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Sunday School Lesson Outline – Pleasant Zion Missionary Baptist Church – 3317 Toledano Street – New Orleans, La.

August 23, 2020 --- ’s Grief for and --- 2 1:11-12, 17-27

Unit III – David: A True King

Introduction: “Life is filled with both joy and sorrow. Why some people seem to have more or less joy or sorrow than others is one of the enigmas of the human condition. Obviously, sin, either directly or indirectly, is at the root of many of the sorrows we experience. While some sorrow can be traced to bad choices on our part, others cannot. The book of Job demonstrates that even the righteous may suffer greatly. Job tragically lost his children, his health, and his wealth. Even so, he would not curse God, and die (Job 2:9), as his wife suggested. Since sorrow is the common lot of human beings, how we usually work through grief is fairly predictable. Those who have experienced deep sorrow will probably recognize the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. While people in the biblical world did not enjoy the technological advances and modern conveniences we take for granted, they dealt with sickness, sorrow, and death in much the same way we do. In short, things have not changed in thousands of years.” – BE&I (See Preparing To Teach The Lesson on Page 6.)

I. MOURNING THE – 2 Samuel 1:11-12

2 Samuel 1:11 11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:

A. David the fugitive (2 Samuel 1:11).

1. “At the end of last week’s lesson, David had fled into the night to avoid being murdered by Saul.”

a. “For nearly a decade, he was a fugitive, moving from place to place: being hunted down by the king.”

b. “For a time, David even sought refuge among the (chap. 27).”

2. “King Saul strayed farther and farther from the Lord even as the Israelites continued to battle the Philistines.”

a. “With the death of the Prophet Samuel, Saul had no one from whom to seek spiritual guidance.”

b. “So, when they faced a large Philistine army, Saul was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled (vs. 5).”

c. “Realizing his need of guidance, Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets (vs. 6).”

3. “At this, Saul sought out the witch of Endor to try to ascertain the future (I Sam. 28:8-19).”

a. “Rather than being comforted with a message of hope, Saul was told that would be defeated and that he and his sons would die.”

b. “The very next day the two armies met on the field of battle.”

c. “As predicted, Israel was defeated, and Saul and his sons died that day (31:1-7).”

2 Samuel 1:12 12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

B. David mourns (2 Samuel 1:12).

1. “A few days later, a man from the battlefront arrived at David’s camp and informed him of the defeat of Israel and the death of Saul and his sons.”

a. “David and his men mourned the loss.” 2

b. “David took hold on his clothes, and rent them (II Sam. 1:11); that is, he tore them as a sign of grief.”

c. “His men did likewise, and all of them mourned, and wept, and fasted.”

2. “In spite of the fact that King Saul considered David his enemy, David nevertheless mourned for him.”

a. “After all, Saul was the Lord’s anointed (vs. 16).”

b. “As David and Saul’s son Jonathan were close friends, his grief for Jonathan was particularly painful.”

c. “This mourning, however, was extended to the whole nation, because they were fallen by the sword.”

Practical Point 1: “Christians should mourn the passing of loved ones as well as those they had difficulties.”

II. LAMENTATION FOR THE FALLEN -- 2 Samuel 1:17-18

2 Samuel 1:17 17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:

A. David laments (2 Samuel 1:17).

1. “As you probably know, contains various kinds of literature.”

a. “There are the general categories of law, history, poetry, and prophecy in the Old Testament.”

b. “Likewise, the New Testament contains biography, history, epistles, and prophecy.”

2. “But within specific books, there may be various genres (categories).”

a. “One of these categories is the lament, which is frequently found in Psalms.”

b. “Of course, there is also a book called Lamentations, which contains the laments of the Prophet Jeremiah over the fall of Jerusalem.”

c. “‘The beauty and forcefulness of the language in David’s lament attest his stature as a poet of genuine merit. (Indeed, this work is properly recognized as the greatest elegy (serious poem) in the Hebrew language’ [Allen]).”

2 Samuel 1:18 18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)

B. Lamentation taught (2 Samuel 1:18).

1. “Beyond the general mourning on the day David learned of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, he continued to lament their deaths.”

a. “David’s lamentation was not just personal, but he wanted it to be taught to the children of Judah.”

b. “The phrase the use of the bow could be rendered the ode of the bow or the lament of the bow.”

c. He wanted taught the lament entitled the bow, not the weapon.

2. “Although little is known about it, the book of Jasher (literally, “the book of the upright) apparently was a well- known ‘collection of early poetry, commemorating outstanding events and providing a source-book for later writers of our Bible books’ (Baldwin).”

a. “David’s lament was recorded in this book and is quoted here in 2 Samuel.”

b. “The reference here does not mean the book of Jasher was divinely inspired.”

