2 Samuel 1:8
“And he said to me, ‘Who are you? ’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’”
Some confusion has arisen from the two seemingly contradictory records of the death of Saul. 1 Samuel closes by recording the incident, and explaining that a wounded Saul, no doubt fearful of being captured, tortured, and brutally killed, fell upon his sword, taking his own life. Now, as 2 Samuel begins, we read that in agony, Saul pleaded for a young Amelekite to end his life. The law of contradiction is not broken by joining the two accounts, and concluding that when Saul fell on his sword he did not die immediately. So he pleaded with the young man to end his suffering. However, based upon the account in 2 Samuel there seems a more likely conclusion. This young Amalekite was something of an opportunist, and lied about what actually happened.
The Amalekites were enemies of Israel dating as far back as the wilderness journey. They were a nomadic group that survived by raiding and plundering the unsuspecting. While David and his men were out fighting, it was the Amalekites who attacked their camp, and took the women and children captive. They were known for attacking the weak, and for looting the battlefields. A more likely account of what happened, is the record of 1Samuel. It relates how the incident really went down, and this young man simply looted the dead. When he came across the body of Saul, the crown and bracelet were not enough of a prize, and he was hoping for a reward from David.
In short, this young man was pretending to be something he was not, in order to gain favor with the people of God. The New Testament warns of such men, calling them wolves or hypocrites. We might call them sharks or opportunists. We need to beware of their tactics so we are not led astray by them. More importantly, we need to be sure we are not one of them. It is wrong to play the Christian game, in order to get something. If you have a Christian emblem on your business, but you have no real desire to do business that glorifies the Lord, you are much like this Amalekite. If you are going to church, pretending to be a Christian, in order to find a date, you are acting like the Amalekite. Instead of being an opportunist, seeking to get something by pretending to follow Christ, why not surrender all to Him and become a true follower of His today.
Pastor Jim
When Moses pleaded to see the Glory of God, the Lord responded by passing before him and revealing His nature. He declared Himself to be merciful and gracious. The word gracious speaks of the giving nature of God. It is His desire to give what is best to man. James, addressing a group of trial-ridden Christians, reminded them, since God is gracious, every good and perfect gift comes from Him (James 1:17). The message of the Bible has a whole lot more to do with what God gives us, than what we are to give to Him. Hosea reminded Israel of what God had done for them,
As David and his men pursued the Amalekites, some of them grew weary. It is not difficult to understand why. Not only were they pursuing at a rapid pace, but they were doing so with broken hearts. Amelek had plundered their goods and kidnapped their families. For days, these men had been grieving, many, perhaps, unable to eat, due to the deep sorrow they were feeling. As a result, two hundred men were unable to press on, and the company split into two groups. Two hundred men stayed behind, and four hundred went to battle.
Did you ever have that daydream, as a kid, where you found the magic lamp, and the genie promised to grant your wish, no matter how outlandish it may be? Imagine what it would be like if God appeared to you, declaring He would give you whatever you asked for. How would you respond? What would you ask from the King of Kings.
The Philistine lords gathered together to prepare an attack on Israel. Since David had been living among them, and was a tremendously talented soldier, King Achish included him and his men in the battle plans. When the remaining Philistine leaders saw David and his men, they immediately objected. David was an Israelite who had been responsible for defeating the Philistines in countless battles. These men knew that to include him in their campaign would prove to be a big mistake, as David would no doubt turn on them when the battle grew hot.
As I child, I remember watching a movie where a group of people were trying to escape a town. Whatever direction they took, or road they chose, they always arrived at the same destination. They continued trying until they found the one way out. According to Jesus, life is like that. He stated that life really only consists of two roads. One is wide and crowded, but leads away from God. The other is narrow and difficult, and sadly, often ignored, but results in eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14).
This passage gives some very interesting insight into leadership. David searched for men of faith who would be willing to take risks for the kingdom. Abishai rose to the challenge and joined David on a dangerous mission to infiltrate the camp of the king. Under the cover of darkness, they made their way past the guards, and all the way to Saul. It was at this point that Abishai suggest they take the opportunity to kill the king, and bring an end to the difficulties he has caused. The exchange between David and Abishai is priceless in the lessons it illustrates. 
Jim Gallagher 