It’s Personal
The Long Road Home - Part 6
Sunday, November 14, 2021
2 Samuel 1: 1-16, 1 Samuel 18:1-15, 19:1-10, 20:32-33, 24:1-22, 26:1-25, Psalm 57
They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
2 Samuel 1:12
Listen to this week’s sermon here:
You would think David would have been thrilled by Saul’s death. He had literally spent years of his life fleeing for his life at the end of Saul’s spear. By all accounts, Saul had become an enraged, jealous enemy who would kill David at any chance he got, no matter how many times David spared his life.
In our culture we would say that David should be glad, or at least relieved, by Saul’s death. It was business, not personal. Or perhaps we might say it’s just politics, not personal. In any case, the path to the throne was now clear for David and more than that, he no longer had to fear for his life with Saul hunting him down around every turn. Saul died in battle and David was spared the guilt of having to kill his enemy himself. From a business or political perspective, all’s well that ends well.
But for David, all is not well. David understood that it’s never just about business or politics. It’s always personal. No matter how evil, hateful, and even murderous Saul had been, David knew that Saul was still God’s anointed. God loved Saul. God had chosen Saul. Saul’s sin, in David’s eyes, did not make him any less God’s anointed King.
That is why David showed mercy time and time again.
That is why David weeps now and seeks to avenge Saul’s death.
Saul wasn’t just some bad leader that needed to be removed from his position. Saul was a person… a person loved and chosen by God, no matter what he did wrong.
And where people are involved, no matter what their sin, it’s always personal.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…”
Matthew 5:44