A Lotta Class

My high school baseball team always shook hands with our opponents after a game. If we had won, Coach Mathis would always remind us before we left the dugout: “Lotta class guys, lotta class.” No gloating or trash-talking. Win with dignity. Show some respect. You’ll never see more “class” on display than you do in David, in today’s text.

David writes a song of lament about Israel’s defeat. He calls it “The Song of the Bow,” and it is all about King Saul. There is no getting around it: Saul made David’s life a living hell. David served Saul so faithfully, but jealous, paranoid Saul hated David: he slandered him, tried to kill him, took his family from him and drove David out to the wilderness. For years, David lived as a fugitive while Saul hunted him like an animal. Saul returned all of David’s respect and love with pure evil. But now Saul is dead, and David can finally set the record straight. He can tell the world what an ungodly psycho-path Saul has always been. He can drag out all of Saul’s ugly sin, and vindicate his own name! That’s what I would do, at least.

Not David. His “Song of the Bow” calls his people to lower the flag to half-mast for King Saul, “the glory of Israel.” He reminds Israel of how bravely Saul fought for them (22). He praises Saul alongside noble Jonathan, making no mention of their division over David (23). He reminds Israel of the prosperity Saul brought to the nation (24). David is not making this stuff up—the Bible condemns the sin of flattery. All that David says is true about Saul’s early reign. But David is selective, choosing not to bring up all the bad things he could. He focuses instead on all the ways God used this flawed man to bless his people. He lets “love cover a multitude of sins (1 Pet 4:8).” It is not just “classy,” but gracious, magnanimous, God-like. It is beautiful to watch, but impossible without the Holy Spirit. David forgives because he trusts that God is writing his story.

David also sings of Saul’s fallen son, Jonathan. He had been David’s best friend, even like “my brother.” His death elicits the strongest language from David: “very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women (26).” This well-known line celebrates the amazing loyalty and faithfulness Jonathan showed to David. He was the heir to Saul’s throne. When God raised David up, Jonathan should have seen him as a threat and a rival. But godly Jonathan knew Yahweh had chosen David, not him, as his anointed.

So Jonathan did the extraordinary. He stepped off his own throne and knelt before David. He pledged absolute loyalty to him, like a knight, or a Marine. He gave David his own robe and armor—his royal symbols. And then Jonathan loved David as his own soul: he interceded for David with Saul, warned David when Saul came after him, and even stood in front of Saul’s spear to protect David. Jonathan really was more loyal than any of the women in David’s life!

Is it rare to find a friend this faithful? Who will treat your success like his? Who sticks up for you when you’re not around? Who sacrifices his or her own good for yours? Yes! David has no one else like this in his life. He grieves to lose such a companion. But from now on, David will be faithful to Jonathan’s house no matter what. I want to be a friend like that. More important, I have a Friend like that (Heb 13:5). Do you?

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Article by Eric Smith
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church