Day 89 - 2 Samuel 1-3

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 89- 2 Samuel 1-3 (The Hallmark of Leadership)
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"Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.  And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword."  (2 Samuel 1:11-12)

The battle between Israel and the Philistines ensued and Saul and his sons were killed as prophesied by Samuel in his appearance to Saul the previous day at the place of the medium of En Dor.  David receives word about the death of Saul and Jonathan and he mourns for them as we read from our text above.

It is interesting that David mourns for Saul who, all the while David killed Goliath, did nothing but sought to kill him out of jealousy.  We can all understand how David was deeply distressed for the death of Jonathan who, as David himself remembered in his song that he composed for both father and son wrote: 

       I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; 

        You have been very pleasant to me; 
        Your love to me was wonderful, 

        Surpassing the love of women.    

      (2 Samuel 1:26)

David's actions, first in respecting Saul's authority and second, in mourning for his death despite Saul's hatred for him, showed David's sterling quality as a godly leader.  By publicly mourning for Saul and Jonathan, David also set the example to his followers that they needed to act the same way which they in fact did.

There is another leader, the greatest in all human history, whose resurrection from the dead we celebrate this day, and who demonstrated to all of His followers how to live as He lived; that leader is none other than Jesus Christ. 

Jesus lived every moment of His life on earth as an example for us.  As you and I celebrate the Resurrection of Christ today, there is no better way to do so than to read about His life in the Gospels and in the entire Bible and to follow the examples He has set for us.  Anything less would simply be going through the motions of Easter.