Gospel Reflections #1028: In Faith!

2 Samuel 1:14 “David said to him, ‘What on earth were you thinking, laying a hand on the Lord’s anointed and killing him without a second thought?’

This is a crucial scene just before David severely rebukes the young Amalekite who had falsely reported that he had killed King Saul, and orders his execution.

During the battle on Mount Gilboa, Saul, the first king of Israel, and his son Jonathan were killed in action.

A young Amalekite then came to David and made a false report, saying, ‘King Saul, who was in agony, asked me to do it, so I delivered the final blow.’

This young man was scheming to curry favour with David, who was at odds with Saul, in the hope of gaining a reward or a high position.

Contrary to the young man’s expectations, David grieved deeply and sincerely for King Saul’s death, tore his clothes and fasted until evening.

This leads to the fierce rebuke in this passage.

In ancient Israel, a king was appointed by God’s command and anointed with oil.

For David, King Saul—even though he was a sworn enemy who had pursued him with the intent to kill him—was an ‘absolute authority established by God’.

To harm Saul would have meant disrespect and rebellion against the God who had chosen David.

The Amalekite youth was acting on a human calculation of gain and loss, viewing ‘the enemy’s death’ as a cause for celebration.

David, however, always viewed matters from ‘God’s perspective’.

This passage’s stern questioning reflects a steadfast stance of faith: that even in the case of Saul, who had persecuted him, humans must not arbitrarily disrupt God’s order.

Subsequently, David ordered his men to execute the young man.

Although the young man had not actually struck the blow himself, he claimed, ‘I killed him’ out of a desire for credit; thus, he was sentenced to death on the basis of ‘the testimony of his own mouth’.

This symbolises the fate that awaits those who flout God’s authority and seek to adorn themselves with falsehood.

We must reap what we have sown; yet, if we entrust ourselves to God and obey Him, He will take responsibility and guide what we have sown into His harvest.

Conversely, if we rely on our own strength and try to manage things by our own power, we will end up reaping what we have sown.

Faith is not about what we can see, but about believing wholeheartedly in God’s Word and His promises.

We cannot do this in our own strength, but we should seek a faith that relies on God’s power and entrusts everything to Him.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.