 Actually, we're going to be looking at 2 Samuel chapter 1 today and we're going to obviously go through 2 Samuel together and so what we'll be doing is we'll be looking at chapter 1. Let's begin reading together here in 2 Samuel chapter 1 and I'll read verses 1 and 2, introduce our study, give you some context and move into the study. It's divided basically into two sections. We're going to look at verses 1 through 16 together and then we're going to look at verses 17 to the conclusion at verse 27 and so let's read verses 1 and 2 and then we'll pick up and go through the study and conclude the chapter today. Second Samuel chapter 1 beginning at verse 1, reading to verse 2. Now it came to pass after the death of Saul. When David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites and David had stayed two days in Ziklig, on the third day behold it happened that a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn, dust on his head and so it was when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. Now 2 Samuel picks up where 1 Samuel left off and 1 Samuel obviously leaves off with the death of Saul. As we enter into 2 Samuel, at this time David is unaware what has taken place, he's unaware of what's taken place between the armies of Israel and the armies of the Philistines. You see 1 Samuel chapter 30 informs us that David had been away, David had gone to battle with the Amalekites. The Amalekites had invaded David's city, a city called Ziklig and had plundered it and had taken the people captive. When David had heard what had happened, he pursued the Amalekites and as we saw when we studied that chapter he defeated them, he recovered all the people as well as the plunder including what they had taken from the Philistines. So as we begin here in verse 1, just a mention of the Amalekites serves to remind us of something, it reminds us of two things, one it reminds us of the obedience of David but it also reminds us of the disobedience of Saul. Here Saul had been commanded to annihilate the Amalekites but he had disobeyed the order that God gave. Instead of dealing with them as God had commanded, we saw that he had spared the king and all that Saul considered to be good. And for this he was rejected as being king over Israel. When Samuel the prophet spoke to Saul in 1 Samuel chapter 15 verse 23, Samuel told him rebellion is as a sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he also has rejected you from being king. And so on the one hand the Amalekites bring first the memory of the disobedience of Saul but it also reminds us of the obedience of David because David had gone after the Amalekites and he had defeated them completely in chapter 30 verse 17 it says David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day and not a man of them escaped except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. Now all of this was taking place right around the time that Saul was battling with the Philistines. So David had defeated the Amalekites, he returned to his home in Ziklag, he'd been there two days and though the Amalekites had sacked his city it was suitable for him and his men and their families. And so there they are. But it says in verse two on the third day behold it happened that a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head and so it was when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. And so David knew that Israel was about to go to war at the Philistines. We know that because in 1 Samuel 29 he and his men had been ordered to leave before the battle took place but now news has arrived and it confirms his worst fears. He hears of a defeat and so he's concerned about that. It says in verse two that a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. The clothes being torn and dust on the head is a symbol of mourning, it's anguish. It was something that was especially done when someone died. But it was something that represented anguish and mourning. So that's how this man appears before him and he comes before David and notice that he fell to the ground prostrating himself. So he shows a great show of respect to David. But he undoubtedly, and we're going to see this in a moment, had ulterior motives. Notice how verse three says to us, David said to him, where have you come from? And so he said to him, I've escaped from the camp of Israel and so he's identified as a runaway slave. Now being one who escaped from the camp of Israel would let us know that he would be aware of the conflict that there was between Saul and David and no doubt he would think that David would reward him because he's about to give him news of Saul's death. Everybody knew that Saul was an enemy of King David. It was very open and now Saul is dead. The normal response for somebody like David would be that they'd be happy. Their enemy had died. So he's expecting David to rejoice. But notice what happens. Verse four, David said to him, how did the matter go? Please tell me. He answered, the people have fled from the battle. Many of the people are fallen and dead and Saul and Jonathan, his son are dead also. David said to the young man who told him, how do you know that Saul and Jonathan, his son are dead? The young man who told him said, as I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul leaning on his spear. And indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me and I answered, here I am. He said to me, who are you? So I answered him, I am an Amalekite. He said to me again, please stand over me and kill me for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me. So I stood over 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 bracelet that was on his arm and have brought them here to my Lord. How do you know what happened? How did the matter go? Answer me. His answer is simple, complete defeat. Saul's dead, his armor-bearers dead, his personal guard all died, Jonathan and others have all been killed. Now that clears the way for David to enter into the throne because Saul, the king is dead and the heir apparent, which would