Now let us turn together in our
Bibles to the book of 1st Samuel as we did this morning, but this
evening not to chapter 30 but to chapter 23. 1st Samuel chapter
23 and I shall read in your hearing the portion bounded by verses
7 through 18. 1st Samuel 23 and verse 7. In the midst of this section
describing David's period of exile before he actually ascended
the throne in Judah and then over all of Israel the period
in which Saul was chasing him like a fugitive like a common
criminal we read in verse 7 and it was told Saul that David was
come to Keilah and Saul said God has delivered him into my
hand For he is shut in by entering into a town that hath gates and
bars. And Saul summoned all the people
to war to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. And
David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him, and he
said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. Then
said David, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, Your servant has surely
heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city
for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver
me up into his hand, and Saul come down as your servant has
heard? O Jehovah, the God of Israel,
I beseech you, tell your servant." And Jehovah said, He will come
down. Then said David, Will the men
of Keilah deliver me up and my men into the hand of Saul? And
Jehovah said, They will deliver you up. Then David and his men,
who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and
went wheresoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David
was escaped from Keilah, and he forbear to go forth. And David
abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in
the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him
every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. And David
saw that Saul was come out to seek his life, and David was
in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood. And Jonathan, Saul's
son, arose and went to David in the wood, and strengthened
his hand in God. And he said unto him, Fear not,
For the hand of Saul my father shall not find you, and you shall
be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto you, and that also
Saul my father knows. And they too made a covenant
before Jehovah, and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went
to his house. Well, as God was gracious to
feed us and encourage us from his word this morning, let us
look to him for fresh manna from his hand as we come to the word
of God tonight. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank you that
already you have instructed our minds. You have encouraged our
hearts in the singing of these wonderful hymns of the Christian
faith. You have drawn us out to seek
you in prayer for the spread of the gospel even to the ends
of the earth. But now we come in all of our
felt need and ask that, according to your own promise, you would
draw near to us as we draw near to you. We pray that your word
will come this night, not in word only, but in demonstration
of the Spirit and of power. that our faith should not rest
in the wisdom of men, but in the power of you, our God. Hear us and meet with us as we
come in the expectation of faith through Christ our Lord. Amen. Now in Romans 15 and verse 4,
a text to which I made reference in my introduction this morning,
we find these words. for whatsoever things were written
aforetime were written for our learning that through patience
and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope. And my purpose in the ministry
this morning and again this evening is underscored in those words
that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, we, the people
of God in this place, might have hope, hope especially suited
to our present circumstances in our congregational life. In
the ministry this morning, I sought to set before you the Christian's
duty and privilege in seasons of great distress. I've amended
the title in the afternoon hours. I should have said, The Christian's
Duty and Privilege with Respect to Himself in Seasons of Great
Distress, as we looked at 1 Samuel 30 and verse 6, where we read,
And David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God. Tonight,
we're going to consider the Christian's duty and privilege with respect
to his brethren. in seasons of great distress
and our text is first Samuel 23 and verse 16 in which we read
and Jonathan Saul's son arose and went to David in the wood
and strengthened his hand in God. Now let me first of all
give a brief overview of the historical setting of this passage. Most of you will remember that
in 1st Samuel chapter 17 we have the well-known story of David's
conquest over Goliath by the power of Jehovah his God. And then in chapter 18 we have
the record of Jonathan's bonding to David and the beginning of
Saul's bad disposition to the same David. After the conquest
of Goliath, as you will remember, David comes into Saul's court
and begins to be one of Saul's pets, as we saw this morning,
and by his harp and his sword he serves King Saul. In chapter
18, we have the record of this unique bonding between Jonathan,
Saul's son, and David, the one anointed to be Saul's successor
as king in Israel. But in chapter 18, in verse 9,
there is a very critical word of transition of Saul's relationship
to David. And Saul eyed David from that
day forward. No longer did he look upon him
with goodwill and with favor. His eye became a green eye that
burned with envy. It became a jealous eye that
was constantly looking at David as a threat to his own position. And when that happens, no one
can do anything that is right in the sight of an evil eye.
