Introduction:
Shortly after David returned to Ziklag from his successful raid against the Amalekites he was met by a man coming from Saul’s camp at Gilboa.
It would have been a three or four day trip walking from Mount Gilboa to Ziklag, a distance of approximately 80 miles.
Question. Why do you think this man came to see David?
2 Samuel 1:1-16 NLT
David Learns of Saul’s Death
1 After the death of Saul, David returned from his victory over the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag. 2 On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s army camp. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show that he was in mourning. He fell to the ground before David in deep respect.
3 “Where have you come from?” David asked.
“I escaped from the Israelite camp,” the man replied.
4 “What happened?” David demanded. “Tell me how the battle went.”
The man replied, “Our entire army fled from the battle. Many of the men are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.”5 “How do you know Saul and Jonathan are dead?”
David demanded of the young man.
6 The man answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear with the enemy chariots and charioteers closing in on him. 7 When he turned and saw me, he cried out for me to come to him.
‘How can I help?’ I asked him.8 “He responded, ‘Who are you?’
“‘I am an Amalekite,’ I told him.
9 “Then he begged me, ‘Come over here and put me out of my misery, for I am in terrible pain and want to die.’
10 “So I killed him,” the Amalekite told David, “for I knew he couldn’t live. Then I took his crown and his armband, and I have brought them here to you, my lord.”
11 David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day.
13 Then David said to the young man who had brought the news, “Where are you from?”
And he replied, “I am a foreigner, an Amalekite, who lives in your land.”14 “Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord’s anointed one?” David asked.
15 Then David said to one of his men, “Kill him!” So the man thrust his sword into the Amalekite and killed him. 16 “You have condemned yourself,” David said, “for you yourself confessed that you killed the Lord’s anointed one.”
Examine the Scriptures
2 Samuel 1:1-16 NLT
David Learns of Saul’s Death
1 After the death of Saul, David returned from his victory over the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag.
2nd Samuel is a continuation of 1st Samuel.
- 1st and 2nd Samuel were originally one book.
Stories at the end of 1 Samuel included the following:
David Destroys the Amalekites
1 Samuel 30:17-18 NLT
17 David and his men rushed in among them and slaughtered them throughout that night and the entire next day until evening. None of the Amalekites escaped except 400 young men who fled on camels. 18 David got back everything the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.
David and his men had killed many Amalekites because of what they had done to David’s city Ziklag and family.
1 Samuel 30:26 NLT
26 When he arrived at Ziklag, David sent part of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends. “Here is a present for you, taken from the Lord’s enemies,” he said.
The Death of Saul
1 Samuel 31:1-2 NLT
31:1 Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua.
- 2 Samuel begins with David returning to Ziklag after his victory over the Amalekites.
2 On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s army camp. Similar wording in most translations.
- Shortly after David returned to Ziklag from his successful raid against the Amalekites he was met by a man coming from Saul’s camp at Gilboa.
It would have been a three or four day trip walking from Mount Gilboa to Ziklag (approximately 80 miles).
Question. Why do you think this man came to see David?
He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show that he was in mourning. He fell to the ground before David in deep respect.
Torn clothes and dirt on a person’s head are signs of mourning, grief, anguish or sorrow.
This may or may not be how the man really felt.
This may have been a “show” to impress David.
As the story progress, this man appears to be an opportunist, looking out for himself.
3 “Where have you come from?” David asked.
“I escaped from the Israelite camp,” the man replied. Similar wording in most translations.
I escaped from the Israelite camp. Verse two stated that he came from Saul’s army camp.
Is this also a lie?
There is no indication that this man was a member of Saul’s army. Most likely he was not a member of Saul’s army.
In 1 Samuel 15 Saul was slaughtering the Amalekites. The Amalekites were the bad guys.
4 “What happened?” David demanded. “Tell me how the battle went.”
At this point in time, David was not aware of what had happened to Saul.
The man replied, “Our entire army fled from the battle.
Some translations (5) say “Our” army.
Other translations say “the people” fled, the “troops” fled, “the Israelites”, or “the men”.
Again there appears to be “holes” in the man’s story.
- There appears to be “holes” in the man’s story.
Many of the men are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.”
Could this man have known that David was God’s choice to be the next king of Israel?
