Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 1
The
battle had pressed hard against king Saul and his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua. The
Phillistines struck them down. Israel’s king Saul and his sons have fallen. They
were killed in the line of duty as they fought on the front lines against their
fiercest enemy. It was a terrible defeat and awful loss.
Now,
you would think that David might take this unfortunate turn of events and begin
to rejoice a bit in his heart that he can finally rest from the hounding and
hunting of Saul. After all, David had spent months (years) running from Saul,
hiding in caves and rocks, living a meager existence, and constantly in fear of
his life. No one would find fault with David if he was just a little bit happy
that Saul was finally out of the picture.
But
that’s not how David felt. In fact, David was sorrowful over the heart-rending
loss of Israel’s King and Commander in Chief. We are told that he “lamented
over Saul and Jonathan, his son.” The word “lamented” in Hebrew means “to
strike a musical note of sorrow, wailing, and mourning.” David was truly
grieved over the loss of Israel’s king and the loss of his best friend,
Jonathan. He began to chant and wail a funeral song to express his grief, “Oh, Gazelles of
Israel, struck down on your hills, the mighty warriors—fallen, fallen! Saul and Jonathan—beloved, beautiful!
Together in life, together in death.”
In spite of all Saul’s hostility
toward him, David was generous to Saul in the song he composed in his
memory. He cursed the place where Saul
died, praised the bravery of Saul, and recalled the prosperity that Saul had brought
to the people. It is of interest that David's eulogy of Saul made no reference
to his faults and sins.
In the course of his
song, David cursed Mount Gilboa, the place where Saul was killed. "Let
there not be the dew of heaven, or rain fall upon thee. Let there not be wheat
fields grow upon thee." It is very interesting that if you go to Israel
even today, and look at Mount Gilboa, it's a rocky, barren, desolate mountain. All
around it the mountains are just covered with trees and lush, beautiful, and
greenery. But Gilboa stands out because of its barrenness.
David mourned over the
fallen. His grief was genuine. He truly was broken-hearted to see his fellow
Israelites, his brothers, his companions struck down. This is a reminder to all
of us that we should not rejoice in the calamities or suffering of others. Even
if they have been our opponents in life. The loss of life is a mournful thing.
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