Image from daleargot.com
After the death of Saul, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. David intoned this lamentation over Saul and his son Jonathan. (He ordered that The Song of the Bow be taught to the people of Judah; it is written in the Book of Jashar.) He said: Your glory, O Israel, lies slain upon your high places! How the mighty have fallen! Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon; or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, the daughters of the uncircumcised will exult. You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor bounteous fields! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, anointed with oil no more. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty,the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, nor the sword of Saul return empty. Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you with crimson, in luxury,who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your high places. I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; greatly beloved were you to me;your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished! (2 Samuel 1:1, 1:17-27)
Good day dear Friend; may the rich blessings of the Lord be with you and yours this day and all days is my prayer for you. You probably have heard the phrase "How the mighty have fallen," and you may have known it comes from King David's lips. And if you didn't, it's a good thing to know. Somewhere down the line there may be a sermon series called, "Is that in the Bible?" which will address a lot of sayings and beliefs that are not in the Bible. It's not like we said in college, "If Elvis didn't say it - he meant to!"
Here is why this is in the Bible. David, though he had a troubled relationship with King Saul; he still loved him, loved his son, and was married to his daughter. It was really King Saul who had the problem with David. As we mentioned in weeks past, after David's win over the Philistine giant, Saul was very threatened by the young boy. This second book of Samuel opens after King Saul saw his son, Jonathan, and the remaining sons, killed in battle, and Saul seeing that his army was being defeated, and having been wounded several times by the enemy's archers, fell upon his sword and died. David has returned from his campaign against the Amalekites and hears the sad news that Saul is dead. Please note that the young Amalekite brought a different version of Saul's death, and fabricated the story to find favor in the new King's eyes. (It didn't work! Read the between verses from 2 Samuel 1:2-16). David does several things as part of his grief. He laments and mourns, of course, but he also orders that a song called "The Song of the Bow" be taught to the people of Judah, and orders that news of Saul's death not reach the Philistine cities, for he did not want anyone celebrated this death. And in his grief he exclaims the phrase, "How the mighty have fallen!" Saul and Jonathan were professional soldiers, esteemed by most of Judah and especially by David, and David knew them to be as he describes them, "swifter than eagles, (and) stronger than lions." The only comfort for David was that father and son died together.
David has a great love for Jonathan. He was that friend the shepherd boy never had growing up. A confidant, colleague, trusted partner. In Jonathan he found love from one who should have hated him; for David was to take the throne from him. Jonathan knew this was God's doing, not David's, and his love for the shepherd never wavered. You can imagine the sorrow and pain David felt at their death. It was in his laments of Jonathan's death that David again exclaimed, "the mighty have fallen." and a hopeful wish that "the weapons of war perished."
Pain and grief are part of death, just as death is a part of life. For some, death comes as a beloved friend, at the right time, in the right way - with it pain and suffering are taken away, and God's ultimate healing is received. For others, death is anything but beloved; it comes as an uninvited visitor, who interrupts, better said, disrupts lives and relationships, plans, goals, pretty much the future. And all perspectives are, of course, based on faith and personal beliefs in God. The most important is to grieve as comes natural to us, remembering the promises and hopes we have in the Lord. Though life be interrupted in severe ways by death, the hope in an eternal life reigns supreme over the despair of this life. Jarius' grief was severe, but the resurrection of his daughter brought him and his family, great joy. Lazarus' death even made Jesus cry, but the raising of that dear friend was as much for us as it was for him and his sisters and friends. The power of Jesus to raise up the death, and yes, that same power that God used to raise His Only Son from the grave is the one in Whom we hope.
PRAYER: Loving God of life, speak to the hearts of those who mourn this day. Bless them in their grief and let the words of hope and comfort come from the lips of those who care. We know the day is coming when death will be no more, but for now, speak to those who face it. The comfort that You bring is the only relief we can hope to have. Bless this dear reader to be one who shares that comfort with those in need. And we pray in the Name of He who defeated death's grip on us, Jesus our Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Speak life to those who are in need!
Eradio Valverde
PRAYER REQUESTS: Please continue to pray for the Gindler family who yesterday said their goodbyes to Andy in a worship service at FUMC-Gonzales. Continued prayers for the Koehl Family (Cheryl Meadows' mom) as they prepare to say their goodbyes soon. Pray for Nellie, as today she gets the stitches out of her foot. Pray as she continues in severe pain from the broken wrist that she has. Pray for those who are in need at this hour. Pray for one another. Pray for yourself.
