From Shepherd to King (5)
“Living In Exile” 1 Samuel 27, 29 & 30
One of my favourite characters in early Church history is John Chrysostom. He was known as “golden tongue” for he was a powerful preacher. He was from Antioch, home of the famous multi-cultural mission-minded church in Acts. In 386 AD at the age of 36 he became pastor of the largest Antioch church. In 397 he was chosen as the bishop of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire – today’s Istanbul, in Turkey. While the ordinary people loved John, he very quickly offended some powerful political & religious people in the capital, including the wife of the Emperor, Empress Eudoxia. He preached so strongly against hypocrisy & sin in the church & in society that his enemies had him deposed & in 404 AD the Emperor exiled him to Armenia. After just 3 years in exile he died. It is said his last words were, “Glory be to God for everything.”
John Chrysostom was forced into exile. Today we read about David deciding on his own to go into voluntary exile. He had been on the run from Saul for a couple of years. God had miraculously protected him. Twice he could have actually killed Saul, the one trying to kill him – but both times he refused to lift his hand against the king. However as we come to the start of 1 Samuel 27 we read, “But David thought to himself, ‘One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, & I will slip out of his hand.’” I can understand how David came to this decision. It seems he weighed up his options & decided the easiest solution would be to simply go into exile outside Israel. There is no indication in the Bible, however, that he asked God about this. It seems as if it was David’s own decision.
There are times when we feel so under pressure, when things are so difficult for us, that the easiest thing to do would be to leave, to change our job, to move house, to even move country. Of course it may be God’s will for us to move, change jobs, or whatever but we need to avoid making such decisions on our own. We need to ask the Lord for His guidance. He may want us to wait patiently for His time or He may indeed want us to make a move. If we decide on our own however we could find ourselves living outside the will of God & getting into an even worse situation, not necessarily economically but spiritually. There is an English expression “out of the frying pan into the fire”. It describes getting out of a difficult situation only to find oneself in an even more difficult situation. Was David jumping out of the frying pan into the fire? I think he was! He had seen the Lord delivering him & his followers & their families from danger. God had provided for them. Surely David could trust God to bring them through. But it seems he got impatient. The stress of everything finally got on top of him.
So David & his 600 men & their families left Israel crossing the border into Philistine territory. They headed for the city of Gath which was ruled by a king called Achish. The Philistines were actually enemies of the Israelites. “David & his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, & David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel & Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.” (vrs.2 & 3) You may wonder what has happened to David’s wife Michal? Sadly, her father Saul had forced her to marry another man. That must have been heart-breaking for David & for Michal too. But now we see David has another 2 wives – Ahinoam & Abigail. How can this be? Surely having more than one wife is wrong!
When my ancestor William Anderson brought the gospel to the Griqua people in South Africa about 200 years ago some Griqua leaders had more than one wife. When William taught them about God’s plan for faithfulness & purity in marriage, some argued with him saying, “Why shouldn’t we have more than one wife? Didn’t king David have more than one wife?” A good question! However, as William tried to explain to the Griqua people, the fact David had more than one wife does not make it right. Polygamy, that is having more than one wife, is definitely not God’s plan. Right from the time of Adam & Eve, God said “a man will leave his father & mother & be united to his wife & they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) Polygamy always leads to problems in the home. There are many examples in the Bible – including that of David himself. David may have thought he was making strategic alliances through marriage. He may have argued he was simply following the accepted custom for powerful men in the culture of the time. However having more than one wife later brought much pain & suffering to David. And having many wives was to prove the tragic downfall of his son Solomon. Polygamy, just like adultery & unfaithfulness, cheapens marriage. It degrades women - and men. It leads to unhappiness & strife in the home & in society.
Another question for you, David – “how come you are going over to enemy territory? When you first ran from Saul did you not have to act insane just to escape from Achish the ruler of Gath?”Well, maybe David thought things were now a little different. He now had a large fighting force with him & Achish would definitely know that David was an enemy of Saul, their enemy. Maybe David could come to some compromise with the Philistines. At least he would be free from the danger of being killed by Saul. In fact that seemed to be what happened. “When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.” (v.4) David was off the hook. Things seemed to be working out OK. By compromising a little & by promising to serve Achish, David was able to then ask a big favour.