1 Samuel 16:1, 12, 13 NLT
Samuel Anoints David as King
16:1 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”
12 So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes.
And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.”
13 So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
- It appears that this man thought that David would be glad to hear that Saul and his sons were dead.
It appears that this man thought that he would be rewarded for bringing David this “good” news.
5 “How do you know Saul and Jonathan are dead?” David demanded of the young man.
6 The man answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,
The statement “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” is questionable.
Another lie?
The Amalekite was probably a scavenger looking for valuables left behind by the dead soldiers.
and there was Saul leaning on his spear with the enemy chariots and charioteers closing in on him.
Chariots and Charioteers were a symbol of power and strength. Saul had no chance to escape.
7 When he turned and saw me, he cried out for me to come to him. ‘How can I help?’ I asked him.
8 “He responded, ‘Who are you?’
“‘I am an Amalekite,’ I told him.
The Amalekites had been plaguing the Israelites for generations (from the time they left Egypt).
9 “Then he begged me, ‘Come over here and put me out of my misery, for I am in terrible pain and want to die.’
A third lie?
Did the man think that his story would be more believable to have an “enemy” kill Saul rather than one of his own soldiers put him out of his misery?
1 Samuel 15:1-3 NLT
15:1 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord! 2 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. 3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
10 “So I killed him,” the Amalekite told David, “for I knew he couldn’t live.
- This story is different from the story in 1 Samuel 31 and 1 Chronicles 10
1 Samuel 31:4 NLT
4 Saul groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me.”
But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
1 Chronicles 10:1-6 NLT
The Death of King Saul
10:1 Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua. 3 The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him.
4 Saul groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to taunt and torture me.”
But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died. 6 So Saul and his three sons died there together, bringing his dynasty to an end.
The Amalekite may have been hoping this news would get him a big reward.
The Amalekite is lying to gain favor with the person most likely to become the next king.
Saul was probably already dead when the Amalekite found him.
David believed the Amalekite’s story.
Then I took his crown and his armband, and I have brought them here to you, my lord.”
1 Samuel 31 does not mention a crown or armband.
The crown would have verified Saul’s identity as Israel’s king to the Amalekite.
The Amalekite found Saul before the Philistines got to him.
1 Samuel 31:8 NLT
8 The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa.
11 David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day.
David could have rejoiced that his enemy was dead. Instead he fasted and mourned for Saul, Jonathan, the Lord’s army, and the nation of Israel.
They expressed their grief in typical Near Eastern fashion.
- David demonstrated genuine, heartfelt grief for Saul, Jonathan, the Lord’s army, and the nation of Israel by mourning, weeping, and fasting.
13 Then David said to the young man who had brought the news, “Where are you from?”
And he replied, “I am a foreigner, an Amalekite, who lives in your land.”
The man was probably unaware of David’s recent hostile encounters with the Amalekites.
14 “Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord’s anointed one?” David asked.
David always viewed Saul as the “Lord’s anointed one.
1 Samuel 24:6-7 NLT (Saul in a cave)
6 He (David) said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” 7 So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.
1 Samuel 26:9-11 NLT (Saul sleeping)
9 “No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one? 10 Surely the Lord will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle. 11 The Lord forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let’s get out of here!”
Leviticus 24:22 NLT
22 “This same standard(s) applies both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.”
In David’s mind, this standard applied to this Amalekite.
15 Then David said to one of his men, “Kill him!” So the man thrust his sword into the Amalekite and killed him.
The Amalekite misjudged David’s reaction to his story.
He expected a reward for killing David’s rival but instead he was killed for killing the Lord’s anointed.
- Instead of rejoicing that his enemy was dead, David mourns Saul’s death and executes the man who claims to have killed Saul.
16 “You have condemned yourself,” David said, “for you yourself confessed that you killed the Lord’s anointed one.”
The Amalekite’s own testimony brought about his execution.
The Amalekite, not David, was responsible for his own death.
It would have been dangerous for David to kill the Amalekite. He was still living in Philistine territory, in Ziklag. The Philistines could have interpreted any sorrow over Saul’s death as treasonous. David was willing to risk danger in order to do what was right. It was time for David to break from the Philistines and return to Israel.
Wrong motives
Proverbs 14:12 NLT
12 There is a path before each person that seems right,
but it ends in death.
