He said to me again, please stand over me and kill me.
So he's portraying Saul as insisting, please kill me. For anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.
Well, that's fair. I mean, humans can die very quickly and they can, you know, from trauma, or they can really last a long time. Anyway, this seems to be the case with Saul.
So I think it's less fabrication, some fabrication in his story. but mostly withholding facts. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of 2 Samuel.
Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically, how you can get a free copy of this teaching.
Now, here's Pastor Rick with his continuing message called Mixed Feelings in 2 Samuel 1. Verse 1.
Now it came to pass. After the death of Saul, that David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag.
Well, it's been about a week since David left the Philistine muster, when the Philistine troops mustered together to move into Israel's territory to fight this big war with. Saul and his forces, it's been about a week since they dismissed David. Say, you can't come with us, you might trade on us. And so he, of course, goes home, finds out that the Amalekites had Plundered and pillaged his home, Ziklag, his home, and taking off the with the goodies and the people. He goes after them, catches them, kills them, except for the 400 that escape on camels.
But the Amalekites burned the city.
So David goes back to Ziglag after he recovers the people and all of their property, and now they have to rebuild the city. And he's busy doing this. His mind is distracted. He's not thinking about where's the battle, when's it going on? He's got to rebuild.
He doesn't think he's going to now. enter to become king. He's not seeing that. Saul and Jonathan are going to die. He's being the leader where he is.
He knew this large-scale battle was going on, but he did not expect them to be killed in action. Verse 2. And on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head.
So it was when he came to David. that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. He knew who David was. Where he was And of course he shows this great respect for David. David, of course, received used to that at this stage in his life.
This is again on the third day, likely three days after the slaughter of the Amalekites.
Well, that factors into the story, because that's fresh in David's head, because this guy is an Amalekite. And that's going to come out in a little bit, and that's a big part of the story. The Amalekite is a type of person, this Amalekite, he comes to the camp, his clothes torn, dust on his head, everything on the outside. Looks like he's a participant. with the Jews and his heart is with Israel.
But it's on the outside. It's not the inside. And In this, he is a type of person who observes some or maybe all of the rituals of religion. Yet, as a true enemy of God, and the Amalekites were a doomed people, sentenced by God Himself. God says they are to be removed from the earth, but He doesn't do it instantly.
Isaiah 2013. 29. Therefore, the Lord said, Inasmuch as these people draw near me with their mouths and honor me with their lips. But have removed their hearts far from me. And their fear toward me is taught by the commandment of men.
Men are teaching doctrine, not receiving doctrine from God. And Jesus quotes this, and so what Isaiah is saying, what Jesus was saying. There are people that play at religion. There is a such thing as a Sunday religion that is void of true faith. And many have played that game.
The Pharisees and Sadducees, who Jesus had to deal with with their corruptions, Paul had to deal with them. Paul, I deal with them in Gentile Gentile world as well as the Hebrew world. Anyway, he's got all the outside signs that he's grieving, this is a serious thing. And it I believe very much part of his act. In verse 3, and David said to him, Where have you come from?
So he said to him, I have escaped from the camp of Israel.
Now, this statement is going to raise a flag, not at the moment, perhaps, but later. David was. David.
Sort of walks away from this at the end of this man's speech. He grieves, and then he comes back and he says, Let me ask you some other questions. And then he has the guy executed because. David had mixed feelings about what he was listening to. And rightfully so, because the the man is withholding information.
And for personal gain, no less. He did not have to come here, but he wants a reward. He's in for the money, and that will come out in a moment. As the story unfolds, the facts, he is not a soldier. Verse 6 will say this, which makes you say, what's he doing on Mount Gilboa?
Where is the battle? Why is he up there? Because mountains, you don't just stroll up a mountain. I mean, if you've ever had to go up a mountain, it is, I mean, that's not Everest, but there are smaller mountains with not so big of an incline, and there's difficult. It's, you know, they're in the way, mountains.
They keep people, ancient folks, they kept them away from each other. Otherwise, they'd be even more war. Anyway, verse 4. Then David said to him, How did the matter go? Please tell me.
David now has a witness here. And he answered, Now David knows bad news is coming because the guy's got the clothes torn and he's a little ready for this. And he answered, the people have fled from the battle. Many of the people are fallen and dead. And Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
This is the first time David's hearing this. We read about it in the last chapter, but David didn't read about it. By the time David the news reaches him, it stays old. But he's saying there were bodies everywhere. The slaughter took place.