Practical Point 2: “It’s right to mourn the loss of loved ones and or associates, for it shows that we know their value.” 3

III. DEEP SORROW EXPRESSED -- 2 Samuel 1:19-27

2 Samuel 1:19-21 19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.

A. For Israel (2 Samuel 1:19-21).

1. “The word beauty can mean what we usually think of, or it can mean something prominent, or glorious. (Many think the expression is better rendered The glory of Israel is slain.)”

2. “High places (vs. 19) is a reference to , where the battle took place.”

a. “The mighty is parallel to the beauty of Israel.”

b. “This repetition of ideas (parallelism) is typical of poetry found throughout the Old Testament.”

3. “It is understandable that Saul’s defeat was lamented in Israel.”

a. “In the streets of Philistine cities like Gath, however, this would be reason for rejoicing, not lamentation.”

b. “It was to be regretted how this news would spread among the uncircumcised (vs. 20), that is, among the Philistines.”

Practical Point 3: “We should be sure to honor the mourning of others.”

4. “As somewhat typical in poetry, even inanimate objects such as mountains (Gilboa), dew, rain, and fields are addressed and here called upon to join in the weeping (vs. 21).”

5. “It was on the field of battle that Saul met his end, although David does not refer to him specifically but rather to his shield being vilely cast away.”

a. “The reference to being anointed with oil may have a double meaning. (Shields were literally anointed with oil, both to keep them shiny and to make them more likely to deflect arrows.)”

b. “Of course, the word anointed also calls to mind the fact that, in spite of his backsliding, Saul was God’s anointed king”

2 Samuel 1:22-23 22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

B. For Israel’s warriors (2 Samuel 1:22-23).

1. “The picture painted by David was one of Saul and Jonathan bravely fighting to the very end.”

a. “While they were not victorious over the Philistines, they had brought death to their enemies in this final battle.”

b. “Therefore, David could say, “The bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.”

2. “When people speak of the departed, they do so in glowing terms to remember the good and forget the bad. (Perhaps David was doing this in his song of sorrow, referring to Saul as lovely and pleasant.)”

Practical Point 4: “The loss of great leaders, even flawed ones, is hard to bear.” 4

3. “Once again extolling their military prowess, David referred to Saul and Jonathan as being swifter than eagles and stronger than lions. (While David could have focused on their defeat in battle, he chose instead to glorify their courage in the conflict that took their lives.)”

2 Samuel 1:24 24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

C. For Israel’s king (2 Samuel 1:24).

1. “While David hoped that the Philistine women would not even learn of Israel’s defeat, he called upon the daughters of Israel to weep over Saul.”

2. “The references to the women being clothed in scarlet and wearing ornaments of gold probably should not be taken literally, though some certainly may have benefited in this manner.”

2 Samuel 1:25-27 25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. 26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. 27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

D. For David’s friend (2 Samuel 1:25-27).

1. “In verse 25 we again have the refrain that David began in verse 19, as he lamented the fall of the mighty. (Especially grievous to him was the death of Jonathan.)”

a. “Having called upon the daughters of Israel to weep, David now expressed his own distress over the loss of Jonathan.”

b. “That Jonathan was very pleasant (vs. 26) means he was dear to David.”

c. “The Hebrew word (na`em) means to be agreeable or to be a delight.”

2. “Since the love David had for Jonathan was wonderful, passing the love of women (vs. 26), some people pushing their own agenda have gone to the extreme of reading into this passage some kind of homosexual relationship.”

a. “There is nothing to indicate any such relationship ever existed between .”

b. “Moreover, it would be out of harmony with what the Bible says about homosexuality as sinful (Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Deut. 23:17-18; Rom. 1:26-28; I Cor. 6:9-11; I Tim. 1:8-10; Rev. 22:15).”

3. “David’s lament ends as it began, remembering once again that the mighty had fallen.”

a. “Even in their tragic deaths, David was able to extol the virtues of Israel’s king and prince.”

b. “While those who have fallen in battle should be honored for their sacrifice, let us never forget that war, whether ancient or modern, brings death and destruction, most often to the innocent and defenseless.”

c. “Thankfully we can look forward to that time of peace when Christ comes again and the nations “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, and neither shall they learn war any more (Isa. 2:4).”

Practical Point 5: “It is good to realize the legacy of those we have lost while we mourn their loss.”

Practical Point 6: “When we have lost loved ones, we should not try to bypass the time of mourning.”

Compiler: Rev. Kenneth E. Thompson From: Bible Expositor and Illuminator, Union Gospel Press, Cleveland, OH: Standard Lesson Commentary NIV, Standard Publishing Company, Cincinnati, OH; Power Bible CD, Online Publishing Co., Wordsearch 9 Basic Edition, Wordsearch Bible Software, Austin, TX.