have been Jonathan, is also dead. And so this young man may be thinking that David had aspirations for the kingdom and that would be good news to him. But David wants to continue and proceed with them. Notice in verse 5 how David says, how do you know that Saul and Jonathan and his son are dead? He doesn't want to go on hearsay. He wants information that is trustworthy. Now this young man would not realize that the death of Jonathan would be especially painful for David. David and Jonathan, as we saw when we studied 1 Samuel, were the best of friends. They were dear friends and various times in 1 Samuel it's pointed out that they had a great love for one another. In 1 Samuel 18, for example, verse 1, it says, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David. Jonathan loved him as his own soul. So the death of his dearest friend would be especially difficult for David to be experiencing. This guy doesn't know it, but here he is bringing this information and he's doing it with ulterior motives. Now David wants to know, how do you know what took place? And he begins to tell him a story. This is a lie. We know it's a lie because we know that horses and chariots did not surround Saul because as we studied the death of Saul, we saw that archers wounded him. Saul didn't lean on his spear. He leaned on his own sword and committed suicide in that way. And so this young man who's speaking to David, this amelokite, was watching the battle as a noncombatant. And what happened is the Philistines were moving throughout the battlefield and when they left that area, he came to the place that Saul had died. And we came to the place where Saul's body and Jonathan's and the others were laying. He plundered his body. He took his circlet that he had on his brow, which was a symbol of his kingdom. He took his bracelet from his arm, which gave an indication of his power and authority. He took them and brought them as tokens to demonstrate to David that indeed Saul had died. Now he's lying. He's lying with hopes of gaining a reward. But as he's lying to David, he is signing his own death certificate. This young man was from the people that David had recently slaughtered. And he's claiming responsibility for killing the king of Israel as well as Jonathan. And he's expecting David to be like other men, vengeful, desiring the death of his enemy. And in this he misjudged David. He misjudged him completely because David had left vengeance in the hand of God. In Proverbs 24, verses 17 and 18, it says, do not rejoice when your enemy falls. Do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it, and it displeases him, and he turn away his wrath from him. Instead of rejoicing at the failure of your enemy, leave it in the hands of the Lord. Don't be rejoicing at all. Just allow God to do what God does best. Don't waste your time. And David was not one who was going to rejoice over the death of Saul, even though Saul was his enemy. And so as this young man comes and speaks to David and shares these things with him, he's expecting David to be happy, to even reward him. And that's why he speaks to him in that way. But notice David's reaction, verse 11, therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them. And so did all the men who were with him. And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan, his son, for the people of the Lord, for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. As you look at this, this is one of the things that indicates the power of leadership, the power of the influence King David had. These men who are mourning alongside of David are the same men who wanted David to kill Saul. They're the same ones that when David had that opportunity in that cave. They're the same ones who said to him, God has delivered your enemy into your hand, kill him. They're the same ones who when David was there in the camp of Saul had said to him, God has delivered him into your hand, let me strike him with a spear, I won't have to strike him a second time. And yet when David receives word that Saul has died in Jonathan, his heart is broken open, he begins to mourn it. And just through the power of his influence there's been seen their leader broken in the way that he was. They begin to mourn alongside of him. It gives you a great indication of his influence that he had on these men. But he goes on in verse 13 and it says, David said to the young man who told him, where are you from? And he answered, I'm the son of an alien. An amelokite. David said to him, how was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed? Then David called one of the young men and said, go near and execute him. And he struck him so that he died. David said to him, your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth is testified against you saying I have killed the Lord's anointed. Repeat for me, where are you from? Tell me your story again, where are you from? I'm an amelokite. How come you had no fear in striking down the anointed of the Lord? You see, David had been a victim of Saul's anger on no less than two occasions. On no less than two occasions, Saul had tried to kill him. But to David, Saul remained a person who occupied a sacred role before God and he wouldn't raise his hand against him. And that's why he calls one of the young men over and he says, execute him. Now notice with me what he says here. He says in verse 16, your blood is on your own head, your own mouth is testified against you saying I killed, I have killed the Lord's anointed. The man's lie ended up with his death and it was his own fault. He was executed on the basis of his own words, not actual actions. David did not know exactly what had taken place. He did not know that Saul committed suicide. This young man was simply saying I was responsible for his death and so the man lying to David still called upon himself judgment. Remember in 1 Samuel chapter 26 verses eight and nine. Remember as David was there in that camp with Abishai. Remember how Abishai had said to David, God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore please let me strike him at once with a spear right to the earth. I won't have to strike him a second time. And David had said to Abishai, do not destroy him for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless. And so David said, this one killed the Lord's anointed and therefore he should be executed. Now as this takes place in verse 17 we find a song of mourning. Let me preface this by telling you I hope that you don't have a problem with a man showing emotion because this particular portion of scripture has caused me to tear up both first and second service and I fully expect it to do so again even though I'm gonna try and man up and not. I can tell you it's one of those portions of scripture and I think I'll be able to explain why in just a moment that has really touched my life. And so as we look at this what this is called is a song of sorrow. It's an elegy it's a lamentation, a song of mourning and sorrow and it's called David's song of sorrow. In verse 17 we'll begin David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son and he told them to teach the children of Judah the song of the bow. Indeed it is written in the book of Jasher. And so this is a song of sorrow lamentation. It's titled the song of the bow and it's to be recorded in place into a book that is called the book of Jasher. Now there are various traditions and scholars who identify this book in various ways. Some say that it's a book of the law. Others say this is the book of Genesis that's being referred to. Others simply say it's the book of Samuel. It's most likely a collection of poems that remember Israel's wars and Israel's great men. You see it alluded to in the book of Joshua in chapter 10 verse three. But it's a song that is recording Israel's wars and the remarkable leadership of the men of Israel. And so he's saying this is called the song of the bow and it's written in this particular book. And now he begins to lament verse 19. The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places how the mighty have fallen. Tell it not in Gath. Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon. Let the daughters of the Philistines rejoice. Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain upon you nor fields of offerings. For the shield of the mighty is cast away there, the shield of Saul not anointed with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back and the sword of Saul did not return empty. Saul and Jonathan were beloved, pleasant in their lives and in their death they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul who clothed you in scarlet with luxury who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle. Jonathan was slain in your high places. I'm distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. You've been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful. Surpassing the love of women, how the mighty have fallen and the weapons of war perished. He begins by singing in verse 19, the beauty of Israel is slain in your high places, how the mighty have fallen. The beauty of Israel. The word beauty is also translated gazelle. This could refer to Jonathan because Jonathan was swift and Jonathan was graceful. Which would mean that at the beginning of the song as well as its ending, David Sarr was greatest over losing his dearest friend Jonathan. He speaks concerning the high places. The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places. A high place was an open air worship site. So he's speaking here of Mount Gilboa. And so he's speaking concerning the fact that the mighty have fallen but he goes on in verse 20 to say, tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. Remember with me that the Philistines had five major cities. These are two of the cities that are being referred to, Gath and Ashkelon. And basically what he's saying very simply is this, these people are already celebrating victory. Don't give them any more reason to rejoice. He speaks of them as being the daughters of the uncircumcised. And what he's saying is don't give pagans reason to think that they defeated God. Don't give them anything to sing about. It is wrong for them to think that they somehow have defeated the God of Israel because in reality Saul had been displaced because Saul had been rebellious and disobedient to God. So these Philistines did not defeat the God of Israel. They simply worked to remove the king that was disobedient. And therefore he's saying I don't want them rejoicing because these pagans are gonna think that their gods gave them victory when in reality it was our God who removed Saul. In verse 21 he says, O mountains of Gilboa let there be no dew nor rain upon you nor fields of offerings for the shield of the mightiest cast away there the shield of Saul not anointed with oil. So he says may it not rain on the mountain where Saul and Jonathan died. Saul's shield should have been oiled when he returned from battle but there it is drying out in the sun because he has fallen from the blood of the slain from the fat of the mighty the bow of Jonathan did not turn back the sword of Saul did not return empty. In other words these men were valiant these were battle hardened and courageous men and we should mourn their loss. But he goes on to say in verse 23 Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives and their death. In their death they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles. They were stronger than lions. In their death they were not divided. The love that a son has for a father and the love that a father should have for his son. In their death they were not divided. There's just something. Some of you understand this. Some of you won't. Perhaps you can't because you're not a man. Perhaps you can't because you're not a father to a son but there's just something about the connection that a son and a father has that is very extremely powerful. I love my girls. I've got two baby girls. I love my sons. God has been gracious to give me sons and daughters. When my little girl was