Saul hates David. Jonathon loves him as his own soul
Today we see the difference between relationships that are defined by blood as opposed to those that are defined by the Spirit. Saul and Jonathan epitomise this difference in their relationship with David.
1 Samuel 19: Saul Tries to Kill David
1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David.
2 And Jonathan told David, "Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself.
3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you."
4 And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you.
5 For he took his life in his hand and he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?"
6 And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, "As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death."
7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.
8 And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him.
9 Then a harmful spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre.
10 And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
11 Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."
12 So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped.
13 Michal took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes.
14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick."
15 Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him."
16 And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.
17 Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?" And Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go. Why should I kill you?'"
18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth.
19 And it was told Saul, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah."
20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" And one said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah."
23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
1 Samuel 20: Jonathan Warns David
1 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?"
2 And he said to him, "Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so."
3 But David vowed again, saying, "Your father knows well that I have found favour in your eyes, and he thinks, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.' But truly, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death."
4 Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."
5 David said to Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening.
6 If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the clan.'
7 If he says, 'Good!' it will be well with your servant, but if he is angry, then know that harm is determined by him.
8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?"
9 And Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! If I knew that it was determined by my father that harm should come to you, would I not tell you?"
10 Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?"
11 And Jonathan said to David, "Come, let us go out into the field." So they both went out into the field.
12 And Jonathan said to David, "The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you?
13 But should it please my father to do you harm, the LORD do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. May the LORD be with you, as he has been with my father.
14 If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the LORD, that I may not die;
15 and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth."
16 And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD take vengeance on David's enemies."
17 And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18 Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
19 On the third day go down quickly to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain beside the stone heap.
20 And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark.
21 And behold, I will send the young man, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I say to the young man, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,' then you are to come, for, as the LORD lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger.
22 But if I say to the youth, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you,' then go, for the LORD has sent you away.
23 And as for the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever."
24 So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food.
25 The king sat on his seat, as at other times, on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty.
26 Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, "Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean."
27 But on the second day, the day after the new moon, David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?"
28 Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.
29 He said, 'Let me go, for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favour in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table."
30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die."
32 Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?"
33 But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.
34 And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him.
35 In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little boy.
36 And he said to his boy, "Run and find the arrows that I shoot." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?"
38 And Jonathan called after the boy, "Hurry! Be quick! Do not stay!" So Jonathan's boy gathered up the arrows and came to his master.
39 But the boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, "Go and carry them to the city."
41 And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most.
42 Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.'" And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.
Things to think about…
1. 1 Samuel 19 is just one sad description of Saul’s fickleness and hypocrisy towards David. We see the man confessing to his son that he will not harm David, vs 6. Then we see him trying to pin him against the wall with his spear, vs 10. We see a distressing spirit come upon him and he shows an incredible display of anger and violence, vs 9. Yet we also see him coming under the presence of the Lord’s Spirit and prophesying with the other prophets in Naioth, 1Sam 19:23, 24. Behaviour is never a sign of saving grave or a person’s standing before the Lord. What weight should we put on outward actions as opposed to godly character? At the end of the day lasting fruit is what the Lord seeks after. Saul’s lasting fruit was envy, jealousy, anger and rebellion.
2. Look at 1 Sam19:19 – David goes to see Samuel. When we are in trouble and needing godly counsel the Lord provides people who have an intimate knowledge of our past, but also our calling. Who are the spiritual counsellors in your life who can hear all about your struggles and fears, where you know there is no judgement; but love, patience, understanding and wisdom? Pray for someone to fulfill this role if they are not presently part of your life.
3. In 1Sam 20:1-17 we see the counsel between Jonathan and David. Jonathan it says, loved David even as his own soul. Jesus says this about the true family of God when He is told His mother and brothers were looking for Him, Luke 8:19-21. David and Jonathan make a covenant which we later see David honours. Do you have a situation like this in your family where there is a clear divide between those who are united with what you believe and those who clearly are not? Perhaps they are not outwardly angry, like Saul was towards David, but they do not embrace the same beliefs about Christ as you do. Jesus says that this would be the case in families, two against three and vice versa. If you have experienced this, how have you coped with this situation? This is not our eternal home. Our focus should be towards seeking spiritual peace into eternity.
4. It seems that this covenant was made between Jonathan and David and they were to never meet again on this earth. But the covenant was to stand forever, 1 Sam 20:42. Our great God has made a covenant with us through David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, which also stands forever. He promises never to leave us or forsake us. Have you ever thought that this covenant was in danger and that you were actually in danger of losing your salvation? How did you get through that time? We know that nothing can separate us from the love of God we have in Christ, Rom 8:34-39. Pray for someone who you know may be in that situation right now, comfort them with God’s truth about election in Christ.
Vision Point for cell groups – Cell groups on break over the school holidays
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Sunday’s sermon “Hannah the hero” – reading 1 Samuel 1:1-20
1. Have you ever felt something was not fair? You or a close friend or relative was going through something, yet others seem to be better off. Peninnah was blessed with children and godly Hannah was not, how is this fair?
2. Elkanah didn’t say the wisest thing to his wife here. Elkanah loved Hannah but he didn’t understand her needs here. Why is this a critical issue for the praying husband. Discuss 1Pet 3:7.
3. Hannah is blessed with Samuel and then fulfills her vow. Discuss why this is important and how it involves faith. What happened for Hannah as a result.
4. What is truly fair in this life? Discuss the sacrifice of Christ on your behalf and having a right perspective of fairness as a result. How should we act as a result?
5. Pray for each other, for those cleaning up after the flood and the Ukraine situation.
Prayer Points
1. Pray about your support to the floods in Qld and also to the Polish Baptist Church in Chelm efforts to support Ukrainian refugees. This is the church we will be supporting. You will need google chrome to translate https://baptysci-chelm.pl/kontakt .
2. Pray for the flood clean-up and all those affected a second and third time round.
3. Sally Gauntlett in care. Please pray for Richard and the family through this challenging time.
4. Ross Goltz is in constant pain. Has constant hip and joint pain. Seeking specialist help. Please pray for relief.
5. Families that have just started attending CBC.
6. Ukraine to repel Russia and peace to come.
7. Christ to be seen through us in our community.
8. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
9. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. People visiting church on Sunday.
2. Another fine week. Pray for flood clean-up alone the east coast.
3. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
4. Covid restrictions lifted – no masks.
Announcements
1. Donation funds will be set up to assist a Polish Baptist Church with Ukrainian refugees. Please label your donation – Ukraine appeal. The same will be the case for those who have gone through the floods in Qld. Label Flood appeal.
2. A new cell group has started at the church for residents around Karalee. Wed 7pm at church.
3. Kidz@Church every Sunday
4. Members Meeting 20th March after the service.
5. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
6. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism question for March...
Q. 1. Did Christ remain in the grave after his crucifixion? A. No; he rose from the grave on the third day after his death.
Bible Reference – Luke. 24:45-47; 1Cor.15:3&4.
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” Jer 33:3
