The Perplexity of God’s Sovereignty

1  After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside 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 armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’” – 2 Samuel 1:1-16  ESV

The Bible is full of irony and this story is a case in point. Saul, having taken his own life by falling on his own sword, was left on the field of battle, his body exposed and unprotected. Still bearing the king’s armor and royal crown, Saul’s corpse would have been easy to spot on a battlefield covered in dead and wounded soldiers. But according to this story, an Amalekite mercenary got to Saul before the Philistines did. He took Saul’s crown and armlet and made his way to Ziklag, having concocted a false version of the events surrounding Saul’s death. He hoped that David would reward him for having killed Saul. But the irony in all of this is that this man, who falsely took credit for Saul’s death and stole his crown and armlet, was an Amalekite.

Early in Saul’s reign, he received a word from the prophet Samuel, ordering him to destroy the Amalekites.

“The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” – 1 Samuel 15:1-3 ESV

Saul complied with God’s command and led the Israelites into battle. But while he successfully defeated the Amalekites, he failed to follow through on all of God’s instructions.

And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. – 1 Samuel 15:7-9 ESV

God commanded the complete annihilation of the Amalekites but Saul decided to take a different path. Not only did he refuse to kill the king of the Amalekites, but he also left a good portion of the people unharmed. The very fact that this Amalekite mercenary was still alive and able to steal the crown of Saul is proof that the command of God had been ignored.

God had commanded the complete destruction of the Amalekites but Saul had refused to comply with God’s wishes. That one act of defiance had long-lasting implications for both Saul and David. It was the Amalekites who raided David’s stronghold in Ziklag and captured all the women and children.

Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. – 1 Samuel 30:1-3 ESV

Obviously, the number of Amalekites spared by Saul was large enough to form a raiding party to attack Ziklag. Not only that, some of the Amalekites were serving as mercenaries in Saul’s army.

That brings up a second point of irony. The Amalekite in this story made his way to David, proudly proclaiming his Amalekite ethnicity, but totally unaware that David had just defeated and plundered his countrymen for having raided his city and captured its inhabitants. In other words, this young Amalekite picked a bad time to show up in David’s camp bragging to have killed the king of Israel.

The fact that the account of chapter one of 2 Samuel differs slightly from that of chapter 31 of 1 Samuel has caused some consternation over the years. But it is not a case of a discrepancy in the Bible; it’s simply the facts related to the events. Chapter 31 of 1 Samuel records what actually happened as it relates to Saul’s death and the aftermath. Nowhere does it mention his crown or armlet. Only his head, decapitated body, and armor were taken by the Philistines. Had they found something as significant as his crown, it would been mentioned. But according to the story in chapter one of 2 Samuel, the crown had been taken by an Amalekite who was plundering the bodies of the fallen. He was not mentioned in the closing chapter of 1 Samuel because it was a record of Saul’s death, not David’s reaction to it. The author reserved the events surrounding the Amalekite and his plundering of Saul’s crown and armlet until later.

The Amalekite mercenary’s arrival in David’s camp and his news of Saul’s death were not received with the joy and gratitude he had imagined.

David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day. – 2 Samuel 1:11-12 NLT

This was not the reaction the young man had hoped for. He knew of Saul’s hatred for David and had heard the rumors about David being the next king of Israel. So, he fully expected that his presentation of Saul’s crown would have elicited a much different response from David. Yet, instead of responding with joy and offering the Amalekite a reward, David went into mourning, weeping over the death of the Lord’s anointed. There was no celebration, no gloating, and no victory dance over Saul’s well-deserved death. The idea that an Amalekite had been the one to take the king’s life was too much for David to handle. Based on the young man’s bold claim, David had him executed – not exactly the reward he had been seeking.

What is interesting to note in this story is God’s sovereign hand at work behind the scenes. These two chapters mark a turning point in the story of David’s life. Between them, we see a transition of power taking place between Saul and David. It’s fascinating to consider that this unsuspecting Amalekite was used by God to bring the crown of Saul and hand it to the man whom God had appointed and anointed to be the next king of Israel. This simple act was meant to be a tangible sign of God’s providential oversight of the entire story. Everything was happening according to God’s sovereign and strategic plan for David’s rise to the throne of Israel.

David’s path to the throne had been a long and arduous one. From the day he had been anointed by Samuel until the moment Saul took his own life, David had experienced a long and pain-filled journey filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, and moments of doubt and despair. David’s faith had been tested. He had been oftentimes confused by the events surrounding his life. He didn’t always understand what was going on or enjoy how God had chosen to direct his life. But he kept trusting. He kept waiting. And while he had been presented with two different opportunities to take Saul’s life, he had refused. In both cases, he considered Saul the Lord’s anointed and was unwilling to raise his hand against him. To the very end, David showed honor and respect for the Lord’s anointed, even mourning the death of the very man who had dedicated years of his life to David’s destruction.

