II Samuel 1:17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son
II Samuel 1 is a fascinating study in contrasts between two men who were kings and warriors, Saul and David. Both were kings and both had started from humble beginnings. Saul was obeying the command of his dad in searching for donkeys when he was anointed king. David first came to the limelight when he was obeying his father in taking food to his brothers. Both had been taking care of basic chores when they came upon so-called greatness, but there was a difference. Were both men kings? Yes. Were both men great? No. David had a great position, and he was a great man, not perfect but great. Saul was a man who had a vaunted position, but was not a great man.
Think about their identities and their goals in ruling. Saul was often saying things like, “My kingdom.” He thought about himself and how he could gain power. David was often heard to say things like, “Thy servant.” They were different. Both were kings, but both were not great. Might does not mean great. Saul was mighty, but Saul was not great. We can learn from this contrast that great people live for something greater than themselves. You find three examples of this in David’s response to Saul’s death.
First, David recognized another authority. In II Samuel 1:14 David replies to a man who (falsely) claimed to have killed Saul, “How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” David tells this man, “You thought you were gaining favor with me by killing someone you thought was my enemy, but this is not about me or about Saul. This is about Israel and the God of Israel. This is about God’s plan for God’s kingdom.” David recognized another authority. That was Saul. You can’t do that if all you are thinking of is yourself, but great people live for something greater than themselves.
Secondly, David recognized another generation. People who are self-absorbed are only thinking about the here and now and how it will affect them and the decisions they make, but in verse 18 it says parenthetically, “(Also he [David] bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow…)” Saul had suffered defeat and was killed by the Philistines, and the Israelites scarcely had power to arm themselves. You might recall that the Philistines had metal while the Israelites did not, nor could the Israelites even sharpen their farm implements without going to Philistine blacksmiths. The Philistines had effectively disarmed the Israelites. So, David wasn’t just concerned about himself. He realized they had a greater enemy, so he was going to teach another generation.
Lastly, David recognized another honor. In verse 24 David laments the death of Saul and says, “Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul.” We might assume these were the same ladies who said, “Saul hath killed his thousands and David his ten thousands,” heaping honor upon David. David may have heard that, but he did not heap honor upon himself. Instead, he gave honor where it was due. Saul was not a great man, but as king he was the authority. David recognized the honor that was due Saul.
What about you? How do you see competitors, money, accomplishment, and success? Today, remember that great people live for something greater than themselves. So, each of us ought to broaden our focus to include others and to include God.