Saul’s Death and David’s Lament
October 29, 2025
Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
2 Samuel 1
Tonight we begin the Book of 2 Samuel, although technically nothing “new” begins here. The original Hebrew canon knew one unified scroll called Samuel. The split into 1 and 2 Samuel only came later due to scroll length limitations. This means what we are reading tonight is not a spin-off, reboot, or book-two expansion. This is the very next breath in God’s unfolding story of His chosen king and His covenant people.
In May of 1940, Britain’s back was against the wall. Nazi Germany had stormed across Europe. The world trembled.
One man stepped up with a steel spine and a bulldog spirit. Winston Churchill — the Prime Minister who stared down Hitler when the odds were impossible. He rallied his nation with the words, “We shall never surrender.”
He was not perfect. He could be stubborn, abrasive, and difficult. He was not always right. Yet history acknowledges this truth: Without Churchill, the world could look drastically different today. Then, shockingly, within weeks of winning the war, Britain voted him out. Replaced him. Pushed aside the man who saved them.
Years later he returned briefly to serve again, but his final years were clouded by illness, depression, and the fading gratitude of a nation that once hung on every word he spoke. When Churchill died in 1965, Britain paused… and mourned. Not because he was flawless.
• They mourned because even flawed leaders can be used by God for great good.
• They mourned because a symbol of national identity had fallen.
• They mourned because the story was over, and what could have been would never be.
Grief is complicated when the one we honor has also wounded us. In the first chapter of 2 Samuel, David receives news that King Saul — the man who tried to kill him, who obsessed over destroying him — has died. If anyone could celebrate, it would be David.
Yet David tears his clothes. He falls to the ground. He weeps. He fasts because David understood something most people miss: Even the fall of a broken leader is a national tragedy. Tonight, we learn why David mourned and what that reveals about the heart of the King who was yet to come.
However, the contrast between the ending of 1 Samuel and the beginning of 2 Samuel could not be more dramatic.
The last chapter ended in tragedy, defeat, and death:
• King Saul is slain on Mount Gilboa
• Jonathan and his brothers fall with him
• Israel’s army is routed
• the Philistines celebrate
• hope appears crushed
And all the while, David does not yet know. He is down in Ziklag, still recovering from his own battle against the Amalekites, unaware of the devastating collapse that has just struck his nation and his king.
It is in that context that we open 2 Samuel 1. This chapter shows us:
• A king removed by God
• A king rising by God
• A heart shaped by God
It teaches us how a servant of the Lord responds when the Lord moves in ways painful, unexpected, or confusing. Most importantly, this chapter begins turning our attention forward to the King of kings who will come through David’s line, and who perfectly fulfills everything David only modeled imperfectly.
I. A Messenger Arrives in Ziklag (vv. 1–10)
After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.” (2 Samuel 1:1-10)
Three days after David’s victory over the Amalekites in Ziklag, a man arrives with torn clothes and dirt on his head. He looks like someone mourning in solidarity with Israel. He appears humble. He appears loyal. The Hebrew gives us a clue immediately. He is “an Amalekite.” If alarms do not go off there, reread 1 Samuel 15.
Amalek was not a neutral people. They were Israel’s sworn enemies since Exodus 17. Saul’s failure to fully obey God’s command to destroy the Amalekites was a defining moment in his downfall. He refused to execute King Agag, and in that refusal demonstrated partial obedience that God called rebellion.
God removed Saul for disobedience regarding Amalekites. Now, at Saul’s death, standing before David, is an Amalekite. The irony is not accidental. Scripture frequently uses narrative irony to reveal theological truth.
This Amalekite presents himself as a helpful witness:
• He claims Saul was still alive after falling on his sword
• He claims Saul requested a mercy killing
• He claims he obliged Saul
• He presents Saul’s crown and armlet to David
It sounds like loyalty. It sounds heroic. It sounds rewarded-worthy. It sounds like a lie. How do we know? Because 1 Samuel 31 gives the actual account. Saul fell on his own sword, observed by his armor-bearer. The Amalekite saw an opportunity for advancement and crafted a politically useful story. He presumed David’s heart. He assumed David would rejoice. He calculated that if Saul was David’s enemy, that would make him David’s benefactor.
