1 Samuel 20 (Part 1) Bible Study (Jonathan Warns David) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Does anybody know why in the book of Acts, when Paul visited Berea, we are told that they were more noble than the Jews in Thessalonica. Does anybody remember why? One, because they searched the scriptures daily to see if what was being said was so. So they were students of the word of God. But before we are told that they searched the scriptures, we are also told that they received the word with all eagerness.

There was a hunger. There was a desperation. There was an expectation. There was a longing. And I believe that different churches are measured by the same standard.

There are some places that receive the word with all eagerness, and there are some places where you have to put your topical sermon aside because of the conference theme and preach the gospel because you wonder if they're even safe to begin with. And I've been there many times before. People who don't come to church with their Bibles, people who come distracted, people who come with kind of an attitude of, let's see what you have for me, preacher. Let's see if you can make me cry. Let's see if you can make me think.

The Holy Spirit testifies about the brains that they came with an eagerness for the word. And it was proved by every time they heard something from Paul, they searched the scriptures daily. What's impressive about the fact that they searched the scriptures daily? What's impressive about that? Let me ask you this question.

Did they have a goat leather Bible in their lap? Do they have apps to download on their iPhones? No. Where would they have to go to search the scriptures daily? The synagogue, most likely.

They would have to run to the local synagogue and stay there and examine the scrolls that had no references, no red letters, no commentaries necessarily. And they search and they search. Paul said that this Jesus is found in Isaiah. Let's go to the scroll of Isaiah. Paul said that Moses spoke of this Jesus.

Let's let's go to the books of Moses, and they searched and they searched. I pray that we would be a church that would be noble because of our eagerness to receive the scriptures. With that being said, meet me in the book of first Samuel chapter 20. Pray with me, please, one more time. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the written word.

We thank you, Lord, that in this place week after week, we can be with a band of people who are eager for the scriptures and who do their due diligence to seek the word for themselves to see if such things are so. We pray, oh, God, that this himself because he's learning that this band of prophets by the spirit of God is is putting a halt to these men from pursuing David. And so in verse 22 of chapter 19, then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Sekou. And he asked, where are Samuel and David? And one said, behold, they are at Naoth and Ramah.

And he went there to Naoth and Ramah, and the spirit of God came upon him also. And as he went, he prophesied until he came to Naoth and Ramah. 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? We would hope that after this moment that Saul and his endeavor to pursue David would be brought to an end, that he would cease from his raging, drunken fury, and he would return to at least his own place and never plan to come against a man who clearly has such favor with God.

But we're going to be disappointed in this chapter because the man Saul is relentless. It's almost a comical scene here with Saul where he goes and the spirit of God falls upon him and he's put on pause and he begins to prophesy and share the wonders and the glories and the beauties of God as he is trying to sin against God and against God's man. And this is a clear illustration of the goodness of God. Goodness of God toward who? David.

Yeah. His protection, his love, his assurance that he is for him and not against him. But it's also a picture of the goodness of God towards Saul. Because Saul in this moment, in his pursuit of great sin, is under a current of the pure and holy power of God. Saul in this moment, as he is trying to sin against God, is instead apprehended.

And now he is a worshiper of God, and he is experiencing something that he's not known since the beginning of his ministry, when he was in right standing with God, and God allowed him to taste of his glory and his ability and his grace. I hope you know your God enough that if Saul had chosen under this power and in this moment to repent and to plead for forgiveness and to seek to be reconciled with his God as he is experiencing what he wants knew, that warm fellowship, that closeness with the Holy Spirit, that God would. God would have restored him and delivered him from that tormenting spirit that was placed on him for discipline sake. But he doesn't repent. He doesn't repent even after God forces him to disrobe himself, to strip himself of all his royal attire, for God to say through that, I'm the real king here.

I'm the one who's really sovereign. If I wanna strip you naked and make you roll around like a baby, I can do it in a moment. And Saul still didn't repent. Here's the conclusion. No matter how much God pursues man, man is still capable of being so stiff necked.

Listen, if God showers his compassion like he does here with Saul, or if God strikes you with conviction, we are capable of still resisting. I've seen it. I've seen it week after week after week. You preach, you preach, you preach, and people still don't change. I've sat with people who've had near death experiences, more than one, and they still don't change.

They have moments of concern. Their conscience is alert, but then they go back to their ways. And oftentimes, they're worse than where they were before. And it is in this chapter, chapter 20, where we will see Saul continue in his sin and the spiraling consequences of his sin, not just in his own life, but as sin often does in the lives of others. And at the same time in chapter 20, you and I are going to see from David's perspective, we're gonna be continually convinced that on this journey toward Christ likeness are many tests, many trials, many difficulties.

The journey to the throne of Israel would not be void of turbulence for David. In fact, there would be great moments where he would be even discouraged as we're gonna find out, and he would even despair. All for us to see as the people of God and to learn for ourselves that if we want to pursue what God has for us, it will be filled with great seasons of trials and temptations and testing. At the same time, we're gonna see how God is going to supply certain graces so that David can endure. And God has many packages of his mercy.

And in this chapter, we're going to see that one of the things that he provides this man of God who really wants to serve God and obey God, he's going to bring him a friend, a friend named Jonathan. And Jonathan's name means Jehovah has given, and surely God has given Jonathan to David. And surely, the God who has given us his son in Jesus Christ will not withhold from us all the other things that we would need in order to faithfully obey God in this little journey called life, where we have one shot to glorify him. So let's read in verse one of chapter 20. Then David fled from Naoth, and then and Rama 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? 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. But David vowed again, saying, your father knows well that I have found favor 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.

Then Jonathan said to David, whatever you say, I will do for you. Notice the first thing here in verse one. David fled Ramah. He ran away from the place that we just read in chapter 19 where God for some reason, he's such in a panic that he does something that doesn't really make sense. And there's a scripture that I've always quoted for the first part, and I never really understood the second part, at least how it related.

And it's in Proverbs twenty nine twenty five. And it says that the fear of man lays a snare. It lays a trap. But he who trusts in the Lord is safe. And, again, I've always quoted that verse to to highlight how the fear of man is a trap.

It paralyzes you. It keeps you on place. It it it holds you back from moving forward in greater obedience to God. But what's the relationship between the fear of man laying a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord is safe? And it's very simple, that the person who trusts in God when there are temptations to fear is safe from things like what David is doing, safe from foolishness, safe from succumbing to temptation, safe from fleshly responses and reactions, safe from unnecessary and harmful speculations.

See, trusting in God sobers your judgment, and it helps you make the right choice, and it helps you know when to move and when not to move, what to say and what not to say. But when a person does not have that trust, he is open to the fear of many things including man. And when you fear man, you forfeit a lot. And one of the things that you forfeit is what we see here, David. You forfeit simple common sense.

You are even clouded from seeing the goodness of God. I mean, you just saw God in his spiritual power moving in to protect you and you're still fleeing? And in fact, you would think that as he comes to Jonathan, he wouldn't complain, he wouldn't interrogate, he would come elated, not dejected. He would come saying, God is faithful, Jonathan. Let me tell you how God just protected me in Rama.

Let me tell you how no king, no soldiers, no band, no army can stand against God, can stand against those who are in Christ. But instead, he comes to Jonathan so discouraged. It's something that we never seen David do before. I mean, the guy killed lions and bears. The man killed a giant one on one.

This man had many campaigns where he slaughtered hundreds and maybe even thousands of Philistine soldiers. And now all for a sudden, David, for the first time, at least recorded, is shown to be concerned about his death. He comes to Jonathan, and he he wants to inquire. He wants answers. He wants to know, where do I go from here?

Hey, Jonathan. I need to know where your dad stands. Am I going to be labeled falsely as a fugitive? Am I going to be an outcast, or are we gonna have to go through this again where I reconcile with your father? I wanna know where your dad stands, and I wanna know where you stand on top of that, actually.

And as he approaches Jonathan to interrogate him, we get a glimpse of this man's disparity. He he's saying there's only but one step between death and myself. I've never seen David like this. In our study so far, we've never seen David like this, and nothing could be further from the truth. David really believed that all it would take is one small opportunity, and he was finished.

He would never become king. He would never occupy the throne. He would never fulfill his call. And what David is believing in this moment is what many people believe in life, that man is actually sovereign over God, that the president is sovereign over God, that a virus is sovereign over God, that laws are sovereign over God. You wanna see how David was so wrong?

Look at the words here. He says again, there is but a step, at the end of verse three, between me and death. There is but a step. You know what that means? Let me illustrate.

One step and I'm gone. Can I tell you that God had a different plan for David? You don't have to turn there, but it's a wonderful reference to put beside this if you're taking notes. In Acts thirteen thirty six, look what it said about David's life. For David, in Acts thirteen thirty six, for David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption.

In David's mind in this moment, he thought all it was gonna take is one step, and I'm finished. God gives commentary through Paul, and this was the reality. You're not going anywhere until you serve your purpose in your generation. And guess who can't stop that? Saul.

Guess who can't stop that? All of Israel, if they choose to come against you, cannot prevail over my sovereign plan for your life. What David needed to understand was God is sovereign, not Saul. But here's the point, even such great men of God can succumb to such lows where you become so forgetful of what God has done even if it happened yesterday, even if it's written here, even if you have journal entries upon journal entries, we are still susceptible to forgetting the faithfulness of God. Not just forgetting his faith, but forgetting his sovereignty.

See, what David failed to realize was every breath that I take has been permit David comes up and he says, what's going on here? What's going on? Am I deserving of this? Am I actually guilty of something? And Jonathan answers very interestingly.

We read it. He said, this can't be I I it's very difficult for me to believe what you're saying because I know my dad. And we have this thing we have this thing that as long as I have known him, there's nothing small or great that he withholds for me. Before he plans to do something, he always tells me about it. He always asked my counsel.

He always asked my permission. And so I've heard nothing of him chasing you while you were at Samuel, so I can't believe that this is true. But it was true. Whether Jonathan realized it or believed it didn't change the fact that it was true. And I read that and I thought to myself, what do we make of this?

Because Jonathan is perplexed. He knew Saul to be a certain person and to do something consistently, and now he's being told something that contradicts what he has known. But this is the sad thing. And listen, I know this isn't gonna really uplift you, but I need to tell you because it will prepare you for potential disappointments in life, especially with people. I want you to realize through this a principle about the fickleness of man.

People in your life are capable of changing, especially if they don't fear God. People in life, though you've probably known them for years on end, they've probably been a certain way for so long, under the right circumstances, after not being walking with the Lord in the right way can change drastically. And that's what Jonathan experienced with his father. Jonathan thought his father was one person, and all for a sudden, he's learned that he's not the person he thought he was. And so I want to prepare you from for potential pain in life, to be guarded and to be shielded.

Men will fail you. Men will disappoint you, even the most unlikely, even those that might perplex you, even the the thought of entertaining of them doing something that you never thought they would do. Yes. It's possible for them to do it, But here's the joy, Jesus will never fail you because he never changes. He never changes.

He never changes because he does not need to change. To change implies that you need to better yourself, and we know that about Christ. He's perfect. To change means that you have the potential of sinning, and we know that our Lord cannot sin. And so whatever God says, that's what he is, and that's what he'll do.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And so you can know one thing, your Lord will never disappoint you, though man will. And the reason for that change with Saul, sin crept in. Sin crept in and overtook his heart, overtook his soul. And sin, when it rains in a person's life, does not cease to corrode and destroy everything and destroy everything and anything, even relationships, even the most prized relationships in life.

It is cancerous. And this is a reminder that when we think sin only affects us, we are under deception. Even though you think that the sin that you are entertaining your life only affects you or maybe the person you're sinning against or sinning with, that is never the case. It actually reaches to resources and relationships that you never thought it would reach. It's it's much more catastrophic than we can imagine, but we don't think that way.

We think that we can manage and control our sin. I wanna tell you tonight something that you've probably heard a 100 times, but it's worth hearing one more time, I'm sure. You can choose your sin, but you can never choose the consequence of that sin. You can determine what you will do, and knowingly, because it's wrong, you will do it, but God's forgiving and he's merciful. But let me tell you something, you can never manage the magnitude of the consequence of that sin.

It's like trying to grasp the wind. It's like trying to manage the ocean. It will have its way and you might be shocked to realize how far it will go because here's what happened. Saul was sinning against David. Saul had his own personal emotional issues.

But would he have ever thought that it would destroy this this bond with his son to such a degree that it actually fractured a specific practice that they shared together? My dad tells me everything. But but Saul's jealousy was so fierce that it actually began to mingle with that and and erode something as precious and as as admirable as a father and his son, his son sharing something beautiful, a trust and a transparency. Sin is vicious. And so he was perplexed.

But David wisely assessed the situation. He says, look, your dad knows that we have this relationship. Your dad knows that if your father misses me at all, then say David earnestly asked, leave of me to run to Bethlehem, his city, for there's a yearly sacrifice there for all the clan. And if he says, good, it will be well with your servant. But if he is angry, then know that harm is determined by him.

See, what I see with David here is that Jonathan is not is not buying this whole thing about Saul really wanting to kill him. You know why? What happened in the previous chapter between Jonathan and Saul? Can anybody remind us? What happened?

It was a precious thing. It was a glorious thing. Who remembers? Yeah. Jonathan confronts his father point blank without trickery, and it just speaks honestly.

What are you trying to do against David? The man's done nothing wrong. And Saul gave him his word. As long as the Lord lives, I will not put him to death. And not only that, he brings David back into his court.

That's the last thing that Jonathan was exposed to concerning this situation. And now all for a sudden, David shows up and he's like, your dad's trying to kill me. And he's like, hold on. I saw him repent, supposedly. I saw him change his ways.

You know, you're telling me something that that apparently is is opposite of my experience. And David doesn't condemn Jonathan. David doesn't slap him upside the head. David doesn't scream at him. David doesn't shake him by the collar.

David displays a patience, and he says, let me show you this to be true. I read that, and I admire David for this because it shows again the need to be a certain way with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Listen. You wanna be a disciple of Jesus Christ. You wanna disciple other people, then know this.

It will require forbearance. It will require a great deal of maturity because every single one of us in this place are operating at a different level of understanding and a different level of maturity. And some of us see things clearer than others. Some of us know things deeper than others. Some of us have greater skill and ability socially, practically, in ministry than others.