born I rejoiced and I've always loved my first born Corinne. When we found that Marie was pregnant with our second child and Marie asked me what do you want to name the baby? We were not those who went to the doctor to find out the sex of the baby. We were old school. Let's just be surprised. So I said, well, if it's a little boy I'm gonna name him Aaron. Marie said, why don't you name him David after you? I said, no, I don't like the name David. I never have. I said, I like the name Aaron. That's my favorite name. It's a beautiful name. I love the name Aaron. I had met a young Christian man when I was a young Christian. His name was Aaron and it just, I don't know, I just, man, what a name, illuminated. What a great name. I like that name. So I told her, I'm sorry, I'm gonna name him Aaron. She says, aren't you gonna give him your name? I said, well, you can be Aaron David if you'd like. I mean, but no, his name's gonna be Aaron. She says, all right. And so she goes through her pregnancy. She gives birth. There I am in the room. Baby is born. The doctor brings the baby, hands it to the nurse. The nurse puts it in that little incubator kind of thing, a little warm, warmer. It looks like a warmer, a food warmer. It's that little taco in there. And they bring the baby to me and hand me my son. And the doctor says to me, what's his name? And I said, David, his name is David. And I held my son as something about a son. They grow up, wanna be like their dads, even if you're not a man that people ought to wanna be like. They wanna be like their dads. They stand like their dad. They try to walk like their dad. They want their hair cut like their daddy. They grow older. If daddy wears a mustache, they wanna have a beard mustache like daddy. They grow up like they wanna be like dad. They do. As they grow older, they're proud of you. They brag about you. I remember when my son, David, was probably about 10. He invited one of his little friends over to come and play at his house. And I was standing there at the door when David went to answer the door when the doorbell rang. And the door was half open and David was looking outside and he says, my friend's here, dad, can he come in? I said, well, of course. I'll never forget this. David swung the door open and he turns and points to me to his little friend and he said, this is my dad. He's a power lifter. I used to work out, but I've never been a power lifter and there's this skinny old man looking at this kid. Yeah, I'm Mr. Power Lifter. I started busting up and I started laughing. I said, power lifter, where'd you get that from? I laughed so hard, he was this little guy. Just a few years ago, I was talking to my son, he's gonna be 31 years old next month. I was talking to my son and I said, you know, do you remember when that young guy came over and you introduced me as a power lifter? And he said, yeah. I said, I laughed. I said, son, I said, you were so proud of me. And he looks at me, he said, I still am, dad. And he touched me. He touched me. I still am. There's something about the love that a dad has for his sons. And the love that a son has for the daddy. Very powerful. They'll follow you anywhere. They'll follow you, daddy. They'll follow you to heaven. And they're gonna follow you to hell. They're gonna follow you where you go. Be careful where you lead them. Jonathan followed his dad to his death, on a mountain called Gilboa. His dad was disobedient to God and he led his son to his death, led him to his death, to his rebellion to God. I was reading the newspaper just this weekend of a man who's still involved in gangs. He lives in Fresno apparently and he took his seven-year-old son with him and one of his buddies and they went off to get a tattoo at a friend's house. And they put a tattoo on his chest, his gang affiliation. His little boy, his seven-year-old son, is there watching them tattoo the daddy and asks, can I have one too? And they put a gang affiliation on this little seven-year-old boy on his hip. And the mother, when he came home, I don't think that they're together, the father and the mother went through the ceiling, filed charges against the husband and they were trying to put this man away for several years for abusing the child by putting a mark on the body of a seven-year-old. It's illegal to do that. But what caused me greater sorrow was to realize that this man simply didn't have an understanding. He said, well, he asked for it and it didn't hurt him. You know, it is hurting him, daddy. It's hurting him for the rest of his life. You are bringing your seven-year-old son into the gangs. It hasn't done you any good and what's it gonna do for your boy? What is it gonna do for your boy? But we do that, don't we? We lead our children to good or we lead them to evil and our sons will follow us wherever we go. And what we do, they wanna do and what we are, they wanna be. They use us as their measuring rod. They use us as their standard. They use us as their hero. And I'm sure that Saul was like that to Jonathan. Saul was a warrior and so was his boy. Saul died and so did his son. When my father went home to be with the Lord and we were there in the hospital and they did all they could to keep him alive but it just wasn't the will of the Lord and my dad went to be with Jesus and the doctor brought me and my family in to have our last moment with my father's body. We knew where he was, he was with Jesus. I still remember walking into that emergency room and I still remember walking with my family and going to the head where my dad was and I remember looking down at my dad at the body. Really, daddy was with the Lord already but I remember reaching down and I used to just stroke my father's hair. That was my way of telling him I loved him. I would rub his hair and I reached down, forgive me. And I rubbed his hair for the last time and I said this, daddy, I brought shame to you and I'm so sorry because before I got saved I was a crazy kid, crazy. Drugs, alcohol, you name it, brought shame to his name. I was taught as