The most noble deeds will be given the most ignoble significance
and meaning. And this is what happened in
the case of David. From chapter 19 onward, David
is a fugitive. Many incidents in this matter
of Saul's pursuit of David are given to us in great detail,
but with every concentrated pursuit of Saul, there is the marvelous
intervention of God in delivering his servant David. And this pursuit
and deliverance is summarized in chapter 23 and in verse 14. Look at the latter part of the
verse. And Saul sought him every day. But God delivered him not
into his hand. This was a relentless, a persistent,
a never-ending, constant attempt on the part of Saul to track
David down and to do him in. If ever the language was appropriate,
we're going to bring him down. It was the language of Saul and
his men with respect to David and so in that setting of continual
harassment with his life in his hands we come now to chapter
23 where David is in the wilderness of Zith in the wood or the thicket
For the Hebrew scholars debate the issue whether that word is
describing a specific town, and they are unsettled in their judgment. Obvious then, it is not important
for our understanding of the passage. But here, in the setting
of our text, we saw that, verse 15, David was conscious that
Saul was come to seek his life, He is hiding in the wilderness
of Ziph in the wood or in the thicket, and in that setting,
Jonathan leaves the palace, leaves the safety and security of his
own home, seeks out David in the wood or the thicket, and
we read in that setting, he strengthened his, that is, David's hand in
God. Here Jonathan seeks out his bosom
friend and does what is recorded in our text. He strengthens his
hand in God. Now as I attempt to expound the
text, note with me first of all, as we did with our text this
morning, that this was a conscious activity of Jonathan toward his
friend David. The text tells us that Jonathan,
who sought out David, is the one who strengthened the hand
of David in God. When our text says, and strengthened,
the subject of that sentence is Jonathan. And Jonathan strengthened
his, that is, David's hand in God. as surely as chapter 30
and verse 6 which reads David strengthened himself in Jehovah
his God as that text points to an activity of David toward himself
This text focuses on the activity of Jonathan, not with respect
to himself, or David with respect to himself, but with respect
to Jonathan as he relates to and ministers to his friend David. And so when we speak of the Christian's
duty and privilege with respect to his brethren, I do so because
in this text we find Jonathan relating to and describing an
activity of Jonathan with respect to his friend David. But then
secondly, note with me that it was an activity of Jonathan calculated
to encourage David in his distressing circumstances. David knows that
Saul is seeking his life. He began to be aware of how passionate
Saul was in this attempt way back in chapter 20. And we have
the account of how David becomes increasingly aware and he cries
out in the opening verse, what have I done? What is my iniquity? What is the sin before your father
that he seeks my life? It's dawning on him. Saul is
not just occasionally having a fit and a passion of murder. He eats, he sleeps, he drinks,
he wakes with nothing but a murderous disposition to David. A murderous
disposition validated by his actions. So much so that when
he thinks he's got David, he says, God is on my side in this
effort. God is delivering him into my
hand. That was Saul's language, but
the language of the Holy Ghost is, in 2314, God did not deliver
him into his hand. You see, the mere language of
divine assistance in one's cause is no validation of divine assistance
in that cause. And Jonathan, in that setting,
gives himself to an activity calculated to encourage David
in this distressing set of circumstances. Look with me, first of all, at
the essence of what he did, and then secondly, the means by which
he did it. The essence of what Jonathan
did is captured in the words, he strengthened his hand in God. Now here we have a figure of
speech. When we read in the scripture that someone strengthened the
hands of another, what it means is they encouraged and increased
someone's resolution to pursue a given course of action. That's
what this figure of speech means. It doesn't mean that someone
put someone in a regimen of pumping iron to give them stronger arms
or hands. Let's look at a couple of illustrations
where this terminology is found. Over in 2 Samuel 2 and verse
7. 2 Samuel 2 and verse 7. Now, therefore, let your hands
be strong and be valiant, for Saul your Lord is dead, and also
the house of Judah have anointed me king over them. That's the
wrong text. Second Samuel 2, 7. I have the wrong text. Well,
I have another. Nehemiah 2 and verse 18. I'm
sorry. Nehemiah 2 and verse 17. 217 Then said I unto them, You see
the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and
the gates thereof are burned with fire. Come, let us build
up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. And
I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me, as
also the king's word that he had spoken unto me. And they
said, let us rise up and build so they strengthen their hands
for the good work. You see, it's a figure of speech.
