GRIEF AND HONOR
Opening Prayer
Gracious Lord Jesus, I affirm you today as my Lord and Savior. I bless your holy name.
Read 2 SAMUEL 1:17-27
David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan
17 David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):
19 “A gazelle[a] lies slain on your heights, Israel.
How the mighty have fallen!
20 “Tell it not in Gath,
proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.
21 “Mountains of Gilboa,
may you have neither dew nor rain,
may no showers fall on your terraced fields.[b]
For there the shield of the mighty was despised,
the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.
22 “From the blood of the slain,
from the flesh of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.
23 Saul and Jonathan—
in life they were loved and admired,
and in death they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,
they were stronger than lions.
24 “Daughters of Israel,
weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.
25 “How the mighty have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
26 I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,
more wonderful than that of women.
27 “How the mighty have fallen!
The weapons of war have perished!”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 1:19 Gazelle here symbolizes a human dignitary.
- 2 Samuel 1:21 Or / nor fields that yield grain for offerings
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
‘In you, Lord my God, I put my trust’ (Psalm 25:1). Do just that before you read further.For David, it’s personal. Despite Saul’s sin against David in the past, hounding and even trying to kill him, David honored King Saul, the Lord’s anointed. When others might have called their dead enemy weak or insecure, through unforgiveness and bitterness, instead David sang that Saul was ‘mighty’ and ‘Israel’s glory’ (v 19, ESV). When some of us would have perhaps only grudgingly acknowledged Saul, David wanted the news of his death not to be known and celebrated by gloating enemies (v 20). What is David doing? He was honoring Saul, the man the Lord chose before him. What steps could you take to better honor the people around you? Is this an idea that’s ever occurred to you? How might you put it into practice?
David’s lament becomes even more personal about Jonathan, a man he loved as a brother, who supported and strengthened him like no one else had done in his entire life (v 26). We get the sense that David’s holding nothing back in this song characterized by a devastating experience of loss. Have you ever ‘put on a brave face’ or tried to deny the pain of loss? That’s not the example we see in David the king, or in Jesus the King of Kings.
Apply
Are you in need of some help to grieve a loss? Why not reach out to someone you trust to talk and pray about this with you?
Closing prayer
Dear Lord, please help me to be prepared to sacrifice everything for you if I have to walk a road of sorrow. Grant me the assurance that you will provide.
Book and Author Intros
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