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Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, "The men of Jabesh Gilead [were the ones] who buried Saul." So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, "You [are] blessed of the LORD, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him. 2 Samuel 2:4-5
After David was anointed king of Israel in Hebron, he learned that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried King Saul. Very likely David inquired about Saul’s body because he wanted to honor him with a proper burial, or maybe the men of Judah wanted to point the finger at the men of Jabesh-gilead, thinking David might be displeased by their actions. But either way, David sent a blessing back to them.
Regardless of how far Saul ended up going astray, he was the Lord’s anointed and was worthy of respect. David always had a firm understanding of this concept, even when he was on the run from Saul, fearing for his life. This is consistent with what the Bible says about how God’s people are to respect authority and treat their enemies.
Proverbs 24:17-18 says “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; or the Lord will see it and be displeased, and turn His anger away from him.”
How do you respond when one of your enemies falls—either literally or figuratively? How does that compare with today’s verse?
After David was anointed king of Israel in Hebron, he learned that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried King Saul. Very likely David inquired about Saul’s body because he wanted to honor him with a proper burial, or maybe the men of Judah wanted to point the finger at the men of Jabesh-gilead, thinking David might be displeased by their actions. But either way, David sent a blessing back to them.
Regardless of how far Saul ended up going astray, he was the Lord’s anointed and was worthy of respect. David always had a firm understanding of this concept, even when he was on the run from Saul, fearing for his life. This is consistent with what the Bible says about how God’s people are to respect authority and treat their enemies.
Proverbs 24:17-18 says “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; or the Lord will see it and be displeased, and turn His anger away from him.”
How do you respond when one of your enemies falls—either literally or figuratively? How does that compare with today’s verse?