They didn't go out and do hand exercises, but by the encouragement
of Nehemiah's report of how God was with him and how God's hand
was upon him, and by the encouragement of God's leader amongst them,
they strengthened their hands. They intensified and increased
their resolution to pursue a given course of action. now that course
of action may be evil and people's hands can be strengthened in
an evil course look at Judges chapter 9 verses 22 to 24 Judges
chapter 9 verses 22 to 24 and Abimelech was prince over Israel
three years God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and
the men of Shechem And the men of Shechem dealt treacherously
with Abimelech, that the violence done to the threescore and ten
sons of Jeroboam might come, and that their blood might be
laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men
of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren. There was an intention and purpose
to kill his brethren. These men strengthened his hands. What did they do? They augmented,
they intensified that purpose and resolution to pursue this
Evil course of action. Jeremiah 23, 14 says this is
one of the functions and the wretched fruits of the ministry
of the false prophets. People had an evil intention.
Along came the false prophets and what did they do? They strengthened
their hands in the pursuit of that intention. Jeremiah 23,
14. In the prophets of Jerusalem
I've seen a horrible thing. They commit adultery and walk
in lies, and they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that
none of them returns from his wickedness. They intensify and
increase the resolve of wicked men to do wickedness. Well, I
trust these passages underscore that that is the meaning of this
figure. So when we are told that Jonathan
sought out David in Zip, in the wood, or in the thicket, and
strengthened his hand in God. It is a figure of speech telling
us that the resolve of David's heart to do the will of God,
to serve his God, to maintain fidelity to God, this purpose
and intention was intensified by the ministry of Jonathan to
his friend. That's the figure employed, but
then notice the focus of what he did. The figure strengthened
his hand, but the focus is this. He strengthened his hand, he
buttressed and increased David's resolve in God. You see, the reference point
in Jonathan's ministry to David was not man. not circumstances,
not anything that Jonathan might bring to him. It transcended
man, circumstances, and things. And there, in the situation with
no information that Saul's murderous purpose has in any way evaded,
that Saul's murderous designs have in any way eroded, Yet the
focus is so upon the living God that David is strengthened in
his resolve to be faithful to his God. Now there's the essence
of what Jonathan did. When he came to David and ministered
to him, he left David in a state in which his resolution of fidelity
to God was intensified and augmented. But now, what were the means
that Jonathan used? Well, if we look at the text,
we see that at least some of those means are described for
us. How did Jonathan strengthen David's
hand in God? Well, I suggest that though we
might break them down into four or reduce them to two, that in
broad strokes there are three divisions of Jonathan's actual
ministry to David by which he strengthened his hands first
of all he reminds David of God's immutable promise verse 17 and
he said unto him fear not for the hand of Saul my father shall
not find you and you shall be king over Israel and I shall
be next unto you that also Saul my father knows how is David
strengthened in that whole complex of resolution to wait God's time
and God's way to bring him to the place of God's appointment
David's men would say to him when he's found in the cave with
Saul, God has delivered him into your hand, kill him and take
the throne. David said no. God has said I
must not touch his anointed. I will come to the throne God's
way and God's time. And he knew that because God
had given promise when Samuel anointed him way back in chapter
16 of 1 Samuel. And now his friend Jonathan comes
to him when Saul is seeking his life. Saul even thinks God is
cooperating with him in his murderous designs. And how does he strengthen
his hand in God? He reminds him of God's immutable
promise. David, you shall be king, and
my father knows it. Now, how do we know that Saul
knew that David was to be king? Well, if you turn back to chapter
