The 2nd book of Samuel began with the news of the death of Saul and Jonathan and the defeat of Israel reaching David, barely two days after his return to Ziklag from a heart-wrenching rescue of the wives and children of his men, including his own, from the hands of the Amalekites:
(1) Do you think David was totally surprised by the news he heard? Why or why not?
(2) Compare the report brought by the young man in vv. 6-10 with the biblical account of 1 Samuel 31:4-5:
a. Can you tell what their major differences were?
b. In the Biblical account, why did Saul ask his armor-bearer to kill him?
c. Who was this young man who now brought the report to David? Was he one of the uncircumcised? Would Saul, if he was still alive, ask him to kill him?
d. Why did this man tell a different story? What might be his incentive of bringing Saul’s crown and his arm-band to David?
(3) How did David and all his men react to the news? What reasons were given by the Bible?
(4) How did David treat the news bearer? Why? Was David justified in his action?
(5) David then composed a lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan:
a. Why did he call it a “lament of the bow”? (See 1 Chr. 8:40)
b. “How the mighty have fallen” (I): vv. 19-24
- Why did he ask not to spread the news to Gath and Ashkelon, two of the five major cities of the Philistines?
- Why did he curse the mountains of Gilboa? (see v. 6)
- How did he remember the might and bravery of Jonathan and Saul? (vv. 22-23)
- How did he draw some comfort from their death? (v. 23)
- How should the daughters of Israel remember Saul? (v. 24)
c. “How the mighty have fallen” (II): vv. 25-26
- In this section David expressed his grief for Jonathan specifically. What did he remember most about Jonathan?
- How would you describe David’s friendship with Jonathan?
d. “How the mighty have fallen” (III): v. 27
Why did David describe Saul and Jonathan as “weapons of war”?
(6) What might the total defeat of Saul and his army mean for all Israel?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
撒母耳記上、下在希伯來聖經原為一書。撒母耳記下以掃羅和約拿單的死訊傳到大衛作開始，大衛從勇救自己和跟隨他的人的家人和財物的戰事，回到洗革拉僅兩天：
(1) 你認為大衛對這惡訊感到竟外嗎？為什麼？
(2) 請把這少年人報信所說的(1:6-10) 與聖經本身對掃羅的死的記載(撒上31:4-5) 相比：
a. 兩者有什麼主要分別？
b. 按聖經所說，掃羅為什麼吩咐拿兵器的人刺死他？
c. 這報信的少年是誰？是否未受割禮的外邦人？掃羅會否叫他殺自己？
d. 為何這人竟說與聖經記載不同的話？他特別把皇冠和掃羅臂上鐲子帶給大衛的用意何在？
(3) 大衛和跟隨他的人對這惡訊立時的反應是什麼？他們哀慟的原因是什麼？
(4) 大衛怎樣對待那報信的？他這樣作是否公允？
(5) 讓我們用一點時間來思想大衛為掃羅和約拿單所作的哀歌：
a. 為何稱它為「弓歌」？(參代上8:40 —掃羅是便雅憫人)
b. 「英雄何竟死亡」(一)(1:19-24)
i. 為何不要在迦特和亞實基倫這兩個非利士人主要的城邑傳訊？
ii. 他為何咒詛基利波山？(1:6)
iii. 他怎樣記念掃羅和約拿單的英武？(1:22-23)
iv. 他怎樣從這慘痛中稍得安慰？(1:23)
v. 以色列的女子該怎樣記念掃羅？(1:24)
c. 「英雄何竟仆倒」(二)(1:25-26)
i. 在此，大衛特別記念約拿單。他對約拿單最珍惜的是什麼？
ii. 你可以怎樣形容二人的友情？
d. 「英雄何竟仆例」(三)(1:27)
i. 為何他以「戰具滅沒」來喻二人的死亡？
(6) 對全以色列而言，掃羅全軍覆沒帶來什麼影響？
(7) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.” (2 Sam. 1:26)
The friendship between David and Jonathan is legendary, but I tend to admire Jonathan more because it appears that he had the most to give in this friendship:
a. As we have considered from time to time during our study of 1 Samuel, Jonathan was the heir apparent to the throne of King Saul and yet he was willing to relinquish this royal right to David (1 Sam. 20:31);
b. He openly sided with David, risking the wrath and the breaking of his relationship with his father, and yet he remained faithful as a son to his father till the very end, dying while fighting for him;
c. He did have the dream of one day being the assistant to David, knowing David would definitely prevail because he was the anointed one of the Lord (1 Samuel 23:17). Little did he know that his fate was tied to the sin of his father and that he would perish together with him (1 Sam. 28:19).
If I were to write his epitaph, I would write: “A mighty warrior, a faithful son, a loyal friend and an Israelite who loved his God and his people.”
「我兄約拿單哪，我為你悲傷！我甚喜悅你！你向我發的愛情奇妙非常，過於婦女的愛情。」(撒下1:26)
大衛與約拿單的友情是人所皆知的。在我個人而言，我更欣賞約拿單，因為他在這友情交誼中，比大衛付出的更多：
- 閱讀撒母耳記上時，我們知道約拿單本可承繼掃羅為王，但他甘願捨下這承繼權，轉而擁立大衛為王（撒上20:31）；
- 他公開在父親面前支持大衛，不理會父親的怒氣，也置他與父親的關係為次要；但他仍致死效忠於父親，與他一同戰死沙場；
- 他甚至夢想有一天會成為大衛的宰相，因他深深知道大衛是神所膏立的（撒上23:17）。但他卻不知道，因著父親的罪，神的旨意是要他與父親一同死亡的。（撒上28:19）。當然，這只是肉身的死亡。
如果要我為他寫上墓碑文，我會這樣寫： “大能的勇士，忠心的兒子，忠誠的朋友和愛神、愛人的以色列人。”
(1) With the death of Saul:
a. Why didn’t David seize the opportunity to declare himself king over Israel, since everyone in Israel knew he was anointed by the Lord as king over them?
b. Why did he only begin this step toward kingship by going to one of the towns of Judah?
c. Even with this small step, why did he first inquire of the Lord?
d. What kind of an example did David set for us?
