The Lying Amalekite
Notes
Transcript
The king is dead. King Saul is dead!
What’s David going to do? How is David going to assume the throne?
You might remember, 1 Samuel 16, David was anointed as king, but that was like 15 years before this moment. Saul has been king; David is a king in waiting, a king in exile, a king hunted.
Over these 15 years, Saul has wanted to be rid of David. He’s tried to kill David. Chased David out of town and around the country.
David has, over and again, refused to overtake Saul, to usurp his rule, to take the kingdom that is rightfully his. He hasn’t, and wouldn’t dare make a violent ascent to the kingship, even when given the opportunity to kill Saul.
When David hears about the death of Saul, how is he going to behave? Will he rejoice in the death of Saul, his enemy? Will he breathe a sigh of relief that Saul is finally dead? Will there be regret in David’s heart?
The story is a little confusing, as you’ll see. But mostly, because it begins with a lie.
>2-3 years ago, we spent several months in the book of 1 Samuel. There, we met Samuel, Saul, David. 1 Samuel records, among other events, when David is anointed as king and when he kills Goliath.
A lot of really good stories that we love to take out of context and spiritualize—all the “giants” in your life, and other really terrible interpretations.
Despite what we might think, despite what we’ve maybe been taught, David is not the hero of 1 Samuel. We can start to believe David is, if we’re not careful.
The main themes of 1 Samuel are God’s kingship, God’s providential guidance, God’s sovereign will and power.
David’s not the hero of the book; God is.
The same is true of 2 Samuel. The themes of 1 Samuel carry over and we add to them to the themes of the Davidic covenant (the covenant God makes with David), and most importantly the promise of the Messiah from David’s line.
2 Samuel 7 is a turning point in the history of salvation.
When we get to Chapter 7, we will see how it advances the hope of the Messiah found in God’s covenant with Abraham.
The promise of God to David is that there will be one of his descendants on his throne forever and ever. Jesus ascends to that throne, never to step down, never to be dethroned.
2 Samuel, then, is not about David; it’s about one greater than David. If you think 2 Samuel is about David, you will not understand 2 Samuel.
If you’re like me, you love to hear about the life of David. But, as Dale Ralph Davis encourages us, we have to divorce ourselves from this “People Magazine approach to the biblical story/narrative.”
“Again and again as we read 2 Samuel, we have to shake ourselves and say, ‘This is not about David; it’s not even about covenant kings; it’s about a covenant God who make covenant promises to a covenant king through whom He—God—will preserve His covenant people.”
David is not the focus of this book, but as we read the book it will sure seem like David’s face would be on the cover of the book.
Now, David is not inconsequential; God uses David. David is a man after God’s own heart.
But David also comes under the rod of God’s judgment. David does some heroic things, but also some utterly sinful stuff.
David isn’t the hero of the story. This is the story of God and how He saves His people.
As we come to 2 Samuel, we believe what God’s Word tells us:
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
This is useful for us. This has been breathed-out by God for us—to teach us, rebuke us, correct us, train us in righteousness.
This is useful for thoroughly equipping us for every good work.
Because we believe this is God’s Word for us, we jump right in to 2 Samuel.
Again, the start of this story is a little confusing, as you’ll see. But mostly, because it begins with a lie.
1 After the death of Saul, David returned from striking down the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. 2 On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.
3 “Where have you come from?” David asked him.
He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”
4 “What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”
“The men fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”
5 Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
6 “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and their drivers in hot pursuit. 7 When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, ‘What can I do?’
8 “He asked me, ‘Who are you?’
“ ‘An Amalekite,’ I answered.
9 “Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me! I’m in the throes of death, but I’m still alive.’
10 “So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”
This young man comes to David and tells him a story. It sounds plausible, possible even. He spins a convincing narrative. He came, torn clothes and dirt on his head, fresh from the Philistine-Israelite battle on Mt. Gilboa.
Philistines had just trounced Israel. And King Saul had been severely wounded.
This is where the Amalekite picks up the story. It’s a shift from the original.
Do you remember what actually happened? Let’s look:
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. 3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.
4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”
But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. 6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.
That’s the story as recorded by the narrator of 1 Samuel. The true story; the real story. This Amalekite has a different story to tell.
This Amalekite traveled over 80 miles to find David; traveled for days, but for what reason? Simply to pass on this news? Or was he after something?
It doesn’t take David long to conclude that this guy is up to something. If you know the actual story, you’ll conclude this fella’s a liar at best. At worst, he’s a liar who is after something. He’s gone to a lot of trouble to deliver the news to David. But for what? To what end?
The Amalekite came all that distance to find David, and upon arrival, paid David honor. 2 Samuel 1:2 “…When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.”