21, we have it from his own mouth. Chapter 20 verses 30 and 31. Then Saul's anger was kindled
against Jonathan. And he said unto him, you son
of a perverse, rebellious woman. Very flattering language about
his wife. You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do not I know
that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and
unto the shame of your mother's nakedness? For as long as the
son of Jesse lives upon the ground, you shall not be established,
nor your kingdom. Wherefore now send him, fetch
him unto me, and he shall surely die. See what he says? Jonathan,
you won't be my successor and heir as long as David's alive. He is next on the throne. Saul knew it. Now how he knew
it, the scripture doesn't tell us. But when Jonathan strengthens
David's hand in God, he does so by reminding David of God's
immutable promise. David, you shall be king over
Israel. God has said it. My father cannot
negate it. All the powers of hell cannot
negate it. David, remember God's immutable
promise. But secondly, He affirms to David
God's invincible purpose. He affirms to David God's invincible
purpose. And notice how he does it with
these words. Knowing that God's promise cannot
fail, he says, My father, the hand of Saul my father, shall
not find you. Now that's an amazing statement
when you read these chapters, because in chapter after chapter,
no matter where David goes, there's somebody ready to snitch on him.
David makes a retreat, he hides out someplace, and somebody goes
and snitches to Saul. And Saul sends out another part,
and David has to leave. And the whole account of these
chapters is Saul's almost demonic, yes, demonic, murderous intention,
I am going to get him. And some of the encounters were
very dangerous, we read of one. Where David says, will the men
deliver me up if I stay? Yes, they will deliver me up.
God knows all contingencies. All that would happen were the
natural course of events left to happen. And often David escapes,
as it were, by the skin of his teeth. But you see, Jonathan
strengthens David's hand in God, not by looking at probability
statistics. but by deriving from the promise
of God fresh confidence in the invincibility of the purpose
of God. Let Saul quadruple his spies. Let Saul multiply his troops
a hundredfold, David. Saul, my father, will not find
you. He will not take you. God's purpose
for you is immutable. As well invincible as well as
his promises immutable and then thirdly he strengthens his hand
in God as he reconfirms with David their mutual commitments
he reconfirms with David their mutual commitments notice how
he does this in this language do not be afraid verse 17 for
the hand of Saul my father shall not find you you shall be king
over Israel and I shall be next unto you and they too made a
covenant before Jehovah and David abode in the wood or the thicket
and Jonathan went to his house you see in this exchange Jonathan
is saying two things to David God's purpose for you is to be
king and I embrace that from the heart. God's purpose for
me is to be next to you as your servant and embracing place number
two for my life. No jealousy, no rivalry, no envy. In this reconfirmation of mutual
commitments, Jonathan says, I embrace the will of God for me, and I
affirm the will of God for you. And in that setting, With this
intensified baptism of attack and oppression upon his friend
David, it says, the two made a covenant before in the very
presence of Jehovah. You say, I thought they already
made a covenant. Yeah, they did. Two times before. Back in chapter
18, in relatively quiet, peaceful, non-disturbed times, they made
a covenant. David is the hero in Saul's court. He has defeated Goliath, the
Philistine champion. And we read in chapter 18, verse
1, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, loved
him as his own soul. Saul took him that day and wouldn't
let him go anymore to his father's house. Everything was fine with
all of these parties. Then, in that setting, Jonathan
and David made a covenant. because he loved him as his own
soul. They make a covenant of friendship
in these relatively peaceful, quiet, undisturbed times. But now when it becomes evident
that Saul is really out to get David, and David cries out, what
evil have I done in chapter 20? Notice how they renew their covenant
in verse 17. And Jonathan calls David to swear
again to renew their covenantal commitments to one another. Why?
