FORGIVENESS AND THEN LAMENT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):

"Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!

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.

O mountains of Gilboa, may you have neither dew nor rain, nor fields that yield offerings of grain.

For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil. 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.

Saul and Jonathan — in life they were loved and gracious, and in death they were not parted. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.

How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights. 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.

How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war have perished!"

2 Samuel 1:17-27

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

The first chapter of Samuel begins with bad news. Fresh off his victory over the Amalekites and the rescue of his abducted people and livestock, David receives news that Saul and Jonathan had died in the battle with the Philistines. The news brings David and his men to mourn, weep and fast over the loss before David pens a lament for his fallen friends…a lament that comprises the passage for today.

Checking the dictionary, we find that to lament means “to express sorrow, mourning, or regret for often demonstratively…to regret strongly. Certainly, we feel the deep love and caring that David had for both Saul and Jonathan…surprising in a way because of the way that Saul had pursued David in a quest to kill him. Despite this, David doesn’t curse Saul but instead praises him.

I wonder if we, in the same circumstances as David, would have praised Saul.

For it would be easy to sing the admiration of one who was in the same spirit as you were…one who loved you as himself…one that would place himself in grave danger just to protect you. Jonathan did all these things and so it was easy to see how David could say, “Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.” There’s little doubt we would feel the same.

But when it comes to one who has done wrong to you for no good reason…one who tried multiple times to pin you to the wall with a spear…one who pursued you relentlessly with murderous purpose and caused you to be constantly on the run to stay alive…I think any average person would not even consider having anything nice to say about that person, no matter how much good they may have done at some time in their life. No…praise would not be in order. Instead, the natural reaction might be one of relief and satisfaction that one’s enemy had met his demise and would no longer be a problem.

Maybe you’ve had an enemy or two in your life. And maybe that person seemed to never take a break from harassing you or mistreating you in some way with their actions breeding contempt within your heart for them. Now, imagine that person dies. Would you mourn their passing? Would you turn around and deliver a praise-filled eulogy at their funeral? Most people wouldn’t. But David wasn’t like most people.

No…David chose to focus on the good things about Saul and not the bad. He underscored Saul and Jonathan’s bravery in battle…their strength and agility in vanquishing Israel’s foes during Saul’s reign. And he exhorted other in Israel to join him in mourning “the mighty ones” who had fallen…the “weapons of war” that had perished…the ones who were “loved and gracious” in life.

Yes, David could have cursed Saul but instead he lamented. Perhaps, this is because he was a man after God’s own heart…a God that is merciful and forgiving and loving…a God who will bring the same out in us when we surrender our hearts and minds to Him…and become like-minded with Him.

So where are you at in your life attitude with your enemies?

If they were to die tomorrow, would you rejoice or lament…celebrate or mourn…revel or remorse?

Before you answer that question on your own, why don’t you seek God first and ask Him how you should respond?

And when you do, you’ll find as David did that there is to be forgiveness first…forgiveness that will then turn our hearts to lament. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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