Saul was defeated by the Philistines. He took his own life. An Amalekite plundered the crown from his dead body and claimed responsibility for his death. He expected a reward for his service but instead, David mourned and rewarded the Amalekite with death. Saul’s crown, the symbol of his power, had been handed over to David by an unlikely source and in an unexpected manner. Saul’s short-lived dynasty had come to an abrupt and ignominious end. With his death, the transfer of power had begun. David was poised to become the next king of Israel. God’s hand-picked successor was about to ascend the throne and assume the responsibility of leading the people of Israel on behalf of God. The man who had repeatedly shown honor and respect for the Lord’s anointed was about to become the Lord’s anointed.

Up to this point in the story, every single event and circumstance had been part of God’s sovereign plan for David’s life. The timing was perfect and the events were unfolding just as God had ordained.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Transfer of Power.

After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” And David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ So I stood beside 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 armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?” Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord's anointed.’” – 2 Samuel 1:1-16 ESV

The Bible is full of irony, and this story is a case in point. Saul, having taken his own life by falling on his own sword, was left on the field of battle, his body unprotected and easy pickings for the Philistines soldiers to find. But according to this story, an Amalekite got to Saul before the Philistines did. He took Saul’s crown and armlet and made his way to Ziklag, having concocted a false version of the events surrounding Saul’s death, in hopes that David would reward him for having killed Saul. But the irony in all of this is that this man, who falsely took credit for Saul’s death and stole his crown and armlet, was an Amalekite. All the way back in 1 Samuel 13, Saul was commanded by God to destroy the Amalekites, completely wiping out every man, woman and child. But Saul was disobedient to God. He failed to do what God had commanded him to do. And as a result the Amalekites were alive and well. In fact, the second point of irony is that this man made his way to David, proudly proclaiming his Amalekite ethnicity, totally unaware that David had just defeated and plundered his countrymen for having raided his city and capturing its inhabitants. In other words, this young man picked a bad time to be an Amalekite and to brag about killing the king of Israel with his own hands.

The fact that the account of chapter one of 2 Samuel differs slightly from that of chapter 31 of 1 Samuel has caused some consternation over the years. But it is not a case of a discrepancy in the Bible. It is simply the facts related to the events. Chapter 31 of 1 Samuel records what actually happened as it relates to Saul’s death and the aftermath. Nowhere does it mention his crown or armlet. Only his head, decapitated body and armor were taken by the Philistines. Had they found something as significant as his crown, it would probably been mentioned. But according to the story in chapter one of 2 Samuel, the crown had been taken by an Amalekite who was plundering the bodies of the fallen. And he was not mentioned in the closing chapter of 1 Samuel, because it was a record of Saul’s death, not David’s reaction to it. The author reserved the events surrounding the Amalekite and his plundering of Saul’s crown and amulet until later.

And the Amalekite mercenary’s arrival in David’s camp and his news of Saul’s death were not received with the joy and gratitude he had imagined.

David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day. – 2 Samuel 1:11-12 NLT

This was not what the young man had expected. Instead of David reacting with joy and offering the Amalekite a reward for his claim of having killed David’s archenemy, he went into mourning, weeping over the death of the Lord’s anointed. There was no celebration, no gloating, no dance of victory over Saul’s well-deserved death. And the idea that an Amalekite had been the one to take the king’s life was too much for David to handle. Based on the young man’s bold claim, David had him executed. Not exactly the reward he had been seeking.

What is interesting to note in this story is the sovereign hand of God at work. These two chapters provide a turning point in the story of David’s life. Between them, we see a transition of power taking place between Saul and David. It is fascinating to consider that this unsuspecting Amalekite was used by God to bring the very crown of Saul and hand it to the man whom God had appointed and anointed to be the next king of Israel. It was a tangible symbol of what was taking place within the story – all part of God’s strategic plan for David’s rise to the throne of Israel.

David’s path to the throne had been a long and arduous one. From the day he had been anointed by Samuel the prophet, until the moment Saul fell on his sword, taking his own life, David had experienced a lengthy, pain-filled journey filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, and moments of doubt and despair. David’s faith had been tested. He had been oftentimes confused by the events surrounding his life. He didn’t always understand what was going on or enjoy the manner in which God had chosen to direct his life. But he kept trusting. He kept waiting. And while he had been given two different opportunities to take Saul’s life, he had refused. On both cases he had considered Saul the Lord’s anointed and was unwilling to raise his hand against him. Up until the very end, David had showed honor and respect for the Lord’s anointed, even mourning the death of the very man who had dedicated years of his life to the David’s destruction.  