Because that friendship was now bearing a strain that it never
bore before. Jonathan will now pay the price
of being an outcast in his own father's house in order to be
loyal to David. That's what the passages teach. We just read, later on in this
very chapter, how Saul speaks in the most denigrating language
to his own son and to his own mother. Why? Because of his loyalty
to David. So you see, a covenant made in
peaceful, non-stressful, non-challenging times is renewed in the face
of a challenge to that friendship. and to the higher demands of
that friendship. To be in covenant friendship
with David now is not to have the smile of Papasov, it's to
have his anger. Now, after the re-covenanting
in chapter 20, the opposition of Saul is intensified even more
and Jonathan now seeking out his friend in the wood with this
whole new cumulative dimension of pressure upon that friendship
he renews the covenant three times he makes a covenant now
why does the Holy Ghost record that? is that just an interesting
bit of history? no, all scripture is given by
inspiration of God, profitable for training in righteousness.
Here we are given principles of how Christians in peculiar
relationships of covenantal commitment to common perspectives on the
will of God are to relate to one another in seasons of intensified
pressure upon those covenanted relationships as brothers. You won't find those details
in the epistles. You find the principles of the
epistles beautifully illustrated in many of the historical books
of the scriptures as we saw this morning. And here is one of those
beautiful examples. So by what means then did Jonathan
strengthen David's hands in God? It reminds David of God's immutable
promise. He affirms to David God's invincible
purpose. He reconfirms with David their
mutual commitments. Now then, for the pastoral application
to us tonight. How do we implement these New
Testament epistolatory commands? You're familiar with them. Hebrews
3.13. Exhort one another day by day while it is called today
lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. What's
it mean to encourage one another day by day? The passage doesn't
tell us, it just says do it. How do you do it? When we read
in the scriptures, in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 15, a very pivotal
text, you may want to turn there with me and look at it, some
very cryptic imperatives found in the New Testament epistle,
but very little instruction given as to the details. We exhort
you, brethren, admonish the disorderly. The Greek verb, nuthateo, means
to clearly point out wrong and to earnestly entreat that one
turn from the wrong. Admonish one another when admonition
is needed. Admonish who? The disorderly.
Encourage the faint-hearted. Support the weak. How do you
encourage the faint-hearted? To use the imagery of our passage,
how do you strengthen hands that are weak? Where someone's purpose
according to the revealed will of God is weakening, how do you
strengthen their hands in God? How do you encourage the faint-hearted? How do you support the weak? Let's go to our passage for an
example of how a godly man encouraged a faint-hearted brother and supported
one who was weakening in his resolve. Again, in the New Testament,
we are told, Colossians 3.17, that the word of Christ dwell
in you richly and all of scripture is the word of Christ. For Peter
says, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did testify of the
sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow. Let
the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, I'm sorry,
in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another. Well, how do you
do that? Well, here's a beautiful example of how you do it in the
specifics. You want to strengthen one another's
hands in God. to get more particular and specific
in the midst of this present trial in our congregational life? What is our privilege and duty
one to another? We who have entered, not the
covenant of a personal friendship, as Jonathan and David, but a
covenant of commitment to common church life. How do we minister
to one another in our season of distress? May I say we have
a beautiful paradigm in Jonathan's ministry to David. When we have
opportunity to interact with one another, when the pressure
of other biblical principles does not regulate what we talk
about, what are we to talk about when we are free to direct the
conversation? May I say we ought to do exactly
what Jonathan did to strengthen one another's hands in God. Let
us remind one another of God's immutable promises. Let us not,
when we have opportunity and duty does not direct the conversation
in this or that direction, let us not talk about who this and
who that and what this and what that. Let's say to one another,
my brother, my sister, what promise was precious to your heart in
the scriptures this morning? Would you mind sharing it with
me? And then to say, my brother, my sister, I appreciate, let
me share with you. Let me seek to strengthen your
hands in God. Think of all the muck that Saul
could have brought to David's ear. He was right at headquarters. David, did you know the latest
plot to get Jeff? David, did you hear the latest
plans to track him down? Jonathan back in the palace heard
it all. What did David need to know out
in the woods about the latest plots to get him? That wouldn't
have strengthened his hands in God, it would have weakened them.