He misunderstood everything. He misunderstood:
• David’s integrity
• David’s fear of the Lord
• David’s loyalty to God’s anointed
He hoped David would reward ambition. Instead, David would demonstrate righteousness. Many will claim loyalty to God’s work when what they really seek is promotion through God’s work. The Amalekite wanted the crown to become his leverage. He had no fear of God. And he had no idea who he was talking to.
II. David’s Immediate Response: Grief and Reverence (vv. 11–12)
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. (2 Sam 1:11-12)
David’s reaction is the opposite of what the Amalekite expected. Scripture says:
• David tore his clothes
• All the men with him did the same
• They mourned and wept and fasted until evening
Who are they mourning?
• Saul
• Jonathan
• Saul’s sons
• The Lord’s people
• The nation of Israel
This is a critical insight into David’s heart. Saul has been trying to kill him for years. David has been living on the run. Yet the moment David hears of Saul’s death, there is no relief. No celebration. No “finally.” No “I told you so.”
David laments because David understands something Israel forgot:
• Saul was God’s chosen king
• Saul was the Lord’s anointed
• Saul was the father of Jonathan, David’s covenant brother
• Saul represented the hope of Israel’s unity and strength
David grieves not only because of personal loss but because of spiritual tragedy. Israel’s glory was slain on the heights. The enemies of God are mocking. The name of the Lord is being dishonored.
David teaches us that deep wounds do not excuse disrespect toward those God has placed in authority. Honoring the office does not require approving the man’s failures.
We learn something essential here: A God-centered life does not rejoice when those who oppose us fall. It mourns sin’s destructive reach. It laments what could have been. It weeps for the dishonor brought upon God.
III. The Judgment of the Amalekite (vv. 13–16)
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.’”
David questions the Amalekite: “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” (v. 14) David is essentially saying: “You thought killing the king would please me. That tells me you know nothing about me or my God.”
David then orders his immediate execution. Some modern readers recoil. “He just brought the news. Why kill him?” “David seems unhinged here!” “Is this revenge?”
The answer is in the text: he condemned himself by his own mouth (v. 16). Whether he killed Saul or only said he did, he confessed the worst of crimes: He claimed to have taken the life of the Lord’s anointed.
He admitted zero fear of God. He thought political gain justified sacrilege.
He tried to force what only God gives: the crown. David’s judgment is not emotional retaliation. It is righteous, covenantal justice.
Lesson: No one advances God’s Kingdom through disobedience to God. You cannot seize God’s promises by sin. You cannot manipulate God’s plan with shortcuts. You cannot trample God’s authority structure and expect blessing.
The Amalekite misread history. David would not stain his hands with blood God did not command. But David also would not allow a man to boast against God’s king. Justice served is justice that protects the throne’s holiness.
IV. David’s Lament: The Song of the Bow (vv. 17–27)
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said: 19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. 21 “You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. 22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions. 24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. 25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! “Jonathan lies slain on your high places. 26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women. 27 “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!” (2 Sam 1:17-27)
The rest of the chapter is poetry, a lament, a national song. David commands that the people of Judah be taught this lament from the Book of Jashar (v. 18), a historical anthology of Israel’s heroic songs (see also Joshua 10:13). The Bible quotes from other works when God ordains particular content to serve Scripture’s purpose.
The song focuses on three refrains: “How the mighty have fallen!” (vv. 19, 25, 27)
David does not speak of why Saul fell. No mention of disobedience. No record of failures. No rehearsal of wrongs. This is not denial of truth. It is charity, focused on what is honorable.
Key themes:
• Israel’s loss: “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places” (v. 19)
• The shame before enemies: “Tell it not in Gath” (v. 20)
• The curse on Gilboa: “Let there be no dew or rain” (v. 21
• Saul and Jonathan’s valor: “swifter than eagles, stronger than lions” (v. 23)
• Jonathan’s love: covenant loyalty exceeding familial bonds (v. 26)
David honors Saul for:
• His strength in battle
• His role as God’s instrument
• His contribution to Israel’s prosperity (v. 24)
He honors Jonathan for:
• His unwavering loyalty
• His sacrificial covenant love
Jonathan stands as the ideal of godly friendship: Not self-advancement but self-giving covenant. David grieves deeply because David loved deeply.