Saul was defeated by the Philistines. He took his own life. An Amalekite plundered the crown from his dead body and claimed responsibility for his death. He expected a reward from David. But David mourned and rewarded the Amalekite with death. Saul’s crown, the symbol of his power, had been handed over to David by an unlikely source and in an unexpected manner. Saul’s short-lived dynasty had come to an abrupt and ignominious end. And with his death, the transfer of power had begun. David was poised to become the next king of Israel. God’s hand-picked successor was poised to ascend the throne of Israel and assume the responsibility of leading the people of Israel on behalf of God. The man who had repeatedly shown honor and respect for the Lord’s anointed was about to become the Lord’s anointed. And every single event and circumstance up until this point had all been part of God’s sovereign plan for David’s life. The timing was perfect. The plan was unfolding just as God had ordained it.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

A Case Of Déjà Vu.

Then David went over to the other side and stood far off on the top of the hill, with a great space between them. And David called to the army, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered, “Who are you who calls to the king?” And David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord. This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is and the jar of water that was at his head.”

Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” And he said, “Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands? Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the Lord, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake.” And David answered and said, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and take it. The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.” Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place. – 1 Samuel 26:13-25 ESV

Once again, David had found himself with a prime opportunity to take the life of Saul and end his nightmarish existence as a fugitive. He and Abishai had made their way into the camp of Saul as he and his troops slept. They stood over Saul’s sleeping form and Abishai begged David for permission to take his life. But just as before, David refused to take the life of the Lord’s anointed. But he did take Saul’s spear and water jug.

Now, David stood a safe distance away and gave Abner, Saul’s commander, an unexpected wake-up call. David yelled across the valley, accusing Abner and his troops of dereliction of duty. He informs them that while they slept, someone had snuck into their camp and could have killed their king, because they had failed to do their jobs. And David held up Saul’s spear and water jug as proof. This was not only an assault on Abner, but a clear statement to Saul that David had more respect for the Lord’s anointed than Saul’s own men did. When Saul’s men had failed to provide the king with protection, David had been the one to prevent Abishai from taking his life. David was still a faithful servant of the king.

Not only that, there was no proof that he had done anything to deserve the treatment he had received from the hand of Saul. He even asked Saul to provide evidence. If Saul could provide David with a specific crime he had committed that was in violation of the law of Moses, David was willing to do the appropriate thing and offer a sacrifice as atonement. But if, as David seems to suspect, Saul’s actions against him were based on nothing more than the bad advice of men, then David calls down a curse from God on them. Why? Because David had not only become persona non grata in the kingdom of Israel, he had no access to the tabernacle. That meant he was not able to offer sacrifice for sins and receive forgiveness. David’s despair over this matter was clearly evident in his words to Saul:

“For they have driven me from my home, so I can no longer live among the Lord’s people, and they have said, ‘Go, worship pagan gods.’ Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of the Lord?” – 1 Samuel 26:19-20 NLT

The tabernacle was where the presence of God dwelt. The Israelites were the people of God. By being forced to live apart from the people and without access to the tabernacle, David was effectively being forced to seek another god to worship. And the thought of that was too much for him to bear. David craved restoration with the people of God and restored access to the tabernacle of God. This is reflected in one of the psalms he wrote during his days in the wilderness.

O God, you are my God;
    I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
    my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
    where there is no water.
I have seen you in your sanctuary
    and gazed upon your power and glory.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
    how I praise you! – Psalm 63:1-3 NLT

I lie awake thinking of you,
    meditating on you through the night.
Because you are my helper,
    I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. – Psalm 63:6-7 NLT

And David’s passion-filled words to seem to get a compassionate reaction from Saul. Just as he had before, Saul appears to see the error of his way and confesses, “I have sinned. Come back home, my son, and I will no longer try to harm you, for you valued my life today. I have been a fool and very, very wrong” (1 Samuel 26:21 NLT). But David was no fool. He knew better than to trust the words of Saul. He had heard this speech before and had learned that “The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips” (Proverbs 18:7 NLT). Saul had no intention of calling off his hunt for David, and David knew it. Which is why, after their conversation ended, “David went his way, and Saul returned to his place” (1 Samuel 26:25 ESV).

David’s exile would continue. His longing for the presence of God would increase. His desire to be with the people of God would grow with each passing day. But during those dark days of the soul, God would be with David. He would guide him, protect him, teach him and mold him into the kind of king He desired David to be. Taking Saul’s life would not have put an end to David’s problems. To do so would have simply created bigger issues for him. He would have been in violation of God’s law. He would have been guilty of taking matters into his own hands and trying to accomplish God’s will his own way. So, David returned to the wilderness. But he was going to learn that he was not alone. Contrary to what David and the people of Israel believed, God was not restricted to the tabernacle. His presence was not bound to a building. He was right beside David every step he took in the wilderness. He was with David as he sought sanctuary in the caves. He was watching over David as he slept under the stars. He was David’s constant companion, ever-watching protector, wise counselor, and faithful guide. It was David’s experiences in the wilderness that would lead him to pen the words of his most famous psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever. – Psalm 23 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson