Forty years before this event, the children of Israel had wanted to have a king over them, like all the nations around them. This really was wrong and a sin. But in grace, God allowed them to have their way. God was willing to let them have a king until the day would come (still hasn’t come) when a greater than King David would reign! David is a type of the Lord Jesus as King. Originally, God had set up the priests as the governing group over His people. But, sad to say, they failed. Now God turns to using a king. Of course, we realize that God knew that the kings would fail too. You might wonder why God would choose this method of ruling His people. With a king, all was now going to depend on the obedience and life of one man! If he obeyed the Lord, all the people would be blessed. Do you know what this would be a picture of? Of Christ, when He comes to reign over the whole world! That will be in the millennium.
V.1-16 One of Saul’s enemies (the Amalekites) comes and tells David what he thought would be good news. This was natural, for the Amalekites had known that Saul was trying to kill David. But we learn the inmost feelings of the heart of David. He knew that Saul was God’s anointed king, and he would not raise a finger against him. So he punishes the man who did.
V.17-27 The saddest lament of one man for another. Again, we see the tender heart of David.