And dear people, let's not churn out the latest gossip. There
will be a new ton of it next week. It keeps coming, ton loads. Let it come. Let it die its own
death. But strengthen one another's
hands in God. How do you do it? Remind one
another of God's immutable promises, such as no weapon that is formed
against you shall prosper. When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you, and through the fire it shall not kindle
upon you. I will never leave you nor forsake
you. Be strong and of good courage. promise after promise sealed
to us in the blood of Christ for how many so ever be the promises
of God in him is the yea and through him the amen to the glory
of God. Remind one another of God's immutable
promises to His people. Don't churn out the latest bit
of gossip that's reached your ears. Don't churn out the latest
bit of... It may even be truth. Jonathan
could have brought not gossip about what Paul is intending,
but real, sure, hard facts. But David didn't need that. What
David needed was to be reminded, you shall surely be king. because
God has said it and his promises are immutable. We need secondly
to affirm to each other God's invincible purposes. Did Jesus
mean what he said? I will build my church and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And if the continuance
and blessing of Trinity Church is part of that promise, I said,
if it is, and I believe it is, then we need to remind ourselves
an invincible Christ has made an immutable promise, and he
will indeed accomplish it. affirm to each other God's invincible
purposes and say with soul now Paul the Apostle standing amidst
the raging of that storm that paralyzed even these experienced
semen with fear wherefore sirs I believe God wherefore sirs
I believe God and may that be our posture affirming to each
other the invincibility of the purposes of God listen to Blakey
in his wonderful commentary or series of sermons on the life
of David commenting on this very incident this is what he says
in his words to David the faith and piety of Jonathan were as
apparent as his friendship he strengthened his hand in God's
simple but beautiful words he put David's hand as it were into
God's hand in token that they were one, in token that the Almighty
was pledged to keep and to bless David, and that when he and his
God were together, no weapon formed against him would prosper. Surely no act of friendship is
so true friendship as this, to remind our Christian friends
in their day of trouble of their relation to God, to encourage
them to think of his interest in them and his promises to them
to drop in their ear some of his assurances I will never leave
you nor forsake you is surely the best of all ways to encourage
the downcast and send them on their way rejoicing remember
what day is Jonathan's first words to David were fear not
fear not Did he sense something of the pallor of fear upon David's
face? We do not know, but we know that
he did say, fear not. There's no place for fear, David.
David could answer, say, what are you talking about, friend?
You know what it's like to be hounded? The text says daily,
daily. Do you know what it's like to
live with your life, as it were, in your hand and you tell me
fear not? Yes, I'm telling you fear not.
Why? Because bigger than Saul and bigger than Saul's spies
and bigger than all of Saul's men and all of Saul's intention
to kill you is the living God who is committed that you shall
sit upon the throne. He's promised it. His almighty
power will effect it and bring it to pass. And I, your friend,
am committed with you to see the will of God come to pass.