David said to Achish, “If I have found favour in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you? So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag.” (vrs 5 & 6) David was on a slippery slope. He may have been given new freedom & he may have felt a lot safer but was he not compromising his faith in God? In the year & four months that were to follow, while David lived in exile in Philistine territory, David clearly did compromise his principles. He did make some serious mistakes. He actually got involved in a very cruel & ruthless campaign attacking other ancient enemies of God’s people – the marauding nomads of the south, people like the Amalekites. “…Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep & cattle, donkeys & camels, & clothes.” (vrs 8 & 9) These people were very cruel & dangerous. Like the Philistines, the Amalekites were a constant threat to God’s people. Defeating them would certainly help David’s fellow countrymen back in Judah. There would be far fewer guerrilla attacks by these marauding bands from the desert. David might be able to justify his actions but I doubt he was able to justify the extreme cruelty he used against women & children. He also told lies to Achish. “When Achish asked, ‘Where did you go raiding today?’ David would say, ‘Against the Negev of Judah…’” (v.10) David didn’t want Achish to know the full story. Achish thought he was attacking his own people in Judah. No wonder we read in v.12 “Achish trusted David & said to himself, ‘He has become so obnoxious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life.’”
Can you see how David has been allowing compromise & deceit to govern his actions? He was living in a way that was not pleasing to God. Where was his zeal for the glory & honour of God? What had happened? Bible scholars do not know of any Psalms that were written by David during this period of his voluntary exile. Maybe this is an indication of the fact he was not walking in close fellowship with his Lord. He had allowed his own spiritual life to drift. He had allowed compromise to dull his sense of the presence of God. He was living something of a double life – of course he still claimed to believe in God. Deep down he did love the Lord, he knew he had experienced the Lord in many powerful ways, but somehow he was not living in obedience to the Lord. Dear friends, this can so easily happen to us too. We begin to make excuses – “I’m too busy trying to earn a living!” “I have to study – I have no free time.” “My social life is important to me – friends invite me out on Sundays.” Excuses come easy when we are drifting spiritually. We lower our own standards. We no longer seek God’s presence or His guidance. We seldom read the Bible or pray. We start missing church. God is no longer No 1 in our lives. Oh, we still say we are Christians. After all we were baptised. But our walk with God has become cold. There is a distance between us & Him. When this happens, like David, we will find ourselves on a slippery slope.
David was soon to find himself in a very difficult situation. We read in chapter 29 that war was about to break out between Israel & the Philistines & here is David, the one anointed to be the future king of Israel, living in Philistine territory as a servant, a body guard, for Achish one of the five Philistine rulers. “The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, & Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel. As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds & thousands, David & his men were marching at the rear with Achish.” (1 Samuel 29:1 & 2) To cut a long story short, the other Philistine rulers did not trust David as Achish did & he was asked to return back south to Ziklag. David tried to protest his loyalty to Achish, possibly for fear of being turned on by the whole Philistine force. It must have been incredibly humiliating for David to put on such a show, saying he was loyal to the Philistines when in his heart of hearts he knew his deepest loyalty was to God & His people. This is how low David had sunk - the one who several years earlier had fearlessly stood up to the giant Goliath & had seen God win a great victory. God in His mercy however got David out of the awful dilemma he was facing. He must have been secretly very relieved not to have to go into the battle on the side of the Philistines. That would have been disastrous for his future.
Like David, we sometimes get ourselves into trouble. In fact if often seems as if there is no way out of the trouble. But God is so kind that He is always ready to help us. Just as He helped David get out of his dilemma, He is able to get us out of the messy situations we get ourselves into. In one of the parables Jesus told, the prodigal son who through his own fault ended up hungry & lost was nevertheless welcomed home by his loving & forgiving father. God is like that father. He is ready to forgive & restore us – if we admit our need & come home.
God got David got out of his dilemma with the Philistines but when he & his men reached Ziklag three days later, they were to get a massive shock. While they had been away “…the Amalekites had raided the Negev & Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag & burned it, & had taken captive the women & everyone else in it, both young & old.” (1 Samuel 30:1 & 2) Obviously this situation was distressing beyond words. Their homes had been burnt to the ground & their wives & kids were nowhere to be seen, taken captive. David & his men – all battle hardened warriors “…wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.” (v.4) To make matters even worse for David, we read in v.6, “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons & daughters.” No longer was David their hero leader. They now wanted to stone him. How terrible was that! Saul had tried to kill him but now his own men were talking about killing him. David hit rock bottom. He had lost everything. His wives were gone. His possessions were gone. His leadership & his testimony were in tatters. His reputation was blown away. His very life was being threatened. Surely he had now come to the end of himself. He was a total failure. Where could David possibly turn?
