David sure had a strange way of fighting a civil war, didn’t he? Saul, his own father-in-law had been trying to kill him for years, and yet his first reaction when he heard Saul had died was to mourn and weep and fast (II Samuel 1:12). And instead of rewarding the man who claimed to have killed Saul, thus putting an end to David’s long exile, David ordered him to be executed for killing the rightful king of Israel (I Samuel 1:14-15).

And instead of rejoicing that his enemy was dead and that the throne would soon be his, David wrote a song praising Saul for his military exploits and insisted that everyone in Judah learn to sing it. In fact, in this song, David treated the memory of his enemy Saul with the same kind of reverence he showed to his great friend Jonathan. (II Samuel 1:18-27).

What was David’s problem? Didn’t he know that he was supposed to love his friends and hate his enemies? That’s what common sense tells us. That’s the way that most of the rulers throughout world history have consolidated their power, and that’s how most of us live our lives most of the time.

But because David was a man after God’s own heart (I Samuel 13:14), he was living according to the rules that would be laid down by his greater Son: “I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45).

And aren’t we all glad that Jesus chose to live that way? For He went so far as to lay down His life so that His enemies, those who betrayed and abandoned Him might be saved. After all, it was while we were still sinners, rebels against His righteous rule, that Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

So, no matter how little sense it may make, let’s look for ways to be loving and gracious to everyone, regardless of what they may have done to us. For could there be a better way to express our thanks and loyalty to the Son of David than by following David’s example?

II Samuel 1:17-27 (NASB)

17 Then David chanted with this lament over Saul and Jonathan his son,
18 and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar.
19 “Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!
20 “Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon; Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.
21 “O mountains of Gilboa, Let not dew or rain be on you, nor fields of offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty.
23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their life, And in their death they were not parted; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.
24 “O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
25 “How have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain on your high places.
26 “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was more wonderful Than the love of women.
27 “How have the mighty fallen, And the weapons of war perished!”