You shall be king and I shall be second behind you, affirmed
to each other God's invincible purposes and then thirdly reconfirmed
to each other our mutual commitments. That's what David and Jonathan
did. Not in the quiet setting of 1st Samuel 18. Do you see
some parallels? When most of us came into this
church, it was in a setting. of mutual quiet and peace and we made solemn commitments
at least that's what we said we did we made covenantal commitments
to God to one another those commitments were solemnly
made in the presence of God before the face of God and now intense
trials have come and what should they do They should draw forth
from us a fresh desire to express in fresh ways that those commitments
rather than be eroded have only been strengthened as we have
together faced those trials. Jonathan is saying in essence
to David I may be up at Pappy's house and you may be out here
in the woods but my heart is with you in your trial and I'm
going to express it by a fresh reaffirmation of my covenantal
commitments to you in the face of Jehovah and dear people I
urge you in your own way as your leaders did spontaneously a few
weeks ago in a special prayer meeting on a Saturday morning
and I shall never forget it as long as God gives me rationality
and memory each man spontaneously expressed in fresh covenantal
language his commitment to Christ to one another and to his church
in this place some men making a covenant of willingness to
lay down their lives for one another and for you the people
of God oh sloshy sentiment do you think so? I believe the same
Jehovah who smiled there in the thicket when he saw two noble
men under the impulse of sanctified love for one another, make a
fresh covenant in the presence of Almighty God. May I urge you to prayerfully
do the same. You know what that will mean
if that's genuine? And I want to address this because
some of you are struggling with this very issue. If you'll turn
back to 1 Samuel chapter 23, chapter 20 where we have that
incident where Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan and
he calls him and his mother very ungracious names notice what
we read in verse 33 Saul cast his spirit him to smite him whereby
Jonathan knew it was determined of his father to put David to
death so Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger and
did eat no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved
for David, because his father had done him shame." When you
have covenantal commitments to friends who have not betrayed
that covenant, and others do them shame, it is righteous for
you to experience righteous anger. If someone speaks ill of the
wife of my youth who has been a pure and faithful wife for
42 years, I will not sit and take that without righteous anger. And my love for her demands righteous
anger expressed in righteous channels. And Jonathan expressed
his righteous anger not in carnal channels. He didn't rise up and
punch his pappy out. He subsequently goes to the wood
and strengthens the hand of his friend in God. He's willing to
risk his own life and reputation. You say idolatrous loyalty to
a man? No. it was the demand of the
genuine commitments of love for the scripture says that we ought
to lay down our lives one for another 1st John chapter 3 and
laying down one's life is a far greater expression of self-sacrifice
than coming to the defense of the honor and the well-being
of a trusted friend who's done nothing to forfeit that honor
We've got to understand that in this saccharine age that understands
so little of the dynamics of intimate, godly, spirit-forged
friendship that can so wantonly do what Saul had done to David,
done in shame. Noble David by his actions had
won Saul's commendation. He had done nothing to forfeit
that commendation. All the problem was in Saul's
heart and Saul's eyes. And when in human relationships
that draws lines, it is not wicked to see where the lines have been
drawn and to experience appropriate emotions. I'm appalled at how
people ignorant of their Bibles can make broad-stroke pontifications
on what is right and what is wrong in the dynamics of human
relationships. The Word of God gives us such
examples so that in the New Testament when it says, be angry, that's
a command. If you're never angry, you're
sinning against God's command. Be angry, that's an imperative,
and sin not. That's what my Bible says in
the New Testament. How do you become angry in sin
now? Here's a good example. In the friendship between Jonathan
and David. And for some of you who are angered
at some of the things you've heard that denigrate your brothers
and sisters and your leaders, that anger is justified so long
as it has nothing of vindictiveness or cuts carnal channels. And
you ought not to bear false guilt when you experience it. You're
experiencing what David felt in his covenantal commitments
to Jonathan. And if this church ever gets
to the place where we've got to have nothing but sloppy, sentimental,
unprincipled, gush-called love, God have mercy on us. Because
the love we profess will have no power to accomplish anything. The love that David had for Jonathan