(2) As David learned to wait for God’s timing, what happened when he obeyed God’s word to go to Hebron? (v. 4)
(3) Why did David choose to send a messenger to Jabesh Gilead (situated to the east of Jordan)? Do you think it was just a gesture? What might be the significance of his action, now that he was anointed king over the house of Judah?
(4) It appears that after the total defeat of Saul’s army, the Philistines had not moved into many of the towns of Israel. However, with a much weakened Israel and without a king, what should Abner do as the commander of Saul’s army, knowing that God had anointed David and he was now officially anointed king of Judah?
(5) What did Abner do instead? What was his motive?
(6) Now instead of fighting against their common enemy, the Philistines, Israel and Judah fought against one another:
a. How did the preliminary competition before their battle show the character of both Abner and Joab? (As a result, the place where it took place was called the “field of daggers”.)
b. Would you have either of them as your general? Why or why not?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
(1) 掃羅既已死亡：
a. 為何大衛不趁機正式宣佈為全以色列的王？
b. 為何他選擇只進猶大其中一城，作為向這目標踏出第一小步？
c. 既是一小步，為何仍要求問神？
d. 大衛在此給我們立下什麼榜樣？
(2) 大衛這樣的事事求問神、等待神的時間臨到，結果在遷到希伯倫後，發生了什麼事？(2:4)
(3) 為何大衛要特別派人傳訊給約但河東的基列雅比人？是裝模作樣之舉？還是以被立的猶大王身份，叫基列雅比人安心？
(4) 在戰敗後的以色列地，似乎多仍未被非利士人完全佔據。在這勢力薄弱、已無君主之際，押尼珥亦知道神已膏立大衛為以色列王，更有掃羅作前車，他當如何作？
(5) 為何竟擁立連爭戰也沒有份兒的伊施波設？押尼珥的用心何在？
(6) 現在弄到有外敵而不顧，卻要自相殘殺：
a. 押尼珥與約押這樣兒戲的玩弄少年人的生命，以他們互相殘殺為樂，你可以看到他們什麼的性情？
b. 你會以他們作你的將領嗎？
(7) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.” (2 Sam. 2:16)
Reading the story of the one-on-one combat between 12 pairs of young men in a preliminary competition to the actual battle between Abner’s and Joab’s soldiers sent chills through my spine. It also reminded me of the Roman Gladiators who were forced to fight other Gladiators or even animals as a sport or entertainment for the elite. However, this savage sport eventually ended with the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.
Even in ancient times when one-on-one combat between two champions preceding the battle was not uncommon (David against Goliath was a prime example), it was never meant as sport or entertainment. However, Abner’s suggested method of fighting almost ensured both of the fighters would die, if not be seriously wounded as attested by these words in the Biblical account: “Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together” (2:16). Such total disregard for human lives — the lives of their own brothers — was most savage to the point that the place was called Helkath Hazzurim (field of daggers), denoting that such kind of savage killing was not common at all even in those days. In essence, Abner and Joab were the fathers of the Gladiator sport!
For Saul to surround himself with commanders as cold-blooded as Abner might not be too surprising, but if David also tolerated such a cold-blooded person as Joab to be one of his generals, it would be inconceivable. And so, when Joab eventually murdered Abner, David did not hesitate to openly denounce him; in fact, he pronounced a curse on the household of Joab (3:29), drawing a line between himself and such savagery!
「彼此揪頭，用刀刺肋，一同仆倒。所以，那地叫作希利甲哈素林，就在基遍。」(撒下2:16)
讀到押尼珥和約押這樣兒戲的、草菅人命地叫少年人肉博至死，真是叫人心寒。這叫我想起羅馬時代的Gladiators (搏鬪士) ，他們被迫與人或獸，肉博至死為止，為要娛樂貴族人。這樣殘忍的玩意在基督教傳遍羅馬帝國後，終於停止了。
其實在古時，兩陣對壘，各派一討戰者吶喊，甚至肉博是常例，大衛與歌利亞是其中的一例。但這樣的肉博絕非為娛樂或「戲耍」(2:14) 。但押尼珥的提議，是要看到這十二對少年人肉博至死為止，更是以此作戲耍。聖經明明的記載：「彼此揪頭，用刀刺肋，一同仆倒」(2:16) 。這樣無謂的犧牲—置屬自己民族的少年人的生命不顧，實在殘暴至極。歷史家尚在追查羅馬搏鬪士的來源，恐怕押尼珥和約押正是這殘暴戲耍之父！
掃羅容讓像押尼珥這樣兇殘的人作元帥是不出奇的事；但如果大衛也容許像約押這樣的人作他軍中的領袖，就叫人難以相信。結果我們看到，及後當約押用計，行刺絕無防範的押尼珥時，大衛就公開的責備他，甚至出言咒詛他和他的全家(3:29) 。