22 January 2022

David intoned this lamentation over Saul and his son Jonathan.
Your glory, O Israel, lies slain upon your high places!
   How the mighty have fallen!
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.

From 2 Samuel 1:1-4,11-12,17,19,23-27, NRSV

For many years, King Saul had treated David as an enemy to be destroyed. Saul had taken his family, his home and his security and yet when David heard of Saul’s death, he expressed a deep and heartfelt sorrow. Although Saul had wronged him, David honoured the fact that Saul had been anointed as king and as such was deserving of some honour despite his failings. David’s sorrow was even greater at the loss of Saul’s son Jonathan who was his great friend and whom he addresses as brother. David’s lament also included the people of God as a whole – Israel had lost many lives in their battle with the Amalekites and now they had also lost their king too. This was not the time for David to rejoice in the fact that his own royal anointing from some twenty years past would now be fulfilled. Now was the time for David to mourn and to allow others to to the same.

• • What do we learn of David from his reaction to the deaths of Saul, Jonathan and many of their men?
  • How do/should we lament the deaths of others?

Pray today for those who are mourning the loss of loved ones – and also for those who have no-one to mourn for them.