David will not learn the details. about the bodies of Saul and Jonathan till he makes it to Hebron. He just gets part of the story here, and you'll get that in chapter 2, verse 5.
So David said to the young man, who told him, How do you know that Saul and Samuel His son are dead. You got David, is he just not all you know emotional and just breaks down? He's like, He's investigating this. How do you know? I need to be sure.
Hearsay or eyewitness. Verse 6, a young man Put told him, said As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboah, there was Saul leaning on his spear, and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
Well Again, as I happened by chance, these were big armies. Why did it take days before the battle took place? Because the armies were amassing, getting big troops were coming in, supplies were coming in. Everybody knew there was a big war going on. You don't just, you know.
I just happened, I was just up there. No, he was up there because he knew there would be dead bodies and he could loot them. You know, he could strip the body of whatever. as he does with Saul.
So His story was intended to win David's approval. And uh This is the first strike, real strike against him that he's not. a combatant He's an Amalekite. David doesn't know that yet. We know that.
And by chance, I'm up there. I'm not part of the fight.
So David's listening. He says, leaning on his spear.
Well, this. account differs Than the account given at the end of chapter 31 in 1 Samuel. Or actually, the beginning of that chapter, it differs because, in that case, you have an eyewitness, likely one of Saul's men. No question, one of the troops Who who survived, got away. were able to tell what happened.
This guy is going to have a little bit different story, and it's starting here. because we remember that Saul impaled himself on his own sword. Where does the spear come in?
Well, what happened is This guy finished off Saul with Saul's spear. That's where the story is going to go, just not yet. And again, he's thinking delivering this news, he's going to win favor with David. Where else does he have to go? He doesn't want to be with the Amalekites.
He is an Amalekite, but he's an alien. In Israel, which means he said it's better to live amongst the Jews than the Amalekites. That brings him under Jewish law.
Well I'll itemize this in verse 10. I'll go back and summarize how I see this whole thing unfolding. And so here he is thinking that the David's going to be pleased. That he finally Uh this Amalekite has rid David of his enemy Saul.
Now he witnessed the battle, but from a distance. distance enough Evidently Saul and his men were trying to get to higher ground. Gilboa is not just one mountain, it's a range. They're not very big, but they're still sizable. And that means there's a valley there.
And that's where the fight was really taking place. That's why there's the mention of, and indeed, here in verse 6, at the bottom of verse 6, and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
Well, you're not going to use those up on the mountain. They're in the valley. Saul and his men are retreating up the hill to get the higher ground advantage where the horses won't be as effective and the chariots would be unusable. And this is why the archers shot into Saul. They couldn't get the troops close enough because there were other men fighting and sort of putting a perimeter around.
Saul as this thing was unfolding. That's why he was not overtaken by the chariots and horsemen. That's why the archers killed him. And what the Philippines will end up at the end is late, and they'll say, okay, we got him. Um We'll come back and get the body the next day.
And that's pointed out to us in the last chapter. They came the next day and they took the body of Saul and beheaded it and hung it up. But this is how it's unfolding.
Well, during that time, As The Philistines say, okay, we got them, and they withdraw. That's when the Amalekite knows they're going to do this, knows they're not going to be out there in the dark, there's no flashlights and stuff. Then he's going to go out and. do what he does. It's probably dusk.
at at this time or late in the day. Plus everybody's kinda hungry, all that. You're certainly thirsty, all that fighting. Verse 7.
Now When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me, and I answered, Here am I.
So he goes up on the mountain. He sees that Saul is retreated there. He says he's on his spear. And Saul calls out to him.
Well, the armor-bearer of Saul was asked, Saul said, Can you kill me? I'm shot with arrows. I really can't kill myself. If they catch me half dead, they're going to torture me. Can you kill me?
And you're going to be: I'm not going to do that. I just can't.
So Saul impales himself on his sword, you know, just positions it on a rock, for example, and just. pushes himself on it. Likely passes out. The armor-bearer thinks he's dead. The armor-bearer kills himself the same way.
Saul's not dead. is He regains consciousness when this guy comes. That's how I see it because there are just things, you know, how did that spear get into the picture? We've got to answer that question, because it should have stopped at the sword. He certainly was there at the dead body.
No question about that. He may even think somebody else is going to tell the story and he is trying to cover his spaces. Saul lightly gains consciousness, looks up and sees him. And remate, hey, can you finish me off yet against another guy? Finish me off, verse 8.
