Group Check-in

1. What was the best part of your week?
2. What was the most difficult part of your week?

What Are 1 Samuel 31 & 2 Samuel 1 About?

1 Samuel 31 is a dark, tragic ending. Saul, Israel’s first king, meets his death on the battlefield at Mount Gilboa. Mortally wounded and unwilling to be captured by the Philistines, he falls on his own sword. His sons, including Jonathan, die beside him. It’s not just a military loss… it’s the collapse of a dynasty.

The chapter ends in shame. The enemy strips the bodies and hangs them on a wall for all to see. Israel retreats. Saul dies isolated, rejected, and defeated.

Then comes 2 Samuel 1.

David, fresh from victory over the Amalekites, hears the news. A man claims he ended Saul’s life and expects to be rewarded. But David doesn’t celebrate. He grieves. He tears his clothes. He mourns for the man who spent years trying to kill him. And then… he writes a song. A lament.

It’s beautiful and broken. Fierce and vulnerable. David doesn’t just mourn Jonathan, his closest friend. He honors Saul too.

This is the end of one kingdom… and the beginning of another. But it doesn’t start with a coronation. It begins with weeping.

Key Verse

“How the mighty have fallen…”—2 Samuel 1:19

S.O.A.P. for the Week

Passage: 2 Samuel 1:17–27 (David’s lament)

Reflect

How do you respond when someone who’s wronged you fails or falls? Do you feel justified… or do you feel compassion? What does it look like to honor someone who was flawed… but still mattered?

Ice-Breakers

• What’s the most moving tribute or funeral you’ve ever heard or seen?
• If your life had a “highlight reel,” what’s one moment that has to be in there?
• Imagine you’re suddenly made ruler of a kingdom. What’s your first decree?

Group Discussion Questions

1. Saul’s final moments are haunting. Why do you think Scripture ends 1 Samuel this way? What’s the significance of such a tragic ending?
2. How do you imagine David really felt when he heard the news? What layers of emotion do you think he was sorting through?
3. The Amalekite thought he’d be praised for finishing Saul off… but David had him executed. What does that reveal about David’s heart?
4. Read through David’s lament in 2 Samuel 1. What lines stand out to you? What do they show us about his character and his relationship with Jonathan?
5. David honors Saul in this song. He doesn’t mention the jealousy… the spears… the exile. Why do you think he leaves that out?
6. How do these two chapters set the tone for David’s kingship? What kind of leader is emerging?

Practical Takeaway

Some falls shake the ground beneath us. Saul’s death wasn’t just the fall of a king… it was the end of an era. But David’s response is what’s truly remarkable.

He doesn’t gloat. He doesn’t rush to claim the throne. He grieves.

In a world quick to mock failure, quick to cancel and criticize… David shows us a better way. He teaches us that honoring someone isn’t always about what they did right. Sometimes it’s about who we are becoming.

When someone who hurt you falls… what do you do? When someone you respected disappoints you… how do you respond?

David’s lament is more than a song. It’s a roadmap for grace.

Prayer

God, help us to carry grief well. Teach us to honor even when it’s hard… to mourn what’s been lost without losing sight of what You’re doing next. Give us hearts that forgive, mouths that bless, and lives that reflect Your compassion. When leaders fall and plans fail, help us stay grounded in Your truth. And as You raise us up, may we lead with humility, integrity, and the same grace You’ve shown us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.