May the mumbling commence!
Is the death of an enemy always
good news? Will there be much
rejoicing? I think of the rejoicing that
happened among the people of the US when Osama Bin Laden was killed. Do people not realize that the US Government
created the person who Bin Laden became?
In a way, he was one of our native sons.
Yet, a vast majority celebrated at his death – as a vengeance for the
innocent people who died in the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and who
died in that field in Pennsylvania and who died at the Pentagon in DC. In the eyes of the world, it is
understandable.
But how would a person
after God’s own heart view such a loss?
Look at how David responded to the “good news” of the death of King Saul
and Jonathan. Read from Second Samuel
chapter one:
"How do you know that Saul and Jonathan are
dead?" David demanded.
The young man answered, "I happened to be on Mount
Gilboa. I saw Saul there leaning on his spear with the enemy chariots closing
in on him. When he turned and saw me, he
cried out for me to come to him. 'How can I help?' I asked him. And he said to me, 'Who are you?' I replied,
'I am an Amalekite.' Then he begged me,
'Come over
here and put me out of my misery, for I am in terrible pain and want to
die.'
"So I killed him," the Amalekite told David, "for I knew he couldn't live. Then I took his crown and one of his bracelets so
I could bring them to you, my lord."
David and his men
tore their clothes in sorrow when
they heard the news. 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 so many had died that day. 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."
"Were you not afraid to kill the Lord's anointed one?" David asked. Then
David said to one of his men, "Kill
him!" So the man thrust his sword into the Amalekite and killed him. "You
die self-condemned," David said, "for you yourself confessed that you
killed the Lord's anointed
one."
Then David composed a
funeral song for Saul and Jonathan. Later he commanded that it be taught to all
the people of Judah. It is known as the Song of the Bow, and it is recorded in The
Book of Jashar.
Your pride and
joy, O Israel, lies dead on the hills!
How the mighty
heroes have fallen!
Don't
announce the news in Gath,
or the Philistines will rejoice.
Don't
proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon,
or the pagans will laugh in
triumph.
O
mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew or rain upon you or your slopes.
For there the shield of the mighty was
defiled;
the shield of
Saul will no longer be anointed with oil.
Both Saul and Jonathan killed their
strongest foes;
they did not
return from battle empty-handed.
How beloved and gracious were Saul and
Jonathan!
They were
together in life and in death.
They were swifter than eagles;
they were
stronger than lions.
O women of Israel, weep for Saul,
for he dressed you
in fine clothing and gold
ornaments.
How the mighty heroes have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies
dead upon the hills.
How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan!
Oh, how much I loved you!
And your love for me was deep,
deeper than the love of women!
How the mighty heroes have fallen!
Stripped of their weapons, they lie dead. (Verses 5-27)
There is no joy in the fall of an
enemy for a person after God’s heart – especially when the dead had once fought
on the same side as you… had once been beloved by you, regardless of the
shifting circumstances of jealousy and misunderstanding and ambition.
May we be careful when we look to rejoice at
the downfall of our perceived enemies.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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