Don't Dishonor Your Saul

2 Samuel 1:23-24, ESV

“Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions. “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

James 3:6, 9-10, NIV

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell…With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

I noticed something while studying the life of David this time that I don’t think I’ve ever noticed before—David never even spoke a dishonoring word about Saul.

Saul threw spears at David. Saul raged against David. The Holy Spirit had left Saul, and an evil spirit had come upon him. Saul so clamored to keep his throne that he hunted David relentlessly, forcing David into a life of hiding for years. 

And yet, David never dishonored him—in action or in speech. In fact, not only did David not dishonor Saul through his words, he actually honored Saul through his words.

The first passage above was in David’s lament for Saul and Jonathan after he found out they had been killed in battle. David did not flippantly speak of Saul as a crazy king who deserved to die, he honored the good he had done and the position God had put him in.

Wow.

Oh how often do we uphold the “bigger” commands of God, while completely ignoring the “smaller” ones. We don’t steal or murder or commit adultery, but we gossip and slander and curse the flaws of others.

And there’s no excuse that justifies our behavior. If David had the strength to hold his tongue against a maniacal king bent on taking his life unjustly, then we can have the strength to hold ours.

God help us.

God forgive us. 

God give us the wisdom and discipline to control our tongue, so that it doesn’t set the course of our life on fire.