The Amalekite intentionally brought to David the Saul’s crown and arm band. 2 Samuel 1:10 “…I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”
Some people seem to think the Amalekite believed it was time for David to take hold of what was rightly his; time to give the Lord’s “promises a slight push.” In his mind—and likely in the minds of many other people—it was time for David to stop slow-playing the whole thing.
Others think the Amalekite was after a government job in David’s kingdom administration. “Sir, I finished Saul off and brought the crown to you. When you’re king, feel free to make me Vice King, or whatever.”
Whatever his motivation, this Amalekite is after something. And he tells a lie in order to bring his plan to fruition. He thinks, with crown and arm-band in hand, that he’ll be able to sidle-up to David, stick the king’s crown on David’s head, and who knows? Maybe they’ll become best friends.
It’s not the worst plan in the world, humanly speaking. It’s better for him, he thinks, than telling the truth. He needed a story like this, as opposed to saying that he was just a coward who found Saul’s dead body and stole these royal items.
The Amalekite doesn’t get what he’s after (you’ll see what happens to him in vv. 15-16). He receives justice. The judgment of God found him. The LORD Yahweh found him in his lie.
Here, on the first page of 2 Samuel, we run straight into the God who exposes us.
Understand: The LORD Sees
Understand: The LORD Sees
We don’t know what this Amalekite believed about the LORD, the God of Israel; Yahweh, the one true and only God. We don’t know what this man believed at all. But we do know this about the LORD.
To know the LORD Yahweh is to know that He sees all. He will expose our sin. He sees and He knows.
This is either a great comfort or a horrifying truth, depending upon your perspective.
20-some years ago, when I was at Manhattan Christian College, a theological framework known as Open Theism was introduced to us. Many of us heard about it then for the first time. It taught, among other things, that God doesn’t know the future exhaustively. That God could be surprised, caught off-guard.
My friend and brilliant journalist, Brett Jensen, would write little articles about college life and funny stuff that happened around campus. He decided to take a shot at this ridiculous and thoroughly unbiblical theological framework. So he wrote an article and taped it up around the dorm.
I wish I had a copy of it to read to you. The gist of it was that as long as you were indoors, you were safe from God’s prying eyes. You could even hide yourself under a wide-brimmed hat and go outside; God can’t tell who you are exactly if you’re wearing a hat. Retreat to the safety of your house or even stand underneath a shady tree, and you’re golden. Hide whatever you want from God; He can’t know what you’re doing if He doesn’t see you out in the open.
Of course, none of that is true, though people believe foolish stuff that like all the time. In the book of Joshua, Achan believed he could get away with stealing some stuff and hiding it under his tent.
“Well, almost, there, Achan. Nice try. But God sees. God knows.”
Trick, or try to trick, whomever you want, but realize God sees, God will expose, God will judge.
Ananias and Sapphira tried to deceive God and the church (Acts 5). They kept back part of the proceeds from the sale of a piece of property. They were found out immediately, and husband and wife both fell down dead.
You might fool a person or two, but God sees.
Jesus cautions us about this aspect of the future, coming judgment:
Luke 12:2–3 “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.”
God sees. You cannot dupe Him, pull the wool over His eyes. He is all-knowing, omniscient, sovereign.
What we see here in 2 Samuel 1 is a preview of what will be true for everyone at the last day.
It’s far better to be found in Christ by faith in Him, trusting in His full forgiveness, than to be caught in our sin, trying to hide who we really are.
God sees.
2 Samuel 1 takes an interesting shift after the Amalekite tells his little story. The central part of the story, from a literary perspective is found in verses 11-12.
11 Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
The people of God have been crushed. Saul and Jonathan are dead. The army of the LORD was routed. The nation/house of Israel had been decimated.
The condition of the LORD’s people concerns David and his men. So they mourn and weep and fast. They grieve the condition of God’s people.
Grieve Over the LORD’s People
Grieve Over the LORD’s People
For the author of 2 Samuel, inspired by the Holy Spirit, the most important part of this initial story is the grief of David and his men.
Arrival of Amalekite, vv. 1–2
Conversation, vv. 3–10 (3 questions)
Reaction, vv. 11–12
Conversation, vv. 13–14 (2 questions)
Elimination of Amalekite, vv. 15–16
You can see how, structurally, the reaction is the center point, the focus.
David’s grief is understandable. He’s concerned about the LORD’s people and what has happened to them. Their king and the prince—David’s good friend—have been killed.
What would be shocking is if David didn’t grieve at all. This is entirely appropriate.
So it is for us, today. Or so it should be.
Do we grieve and mourn and weep and pray over the state of the Church and this local church? We should! The LORD’s people ought to be of concern to us.
Not just the physical health of the people in our gathering, but the spiritual condition of our people, our family.