And he said to me, Who are you?
So I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
Now David knows he's an Amalekite. Whether that dialogue took place or not, you know, it doesn't have to be. Anyway, this is the second strike against the man. He shouldn't have been up there. unless he's stripping the dead of Israel.
And now he's an Amalekite, the inveterate enemies of Israel, doomed by decree of God in Exodus 17 and again in Deuteronomy 25. And David, of course, fresh off the slaughter of Amalekite raiders. Who, you know, they came in and just took everything.
So he's not the right team to mention. This is also by the Holy Spirit. A reminder That Saul was disobedient in wiping out the Amalekites. But David is is very much aggressive in wiping them out. They were a nomadic people.
They were the descendants of a grandson of Esau. And they were cowardly. And when the Jews were in the wilderness, the Amalekites attacked the rear of the people of Israel, where the weak were, the not so strong. Uh and and God they went to war, that's when Moses' arms were held up. By Aaron and a man named Hur.
And that was against these Amalekites. Joshua did defeat them. In Exodus 17, and God said, I'm not done with them. They they're gonna go. It's not until the days of Hezekiah That they are really marginalized to a point where they're no longer a threat as a group of people.
Of course. Before Hezekiah comes. Hezekiah comes 700 years before Christ. These uh we're at a thousand years before Christ.
So you have three hundred years before we get to Hezekiah really putting them down. Saul was dispatched to kill them. Of course, he spares King Agag. That means others got away too, because Saul, as usual, was distracted from doing what he was told to do, what he was supposed to do, and created a mess for everybody else.
So that by the time you get to Esther and Mordecai, there is Haman, an Agite, a descendant of Agag, the guy that Saul should have killed. He's still around causing problems for the Jews. And there in Persia they they are dealt with and they fall off the On the map, you'll never meet an Amalekite, are reduced to nothing and then assimilate whatever's left into the other peoples, and they are no longer. any Amalekites. That's an overview of what happens with them.
We'll come back to that just for a moment in this verse, verse 9. He said to me again, please stand over me and kill me.
So he's portraying Saul as insisting, please kill me. For anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.
Well, that's fair. I mean, humans can die very quickly and they can, you know, from trauma, or they can really last a long time. Anyway, this seems to be the case with Saul.
So I think it's less fabrication, some fabrication in his story. But mostly withholding facts. And David's gonna put it together. He's gonna think about this and say, you know what, this guy. That's when he's going to have him dealt with.
Again, to have Saul's death. directly associated with an Amalekite. Is another shame on Saul because again, these are the people Saul was ordered to deal with. He does not, and that's when God really says, you know what, this guy is just. He's not listening.
He's not interested in listening. And so, in God's government, Oftentimes the punishment fits the crime in a very Ironic way. For example, Pharaoh tried to have all the Jewish governments. Baby boys. drowned and killed.
Get rid of all of them. But it was Pharaoh and his army that perished in the sea of reeds. When they chase the Jews in Exodus 14.
So in Exodus 1, get rid of the Jewish boys, but by the time we get. To Exodus 14, it is The Egyptian leader that is slain. Haman planned to impale Mordecai on the gallows, but it's actually Haman. Who is killed and impaled. And his Geham and wanted to exterminate the Jews, wipe them all out.
But it was the beginning of the end of the Agites, the remainder of the Amalekites, his ten sons were killed by the Jews. And so there is, again, the ironic justice of God. But again, here's Saul, he refuses to obey God to slay the Amalekites, and he himself is slain by an Amalekite. And for me, that's the part of the puzzle that has to fit. The Amalekite has to do the damage to be consistent with the picture that is.
It sort of emerges off the pages of Saul's story. I believe he struck the death blow. You can say he's lying, he didn't, he found him there. Uh and wanted credit. For killing David's enemy, thinking it was going to go that way.
But then you have to account: well, how did the spear get involved?
So the Philistines might talk, you know, hey, when we go up to the hill the next day, we found a spear in the guy. That word would get around.
Well, he's covering his bases if that's so. Verse 10: I hope I'm not losing you on this. It's really working in my head. I can see it all happening. But uh verse 10.
So I stood over him and killed him. Because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm. And I have brought them here to my lord. Strike three. He admits to striking the death blow on Saul.
