Punishment for Dishonesty (4/21)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Samuel 1-4.

After the death of Saul, “a man who came out of the camp of Saul” (2 Samuel 1:2), yet identified himself as an Amalekite (2 Samuel 1:8), came to David to report to him of Saul’s death. Yet he was not completely honest in his report.

The young man who told him said, ‘By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen pursued him closely. When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I said, “Here I am.” He said to me, “Who are you?” And I answered him, “I am an Amalekite.” Then he said to me, “Please stand beside me and kill me, for agony has seized me because my life still lingers in me.” So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown which was on his head and the bracelet which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord’” (2 Samuel 1:6-10).

This man had Saul’s crown and bracelet, so he had obtained them somehow. Yet his story was not accurate. Saul fell on his own sword, killing himself (1 Samuel 31:4). When the Philistines found him, “They cut off his head and stripped off his weapons” (1 Samuel 31:9), yet nothing is said of his crown and bracelet. What likely happened was that this man found the dead king before the Philistines did, took these two items, and was now bringing them to David.

He invented a lie that he thought would be pleasing to David. Yet it backfired on him. Instead of being pleased, David mourned the death of Saul (2 Samuel 1:11-12). And instead of rewarding this man, he killed him because he had “killed the Lord’s anointed” (2 Samuel 1:14-16) – since this is what this man claimed that he did.

Honesty is always the best policy. Rather than try to lie for our own personal gain, we should be honest in all things.

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25).

Tomorrow’s reading: Psalm 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 19, 21

[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]


Daily Notes & Observations contains all 365 articles from this series and is available in paperback from Gospel Armory.


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