We should mourn and grieve the state of God’s people. When a local church body sets aside the Word of God to follow the current, cultural trends and beliefs, we should mourn and grieve, weep and pray.
We should grieve whenever the people of God lay aside their theological convictions for the sake of a political movement.
We should mourn over unbelief. Grieve over the apathy/laziness among us. We should weep over the lack of biblical literacy. We should fast and pray about the church’s flirtations with paganism, idolatry, and nationalism.
Grieve, church, over the state of the Church/church. Mourn the spiritual condition of the church, and the spiritual condition of your own heart.
How easily we can lose our way, drift off mission, start to trust in something/someone other than Christ Jesus!
We don’t want to be the Pharisee of Jesus’ parable:
Luke 18:11–12 “ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’”
We want to be the tax collector:
Luke 18:13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’”
Let’s consider where we are, church. Personally. Corporately. Let us mourn and grieve what is not pleasing to God. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to work on us, individually and as a body.
Grieve and mourn. Fast and pray.
2 Samuel 1:12 “They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.”
The conversation between David and the Amalekite continues:
13 David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?”
“I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,” he answered.
14 David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”
15 Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died. 16 For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’ ”
The Amalekite tells his story and shows the spoils he snatched off the already-dead body of Saul.
David asks him where he’s from, in order to determine that he’s not a stranger to the laws of the land.
He is a foreigner who lives in the land of Israel. He would have been familiar with the law of the land, and familiar enough with Saul and David, as well as the whole political scene.
This man didn’t rush to David at random. The Amalekite goes to David, assuming David is as power-hungry as he is.
But David is more like Saul’s armor-bearer than he is like the Amalekite.
Saul’s armor bearer refused to run Saul through with the sword, because he honored the king too much. After Saul took his own life, the armor-bearer took his.
David wasn’t about to seize the kingdom. David had a proper fear and respect for the LORD’s anointed, despite all Saul had done to David.
Fear the LORD
Fear the LORD
David’s question to the Amalekite in verse 14 is the whole enchilada. 2 Samuel 1:14 “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”
David knew better than to harm Saul.
Saul once took 3,000 men and set out to look for David. Saul was there to kill David and his men. When Saul entered the cave they were hiding in, one of David’s men said, “Hey, here’s your chance, man! God’s giving Saul right into your hand!”
1 Samuel 24:6 [David] said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.”
And again, there was another time Saul was pursuing David. Saul fell asleep with a spear right next to him. David’s pal, Abishai, offered to do kill Saul right then and there. And David stops him.
1 Samuel 26:10–11 “As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.”
There was, for David, a proper fear. Not so much a fear of Saul himself, but a fear of doing anything to the LORD’s anointed.
The Amalekite had no such fear. He had no respect for the LORD’s anointed or for the LORD himself. David believed the lie he told, and put him to death because of it.
“There is, in kingdom living, such a thing as healthy, saving fear; a fear that preserves, a godly fear that should control us.” -DRD
David asks, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?”
There should have been fear. Some fear. Any fear.
It’s the foolish person who has no fear. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of all wisdom. A proper fear, grounded in love, is the right behavior of God’s people.
Let us fear the God who made us. Our God who is a consuming fire. The LORD Yahweh deserves our reverence and our awe, a healthy fear.
We fear so many things that are not worthy of our fear: other people, their opinions. We fear worldly things, silly earthly powers, utterly ridiculous stuff.
We should fear the One who, with a word, spoke all things into being. We should fear and revere the One who laid down His life and rose from the grave. Jesus, who is coming again, should have our reverence and our awe.
We must constantly keep in mind this truth: our kingdom is not of this world. We are citizens of an eternal kingdom. Let us be thankful and fear the LORD alone:
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Fear the LORD and worship Him. Live your lives controlled by a proper, saving fear of the One True God.
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The Amalekite comes to David. Tells David Saul is dead. Lies about how it went down. David and his men grieve. And then David kills the Amalekite.
It’s an odd start to the book, isn’t it?
But it teaches us a great deal about who our God is and what we, His people, should do in light of what we know about Him.
Friends, He sees. He knows you.
This is exceptionally good news if you belong to Him by faith in His Son, Jesus.
For those outside of Christ, there is only judgment—wholly complete judgment, all-knowing judgment, a judgment that will expose all your deeds.
Turn from your sin and hide yourself in Jesus—He is your only hope.
Let us grieve over the LORD’s people.
Grieve and mourn the state of the Church and this church. Let us all grieve and mourn the condition of our own hearts. We pray for revival and renewal, for repentance and restoration. We should grieve what’s broken and pray for the LORD to heal.
Fear the LORD.
Adopt a proper, reverent fear of God. Let fear and reverence of Him control your life, change how you live, and alter what you live for.
You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor the LORD.
For His glory and our good.