2 Samuel 1.16-19
Last Sunday … those who live by the sword … die by the sword.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, the mob appears, led by Judas, to take Jesus away … a disciple draws a sword.
Jesus says: Put it away. Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.
The young man who reported to David the news of Saul’s death is an opportunist, a soldier of fortune, a mercenary - Have sword, will travel.
When the tide of battle turns against Saul and Jonathan, Saul is mortally wounded.
The young solider flees for his life, and comes upon the dying Saul; Saul begs him to end his life.
Without a moment’s thought, the young man dispatches Saul’s life … takes the crown from Saul’s head and a bracelet from his arm.
The young man sees an opportunity to be a king-maker.
He flees to the south to find David.
When David hears the news, David rips his clothing - David’s soldiers do the same - Saul has been ripped from their life; their hearts ripped with grief … and Jonathan, Saul’s son, David’s beloved friend, is dead, too.
There is grief in the palace!
Saul reigned 42 years … a long time … very few could have remembered a time before Saul … Saul was Israel, and Israel was Saul.
In spite of his many missteps.
Saul stumbles over his own feet … miscalculates and chooses the wrong course.
Yet God grants him 42 years on the throne.
Is God patient?
God is very patient!
As is David … for David is a man after God’s own heart!
Early on, David comes into Saul’s palace as a musician … it doesn’t take long for David to realize that Saul is unbalanced … fits of anger explode without reason … jealousy warps Saul’s mind and heart … Saul has no better friend than David, but Saul imagines David to be an enemy.
David flees from Saul’s palace.
But that’s not enough for Saul.
Saul’s jealousy takes root and grows: resentment, anger … as long as David is alive, David poses a threat.
Saul goes after David … the chase is on … and, then, two remarkable moments - when David has Saul in his hands … two times, when David could have killed Saul.
Two times, David’s soldiers tell him, Kill Saul … get on with it … be done with it … our lives are in jeopardy … he’ll kill us if has the chance; don’t take any more chances, kill Saul!
Two times, David could have taken up the sword.
Two times, David refuses.
Remember, David is a man of the sword … a skilled tactician … a man who knows how to fight … even as a young shepherd boy, he knows how to kill predators and defend the flock … when it comes to Goliath, David knows how to sling a stone with lethal force, and if that isn’t enough, David sever’s Goliath’s head, and brings Goliath’s head to Saul, a trophy of war … enemy defeated … battle won.
David is a man of the sword!
But when it comes to Saul, there will be no sword.
But David is clever.
In each instance, David secures proof of the moment.
You remember the stories:
When Saul is in the cave to “relieve himself” - David and his men are far back in the very same cave; David creeps to where Saul has laid aside his robes, and with a swift cut of the knife, David cuts off a piece of the garment.
After Saul leaves the cave, David steps to the mouth of the caves and calls out to him; holds up the piece of Saul’s robe … Saul is overcome with remorse … Saul relents and goes home.
A second time, Saul and his army are sleeping soundly in camp, weary from battle … the LORD’S hand helps them sleep well.
David and a companion sneak into the camp - the companion says, Let me take Saul’s spear and pin him to the ground.
But David stays the man’s hand … No one can lift a hand against the LORD’S anointed and go unpunished.
Yet again refuses the way of the sword, but David is smart enough to prove his presence - David takes Saul’s spear and Saul’s water jug, and only after leaving camp, and climbing a bluff high above the camp, David calls out, awakens Saul’s encampment … everyone can see how close Saul came to death … David returns the spear and the water jug.
Saul is remorseful and apologizes to David … David goes on his way, and Saul returns home.
It’s the last time Saul and David will see each other.
David bides his time!
I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to wait.
To wait upon the LORD.
David himself writes in Psalm 37:
Be still before the LORD and wait for him.
Don’t get upset when someone gets ahead - someone who invents evil schemes.
David will never make himself king.
Only God can make David king.
The Amalekite mercenary expected David to rejoice at the news.
How stunned the young man must have been … no jubilation, no dancing, no celebration … only tears and sorrow, mourning and grief.
David asks the young messenger a few more questions.
David learns the young man is a mercenary, an Amalekite.
How ironic.
While Saul was up north fighting the Philistines, David, deep in the south, wages war against the Amalekites.
No love lost here.
What is David it do? The palace watches and waits!
David refuses the trophies of war offered to him by the young man.
How easy for David to grab the crown and the bracelet … would anyone have cared?
But David will not make himself king, or be made king by the fortunes of war!
There can be no self-serving in the kingdom of God … a thousand years later, Jesus says, I come, not to be served, but to serve … to give myself … to lay down my life.
Jesus echoes David’s sentiments: I’ll not make myself king; only my Father can do that.
For David to receive the kingship by the power of the sword would have been a failure of faith … a betrayal of his own values … David has waited this long for God to make him king; to turn now would have made all the years of danger and prayer a waste of time … it would been a bad beginning … and things will be bad enough for David … but here and now, David refuses the easy way, as did our LORD when tempted by the Devil in the wilderness … no easy way for the servants of God.
David makes a hard decision …
This young man who finished off King Saul, in the hopes of a quick profit, gains nothing, and loses everything … in a world of quick profits, big corporations sacrifice thousands of employees for the sake of Wall Street … the powerful tell the weak to take a hike … the successful condemn the poor and make life harder for millions - it would be well for all of us to remember that quick profits profit us nothing … a thousand years later, Jesus would say, What good does it do for a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?
David could have the crown, the crown and the glory … but he would lose his soul in that moment.
Everyone would tell stories about the young mercenary who won the day for David, and brought home the spoils of war.
David knows it would be a bad bargain.
David commands one of his servants to strike the young man down … a hard decision in hard times.
Those who live by the sword … die by the sword.
David remains loyal … loyal to Saul and Jonathan, and loyal to the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel.
David doesn’t grab the crown; he waits for the LORD.
David is a man - after God’s own heart.
Amen and Amen!
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