For Love Songs of Mourning

"For Love Songs of Mourning" – 2 Samuel 1:17-27 David tore (torn to pieces, without the aid of any instrument) the clothes, the wailing, wept and fasted for the death of Saul and Jonathan; it was a sufficient tribute to their memory. But it didn't stop there; he also composed the poem read, on this occasion. He was not only trying to express his grief over the great calamity, but also to impress (mark on paper) "the same pain" in the minds of others and keep it in their hearts.

I. The book of Jasher may be a book of poems or historical poems.

A. David was a man of excellent spirit, and this in four respects.

1. Generous toward Saul, his enemy.

a. In this elegy (a poem that expresses sadness, melancholy, or nostalgia for a person) David hides Saul's shortcomings.

b. Nothing is said about the dead, if anything good, because the dead are dead.

c. (21) That he had been anointed with oil, which manifested his elevation to the royal dignity.

d. That he was a man of war: valiant (19, 21, 25, and 27), often victorious over Israel's enemies: (1 Samuel 14:4). Wherever he turned he was victorious.

e. Although his star turned dark, it shone brightly at first.

f. (23) Placing him next to Jonathan, he says of both that "they were loved and dear (lovable)".

g. Jonathan was always and Saul was in conjunction (union) with Jonathan.

h. Taken together, and in pursuit of the enemy, there was no one who surpassed them in bravery: they were lighter than eagles, stronger than lions.

i. In his good times, Saul had been an affectionate father to a son who had always been loyal to his father and thus inseparable in his life, nor in his death were they separated. But they were united in battle against the Philistines and fell together for the same cause.

j. Immensely grateful to Jonathan.

B. He mourned and lamented for what Jonathan had been to him: "I am anxious for you, my brother."

a. To love so much a man whom, he knew would take the crown off his head, and yet to be so loyal to his rival.

b. Certainly, there is nothing in this world that is so pleasant as a friend who is good and loyal to our person and our interests and prudent and understanding, who graciously receives and returns affection, who treats us with familiarity and at the same time with respect.

c. There is also nothing as painful as "the loss of such a friend", it is like losing a part of oneself. The more we love a person, the more it hurts to lose them.

d. He was deeply concerned for the honor of God, for that is what he has in mind when he fears that "the daughters of the uncircumcised (20) who are outside the covenant of God may celebrate the triumph over Israel and the rejection over God of Israel"; for if the glory of Israel has perished (19), the name of Him who is the glory of Israel has been tarnished. Good people feel the reproaches of those who reproach God in their hearts.

e. He was also deeply concerned about the public good. If the glory of Israel had perished, so had the beauty, honor, order, peace, and well-being of the nation. David laments all this even though he hoped to be an instrument in God's hands to repair such losses.

f. The elegy also shows us (lamentation) David, a man of talent and fine poetic imagination, as well as piety.

g. How sublime is the way in which he tries to close the paths of fame for such unfortunate (wretched, unhappy, misfortune) news: "Do not announce it in Gath (20). It touched his heart to think that such news would be spread aloud through the cities of the Philistines.

C. This is the reproach that David hurls on those mountains, he cries out to the mountains of Gilboa, the scene in which the tragedy had taken place: "Neither dew, nor rain that falls on you, nor be a land of offerings” (21). This is the reproach that David hurls upon those mountains, as if, by being stained with the blood of God's anointed, they had thereby lost the right to receive the dew of heaven and to produce fruit worthy to be offered to Jehovah. Amen