of God. The Government money spent on military force, the treasury was emptied for this purpose. Instead of expanding the Kingdom of Israel, he was concentrating on establishing the monarchy. Saul had established his name and fame by a victor pillar in his memory (1 Samuel 15:12).
King Saul fulfilled all the prophecies foretold by Moses (Read: Deuteronomy 17:14-17); and all the warnings given by Samuel to the People came to pass. Samuel warned them what would be the cost of having a King (Read: 1 Samuel 8: 6-9, 11-18). So he was striving to retain the authority and kingship for him and his posterity. Saul forgot the call and the plans of God. If Saul would surrender completely and honored God, God would have allowed him to have kings for generations as per Deuteronomy 17:18-20.
Dear friends, let us not give ourselves to worldly ideas and principles in our lives. Let us surrender to the Lord and his power. Let the will and plan of God to fulfill in and through every one of us. King Saul yielded to Self-will (1 Samuel 13:12-13), His ardent behavior turned into atrocities as disobedient ruler. Saul has simply rejected the spiritual counseling of God through Samuel. He did what was pleasing to him rather than the will of God. So, God has grieved for this man (1 Samuel 15:7-10-11, 22-23).
He nurtured Jealousy (1 Samuel 18:8-9) and hatred against Samuel, Priests, and David, God’s children, and saints (1 Samuel 18:8, 19:1). Saul was explaining to Jonathan that as long as David lives, Jonathan could not become a King. So he should be killed (1 Samuel 20:31). Later he believed in superstition (1 Samuel 28:7). The Philistines killed sons of Saul (1 Samuel 31:1-2). Saul attempted for suicide, but, an Amalekite killed him because he spared Agag and their best against God’s order which displeased the Lord (1 Samuel 31:4, 1 Samuel 15:2-3, 9; 2 Samuel 1:13-14).
2. Prince Jonathan Strived for Friendship and Charity
Jonathan means “The LORD gives” or “the LORD has given.” God had given Jonathan a generous portion of noble qualities. He was a gift from God to the people of Israel. Jonathan was a brave young Prince who lived with charity, sincerity. He was very entirely different from his father in many areas of life. Jonathan was Godfearing and smarter than Saul understanding the will and purpose of God. Jonathan was known for his deep love, loyal friendship, and faith in God, while Saul repeatedly showed foolishness, pride, and disobedience to God. Before David emerged as captain of the Army Jonathan was leading the battle, and won the battles on many occasions (1 Samuel 14:1-2,12).
He had strong instincts toward God’s power and grace. He confessed the beautiful statement that “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few”. It is known a heroic faith in the history of Israel. He had undaunted courage to face the battle. He trusted God in the battlefield (1 Samuel 14:6).
He sought the friendship and fellowship of David. David and Jonathan became one in spirit loved with the deep bond of love (1 Samuel 18:1). Jonathan's intrepidity and fidelity made him be the most desired figure in Saul’s family. It was a self-sacrificing friendship. He gave his robe, tunic, word bow, and his belt. These were signs of future kingship. The giving up these items refer to his willingness to part away from captaincy and authority (1 Samuel 18:4, 19:2, 20:41-42). Jonathan grieved for the shameful act of his father trying to kill David to establish Kingship of Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:34). Jonathan blessed David saying “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account”. Jonathan indirectly indicates his end of his father Saul, of course, his end too (1 Samuel 20:16).
Jonathan was a mighty man but fallen because he allied with his father than with God. He spoke one or two occasions to correct his father but failed. Jonathan identified himself with David and could have continued with him to establish the throne of God on the earth. He desired to be second in the Kingdom of David but never took much effort to muster the nation for that. Life of Jonathan teaches us that we must tune our entire personality with full surrender. There is no place for pleasing men.
3. King David Strived for Relationship and Divinity
The news of the death of King Saul and his sons came to David after he returned from the battlefield of Amalekites. David was looking a day to occupy the throne and crowned as king. The end of Saul was the beginning of the reign of David. The death of Saul indicates the vacant throne. But he never enjoyed and celebrated the death of King Saul rather he lamented for Saul and his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.
Here David showed his majority in leadership and set an example to his generation how to deal with fellow Israelites. What a great honor for Saul and Jonathan to have this beautiful lament sang in Israel penned by David, a tune composed by his choir and use even today. It shows his depth of emotion. He prays that the enemies might not celebrate the fall of Mighty (2 Samuel 1:20).
This lament is a funeral dirge or mournful elegy. The outpourings of grief are found in this funeral Hymn and betray the tense condition of the emotions of the poet; vividly depicts the affectionate character of David as a Man of sorrows. Keil says, "It is one of the finest odes of the Old Testament, full of lofty sentiment, and springing from deep and sanctified emotion, in which, without the slightest allusion to his relation to the fallen king, David celebrates without envy the bravery and virtues of Saul and his son Jonathan, and bitterly laments their loss.”
Clarke comments: “It is almost impossible to read the noble original without feeling every word swollen with a sigh or broken with a sob. A heart pregnant with distress, and striving to utter expressions descriptive of its feelings, which are repeatedly interrupted by an excess of grief, is most sensibly painted throughout the whole.”
Whedon’s Commentary: It is the pure lamentation of a loving heart that has forgiven and forgotten the injuries of the past, and knows no other feeling than that of profound sympathy and sorrow for the heroic dead.
The Biblical Illustrator: The Lament of David over Saul shows the spirit of forgiveness. Forgiveness of injuries was healed by the flowers of charity. Lament of David over Jonathan shows the love of mutual benevolence which could delight in certain souls through an affinity of natural qualities and feelings.
Then he describes the brave acts of Jonathan and Saul. He also curses the mount Gilboa for accepting the blood of the Mighty and let them down. Later part he praises the love, loyalty, and friendship he had with Jonathan. Saul and Jonathan were gracious, swifter than eagles, and were stronger than lions (1 Samuel 1:23). He requests the daughters of Israel to lament for their leaders (1 Samuel 1:23). They were known as weapons of war (1 Samuel 1: 27). Saul and Jonathan were the glories of Israel (1 Samuel 1:19). He says that Jonathan's love was greater than the love of women. He was dear to him like a brother(1 Samuel 1:26).
Joseph Benson: The bursts of sorrow are so strong, so pathetic, so short, so various, so unconnected, that no grief was ever painted in such living and lasting colors. And it is one sure sign and beautiful effect of this sorrow, that David’s heart was so softened and melted by it as to lose all traces of Saul’s cruelty to him. He remembered nothing now but the brave man, the valiant leader, the magnificent prince, the king of God’s appointment, his own once indulgent master, his Michal’s, and his Jonathan’s father.
David never attempted to kill Saul. Because he was his father in law, he was the father of his dear friend Jonathan also an anointed King of Israel. David never stretched out his hand to kill Saul chosen servant and anointed of God. He loved Jonathan. David does not want to see his friend become fatherless and an Orphan. David never does grasp the power of human beings. He waited patiently for timing and means from God. He had very high regard for both of them.
Conclusion:
The fall of Saul began almost 20 years ago when Samuel anointed David for kingship. The spiritual fall led him to have physical death before his enemies. Jonathan had fallen because of his company with his father. The company of the disobedience leads you to disobey, the company of evil men leads to evil acts; the company of mockers leads you to follow their footsteps. Proverbs 1:15,19 says my son does not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths. It takes away the life of those who get it.
Remember that Saul was striving for kingship and authority, Jonathan was striving for friendship and Charity; however, David was striving for relationship and divinity. For what you strive?
