THE DANGER IN DECEPTION

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. On the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.

"Where have you come from?" David asked him.

He answered, "I have escaped from the Israelite camp."

"What happened?" David asked. "Tell me."

He said, "The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."

Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"

"I happened to be on Mount Gilboa," the young man said, "and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and riders almost upon him.

When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, 'What can I do?'

"He asked me, 'Who are you?' "

'An Amalekite,' I answered.

"Then he said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I'm still alive.'

"So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord."

Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

David said to the young man who brought him the report, "Where are you from?"

"I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite," he answered.

David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?"

Then David called one of his men and said, "Go, strike him down!"

So he struck him down, and he died. For David had said to him, "Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, 'I killed the Lord's anointed.' "

2 Samuel 1:1-15

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

A prevailing theme throughout the books of 1st and 2nd Samuel is the matter of deception.

Already, we have seen Saul use it when he tried to justify his disobedience in not carrying our God’s order to destroy the Amalekites…an act that Samuel framed as the main cause for God removing His favor from Saul. (1 Samuel 28:16-19)

We saw David use it when he covered up his attacks on the Philistines (the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites) by telling King Achish that he had attacked the Israelites in the Negev of Judah, the Negev of Jerahmeel and the Negev of the Kenites. To ensure no one would get word to the king that he had attacked his people, David executed all the Philistine people in the areas he raided. (1 Samuel 27:8-11)

And so as we start the first chapter of Second Samuel, it seems only fitting that the matter of deception be at the forefront.

We find David and his people already having stayed in Ziklag for two days after returning from their victory over the Amalekites. You’ll recall it was the Amalekites who attacked and pillaged Ziklag as David and his men were off with the Philistine army as they advanced to fight Israel. After being rejected by the untrusting Philistine commanders, David and his men returned to find their town in ruin and their families and livestock stolen by the Amalekites. And after consulting the Lord for guidance, we read where David and his men, pursued, found and soundly defeated the Amalekites, getting everything back that had been taken before returning to Ziklag.

So David, his men and their families were reunited and trying to get back on their feet when a “man arrived from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and with dust on his head” on the third day after they had returned to Ziklag. The man went to David and “fell to the ground to pay him honor.

After finding out the man had come from the Israelite camp, David quickly asked about what had happened. He was very interested obviously because he was on his way to battle Israel with King Achish when he and his men were rejected and sent home by the Philistine commanders. Thus, David knew that there was going to be fighting but was unaware of the outcome. And since he didn’t know anything about the battle, he would need to rely on the man’s testimony…a dangerous proposition because what if the man was not telling the truth? What if the man was only there to try and gain something for himself and take advantage of David?

Back to the scriptures where the man gives David the following report:

"The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."

Imagine the impact this had on David. Jonathan was his sworn friend who had looked after him and protected him faithfully in times of danger, even going against his own father to keep David alive. And even though Saul continuously tried to kill David, David would not do the same to Saul when the opportunity presented itself not just once (in the cave) but twice (as Saul slept in his camp). In each incident, David exhorted Saul as being the Lord’s anointed and in saying this feeling the Lord was the only one who could rightfully judge Saul.

We sense David is in a sense of disbelief right away because he asks the man immediately, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?" And again, the man gives David his account on what happened:

"I happened to be on Mount Gilboa…and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and riders almost upon him. When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, 'What can I do?' "He asked me, 'Who are you?' " 'An Amalekite,' I answered. "Then he said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I'm still alive.' "So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord."

Now there was an obvious problem with the man’s story. For he was lying to David who didn’t have anything else to go on but the man’s word.

We on the other hand, have the scriptures at our disposal…scriptures that have already clearly told us that Saul killed himself after his armor bearer refused to do it. (1 Samuel 31:3-4)

And so the man’s story as told made it sound as if the man had done something noble for the critically wounded king, following his orders to finish him off since he was in the throes of death. Perhaps the man had heard Saul tell his armor bearer to kill him before the Philistines could and used that part of Saul’s words for his lie. Whatever the case, the man clearly knew David was next to be king and through his actions, which included bringing Saul’s crown and armband, hoped to gain some kind of special favor with the new king. Little did he know that his scheme would have an unexpected ending.

For when we plot and concoct devious plans meant to deceive someone, we forget one important thing…God sees everything and can never be deceived. And God’s word promises that vile plotting done in the dark shadows of evil will be exposed and brought to light (1 Corinthians 4:5) with the motives of hearts revealed.

So would the man get away with his lie?

We read where his testimony caused deep expressions of mourning in David and his men as they “took hold of their clothes and tore them” before weeping and fasting until evening. And then David turns to the man and confronts him with a few more questions.

After asking where he was from and learning he was an Amalekite who had been living in the midst of the Israelites as an alien, David then asks the man, “Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?"

Uh-oh. A flaw was opened up in the man’s plot. For if he had been truly living amongst the Israelites as an alien, he would have been very aware that one would have to be terrified at the prospect of killing anyone who had been anointed…or specially set apart and selected….by the Lord. The armor bearer was terrified for this reason. The man should have been likewise.

Unless of course, he never did kill Saul but it was too late. He had already confessed to doing just that. And because of that confession…that he had knowingly killed God’s anointed one…the man had sealed his own execution, carried out by David’s order by one of his men after David told the man, “Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, 'I killed the Lord's anointed.' "

Friends, the Lord is sending us a strong message at the start of 2nd Samuel. For deceitful scheming meant to get over on another person is sin…plain and simple. And God hates sin. He hates it so much that He will judge it and correct those who decide to do it. In the case of the Amalekite alien, it cost him his life…and we will pay a cost as well if we decide to do as he did.

In the end, my prayer is that we all adopt and follow the words of the Psalmist who wrote the following:

“Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good… (Psalm 34:12-14)

God’s word instructs us to do it and God expects us to be obedient to His word. The rest is up to us.

Let us remember He is always watching. For that is the truth. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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