Ep 629 – 2 Samuel 1:1-16

As we open up the book of Second Samuel, the story of David continues. But the events surrounding his life are beginning to shift dramatically. Saul is dead. And while David is still living in the land of the Philistines, the path to the throne has been suddenly cleared of its greatest obstacle. But before David can become the next king of Israel, we are going to see how he reacts to the death of Saul. You would expect him to celebrate, rejoicing over the demise of his long-term adversary. But that’s not what David does. In fact, 2 Samuel 1:1-16 presents a somewhat ironic tale of a misguided Amalekite coming into contact with the future king of the Israelites. And this encounter will not turn out how the young man expected. Rather than receiving a reward, he’ll lose his life. His fictitious claim to have killed Saul will prompt David to kill him, not congratulate him. Because David still held Saul in high esteem.