How The Mighty Have Fallen
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17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son,
(ESV)
—17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son
This past week saw the death of Aaron Hernandez. One of footballs best players, he was in jail for the murder of the boyfriend of his girlfriend’s sister. He had been charged with the murder of two other men and just last week had been found not guilty. He took his own life in prison. Stories circulated that he wrote on his forehead. One of his mentors in college was Tim Tebow.
What makes his story so compelling is that he had it made. He had talent, a 40 million dollar contract and a great future. Yet he made horrible choices and threw it all away. How the mighty have fallen.
Some people felt sorry for him and others think that the thug got exactly what he deserved.
I could give you names of people with great reputations. The CEO of Fox News, Roger Aires, as well as commentator, Bill Riley, have both been sacked from their jobs over claims of possible sexual harassment of workers in their company. How the mighty have fallen.
Some support both men who claim the allegations are false and others think that firing was not enough and they should have gotten more.
We all have opinions about people. We have an inner sense of justice. We want people who hurt us to get what they deserve. We sometimes show more grace to people who have hurt others. This is natural.
This morning I want to talk about this subject, “How the mighty have fallen.” We are going to look at a story from the life of David, look at what it means and then look at what our response should be.
The Story
The Story
First, we will look at the story.
is a Lamentation. In spite of how Saul treated David, David was upset at both the death of Saul and his son, Jonathan. Jonathan we can understand. He and David were best of friends. Saul is harder for he had repeatedly tried to kill David.
This lamentation was written in an unknown book, the book of Jashar. This book is mentioned in and here.
The lament is a poem commending the courage and leadership of Saul and Jonathan.
17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said:
19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!
20 Tell it not in Gath,
publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.
21 “You mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew or rain upon you,
nor fields of offerings!
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
the shield of Saul, not 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, beloved and lovely!
In life and in death they were not divided;
they were swifter than eagles;
they were stronger than lions.
24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,
who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
25 “How the mighty have fallen
in the midst of the battle!
“Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
very pleasant have you been to me;
your love to me was extraordinary,
surpassing the love of women.
27 “How the mighty have fallen,
and the weapons of war perished!”
One phrase is repeated three times.
19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!
“Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!
25 “How the mighty have fallen
in the midst of the battle!
“Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
2 Samuel 1:25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! “Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
27 “How the mighty have fallen,
and the weapons of war perished!”
2 Samuel 1:27 “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”
David looked at Saul, his high position as king and his loss to the Philistines and saw vividly how in one day, through one event, the mighty can fall.
Jonathan was next in line for the kingship. His best friend went from a promising future to a dismal end in one day. How the mighty have fallen.
As I read this passage, I got an email from a Christian group. Eric Geiger wrote about why ministry leaders often fall. I believe that these reasons are true and have been born out by the testimony of fallen pastors and leader. These same reason are why every Christian falls. Listen to what Eric writes and look at your own life. Many of these traits were true for Saul, true for others who have fallen, and can serve as warning signs to you.
What does it mean?
Eric Geiger • April 17, 2017
The first lesson is, “be careful when you stand less you fall.”
The second lesson is, “don’t rejoice when you enemy falls.”
What am I to do?
Eric Geiger • April 17, 2017
1. Self-destruction transcends theological tribe.
1. Self-destruction transcends theological tribe.
The landscape of ministry leaders who have been removed for disqualifying behaviors includes leaders from traditional and non-traditional churches, reformed and non-reformed positions, charismatic and liturgical worship styles, and congregational and elder-led polity. While what we believe matters greatly, leaders can hold to right doctrine and still drift dramatically in their lives.
2. Drift in life and doctrine doesn’t self-correct.
2. Drift in life and doctrine doesn’t self-correct.
The apostle Paul warned Timothy to “pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers” (). Our lives and our doctrine must be guarded carefully. A drift in either does not self-correct. The only solution for a drift in life or a drift in doctrine is repentance, which is why we must continually repent.
3. Leaders who ignore rebukes and corrections must not be ignored.
3. Leaders who ignore rebukes and corrections must not be ignored.
A common thread in the stories of fallen ministry leaders is that when people called them on their drifting, they ignored the rebukes and corrections. When a leader ignores correction, others must not ignore their shunning of correction. God is merciful to us to provide godly leaders who challenge us, and we must pay attention.
4. One can grow a ministry and grow cold at the same time.
4. One can grow a ministry and grow cold at the same time.
Ministry leaders who fall are often in growing and thriving ministries. Sadly, leaders can learn how to nurture and feed the masses without nurturing their own souls. And when the growth of a ministry is more important than the health of a leader’s soul, implosion is inevitable.
5. We all need God’s grace.
5. We all need God’s grace.
The apostle Paul reminds us, “Whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall” (). If we think we are standing strong, we are setting ourselves up for a fall, as we are foolish to put confidence in our flesh, in our ability, instead of God’s mercy and grace. Ministry leaders and those in the ministries they lead need God’s grace and cannot stand without it.
There are two lessons from this.
The first lesson is,
12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
One wrong move can ruin a marriage, destroy a child, split a church, or ruin a reputation.
One wrong move can ruin a marriage, destroy a child, split a church, or ruin a reputation.
Be careful when you stand less you fall. Paul, a deeply spiritual man, realized how close he was at any moment to doing something that would discredit his ministry and his life.
The second lesson is,
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
It is human nature to gloat. It is human nature to be happy when an enemy falls. I see instances in the Bible where people did rejoice at the fall of an enemy. Israel rejoiced at the fall of Goliath or the victories of David.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all offenses.
Proverbs 10:12
“don’t rejoice when you enemy falls.”
There is a higher plane. That is when we are saddened by the effects of sin on others. David never rejoiced at the death of Saul. He had every reason to throw a party. His life was better, safer, and less stressful because Saul was out of the picture.
But he did not rejoice at Saul’s fall, he was saddened.
What am I to do?
The mighty don’t fall in a day. Small compromises are followed by bigger compromises. The books you read, the movies you watch, the people you hang around will all influence you. You may have let down your guard in some area and now find yourself deeper into sin than you wanted to be. You may find yourself saying things that you know are wrong to say, doing things you once said you wouldn’t do, going places that are hurting your spiritual life. Keep down this road and things will get worse.
Take today’s message as a warning. Turn from sin. Do what is right. Don’t be a person for whom other people will say, “Oh how the mighty have fallen.”
Show grace. The person who has fallen is someone in need of grace. It might be that they are broken enough to let God’s light into their lives.
It seems very contradictory, but I found it ironic or interesting that the last things Aaron Hernandez did was to read his Bible and put on his forehead. I saw in that the influence of Tim Tebow on his life and the Holy Spirit trying to reach him.
God does not want us to take our own lives. But when the mighty fall, he is looking for gracious people to share the love of God with them. An enemy who treats their enemy as a friend, especially after they have fallen, has a unique and special relationship. Their kindness in that situation is unusual and is proof of the power of God.
We need to pray we don’t fall and pray for those who do fall. God may use us to make a difference.