HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN! 2nd Samuel 1 David mourned for the death of Saul and Jonathan when an Amalekite brought the news to him in Ziklag. He had just returned from recovering his family, who had been taken captive by the Amalekites, and then to hear of the defeat of the Israelites would have made him very sensitive to the bad news. The Amalekite man who brought the news was likely a scavenger taking what he could from the bodies of dead soldiers. When he took Saul’s crown and armband, he would have thought David would reward him.
For David, there had been years of waiting. The waiting times were also when David learned to discern lies and deceit, which he faced when the Amalekite came to him with Saul's crown and bracelet. Saul was wounded before the Philistines came, and the deceitful Amalekite lied, seeking to earn David's favor. There were also weeping times when disappointment and despair came upon David and his men. Sorrow for others is not a sign of weakness but of empathy when one connects personally with those in need.
Waiting times are difficult, especially when we know what God has in mind for us in the future. During these times, our patience is tried, but a benefit is that "training for reigning" takes place. Preparing to lead takes time. Waiting times lead to changing times in which God raises those He chooses and puts down those who have failed or whose leadership is no longer that which is needed. God has His times, and "our times are in His hands." Waiting times are also choosing times. Our character is often developed when we take the time to think a matter through carefully.
We need to be very careful not to judge another person's character and, in particular, not to judge them by our own standards. “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it.” Opportunities that arise to ingratiate ourselves into another person’s favor can be a terrible mistake if we seek self-interest and advance ourselves at another person’s expense. No matter how dark a person’s reputation may be, we do not have the right to add further condemnation to their reputation.
It is possible to tell of an incident in which we have been involved and manipulate the account to put ourselves in a favorable light, which may be misleading. When called upon to give an account of events, we must tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. To slant the account to our advantage is evidence of a defiled character. Sin, in such cases, may not be in the words we say but in how we say them and where we place the emphasis. It is not easy to deliberately lay aside what has hurt us and intentionally find reasons to express our respect for those who seek our hurt and downfall. Remembering times follow the choosing times as we consider our attitude toward others. Blessing the memory of those with whom we have enjoyed fellowship is easy.
David’s response to the God-appointed leadership in Israel was to carry out justice on a man who had fabricated and given an evil report. He disapproved of the murder of Saul. His response to the death of Saul and Jonathan was grief and deep sorrow. Saul’s death was that of an unbeliever, and Jonathan’s was that of a believer who had compromised that which he knew to be true.
David chooses not to hate Saul but instead looks at the positive aspects of both Saul and Jonathan in his lament. The love between David and Jonathan is of a higher and more excellent value than mere emotion. David was already the “sweet singer” in Israel and knew how words are best used and how the spoken word can impact people and events. He could easily detect subterfuge. Perhaps his ability to express himself in precise, understandable, written words is one of the reasons God called him and man after My own heart.
It is hard for us to bless the memory of certain people when we know they have sought to put us down in defeat. Wise is the person who can look above personal attacks and differences and value others for who they are in the sight of the Lord. A good lesson for us is to not get impatient during the waiting times in which God is molding and preparing us for growth, perhaps for greatness, and consistently to demonstrate God's grace. It values a person for who they are and their impact on us. This is not physical or sentimental love.
From verse seventeen to the end of the chapter, David composed a lament to be learned by his people concerning the life and death of Saul and Jonathan. He did not rejoice that Saul's death opened the way for him to rule as he had been anointed. He had waited for God’s time, knowing that what God had determined would come to pass. David's soldiers likely sang the “Lament of the Bow” as they practiced using the bow. It would have been a motivation to remember their need to be skillful in using that weapon.
The place where they had hoped to win the battle but had been warned by the power of darkness became the place of the grievous result of sin. How different from where Saul began as a humble young man. O Saul, how are the mighty fallen! Jonathan was loyal to his friend and loved him as a brother, but he was more faithful to his father. He had been tested in battle, proven to be a mighty warrior, and was called by David “A brother,” but that didn’t keep him from being one of those who had fallen and been slain during the battle. Jonathan is probably the “gazelle” referred to as the one mourned for at the beginning and end of the song. O Jonathan, how are the mighty fallen!
The lament does not draw attention to Saul and Jonathan's failures but to their good qualities and accomplishments. David did not want the enemies of Israel to think he was rejoicing over the Israelites' defeat or to bring reproach to the Lord. The past was a cause of grief, and the shield of Saul was not used again. Jonathan had proved loyal to his faith even though he knew the eventual outcome would be that David would be king. His compassion and value of David was beyond his feelings, to faith and complete confidence in the plans of God for the nation.
The war for the souls of men still rages around the world as the power of darkness seeks to keep people from hearing the Gospel and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sin still claims victims who compromise the truth and fall victim to its wages. The warning still comes from the historical accounts of those who made the wrong choice in ancient times: O careless soul, how are the mighty fallen! A servant who is faithful to God and His calling is still in enemy territory, and there is still the danger of falling in their field of labor. When one who served well fails morally or spiritually, it is an appalling defeat. O servant of God, how are the mighty fallen!
Raised in a home where parents lived by faith and practiced what they taught their children, where they learned the value of Christ’s blood and His work of grace and were preserved from many of the sinful ways of the world system; when they have turned aside from following the Lord by a pretty face and contradicted all the truth they were taught; O enlightened one, how are the mighty fallen! Taught God’s truth by those who practiced what they preached, the clarion call of the Gospel reached my soul, and I had the privilege of serving with those who are apt to teach, and they passed on what they had learned to me. May it never be said of me, how are the mighty fallen!