David’s Lament Over Saul and Jonathan

Text: 2 Samuel 1:17-27

Reflection and Question: We enter a brutal world here as David orders his men to kill the messenger who comes to tell him of Saul and Jonathan’s death. And David’s lament for Saul and Jonathan has its warrior side to it. Yet, David’s poetry also conveys his steadfast love for Saul and Jonathan and his anguish at their death. David remembers how delightful Jonathan was to him, that Jonathan’s love was “wonderful, surpassing the love of women.” What feelings come across to you here?

Prayer: Eternal God, we know from the story that David was loyal to Saul from beginning to end and that he and Jonathan had a bond special enough to be retold in Scripture. Give us the grace to feel as deeply as David about the people we love. Amen.

This meditation is based on the Daily Lectionary Year 1 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).