And so the Bible instructions in the New Testament, you're gonna have different kind of characters in the in the local body, and so it's gonna require a great deal of restraint and patience in order for discipleship to truly flourish. Here's proof of that. In first Thessalonians five fourteen, Paul says, and we urge you, we urge you, brothers, admonish the idol, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. Admonish the idol, those who are lazy, those who are not necessarily committed, those that need to be shaken up more than the regular person, admonish them. Encourage the faint hearted.

There are some who are more susceptible to discouragement than others. Jonathan had the humility to say, hear what you have to say. It's amazing. It's amazing how we are so quick to give up on people. Oh, they're a little awkward.

They seem to think differently. They they seem to be socially off. Well, welcome to the church. Are we not supposed to bring in people and through our gifts and through Christ in us, witness the transforming power of God? It's as though we want everybody to come in perfectly intact, theologically precise from top to bottom, no issues, no quirks.

No. You're gonna have different people with different backgrounds and different bruises and different records, and it's gonna require us to partner with the Spirit of God to say, you might be a little different. You might not understand it. You might not see it like you're supposed to see it, but let's work together and see God transform your life. That's where church becomes church, when you do life with people and you're willing to pay a price to see Christ in them.

Jonathan said to David, whatever you say, I will do for you. Whatever you say, I will do for you. And you know why I'm encouraged by that? Because it contrasts Saul. Saul changed with Jonathan.

Saul was one way for so many years, and all for a sudden, because the flesh took over, he he he performed something that Jonathan never thought he would do. But I see in Jonathan, and you're gonna see for the rest of the study, a consistent fellow. Concrete, man. He was unshaken. He was unmoved.

Yeah. He had moments of doubt. Maybe he had moments like this where he questioned, but the man down deep inside was solid. He was reliable. He was constant.

Let's strive to be like that. In fact, Jonathan here is given to David in this great test in this episode that required great endurance. Jonathan was given to reflect the relationship that you and I should be sharing with our Master and our Lord. As you heard, Jesus doesn't change. He is reliable.

He was always available. He supplies the graces that we need in order to be strengthened, to strive to Christ likeness. And I look at Jonathan here, and I see a man who is a friend like Jesus. And he almost even echoes the same words as Jesus, though Jonathan obviously is not God, and he's not saying David, pray to me. He's making himself available to David.

And Jesus himself says, whatever you ask, I will give. Whatever you ask in my name, it will be done. And when I look at Jonathan here, I realize I realize at least two things about a true friend in Christ. I realize at least two things. The first thing is this.

Jonathan was a friend to David in both the good and the bad. Does anybody believe in here that the Bible speaks about friendships? Do you believe Jesus taught about friendships? Or do you believe he just taught about substitutionary atonement? No.

Jesus spoke about friendships, and we're gonna get to that in a moment. See, when Christ wants to form you and shape you, it's in every facet of your life, every expression of your existence. And guess what? You have friends. You have relationships, and God wants Christ to shine through that.

David was a friend, rather Jonathan was a friend to David through the good and the bad. It was easy to be supportive of David. It was easy to make a covenant with David when he was the hero of Israel. Everybody's singing his praise and everybody loves David. Now David is going to be labeled falsely as a criminal.

Now David is going to be an outcast. He's going to be pushed out of the palace of his home. Everything linked about his life, his livelihood, his family, his job is connected to Saul. And now because Saul was in a bad mood, David has to flee and Saul is gonna spread slander and accusation. And yet Jonathan, at this moment, is saying, I'm with you in this, buddy.

I'm here with you. Do you see the great risk of this? Here's the point for us to consider. Jonathan was there for David at every point of his life even when it would cost Jonathan something to be David's friend. The man could have stepped back.

I look at Jonathan, and the man could have stepped back and says, hey. Look. This is getting confusing. My dad said he forgave you. Now you're saying that he's trying to kill you.

Look. This is between you and him. It was nice knowing you. I really believe you're gonna become the king of Israel. I'll support you from a distance.

You guys figure it out. Maybe I'll bump into you. God bless you. Could have done that. No.

He persisted. He's loving David when it's hard to love David. Jonathan is going to sacrifice for David, even though it might cost Jonathan a great price, which brings us to the second point. Please remember why Jonathan is doing this with David. What was the reason why Jonathan was willing to cling to David even at the expense of his own job and more importantly, the relationship with his father.

Does anybody remember when we brought that up? Why? He loved the truth. Jonathan was a man of God, and Jonathan was not a respecter of persons. I hope we would be such people.

And when it came to an ultimatum, when it came to a circumstance where there was a clear divide by what is true and what is false, Jonathan stood on the side of truth no matter who stood on the other side. And David was on the side of truth. Saul was on the side of wickedness. And this man chose to be David's friend because he saw in David a man after God's heart who would obey him at any cost. And, Johnson, that's a person that I will stand by, and he does.