This is when we read the most wonderful words – the last phrase in v 6, “But David found strength in the LORD his God.” When all strength was gone, there was no strength even to weep, David found strength in the Lord his God. And friends, when we hit rock bottom that is the only place for any of us to find strength. The only place for us to find hope – is in the Lord. Don’t continue struggling in your own strength. Sooner or later that strength will run out. Turn to the Lord Jesus & find your strength in Him!
At long last David is ready to ask God for guidance. He had come to the end of his plans, his schemes, his way of doing things. He was desperate to find the will of the Lord. So in v.8 we read, “…David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?’” And the answer came back from the Lord, “‘Pursue them …You will certainly overtake them & succeed in the rescue.’” God gave him an answer when he asked. Do you ask God what He thinks about your plans, about what you should or should not do? Jesus said, “Ask & it will be given to you; seek & you will find; knock & the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) Knowing what God had promised, David & his men took off south – the direction taken by the raiding Amalekites. They eventually caught up with them & following a fierce battle David & his men defeated the Amalekites & recovered everyone & everything the raiders had captured. What a huge relief! What a victory!
David tells his men in v 23 that it was the Lord who had been with them. He said the Lord “…has protected us & delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us.” David recognized that it was the Lord who had won the victory for them. They had safely rescued their wives & children & had also taken lots of plunder. David was once again walking with the Lord. He once again asked God for guidance & saw God intervene on his behalf. He once again humbled himself & admitted his need for the Lord - & the Lord honoured him for that. God saw David’s heart.
Unlike John Chrysostom who was sent into exile, David took himself into exile. He compromised with the enemy. He lost his testimony. He got himself into trouble. But despite this the Lord rescued him. The Lord restored him. I trust that the message today has encouraged you to make sure that you seek first the will of God & that you keep close to Him, rather than relying on your own wisdom or strength. I trust too that if you do fail, as David did, that you will remember that God is able to lift you up out of your failure & despair. Yes, there may be consequences resulting from our sin, things we have to live with, but fellowship & usefulness can be restored. If you feel that you have, like David, been going your own way, making your own decisions without seeking the will of the Lord, & you want to come back into the place of closeness & fellowship with the Lord Jesus, then do come for prayer at the end of the service. When David hit rock bottom, he turned back to God. “David found strength in the Lord his God.” May you & I do the same!
From Shepherd to King (4)
“On The Run” 1 Samuel 21-26
During the Cultural Revolution in China my dear friend Stephen Wang was arrested & accused of being a counter-revolutionary, someone who was a traitor to his country – & it was all because he was known as a Christian. He had to put on a big dunce hat & was paraded through the streets in front of mocking crowds. He was told to shout out the words “down with Stephen Wang”. His first thought was “how can I say such a thing” but then he remembered the Bible says we should die to the old self – so he shouted out as loud as he could “down with Stephen Wang”. The Red Guards were so impressed with his “good attitude” & cooperation that they let him return home. When he reached home he discovered something wonderful. While he was being paraded on the street his twin daughters asked their mother why their father was being treated as a criminal. She explained it was because he loved Jesus. The two girls said they also wanted to believe. And both are serving Jesus today.
Have you ever felt weak or even helpless? Have you ever been falsely accused or misunderstood? Have you ever been attacked – verbally or even physically? Have you ever felt under such pressure that you despaired of finding a way of escape? Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed? I guess to some degree most of us have experienced such things, at one time or other. However few of us will have experienced living with the degree of danger & uncertainty that David experienced after he fled for his life from Saul. Those living through war or times of political upheaval, such as occurred during the Cultural Revolution, might be able to understand. David was on the run for several years living in constant danger. He was not a criminal, but he was treated as one. He had done nothing wrong, but he was accused of all kinds of evil. He loved his king & country & had proved it with a lot more than words, yet he was accused of being a traitor.
