The King Who Kills What Kills Us - 2 SAMUEL START

David put a lot of men to death during his life. He killed Goliath, he raided the land of Israel constantly. He seemed to be surrounded by blood. But there's one death we kind of skim over in reading the Bible that we should pause to take notice of. At the end of 1 Samuel David has raided the Amalekites and won back his property and wives and those of his men. At the same time, the Philistines overcome Saul and he attempts suicide. Evidently, he failed. We pick up the report from the young man who was there:

2 Samuel 1:6–10 (ESV) And the young man who told him (David) said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

The Amalekite thinks he's done something noble and good for David. He will quickly be corrected. David puts this messenger to death quickly. 

First, a note about David. We see David's character more clearly here than almost anywhere. Saul was completely evil toward David. In fact, David suffered tremendously under Saul and was running and fighting for his life. Yet, when it seems life has vindicated him with Saul's death, David is anything but celebratory. He's in anguish. 

David ultimately believed that the king of Israel was anointed of the Lord. Therefore the Lord had a purpose for Saul no matter how bad Saul had become. This is what Israel was to believe about their kings. They were to be different with respect to their leaders than the nations around them. After all, their king wasn't selected by man or chosen by election. He was chosen and endowed with special gifts by God himself. Therefore, the king mattered more than average kings.

But here's the heart of the matter at this moment. Who here claims to kill Saul? An Amalekite. We should remember them. They were the people Saul was commanded to whip out completely (1 Samuel 15). Yet because of greed, Saul failed to follow the Lord's directions and saved the best of the spoils and the king. In the end, the sin of Saul brings about his downfall.

David kills the man who killed Saul. What does this have to do with you and me? There are things in our lives we refuse to kill. Temptations we say we want to go but subtly and privately keep to ourselves. The sad thing is, this evil will kill us. It will claim territory in our lives and slowly ruin us. YET in spite of this, it's just not in us to get away from it. We lack to will.

Now here's the really good news. We have a king in Jesus who will put to death that which is killing us. We have a warrior Leader who loves us and respects us enough to never rejoice in our downfall or self-destruction but to honor God's word to save us. The kicker is we are responsible for Jesus' death and yet His death puts to death our great enemy! Jesus came to do the Father's will. And the Father's will was to save us through His death and resurrection. And he doesn't just save. He saves completely. More than that. Jesus is sanctifying and purifying His church still today (Philippians 1:7).

Sin can try to hold you, but King Jesus will continue to free you. Walk in it!

Hebrews 7:25 (ESV) Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.