And that's Jesus' friendship toward us. This might wound you. I'm sorry, but it's true. Jesus's friendship is conditional. Jesus's friendship is conditional.

It's open to everyone, but it's based on a condition. Not everybody is a friend of Christ, and not everybody does Christ consider a friend Because Jesus said in John fourteen fifteen verse 14, you are my friends if you do what I command you. You are my friends if you do what I commend you. You heard me say the past couple of weeks that you and I must stand for truth no matter what it costs us. And for Jonathan, it would cost him very much with his own father.

And the reason why Jonathan is partnering with David is not because David made him laugh more. It's not because he he he had a presence about him. He was entertaining. It was not because David was famous and he was willing to ignore his family so that he can have some kind of claim to popularity. Nothing of the sort.

It was because David was walking in the light. And John says, I will I will be with you and for you as long as you walk for Christ and for his glory. Base your friendships on truth. Base your relationships and your decisions and your defense on truth, and you will know great reward, and you will know the best of relationships. So David says, well, if you're if you're saying do whatever I tell you, let me tell you.

Let's make a plan. And you heard it. There's a new moon feast. I'm supposed to be there because that's how cuckoo Saul was. Saul was so crazy that he's trying to kill the man, but he still expected him to come to dinner.

As one feast with my family. Why are you lying? Why do you why do you have to do do it this way? There's so many other ways that you could have done it. Why did you have to convince Jonathan, who was clearly a man of God, to be deceptive in this attempt to try to reveal Saul's attitude about you?

You didn't have to do this. But don't you love the scriptures? The scriptures are very honest, and they're not biased. You know, if you want any argument for the validity of the word of God, consider this, that the authors of many of the books did not hide their faults and their failures. If I knew that I was gonna write something that was gonna be known as God's revelation to mankind, I would try my best to try to erase the parts where I looked like a fool, like Peter denying Christ and the disciples fleeing from Jesus when he was arrested.

When you look at David in this moment, you and I know him as the psalmist, as the worship songwriter. You and I know him as the man after God's heart, the man who stood before giants. And you know what I learned about David and what you will continue to learn about David as well? This man did not handle pressure very well. He didn't.

When the temperature was just right, when it was intense, when it was hot, this man could not handle it, and oftentimes he gave in. He gave in to the flesh. And you would think that through test in life, David, you're a man after God's heart. Surely you're gonna radiate faithfulness and and Christ like character, but no. He lies.

He gives into the same temptation as his wife Michal. When Saul comes to say, where's David? And she says, he's sick and he threatened to kill me. It's amazing how pressure can really reveal what's in us. And I want you to see how David does this in another place.

Go to first Samuel chapter 27. You wanna see a weakness of this man of God, here's one of his weaknesses. Look at first Samuel 27 verse one. Then David said in his heart, now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines, then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.

Are you serious? Are you serious? So this man is clearly discouraged because of the the prolonged efforts of Saul who would not give up coming after him. And it and it came to a point near the end of the study where the man says, this guy is gonna get me. It's a matter of time before he takes out my life.

And so listen to how he thinks. There is nothing better for me than to go to the land of the Philistines. Nothing better. May I remind you, was it ever a profitable outcome for the people of Israel to leave the promised land and go to neighboring nations? No.

No. No. No. Just go and ask Naomi when her husband let her and her sons to the land of Moab. How did that turn out?

Okay. Go ask Abraham when when in a famine took his family and his employees to Egypt. How did that turn out? And yet, David, in this moment, when the temperature is right, when the pressure is great, is consoling himself to go to the Philistines. When God seems silent and when trials increase in its intensity concerning the darkness and the temptation, our hearts will never fail to suggest sinful solutions.

Notice it says, David said where? Where? In his heart. His heart spoke to him in this moment and said, go to the land of the Philistines. It's amazing how in great seasons of testing, in great seasons where our faith is demanded of us, how sin becomes more attractive as a way of medicating ourselves, how lies and cheating becomes a source of refuge for us to escape further discomfort, to try to eliminate further problems.

It's amazing how the flesh comes alive when we've been hurt by somebody to retaliate with the flesh. It's amazing what the heart will recommend to you. It's amazing what your own heart never mind the devil. This is the devil came. He says, in his own heart, that same heart that wrote Psalm 23 said, go to the land of the Philistines.

So then how do we avoid these mistakes? How do we how do we better secure ourselves so that when we are visited by unsuspecting difficulties, our hearts will be able to preach to us something different. Remember what the psalmist said in Psalm one nineteen verse 11? I have done what? I have stored up your word in my heart that I may do what?

I may not sin against you. I've hidden thy word in my heart that I may not sin against thee. Do you understand the implication? I have hidden thy word in my heart. Pay attention now.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I may not sin against thee. Meaning what? There is a responsibility for the believer that in times of tranquility and peace, you still make an investment of the reservoir of the Word of God in your soul. You must, in times of great peace, never fail to neglect your devotion to the word, your memorization of the word, your study of the word because it will prepare you for when life squeezes you. You and I must be like Joseph.