Today we are going to look at what we could call “the wilderness experience” of David. Several chapters in 1 Samuel are given over to this period in his life. It was a very difficult & dangerous time for him. He was on a roller coaster of ups & downs & he had to cling to God. He had been chosen by God & God was preparing him to lead His people. Some of the Psalms that David wrote during this period of his life reflect the incredible hardships he faced but they also tell of the wonderful deliverance & comfort he received from God. So too the wilderness experiences in our lives are allowed by God & can help draw us closer to Him. C.S. Lewis the famous author said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, but he shouts to us in our pain.” The tough times we go through often force us to listen to God. Our struggles & difficulties (whether they are emotional, physical or spiritual) can be used by God to mould us into the kind of people He wants us to be.
It happened this way with David. Let us briefly look then at some of the main incidents recorded for us in 1 Samuel chapters 21-24 & as we do so let us note some of the important lessons that David learnt.
David in Nob – lying leads to trouble
After his sad farewell to Jonathan, David escaped to Nob, the village where the priest Ahimelech was in charge of the tabernacle, or tent of meeting. David was hungry & desperate when went in to see the priest. V 1 says, “Ahimelech trembled when he met him, & asked, ‘Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?’” Ahimelech was surprised that David, such a prominent person, seemed to be alone. He may have sensed something was wrong. Notice how David answered him. “The king charged me with a certain matter & said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about your mission & your instructions.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place.”(v.2) Was David telling the truth? No, of course he wasn’t. He had not been sent on a mission by Saul. He was running for his life trying to escape from Saul. David, for whatever reason, was telling a lie.
He then went on to ask – “…what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.” (v. 3) Ahimelech only had consecrated bread that was reserved for the priests but seeing that David was in real need he agreed he could have some. Did David’s lie pay off? Did he get away with it? Yes, to begin with but later it all back-fired. Lies have a habit of back-firing.
We read something ominous in v.7 “Now one of Saul's servants was there that day, …he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul's head shepherd.” In the next chapter we discover that in fact this same man told Saul he had seen David at the tabernacle in Nob with Ahimelech & the priest had given him bread & a weapon. The tragic outcome of all this was that Saul ordered Ahimelech & his whole family & all the other priests to be killed. Eighty five innocent people were slaughtered. When Abiathar, Ahimelech’s son, the only one to escape the massacre, came & told David what had happened, David himself admitted (in 22:22) that he was to blame. David’s small lie seemed harmless enough but it led to tragedy. Lying is wrong. It always gets us & others into trouble – sooner or later. It was a painful lesson David had to learn.
David in Gath – those who trust God will not be put to shame
David hurriedly left Nob & fled over the border from Judah into Philistine country. It was a very risky move. It was enemy territory & Gath was the home town of the giant Goliath whom David had defeated a few years earlier. What on earth made David go there! Had he checked his plans with the Lord? It seems he had not. Did he think he could remain incognito – unrecognized? Sure there was no TV in those days – 3,000 years ago. People would not recognize him from his photo in the newspaper, for there were no newspapers. But in fact it did not take long before people were talking. David may have said he was a political refugee on the run from their enemy Saul but soon the servants of Achish king of Gath were saying, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: Saul has slain his thousands & David his tens of thousands?” It seems that the old number 1 hit song of the women of Israel was also known in Gath. Unless David could escape from Gath his days were numbered. Poor David was in a real mess. He may have been out of the reach of Saul but Achish was no friend either.
What did David do? We read in v.13 “So he pretended to be insane in their presence; & while he was in their hands he acted like a madman.” It was a desperate move but David knew that in those times people tried to avoid madmen. They left them alone fearing their madness was connected with the influence of demons & no one in their right mind would interfere with demons. David’s acting worked. Achish dismissed him with a joking comment to his servants saying he had enough mad people around him already, “…Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me?” (v15) David was able to escape from Gath. He must have breathed a huge sigh of relief but how humiliating the whole episode must have been for him!
Around this time David wrote the magnificent Psalm 34. “I sought the Lord, & He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, & the Lord heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.” (Psalm 34:4-6) David must have felt not only embarrassed but also covered in shame. The Lord had indeed saved him out of his troubles. David continues in v18, “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted & saves those who are crushed in spirit.” I think David must have felt pretty crushed in spirit after his brief stay in Gath. As he also wrote in Psalm 56:11, “In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” In the midst of his troubles he learnt to trust in God & seek His solutions.