was a love that worked righteousness, caused him to come to his distressed
brother in the wood and to strengthen his hand in God. Brothers and sisters, this is
our privilege and our duty to one another in this present crisis,
to strengthen one another's hands in God. remind one another of
God's immutable promises, affirm to each other God's invincible
purposes, reconfirm to each other our mutual commitments. You see,
it's a wonderful thing when you have the heart of a Jonathan
and the heart of a David. David not aspiring to the throne,
he's moving to the throne by divine constraint and divine
purpose. When Samuel comes and announces
to Jesse his mission, David doesn't run from the field and say, ha
ha, it must be me. No, he's out fending sheep and
somebody has to send for him. He's conscripted. He doesn't
volunteer. But once he's conscripted by
Jehovah, the God of the covenant, he nobly sets his purpose of
heart to be what God has marked him out to be. And Jonathan knows
that he's never going to be king. and he has no bent nose, he has
no green eye he embraces from the heart his place and really
at the foundation of covenantal friendships is that mutual commitment
to be content with the will of God unmortified ambition will
fracture the possibility of any intimate relationship uncrucified egos jostle one another
and are inimical to any kind of genuine unity. Dear people
of God, let's affirm afresh our commitment to one another in
things bigger than all of us and our contentment each to have
his place in the will of God. My final word is to ask the question
of those of you who may not be Christians. Let me ask you this
question. What do your friends do when they come to you in the
thicket? When your close friends have
got you alone and you can talk about the things that are only
appropriate to close friends when they are alone. Do they
move you Godward and heavenward and holinessward and loveward? Or do they move you devilward
and hellward? and sin part no one who moves
you in that direction is a true friend you've got enough already
to push you to hell a wicked devil an evil heart and a seducing
world don't gather to yourself allies in their cause in the
form of evil companions who tell you their dirty jokes who mock
at the things of God, who make light of the people of God and
the ways of God. Oh, dear young or old, no one
is your friend who nudges you toward hell. And even if you're
not a Christian, for the sake of your soul, put yourself around
those that have a passion to nudge you to heaven. They can't
take you there, but they can sure help point you there. and
keep you from the influences that would drag you away and
even as a Christian you need to ask the question do these
intimate friendships result in my hand being strengthened in
God? or being strengthened in my suspicions
to the people of God and the servants of God? and the house
of God? you've got to ask the question
my friend I have to ask the question I choose my close friends in
terms of this principle. Does their life make me jealous
to be more holy, more zealous, more committed to Christ? If
not, then I have a choice. I will not choose them as my
close friends. I am godly neighbors. I do all
I can to become their friends that I might manifest Christ
and speak of Christ. I'm talking about your choice
of Christian friends. What do they say when they have
the telephone in your ear? Ask yourself when you hang up
the phone, have they strengthened my hand in God to be more holy,
more devoted to Christ, to his cause, to his people, to his
church? You've got to ask the question. Be not deceived, evil companions
corrupt good morals, even when they are fellow believers. Well,
we've looked at two texts today, one that tells us the believer's
duty and privilege in times of great distress toward himself,
strengthen himself in Jehovah's God. Our privilege and duty one
to another. to strengthen one another's hands
in God. May the Lord find us by his grace
engaged in those twin activities for our good and for his glory. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for
your word. We thank you that it is a lamp
to our feet and a light to our path. We thank you that the broad
strokes of your commands are so beautifully illustrated in
the scriptures themselves, and we pray that you would give us
a Jonathan ministry to all of our Davids. May we learn the
holy art of strengthening one another's hands in you, our God. O Lord, forgive us when we've
weakened the hands of our brethren by negative words. by negative
reports, by untrue reports, or true reports of things not necessary
to speak. O God, cleanse our lips, we pray,
and teach us what it is to engage in this blessed ministry of strengthening
each other's hands in You, our gracious God. We pray for those
who know no such friendships, who only have friends that nudge
them to the pit, God, show them the folly of their way. Turn
them to yourself and to your son and to those who will be
helpers on their way to heaven. Seal then your word and help
us, we pray, in the outworking of it in the coming days, we
plead through Christ our Lord. Amen.