What did Joseph do? Joseph gathered in the grain during the time of harvest and was prepared for the famine. Had Joseph waited for the famine to gather in, it would have been too difficult, it would have been too overwhelming, and it would have been too late. And that's how you have many people relate to the word of God. They run to it when they need help.

They run to it when they're only in trouble. And oftentimes, they're so overcome by the tides of temptation and trials, they can't even make it to the book. And so there is a call for us now in times of great peace, of quietness, of success, of prosperity to invest the word. I have hidden thy word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Because when you put the word in you and then life squeezes you, what you will hear are the promises of God, the faithfulness of God, not go to Philistines.

And so I see here an example of the necessity of mastering the word. It's not a matter of whether you feel like it or not. You need to. It's a matter of survival, never mind devotion. You need to.

If you really believe that this word is like breath and food, it won't even be a thought of whether or not you should spend time in it. And you'd be amazed to know how it will come to your rescue in times where you are suffocating in a season of suffering. David didn't handle pressure in the most exemplary way, but God is patient, and God supplied a friend. Verse eight. 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? He's like, hey. Listen. If you're in on this, just take me out right now. If you're in cahoots with your dad, if your dad somehow convinced you about me, you're the next one in line.

So why don't we make this easy? Let me die a more honorable death, and why don't you just take me out right now and I don't have to go before your crazy father? And Jonathan reassures him in verse nine. 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?

I would tell you, David. David, if I really knew that he was chasing you out into Ramah, I would have warned you about it. Now look at verse 12. This is interesting. And Jonathan said to David, the Lord the Lord, the God of Israel, be witness.

When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow or the the third day, behold, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you? So saying, look, if I knew my dad was gonna kill you, I would tell you. And guess what? If my dad is favorable toward you, I'm gonna tell you. What's the principle here of a true godly friend?

As I was studying, I was realizing this is this is really a lot of principles about what true friendship looks like in the kingdom of God. You want to know who is a true friend to you? You want to know somebody who really loves God and loves you? They aren't afraid to tell you the truth. If it's bad news, they'll tell you.

If it's good news, they'll tell you. If it's bad information, they'll let you know. If it's good information, they'll let you know. A true friend will rebuke you when it is necessary, and a true friend will not forget to build you up and to strengthen you in your faith. And that's what Jonathan is displaying here.

Look, if it's gonna hurt you, I'll tell you anyway because I love you. And if it's gonna build you up and erase all the the fears and the imaginations you have, I'm gonna tell you. I'm gonna tell you the truth. That's a true friend. You know, sometimes I walk about my day and I have something here or I have something here, and I talk to, like, 15 people.

Not one person told me anything. I says, you're not my friend. Because a true friend would say, hey, there's something there, man. You're embarrassing yourself. Get rid of it.

That's a true friend. You know what I say every time somebody says that? I says, you're you're I say it jokingly, but I mean, you're a true friend. Thank you for telling me the truth. I didn't I I it's embarrassing right now, but thank you for further embarrassment.

It's gonna be avoided. God bless you. We think that love doesn't mean that we do not sit down with those that we love and correct them, and sometimes even shake them up. But we do it in love. And not just to those who are brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are truly a friend to this world, to our brothers and humanity, when we choose not to be afraid to share the bad news about the Bible and the good news about the Bible, the wrath of God and the love of God, the judgment of Christ and the mercy of Christ. There's great debate about how we should preach to the world. It's amazing the theories that people come up with to try to advocate their agenda and their frame of mind of how we should talk to sinners. Just go to the book. This is end argument here.

When I go to the book of acts, I see a balance. Can I show you one example? Just in case you bump into somebody who might be a genuine believer but is struggling with this idea of how to present the full gospel, the whole counsel of God to the lost. This is a great place to highlight if you haven't highlighted. In acts ten forty two, we are told by Peter what he was given by Christ to preach to the world.

And it says in acts ten forty two, and he commanded us okay. Now if anybody debates, this isn't Peter's idea. He commanded us, and he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. Could you imagine that? That Jesus actually commanded the apostles to preach what?

Jesus Christ is gonna judge you. He's gonna judge the living and the dead. That there is a judgment day. It's unfathomable. Jesus commanded?

Are you sure, Peter, that wasn't your idea? It wasn't you, James, and John that came up? No. He commanded us to preach to what? Well, God loves you.

Yeah. He does love you, but he's gonna judge you if you don't respond to that love. He commanded us to preach to the people that he is the one who is the judge of living and the dead. But look at the balance in verse 43. To him, all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

There's the balance. Yes. There's a judgment to come, but there's a forgiveness to avoid it. Yes, Christ is judge, but he also wants you to know that he is relational, and he wants to reconcile you as he forgives you through his blood. So be balanced and be like Jonathan who is willing to share the bad and the good, the things that are hard to hear and the things that are lovely to hear.