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Sunday School Lesson Text With NIV And Interlinear

August 23, 2020 --- David’s Grief for Saul and Jonathan --- 2 Samuel 1:11-12, 17-27

2Sa 1:11 ¶ Then David (David) took hold (chazaq) on his clothes, (beged) and rent (qara`) them; and likewise all the men ('enowsh) that were with him:

11 Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. (NIV)

12 And they mourned, (caphad) and wept, (bakah) and fasted (tsuwm) until even, (`ereb) for Saul, (Sha'uwl) and for Jonathan (Y@hownathan) his son, (ben) and for the people (`am) of the LORD, (Y@hovah) and for the house (bayith) of Israel; (Yisra'el) because they were fallen (naphal) by the sword. (chereb)

12 They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. (NIV)

17 ¶ And David (David) lamented (quwn) with this lamentation (qiynah) over Saul (Sha'uwl) and over Jonathan (Y@hownathan) his son: (ben)

17 David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, (NIV)

18 (Also he bade ('amar) them teach (lamad) the children (ben) of Judah (Y@huwdah) the use of the bow: (qesheth) behold, it is written (kathab) in the book (cepher) of Jasher. (yashar))

18 and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar): (NIV)

19 The beauty (ts@biy) of Israel (Yisra'el) is slain (chalal) upon thy high places: (bamah) how are the mighty (gibbowr) fallen (naphal)!

19 "Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen! (NIV)

20 Tell (nagad) it not in Gath, (Gath) publish (basar) it not in the streets (chuwts) of Askelon; ('Ashq@lown) lest the daughters (bath) of the Philistines (P@lishtiy) rejoice, (samach) lest the daughters (bath) of the uncircumcised (`arel) triumph. (`alaz)

20 "Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice. (NIV)

21 Ye mountains (har) of Gilboa, (Gilboa`) let there be no dew, (tal) neither let there be rain, (matar) upon you, nor fields (sadeh) of offerings: (t@ruwmah) for there the shield (magen) of the mighty (gibbowr) is vilely cast away, (ga`al) the shield (magen) of Saul, (Sha'uwl) as though he had not been anointed (mashiyach) with oil. (shemen)

21 "O mountains of Gilboa, may you have neither dew nor rain, nor fields that yield offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul-- no longer rubbed with oil. (NIV)

22 From the blood (dam) of the slain, (chalal) from the fat (cheleb) of the mighty, (gibbowr) the bow (qesheth) of Jonathan (Y@hownathan) turned (suwg) not back, ('achowr) and the sword (chereb) of Saul (Sha'uwl) returned (shuwb) not empty. (reyqam) 6

22 From the blood of the slain, from the flesh of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied. (NIV)

23 Saul (Sha'uwl) and Jonathan (Y@hownathan) were lovely ('ahab) and pleasant (na`iym) in their lives, (chay) and in their death (maveth) they were not divided: (parad) they were swifter (qalal) than eagles, (nesher) they were stronger (gabar) than lions. ('ariy)

23 "Saul and Jonathan-- in life they were loved and gracious, and in death they were not parted. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. (NIV)

24 Ye daughters (bath) of Israel, (Yisra'el) weep over (bakah) Saul, (Sha'uwl) who clothed (labash) you in scarlet, (shaniy) with other delights, (`eden) who put (`alah) on ornaments (`adiy) of gold (zahab) upon your apparel. (l@buwsh)

24 "O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold. (NIV)

25 How are the mighty (gibbowr) fallen (naphal) in the midst (tavek) of the battle (milchamah)! O Jonathan, (Y@hownathan) thou wast slain (chalal) in thine high places. (bamah)

25 "How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights. (NIV)

26 I am distressed (tsarar) for thee, my brother ('ach) Jonathan: (Y@hownathan) very (m@`od) pleasant (na`em) hast thou been unto me: thy love ('ahabah) to me was wonderful, (pala') passing the love ('ahabah) of women. ('ishshah)

26 I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women. (NIV)

27 How are the mighty (gibbowr) fallen, (naphal) and the weapons (k@liy) of war (milchamah) perished ('abad)!

27 "How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war have perished!" (NIV)

Preparing To Teach The Lesson

How do you respond when something bad happens to one of your enemies? Do you gloat about it, even if only to yourself? Do you say something to the effect of “It serves them right”? It is natural to want bad things to happen to people who oppose and hurt us, but Scripture teaches that Christians should have an entirely different attitude. Jesus said that we are to love our enemies. It is easy to love people who love us in return, but even wicked people do that. One of the things that makes Christians different is that Christ commands us to love our enemies too (cf. Matt. 5:43-48). In this week’s lesson, we will see how David responded when he was informed that his longtime nemesis, Saul, was killed in battle. His reaction may surprise you, especially if you are prone to gloating over your enemies’ troubles and hardships.

-- Union Gospel Press. Bible Expositor and Illuminator

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And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son: (2 Samuel 1:17)