Let us learn from David the importance of calling out to God & putting our trust in Him. He can deliver us from the most embarrassing & shameful situations. When we seem to be sinking in the very troubles that we ourselves have caused, He is able to lift us up & out of the mess. He is able to give us back our dignity. He restores us & heals us if we will call out to Him, putting our trust in Him & obeying Him fully.
David at Adullam – learning to lead
At the start of chapter 22 we read, “David left Gath & escaped to the cave of Adullam. [The Cave of Adullum was not too far from David’s home town of Bethlehem. He knew the area well] When his brothers & his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there.” David had had to say goodbye to his friend Jonathan but unexpectedly & wonderfully God now brings David’s own family to him. It seems that his older brothers no longer looked down upon David. They were ready to support him. Is this not an encouragement for those of you who have felt misunderstood by your family! God can change their hearts.
Something else very significant is mentioned. “All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, & he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.” (v.2) What a training ground for the future king! Somehow he had to get this diverse bunch of difficult & discontented people to function together under his command. Many of them were to become famous warriors in David’s future army. He was able to mould them into a loyal band of followers. He challenged them to fulfil their potential despite the many negative life experiences they had had up until then. David was being trained by God for leadership.
Let us not despise the opportunities God gives us to serve even if those we work with are very different to us. If we are to lead others, whether in the secular world or in God’s Kingdom, we sometimes do have to work with difficult people. We need to win their confidence & earn their respect. David, despite his mistakes & failings, was able to inspire others & unite them in a greater cause. When He was close to God David helped others come closer to God too. David did not need to lower his standards or compromise his principles for short-term gain. God was shaping him into a true leader.
David at Engedi – allowing God to be the judge
We have jumped over several very interesting incidents as we come to chapter 24. David & his men, who by now numbered about 600, were moving around in the Desert of Engedi, near the Dead Sea. The area has steep limestone cliffs with many caves & short steep valleys with good water supplies. It was a rugged area with many places to hide. Some of the caves were huge & could easily hold many hundreds of people. When Saul heard David was somewhere in this area he came with a special force of 3000 fighting men. We read in v3 “…a cave was there, & Saul went in to relieve himself. David & his men were far back in the cave.” Incredibly Saul came into the very cave in which David & his men were hiding. Saul had no idea they were there, of course, & squatted down to use the cave as a toilet. David & his men clearly saw Saul come in but having come in from the bright light outside Saul could not see David & his men who were further back in the darkness of the cave. David’s men urged him to take this golden opportunity to kill Saul. David had another plan. He crept up unnoticed behind Saul. Saul must have taken off his robe & put it down before finding a place to relieve himself. David quickly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Unaware anything had happened Saul again picked up his robe & left the cave.
A nurse, Sister Dora, started a small hospital in England about 140 years ago. One day a young teenage hoodlum threw a stone at her causing a nasty gash in her forehead. A few weeks later this same boy was badly injured & was brought to Sister Dora’s hospital. She recognized him at once & personally cared for him with special tenderness. One day she found the boy quietly crying. Sobbing he said to her, “Sister, I threw that stone at you.” Sister Dora replied, “Oh, did you think I did not know that? Of course I recognized you right away.” “What!” cried the boy, “you knew me & have been nursing me like this!” He was deeply touched by her forgiving, loving heart.
David showed that same forgiving spirit to Saul. His men had wanted him to kill Saul but David told them, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.” (v.6) What a dramatic scene as David then calls out to Saul from the entrance to the cave. “‘My lord the king!’ When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down & prostrated himself with his face to the ground.” (v.8) David was able to prove to Saul that he could have killed him but chose not to as he believed he was still God’s anointed. He said, “…I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the LORD judge between you & me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.” (vrs 11 & 12)
What lesson had David learned? It was surely that he should leave vengeance to God. It was not for him to kill Saul, even though Saul was trying to kill him. His life & his times were in God’s hands. In God’s perfect time & way David knew he would be made king, for that is what God had told him. All David needed to do was to continue to do what was right & to commit his life & future into God’s hands. Paul writes to fellow believers: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil…Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:17, 19) Jesus said we must love our enemies & do good to those who persecute us. It is for God to judge, not us.