Not only do we become a friend to the brother and sister in Christ, we become a true friend to this world that doesn't know what true friendship is. So we come back to our text, and this plan is set out. And I want you to see something as we scroll down to verse 14, and we're almost done here. There's no way we can cover this whole chapter tonight. If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord that I may not die, 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. And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David saying, may the Lord take vengeance on David's enemies. So what's happening here is David and Jonathan come to an agreement. I'm going to go to this feast. I'm gonna sit down with my dad and his men and our family.

You're not gonna be there. I'm gonna see if your dad's gonna ask about you. And if he does ask about you, I'm gonna tell him that you're at your hometown with your family, and let's see how Saul reacts. But David, I have something to require of you. I need something from you, David.

And I see the wisdom here of how God designs another point of a healthy Christ like flourishing relationship, whether it's with your wife, whether it's your other husband, or any friend, or brother or sister in blood, or in the faith. Many of us point to Jonathan as an example of the person who gives. He gave encouragement. He gave his time. He gave his resources.

He gave everything he could give as an expression of his love. Great. But Jonathan also needed Jonathan also needed to receive. He he was a person that had certain things that needed to be ministered to. And for people to point to Jonathan to make demands on others, look how Jonathan gave, gave, gave, gave, gave, and then impose and make these unrealistic expectations.

Those people also need to realize that Jonathan here needed to receive the same love and sacrifice that he was willing to share. And so it's the harmony, it's the symphony of give and take, not just take, take, take, take, take. No. I'm willing to give, but I also need to receive. And that's how you see this flow of grace in any relationship, that as much as you are willing to give and to receive, you're also willing to sacrifice on your end.

Very basic principle, but it's so hard for us. I mean, we have counseling such as in conferences about it. But what's his request? Look, you're gonna be king. When you do become king, please don't kill my kids.

Don't kill my offspring. Don't kill my seed. Please. Why? Because it was a common practice in ancient times that when somebody was elected to be king, that that one of the first things he would do is eliminate any threats and the descendants of those people who would try to overthrow that standing king.

And it's obvious that Saul is an enemy to David, Jonathan is related to Saul, and here's the issue. David, when you become king, please spare my descendants. Please have mercy on my descendants. Did David keep that promise? He did.

But let me ask you this. Read closely. Here's a hint. Compare what Jonathan believed about Jonathan believed about Jonathan. And here's a hint.

Compare what Jonathan believed about David to what David believed about David. What did David believe about himself in this chapter? About his future? I'm what? I'm one step away from death.

What did Jonathan believe about David's future? You're gonna be king. Do you see the wording here? He says in the second part of verse 15, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David. He didn't say if.

It's a matter of time. You're gonna be the next king. God has anointed you. God has called you. God has prepared you, and God will lead you faithfully.

You know what I see here? This is almost shattering to our Sunday school experience. Jonathan is showing more faith than David is. Jonathan has more faith about David's future than David does about his own future. Could you imagine that?

You want a true friend? Do you want to be a true friend? Never fail to remind your brother or sister about the promises of God. Never fail to encourage them about their purpose in the kingdom of God, about their value in the local church, about their gifts and giftings and how God has wired them. Never withhold the compassion and the language of love that would stir them on into the path of holiness.

Jonathan made this a practice in his life. This isn't a one time deal. If you wanna see it, go to first Samuel 23. I want you to see it in another place. And look at verse 17 of first Samuel 23.

And he said to him this is Jonathan to David again. And he said to him in first Samuel twenty three seventeen, do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this. So incredible.

I think I learned something about faith that I didn't realize, and it's so incredible. I think I learned something about faith that I didn't realize, and it's so incredible. I think You know what's so incredible? I think I learned something about faith that I didn't realize, and it's the extent of its power. When a man has faith, the benefit of that faith exceeds it blessing you, it can bless others.

Your trust in God can be so profound and so deep and so true. They can actually supply the strength necessary for those who might not have that faith. If I may say it this way, faith is so powerful that you can lend it to someone else. You need your own faith, of course, especially when your relationship with Christ. But I say that to illustrate the point that this man's trust in God was so real and so convincing that when he stepped into the presence of David, David could receive from that and be fueled by it.

And we look at a great man like David, and we think of great men and women who've done great things for God throughout history. And what we often fail to do is realize that they're human and they're susceptible to discouragement and despair. And I wonder if heaven will tell the story of those who are unknown, who didn't have books written about them, that blew wind into their sails, like Jonathan does for David. You might not be the next king of Israel. But the Holy Spirit records what Jonathan does as a contribution to this man's devotion to Christ.

Faith can be so real in your life that it can actually supply strength to others who might not have it in the moment, who can actually borrow that faith, who can who can actually see that trust you have in God, and it bring light and hope to them to just make it to another day, as in David's case. I'm currently reading the book of Acts, and this is where I'm ending. And I saw something so profound to me in light of this. It was when Paul was on that ship to Rome, and a storm comes and knocks them back and forth for two weeks. And for days, it says there was no sun or moon, and they were ready to call it a day.