And the crowd goes, Ooh, should not have said that to David. Too bad you weren't there in the cave. Too bad you weren't there when this jug and spear was taken. David is not liking this. You had to have heard that about David.
He says, Because I was sure I killed him. I stood over him. I killed him because I was sure he couldn't live. He thinks this justifies his action. And so he states his case.
as though he does a good thing in assassinating Saul, according to his story. An assisted suicide, you could say. He thinks this is fine. And maybe he knows the story of Abimelech, the king that said, finish me off. Let's, you know.
Story be told about me that I don't want people to hear? He says, Here, and I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm and have brought them here to you. Yeah, where else could you sell them? Without somebody saying, yeah, I got them from that Amalekite that, you know, he's thinking, I'll get more from David by doing this legitimately. Then if I were to take this down to the pawn shop.
Which really didn't exist, but he would have. certainly hope to get more from it than maybe appointment. Maybe he could be now in David's camp. Anyway, would he have produced the bracelet and the crown had David not pressured him a little bit? to tell him the story.
Again, throughout history there have been battlefield scavengers. There are to this day.
So let's review the three strikes. One, by chance I happened to be up on the mountain. Yeah, in this big battle, you just happen to be. Most people would be staying a little bit far away from what's happening unless they be. collateral damage.
I mean an arrow can hit somebody. Strike two. is that he is an Amalekite. And these just happened to be the people that raided David's city and burned it down. And strike three, the big one, is of course that he almost boasts in his admission that he slew Saul.
Thinking that Saul gave him permission, that'd be the end of the story.
So the two views, the Amalekite is lying. Saul was already dead. Then David killed a liar. Or, my view, and I think others too. That the Amalekite is telling mostly the truth.
He did finish off Saul. Then David killed an assassin.
So David's right, no matter which way this goes. But here's how I have it mapped out, reconciling. the two accounts that seem to differ with each other, with that whole sword spear thing, Saul's in the battle. He retreats up the hill to get away from the chariots and horses where he's at a disadvantage.
So he gets to higher ground, but the archers pick him off. He's mortally wounded. But not yet dead. By the arrows of the Philistines. Knowing he's going to be captured, knowing he's dying.
He tells his attendant to finish him off.
Now, Saul has fought other battles. He knows what it looks like when somebody's not going to make it. And he knows he's not going to make it. He it tells his armor-bearer, his attendant, But the attendant refuses, unable to find the courage to kill his king. The Saul then impales himself on his own sword.
The attendant, supposing Saul is dead, does likewise. Eyewitnesses of all this. Are still in the perimeter of Saul and they flee the position. And they become the living witnesses to tell the true story that we got in the last chapter. The Philistine, well now they're not up there for the Amalekite, they're all gone.
The Philistines withdraw for the evening, returning in the morning to strip Saul of his armor and his head and take his body to. Uh the Philistine temple of Dagon. But before the Philistines arrived that morning, the Amalekite got busy. He plunders and then he pillages. the dead soldiers, and he comes upon Saul.
He may have witnessed some of this. Saul regains consciousness while he is there, aware of his vulnerability still to torture, and he asks the Amalekite to finish him off. The Amalekite Uses Saul's own beloved spear to do it. Remember, Saul always has a spear with him. Every time we read about him going through something, he's got that spear.
So that fits into the story. And what Abishai said to David, I could take his spear and kill him right here with one stroke. The Amalekite does it.
So God is that poetic justice of God saying, You ruined your reign. With the Amalekites when I gave you the order concerning them. It was a big deal, Saul, and now it has come back to bite you. And the Amalekite then makes it to David's camp, pretending to be in grief over the whole thing, admits to David. that he killed Saul without With omitting that he plundered the dead bodies, with the exception, using the crown and the bracelet as.
Proof he was there. You can bet if he didn't find David, he would. Eventually sold it. Uh so David kills him for for for doing what he did. That's my overview of what happened there.
Well, the story's not over. Verse 11. Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, so did all the men who were with him. See again, David chimes here. You know, he hasn't gotten to the point where he's gonna mess up the big, but what's his first reaction?
Grief. He's sorry over this. is a mixed feelings he has. Mm-hmm. Mm.
This has been the latest edition of Cross Reference Radio. Pastor Rick Gaston is teaching through the book of 2 Samuel, which details the reign of David as king of Israel. There are so many life lessons to be learned during these years of David's life. We're glad you've tuned in to hear more from God's Word. This radio ministry comes to you from Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Mechanicsville, Virginia.
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