There was another occasion when God delivered Saul into David’s hands but again David resisted the temptation to kill Saul. It was so important for the future. All Israel knew that David had not been a rebel trying to steal the throne from Saul. He was the leader God had chosen. I believe there is an important lesson here for us too. We must not try to grab power or influence. That is the way of the world. In the Kingdom of God, & in the Church, we must be ready to serve others. If & when God calls us to leadership we must be ready to step forward but we do not need to fight for position or for influence. Sadly, even in the Christian Church, people sometimes seek for position & influence instead of seeking God’s glory alone. Let us learn from David.
We can also learn from David that no matter what trials & difficulties we face we can find our refuge, our security, our identity, our destiny, in Him. David himself writes in Psalm 57:1, “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” He continues, “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfils His purpose for me. He sends from heaven & saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God sends His love & His faithfulness.” (vrs 2 & 3) Yes. God sometimes allows us to go through tough times in order to teach us important lessons, in order to draw us closer to Himself. He wants to toughen us up, to mould us to be what He wants us to be. We must learn to trust & obey Him. We can leave our future safely in His loving & powerful hands. May we learn these important lessons – the lessons that David learnt through his wilderness experience.
From Shepherd to King (3)
“True Friendship” 1 Samuel 18, 19 & 20
I heard about two friends who were out hunting. Suddenly one of them yelled & the other turned round to see a huge grizzly bear charging out of the forest towards them. The first man desperately pulled off his boots & started putting on his running shoes. The other guy asked him, “What are you doing? Don’t you know you can’t run faster than a grizzly bear?” The first guy replied, “I don’t have to run faster than the grizzly bear. I just have to run faster than you!” Well, what kind of friend was he? I guess it depends upon your definition of “friend”. He certainly was not the kind of friend Jesus talked about when He said, “Greater love has no one that this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) What Jesus is talking about takes friendship to a far deeper level than simply being good mates out hunting together. The true friend, according to Jesus, would not run away leaving his friend behind to be caught by the bear. He would try to save his friend even if it meant losing his own life. And of course that is what Jesus did for us – He gave His life that we might be saved.
Very few friends would display the kind of love Jesus is talking about. And probably very few could say that they enjoyed a friendship as close & real as the friendship we are going to consider today – the friendship between David & Jonathan. The dictionary defines a “friend” as, “a person with whom one enjoys mutual affection & regard.” It also defines a friend as “a sympathizer, a helper, someone on the same side.” This is certainly true of the friendship between David & Jonathan but as we will see their friendship was much deeper – it was closer to the kind of friendship Jesus describes. It was a costly self-giving type of friendship. It seems everyone wants to find true friends but very few actually find them. We all have acquaintances, people with whom we get on pretty well, but an acquaintance is not the same as a real true friend. Let us look first of all at how David & Jonathan became friends:
1. David & Jonathan become friends
The marvellous victory over the giant Goliath was a turning point in David’s life. He had already played the harp for Saul the king & had served as one of his attendants, Saul now wanted to find out more about David. After all Saul had promised that the one who defeated Goliath could marry one of his daughters. At end of 1 Samuel 17, David is asked more about his family & his background. It is quite possible that not only was David the youngest son in a poor family but some Bible scholars think he may have been an illegitimate child. This is only speculation but if true it would have carried with it a certain stigma & shame.
We read at the beginning of chapter 18. “After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, & he loved him as himself.” It seems that as Saul’s son Jonathan listened to David he was deeply touched by his story. He was very impressed. Despite being so young something about David, his faith, his humility, his openness maybe, struck a chord with Jonathan. He was immediately drawn to him as a person. Jonathan, the crown prince, heir to the throne, took David to his heart despite the fact David came from such an ordinary background. In a small way it is a picture of how Jesus loves us. His love for us is not based on our background or on our status. He accepts us just as we are.
Jonathan himself was an impressive man, & was himself recognized as a brave warrior. He was quite a bit older than David – perhaps as many as ten or fifteen years older. Jonathan now finds himself so drawn to David that we read, “…Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing & gave it to David, along with his tunic, & even his sword, his bow & his belt.” (vrs 3 & 4) Jonathan, as the oldest son of Saul, was heir to the throne. According to ancient custom, what Jonathan did in giving David his robe & his weapons was a mark of highest honour & respect. Jonathan honoured David in front of everyone.