Meaning, they were ready to die. And yet, Paul, one among hundreds on that same ship, was the true shining star, if I can use that analogy. This man, this one man out of the hundreds on that same boat had so much faith in God that it energized that entire ship. It actually brought life and hope to all of those men on that boat. And I thought to myself, look how magnetic faith can be.

Look at how one person, one person in a family, one person in a church, one person in a workplace, one person in a school can actually bring the whole place to a recognition of the goodness of God. Because Saul is on that boat and all for a sudden he comes on that dock and I can just see those men holding on to poles, other ones holding on to each other, and these grown men who've just turned into mush. And Paul shows up, and he gives this little discourse about it's all gonna be good. We're gonna make it. I'm sure somebody says, how do you know?

Well, an angel visited me, says, we're on our way. I gotta get to Rome. And then Paul says something that tells me what maximum faith is. Would you like to know how you have maximum faith? Would you like to know how you can have such a faith that it can impact others who might not even be born again?

Acts 27 verse 25. This is what Paul says to these prisoners and to these Roman soldiers. So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. Take heart, guys. Because I you can take heart because I have faith that whatever God had said will come to pass.

Exactly. Not 90%. 100%. Whatever God had said, I believe that it will be exactly done according to the word. And in this context, it had to do with their safety, had to do with their deliverance because of Paul's presence on that ship.

And you know what happened to these men? You scroll down to verse 36. Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. Then they were encouraged. Why were they encouraged?

Because there was one person who had enough faith in God. Why can they endure this trial? It wasn't their one man's faith in their presence gave them enough hope to see another day. And that's what this world needs to see today. Paul wasn't behind a pulpit when he inspired these 200 and something men.

Paul was in a prisoner ship. And we're not told that these men came to Christ necessarily, but it's an illustration of just how powerful one's relationship with God can be. Did I say that was the last verse? Sorry, it's not. This is the last verse.

In Acts 16, I want you to see one more thing. And if you haven't paid attention up to this point, I encourage you to pay attention at this point. In Acts sixteen, one verse, Paul and Silas are in prison. Now look at this in verse 25. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

I read that the other day, and the thing that popped out to me was the prisoners were listening to them. The prisoners were listening to them. What does that mean? It means this, that Paul and Silas were in a great trial, a great pit, a great testing of their faith. And whether they realize it or not, there was an unbelieving crowd observing them.

Christian. Whether the audience is one or a 100 or a thousand or a million, what a wonderful lesson for us to consider that when we are enduring things for the sake of Christ, there's an unbelieving cousin watching you. There's an unbelieving husband watching you. There's an unbelieving best friend who is an atheist who saw you come to Christ and change, watching you. And in those moments where we are hard pressed, where we got the doctor's report and we have been notified of an affliction of a disease that might be terminal, or when a child has horrifically been bedridden, or when finances are are very limited, in those moments, listen to this, we can either testify to an unbelieving crowd that he's still worthy to be praised, or we can cause them to question if Christ can really be trusted.

Jonathan supplied strength to David when David didn't have enough faith for himself. We'll pause here and continue next week. May God help us be true friends for his glory. Lord, we ask you tonight, with all that we've heard, that you would give us the ability to digest it. And we ask in this moment tonight that this would be a house where we can testify of one another, Jehovah has given.

God has given to me a friend and so and so. God has given me a friend and my elders. Lord, we realize that we each have a story that's being written by you, and many stories read differently. But Lord, whether it's Jonathan to David or Titus to Paul, you have given us graces and people to be able to continue on this path. Lord, keep us from being a man like Saul, who allowed sin to change him and the way he treated others.

But Lord, we look at a man like Jonathan, and we see a reflection of your friendship toward us. Always reliable, trustworthy, covenantal love, a love that doesn't give up so easily, a love that is secure, a love that invites us to come for comfort and counsel. May we reflect your friendship. May we be a people who stand for truth even if we have to stand alone. Us resources or relationships.

And Lord, when man fails us, we look to Christ, and we see him who has never disappointed us and who will never disappoint us. But we wanna be like our Christ. And so, Lord, in this place, infuse the power to have such faith in you, to be so conformed to the glory of the Lord, that what we have in our hearts would touch other hearts. And whether we are in the presence of believers who are discouraged or whether we are in the presence of unbelieving people, may our faith, our trust in you make an impression on others. We cannot do that in our own strength.

It has to be Christ in us, the hope of glory, the Holy Spirit in us, the power that you have promised for those who would obey that great commission. In this place tonight, we worship you in light of the great wisdom that you've provided for you are the God who is concerned about every aspect of your tabernacle, your temple, your people. We give you all the praise tonight because we have hidden thy word in our hearts that we may not sin against thee. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Amen.