a child, my mama said this to me, she said, your daddy's name is valuable, don't bring shame to his name. That's how I was raised but I did bring shame to his name. I did and it's funny after all those years of serving the Lord, pastoring, ministering, the first thing that came to my lips was I touched my father's hair, was daddy, I brought shame, forgive me, forgive me. The next thing I remember saying was, but daddy, I hope I made you proud before you went home. I hope I did. There's just something there. There's a connection that's deep. A few years ago before my dad went to be with the Lord, somebody called the church and said, tell David, Pastor David to watch his back because I'm gonna kill him. I mentioned that in a service. My dad was in church, my dad was around 70 years old at the time and I said yeah, somebody's saying he's gonna shoot me. At the end of the service, my dad came walking up to me and he said, where is he? I'm looking at this 70 year old man. I smiled at him and I said, daddy, where's who? Where's that guy? And I said, I don't know, but don't worry about it. He said, where is he? 70 years old and he's still gonna go out and try and beat somebody up for his son's sake. Can you imagine that? But there's just something there, that connects you, that is so deep. Saul and Jonathan were beloved, pleasant in their lives and in their death. They were not divided. He died next to his dad, but his dad led him to his death. I don't wanna lead my kids to their death. I want to lead them to life. I wanna lead them to the kingdom of God. That's what I wanna do. That's what dads are supposed to do. And you fathers, keep that in mind. My wife is not responsible for the life spiritually of my children. She's my helper, but God has given me the requirement, the command, the duty of leading my children in the way of the Lord. Therefore I pray that God makes me and continues to make me into a man of God, that they will be able to emulate, that they'll follow into heaven. I don't wanna take them upon a hill and have them die next to me. I want to be an obedient man that is not responsible for the loss of the life of my child. So that touched me. That touched me. I told my wife Marie, I said, that speaks to my heart because they were not divided in death. My sons, I promise you, if dads in danger will die next to me. I promise you, that's an absolute fact. There's no doubt about that. If I'm in danger, they're next to me. That's my boys. The way I would have been next to my dad. My kids would be next to me. I wanna be careful where I go and what I do. I wanna lead them in the right path. So that very, very deeply speaks to me. Jonathan died with his father. When he says, oh, daughters of Israel, weep over Saul who clothed you in scarlet with luxury, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel, he's simply saying, listen, you sang when Saul was victorious. Now sing songs of sorrow in his death. Under his rule, your lives were improved. You should be thankful. You wear beautiful clothing, costly jewelry because he kept you safe. And then he finally says in verse 25, how the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle. Jonathan was slain in your high places. I'm distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women. How the mighty have fallen, the weapons of war perish. I'm distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women. I sorrow in the age that we live that there are those who would say that Jonathan and David had some kind of homosexual relationship. That's not what David is singing about. There's very few things that are equal to the relationship a man has with his closest friend, with his buddies. And there is somebody in your life perhaps that you would call one who is close as a brother to you. Even though he's not blood, he's as close as any brother. I have a friend like that in my life. He's a pastor of Calvary Chapel upland. His name is Randy and I tell him, I say, you're not my friend, you're my brother. I love you like a brother. And he is, I mean he and I are very close. We've been very close for 27 years. His wife, Jeanette and my wife, Marie, are very dear friends and we have been very, very close for a long time. We take vacations together. We take ministry trips together. Just a couple of weeks ago I was given opportunity to teach at a pastors conference in Mount Hermon up by Santa Cruz and Randy and Jeanette came with us. They like to spend time with us. They vacation with us because they're our closest friends and he and I will spend a lot of time. We drink coffee together when we're walking through stores. He and I will sit outside of that store together on a bench watching the women spend our money. And we complain to each other. Dearest friend that I have, closest friend and we've even spoken and we've said, listen, I've said, if the Lord takes me home, Randy, you're speaking at my funeral. And he has said, if I should go before you, you're gonna speak at mine. We're very, very dear friends. Jeanette and Marie have already made arrangements. If Randy and I die, they're gonna live together and I think they're hoping as soon. I mean they could live together. They're the dearest of friends. There's just something about having a dear friend like that. And so in the case of David, his heart is broken. I am distressed for you, my brother, Jonathan. You have been pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful. The heart of a broken man. I lost my best friend and it breaks my heart. This is a song of sorrow and you can see it. The thought of you losing the dearest person in your life, your dearest friend, Jonathan. Your love surpassed the love of women. There's just something about us. We're men's men. There's just something about us. We connected. And now you're gone. And you're gone and you died next to your dad and my heart is broken. The mighty have fallen. The weapons of war perished. A great warrior has been lost, but even a greater friend. And it breaks my heart. David was saying that you're gone.