Of course Saul was also impressed with David & gave him a high rank in the army. David became extremely popular. He was so popular that we read, “When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing & dancing, with joyful songs & with tambourines & lutes. As they danced, they sang: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, & David his tens of thousands.’” (vrs 6 & 7) Sadly the song of the women had a very negative effect upon Saul. He was already very sensitive about the fact the prophet Samuel had told him that God had rejected him as king. He probably sensed that the Spirit of God was no longer with him. He had already been experiencing dark moods & periods of insanity. So despite the great victory won for the nation as a result of the defeat of Goliath & the Philistine army, Saul was feeling very vulnerable. His admiration for David began to turn to jealousy. We read in vrs 8 & 9, “Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. ‘They have credited David with tens of thousands,’ he thought, ‘but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?’ And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.”
Jealousy is very dangerous. It may not seem a major sin but in reality it quickly leads to unkind thoughts, words & even actions. A jealous person hates to see others succeed. They hate to see others happy. Jealousy leads to hate & sometimes even murder. It destroys relationships, ruins health, brings misery & often ends in disaster. Do not let jealousy get a foothold in your life. It will ruin you. We get jealous when we feel insecure, when we do not have a healthy self-image, when in fact we are too self-centred, when we are not walking in humility, openness & integrity before God & man. The opposite of jealousy of course is love – having a kind & generous spirit towards others. Paul says in Romans 12:14-15, “Bless those who persecute you, bless & do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice & mourn with those who mourn.” David who was anointed by the Spirit of God was able to live in this way – even though things were going to get very tough for him.
1 Samuel 18 tells how Saul becomes more & more jealous & even afraid of David. Despite the fact David was helping unite & strengthen the nation Saul saw him only as a threat. He made up his mind to get rid of David. Sadly Saul’s jealousy got so bad David’s music was no longer able to sooth him when he got into one of his dark moods. On two occasions even while David was playing his harp for Saul, he tried to kill David by throwing his spear at him. Twice David was able to dodge the spear & escape. Despite all the bad things Saul did v.14 says about David, “In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him.” Saul may have been trying to harm David but the Lord was with him. He need not fear.
Saul went back on his promise to give the one who defeated Goliath the hand of his daughter in marriage. However when he discovered that his second daughter, Michal, had fallen in love with David, Saul thought up an evil plan. He said Michal & David could marry but David had first to pay a dowry or bride price. This bride price was not money (for David couldn’t have paid it anyway) but instead of money David had to go & kill 100 Philistine men & bring the proof back to Saul. This would put David in great danger. Verse 25 tells us, “Saul's plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.” Saul’s evil scheme failed for even before the time was up David returned. He & his men had killed 200 of the enemy - not just 100.
Even though Saul was obviously trying to get rid of him, David by contrast remained loyal & respectful to Saul. No doubt his friendship with Jonathan helped David keep his perspective & balance. In addition, he was now married to Saul’s daughter, Jonathan’s sister Michal, so they now had close family ties as well. It must have been very hard for David to have to face such obvious antagonism from his father-in-law, the king.
As we come to chapter 19 we see Jonathan standing up for David.
2. Jonathan stands up for David
It is a sign of true friendship when our friends speak up for us, even when this puts them at a disadvantage or in danger. Jonathan not only warned David of his father’s intention to kill him & promised to do what he could to change the situation. We read in 1 Samuel 18:4, “Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father & said to him, ‘Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, & what he has done has benefited you greatly. He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, & you saw it & were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?” Jonathan spoke up for David. He knew that his father’s attitude & actions were wrong. Jonathan respectfully yet firmly & bravely challenged his father. Jonathan must have known what his father knew – that David would be the next king. Yet Jonathan’s love for David his friend meant that, unlike his jealous father, he was able to support David & speak up for him. A true friend is loyal. They don’t talk about you behind your back - rather they speak up for you even when others attack. Amazingly Saul listened to his son & agreed to welcome David back.
