To lament means to express deep sorrow, grief, or regret (often through tears). We much prefer celebration to lament, but the truth is that sorrow, grief and regret will inevitably come our way at some point in life, and we do well to be prepared for these and to know how to respond biblically to them. The Bible has plenty to say about lament, with over a third of the book of Psalms being psalms of lament, and with a whole book devoted to the subject (Lamentations). It is not surprising that David the poet reacted to the deaths of Saul and his sons with a lament. (2 Samuel 1:17-27) Moreover, he wanted this lament to be taught to all Israel, for if we do not learn how to lament properly, we will never fully engage with God and suffering and will only know how to follow the ways of the world, which involve denial and distraction.
David grieves deeply for Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:11-12). He urges all to weep for the ‘gazelle’, the one anointed by God, and three times in the lament cries out ‘How the mighty have fallen!’ (2 Sam 1:19, 25, 27) He does not focus on Saul’s sins or the personal injury he has himself suffered at Saul’s hand. Instead, he remembers all Saul and Jonathan achieved and articulates the deep loss and sorrow he feels.
We need to learn to express emotions within the framework of Biblical lament, so that we are not left without hope at times of great anguish and despair. Biblical lament starts with a direct address to God (e.g. Ps 12:1-2) and involves complaint (see Ps 86:14). But there is also a direct appeal to God for help (e.g. Ps 44:23) and affirmations of trust in God (e.g. Ps 13:5). Psalms of lament generally follow a pattern that begins with suffering and ends with glory. Usually, these songs start on a negative, complaining note, but they end on a positive, faith-filled note.
The book of Lamentations, written during Israel’s exile, is written as an acrostic poem, the form itself reminding us that whilst suffering and grief seem endless, there is, in fact, an end to them. Lament enables us to ask hard questions and tackle painful subjects. It does not necessarily provide neat answers, but reminds us that God is with us at all times. Our Saviour, after all, is ‘a man of suffering, and familiar with pain’, ‘a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.’ (Is 53:3)
As we enter the new book (2 Samuel) and a new era (David is finally about to become king!), we pause at the enormity of death and weep at the loss of so many with David. David is such a human character in the Bible. We identify with his strengths and weaknesses; we see here no relief or joy at the death of Saul and his family, even though this had long been predicted, but instead, see the humility and compassion which set him apart as a man after God’s own heart. For all of us, being human will mean dealing with sorrow, grief, regret and guilt. It will mean coming to terms with a wide range of emotions and learning to walk through these within the Biblical framework which does not deny pain or the reality of suffering. As Rend Collective put it, sorrow is real, but God will not let it break us (‘True In The Light’). Lament is the Biblical way of dealing with sorrow, and before we move on to rejoice at the fulfilment of God’s word in seeing David crowned king, we do well to pause and learn from how he reacted to grief.