Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 9 Article 4

Why did David kill the man who killed Saul?

The sermon explores the tension between human freedom and divine sovereignty in the Christian life, affirming that while believers are liberated from sin's bondage through God's grace and empowered to will and do what is spiritually good, they still struggle with residual corruption and imperfect obedience. Drawing from the Westminster Confession and Scripture, it contrasts the Christian's newfound ability to seek righteousness with the reality of ongoing sin, emphasizing that true righteousness is not achieved by human effort but imputed through Christ's work. The narrative of 2 Samuel 1 illustrates this theme through David's response to the Amalekite who falsely claimed to have killed Saul: rather than celebrating the death of God's anointed, David mourns and executes the man for his presumption, underscoring that only God has authority over rulers. The passage calls for humility, reverence for God's justice, and a posture of prayerful dependence rather than political triumphalism, especially in times of global turmoil, reminding believers that God alone exalts and deposes kings.