There was a time of relative calm. Sadly however, Saul’s jealousy & hate was not far from the surface. Suffering another of his demonic episodes or attacks, Saul once again tried to kill David. David escaped back to his home. He knew however that his life was once again in grave danger. His wife Michal realised that Saul’s men were watching the house. She knew there was a plot to arrest David in the morning. Michal helped David escape from an upstairs window under cover of dark. Sure enough in the morning Saul’s men came looking for David. Michal said he was ill in bed. The men left & reported back to Saul. He was not happy & “…sent the men back to see David & told them, ‘Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.’” (V.15) When Saul’s men came back to get him of course they discovered David was no longer there. David had escaped to where the old prophet Samuel was living in Ramah. Saul himself ended up going to Ramah to kill David but in a most unexpected way the Spirit of God immobilized him. Saul ended up prophesying – unable to do anything about David.
We come now to our final point for today about how David & Jonathan make a covenant with each other.
3. David & Jonathan make a covenant
As chapter 20 opens we find David secretly heading back to Gibeah from Ramah to find Jonathan. As with all true friends, David is able to speak from his heart. In v.1 David asks Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?” The whole situation must have been painful for both David & Jonathan. David knew Jonathan was putting his life on the line for him. The fact Jonathan also loved & respected his father Saul (no matter how bad he had become) helped David I am sure, to avoid hating Saul or wanting to get revenge. Their friendship helped both men stay closer to God & seek His solutions. A true Christian friend is like that. They help give us courage to do what is right rather than give in to temptation or evil.
David & Jonathan came up with a secret plan. If things looked hopeless & Saul seemed determined as ever to kill David Jonathan would let David know. The plan was agreed. You can read the details in chapter 20. Jonathan said to David, “May the LORD be with you as he has been with my father. But show me unfailing kindness like that of the LORD as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, & do not ever cut off your kindness from my family - not even when the LORD has cut off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth.” (vrs 13 -15) The two friends made a covenant together. It was a covenant based on their mutual love for God – the One who is unfailing in kindness.
Back at the palace things went very badly. Jonathan once again stood up for David & as a result suffered humiliation & abuse from his father. His father was so angry he even tried to kill Jonathan. At the appointed time & place Jonathan returned to meet David. By shooting some arrows & telling his servant boy to run & pick them up he gave the secret sign to David (who was hiding behind some rocks) that sadly he needed to flee. The servant boy had no idea what was going on & Jonathan sent him on ahead back to the town. Jonathan was then able to have a few brief moments alone with David without coming under suspicion. In I Samuel 20:41 we read, “After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone & bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other & wept together - but David wept the most.” It was a deeply moving parting. The two friends had to say goodbye not knowing if they would meet again. By the way, in the context of our corrupt society today, it is important to mention that the relationship between David & Jonathan was not in any way sexual. Homosexuality was totally taboo amongst the Israelites. In the Bible homosexuality is everywhere condemned as evil & wrong. God loves sinners, but He doesn’t condone sin.
Jonathan was not just a friend to David. He was like a brother – in fact far closer than any of David’s brothers had ever been to him. Now he & Jonathan had to say goodbye. Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD is witness between you & me, & between your descendants & my descendants forever.’” (v.42) It was not the last time they saw each other. They met briefly one other time during the years David was on the run, a fugitive hiding from Saul. Jonathan was tragically killed fighting the Philistines alongside his father. David’s love & respect for his friend Jonathan must have helped him through all the struggles he was to face while he was a fugitive. Thinking of his friend Jonathan kept him from losing heart & becoming bitter towards Saul. David must have learnt from Jonathan the importance of what Jesus later said, “Love your enemies & pray for those that persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44). Their friendship helped make David a “man after God's own heart.”
Do you have a true friend? We all need such friends who will stick close, listen, care, offer honest advice & practical help in difficult times as well as good times. It is better to have one true friend than to simply have many acquaintances. As Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.”Sometimes even very famous people have hardly anyone they can truly call a friend. If you want a true friend then be a true friend! Why not ask God to give you such a friend & ask Him to help you be a true friend to someone else. As brothers & sisters in the family of God, of course, we should seek to be such friends to others. David had a great friend in Jonathan but in the Lord Jesus you & I have an even more wonderful Friend. He gave His life for us. While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. Do you know this greatest of Friends? The old hymn says it well: “What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins & griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to Him in prayer!”