V. Theological Significance for Israel
David’s grief, justice, and honor demonstrate:
• A heart aligned with God’s values
• Reverence for God’s anointed
• Love for God’s people
• Awareness of covenant identity
This moment prepares Israel for what comes next:
• The establishment of David’s throne
• The return of national unity
• The restoration of hope through a righteous ruler
• Saul’s fall does not end Israel’s story.
• It clears the ground for God’s chosen King.
VI. Application for the Church Today
Christians read this text from the other side of the Cross, grafted into the same covenantal olive tree (Romans 11). David is not simply a historical figure but a type of Christ, pointing forward to the Messiah who rules forever. Therefore, this text corrects common misconceptions.
1. When leaders fall, believers should mourn
• Not cheer.
• Not broadcast their failures.
• Not weaponize their downfall.
• Sin has consequences but should never provoke celebration.
2. Honor God’s authority structures
Even when flawed leadership hurts us.
David refused to dishonor Saul because his battle was not against a man but against unbelief and disobedience. His reverence was toward God’s appointment.
For us:
• Honor government as far as conscience allows
• Honor spiritual leadership God establishes
• Pray for leaders rather than rejoice in their defeat
3. Reject shortcuts to spiritual calling
• God will open the right doors at the right time.
• We must not try to seize prematurely what God has promised.
• Faith is patient because faith trusts God’s timing.
4. Grieve with hope
• David lamented honestly, passionately, and publicly.
• Christians are not stoics.
• We grieve reality.
• We honor the past.
• We acknowledge loss.
• Yet we grieve as those who know a King is coming.
VII. Christ-Centered Fulfillment: David’s Greater Son
Everything in 2 Samuel 1 anticipates Jesus Christ.
A. David honored God’s anointed
Jesus is God’s eternal Anointed (Acts 2:36).
Where David honored the flawed, Jesus is the flawless King.
B. David refused to seize power
Jesus humbled Himself, took on flesh, and embraced the Cross (Phil 2:5–8).
He waited for the Father’s exaltation.
C. David mourned the fallen
Jesus wept over Jerusalem’s unbelief and humanity’s suffering (Luke 19:41; John 11:35).
A heart aligned with God hurts over sin’s devastation more than personal injury.
D. David executed justice
Jesus will return with perfect justice, striking down all rebellious power (Revelation 19:11–16).
The Amalekite’s boast foreshadows the arrogance of the nations who reject the rightful King.
E. Saul’s fall exposes the failure of human kingship
Israel needed a king who would obey perfectly, love perfectly, and rule eternally.
• David tries.
• David prefigures.
• David prepares.
• Jesus fulfills.
Jesus:
• Sits on David’s throne
• Rules David’s house
• Establishes an eternal kingdom
This is the foundation for the Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7, where God makes an unbreakable promise that one of David’s sons will reign forever.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)
VIII. Final Pastoral Charge
As Christians grafted into God’s plan through Christ, 2 Samuel is not someone else’s story. It is our inheritance. Our faith. Our future.
The chapter begins in grief and ends in hope. The king who failed has died. The king who will rule is rising. The King who reigns forever is coming.
• David’s path to the throne is righteous, humble, and reverent. Jesus’ path was even more so.
• David would not touch the Lord’s anointed. Jesus is the Lord’s anointed who was touched for our transgressions.
• David mourned for a nation defeated. Jesus mourned for a world enslaved.
• David executed justice on one who boasted in rebellion. Jesus will judge all who refuse His reign.
• David wrote a lament with the refrain, “How the mighty have fallen!” Jesus will return with a triumphant refrain: “The Lord God Almighty reigns!” (Revelation 19:6)
The Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright Morning Star.” (Revelation 22:16)
