This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&h) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
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Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the
books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus are
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COMMENTARY ON GENESIS to the address above.
2SAMUEL
1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;
2 It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
3 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.
4 And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
((If you want to get a better understanding of this chapter, perhaps you should also read the corollary account in 1Chronicles 12.))
Saul has just been killed, and David is now beginning to be recognized as the next king. Many valiant warriors and chief elders are coming to join him.
5 And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?
6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.
8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.
10 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.
11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:
12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
David asked the young man how he knew that Saul was dead. Now, I suppose that this young man felt like he would gain grace with David if he said he was the one who had killed Saul. After all, Saul had been chasing David for many years. Perhaps also, this young Amalekite was trying to gain a little glory for himself.
13 And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.
14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?
15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.
16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD's anointed.
But then, David turned his attention toward the young Amalekite. David acted as if he believed this man's report. And his admission to killing Saul signed his own death warrant.
17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)
19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.
26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
David continued to lament Saul and Jonathon. He sang a song, which was recorded in the "book of Jasher." The song is obviously named: "The Bow" (verse 18).
Please continue to follow along with us in daily Bible study.
CHAPTER 1
Then, along comes this young man who is an Amalekite. Now the Amalekites were a nomadic people and had given Israel trouble for a very long time. It was the Amalekites that Saul was sent to destroy in 1Samuel 15. That's when Saul got in trouble for sparing their king - Agag. Later the Amalekites had raided Ziklag, David's city he had received from the Philistines. They carried off David's wives and children.
Now this young Amalekite comes to David and has news of the battle Saul had with the Philistines. One can imagine that David would perhaps be a little skeptical about what this man had to say.
Of course, the young man told David that Saul and his sons were dead.
But bragging is never a good thing.
"Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips."(Proverbs 27:2)
This young Amalekite was obviously a thief who had pillaged the battlefield aftere Saul's death. He must have arrived before the Philistines took Saul's armor and sent it to various cities (1Samuel 31:9-10).
First, David vented his grief. And obviously many others grieved with David (verse 12). They had lost friends and loved ones in that battle.
David had been receiving others and they probably had told him a full account of the battle and Saul's death. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that David believed the young Amalekite. Instead Davide acted out what God would say later: "..he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished."(Proverbs 17:5)
Whether it was true that this man killed Saul or not, he deserved death. See how quickly a lie, particularly a bragging lie, can turn to evil!
If this young Amalekite had not been in battle against Saul, then he had certainly committed first-degree murder by killing Saul. And if he had NOT killed Saul, then he deserved the reward he received because he was trying to gain glory at the death of a valiant man.
Perhaps this son was named so because Saul's death was actually the result of the Philistine archers (1Samuel 31:3).
David commanded that this song be taught to the children of Judah (his own tribe).
((Now some commentators say that the song was written in the book of Jasher before David's time. And some say that David wrote it, or perhaps borrowed some of the words from the book of Jasher. We cannot tell EITHER, because no "book of Jasher" has ever been found. AND, whether David actually wrote the song or not, is irrelevant. The song is recorded here in the Word of God (verses 19-27), and is a testimony to inspiration.))
A song is usually written because of an experience. And a song endures throughout ages because of the meaning in the words.
Notice the terms used of Saul in this song. Nothing is said of his sins, but rather he is praised.
He is called "the beauty of Israel" in verse 19 because he was representative of the whole nation.
The song says, Saul was "anointed with oil" (verse 21). Saul was the king anointed by God.
Saul and Jonathon were valiant warriors "swifter than eagles, stronger than lions." (verse 23)
Saul's kingdom had been prosperous for the nation because he had "clothed" them in "scarlet" and "put ornaments of gold upon your apparel." (verse 24)
David was truly "distressed" (verse 26). He had lost his greatest friend, Jonathon. He had been a friend INDEED. Jonathon loved David and was committed to him, even though he knew that David would receive the kingdom and not himself. Such love is a treasure.
It is the love of a TRUE FRIEND!