Mike, thank you. This old sheep
needed to hear about his shepherd again. I appreciate that so much. Would you turn with me to 2 Samuel
chapter 1? While you're turning, let me
say of all the stories in the scripture in the Bible, there's
no greater story of friendship and brotherly love among mortal
men than the story of David and Jonathan. The story I love, love
to read about it, love to think about it. Now, upon receiving
the news of Saul and Jonathan's death, we read in verse 26 David's
words. 2 Samuel chapter 1 verse 26,
David said, I am distressed for thee. my brother Jonathan, very
pleasant has thou been unto me. Thy love to me was wonderful,
passing the love of women. May the words of David ring in
our hearts and our minds this morning when we consider the
love of Christ to sinners like us. Thy love to me is wonderful. I love those words, don't you?
Thy love to me was wonderful. And I just get lost in the thought
of Christ's love for me. We sing at home, and I'm sure
y'all do here, that hymn called Why. Why. And my heart just swells
with gratitude when I consider the phrase that says, why would
he love me, a sinner undone? Why, tell me why, should he care?
Why would he love me, one who did not love him? Why would he
care for me, who cared nothing for him? Well, the answer's simple
when you, when God reveals to you the mercy and the grace of
God, who God is. It simply pleased Him to do so. In 1 Samuel 12 it says, For the
Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake, because
it hath pleased the Lord to make you His people. It pleased Him
to do so. It wasn't due to anything in
me. It wasn't due to anything in you. It was due to His good
pleasure. The beloved Jonathan understood
something about God's sober love. He said we love him because. The cause of us loving him is
because he first loved us. Because he first loved us. And
it's, I know, hard for us to get our minds and our hearts
around that amazing and blessed truth. And we call it sovereign
love. I heard Brother Todd saying a
message one time. We call it sovereign grace. We
call it sovereign love because we want to distinguish it from
what religion in the world thinks it is. But there is no grace
but sovereign grace, is there? There is no love but sovereign
love. And we call it sovereign grace
because it was the unmerited and undeserved grace of the sovereign
God. that bestowed it upon chosen
and worthless sinners. Well, this morning I want to
talk to you a few minutes about covenant love. Covenant love. Jonathan and David shared a covenant
love. And as great as it was, it pales
in comparison to Christ's love, His covenant love for His people.
So turn back with me a few pages to 1st Samuel chapter 18 if you
would. 1st Samuel chapter 18. Let's begin reading in verse
1. And it came to pass when he,
the speaking of David, made an end of speaking unto Saul that
the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David. And Jonathan
loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and
would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan
and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. Now after David had answered
the questions of the king, I'm sure the king had many questions
about his heritage, where he came from. We're told that the
soul of Jonathan, the king's son, was knit with the soul of
David. I got to thinking about that
word knit. Now it doesn't say that he knitted
his soul with David, but that his soul was knit. God did the
knitting. True friendship is a gift of
God, isn't it? It's a gift of God, and a person
that has a true friend should count them as such. That's a
gift from God. I've got many wonderful friends
here today, and I love them, I do. But they're God's gift
to me. And I'm convinced, I told Gabe
yesterday, we were talking about this, I'm convinced that the
great The greatest token of God's grace to us, other than saving
us, is giving us one another. It is, isn't it? Scripture so
supports this blessed truth of God knitting the soul of one
to the other, that when you really look at that word closely, it
means to be drawn or joined together, to be made one. And that's a
very appropriate translation. Made one. And upon considering
the knitting of Jonathan and David's souls, which were drawn
and joined by God, I can't help but to think about what the Apostle
Paul talks about husbands and wives. made of one flesh. These examples foreshadow Christ
and Christ's love for his church and being joined together with
them. Christ and his people are knit
together and made one. The Apostle Paul tells us that
very plainly in chapter 5 of Ephesians. That spiritual union
between husband and wife and he compares it to Christ and
his church. It is written, for this cause
shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined. Knit. That's what that means.
Knit unto his wife. And they too shall be what? One flesh. One flesh. And Paul
continues on and he says, this is a great mystery. But, but,
I speak concerning Christ and the church. That's what this
is about. That union that God creates between believing husbands
and wives pictures the same union between Christ and His church.
Bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, He became. And knit together. Think about that word when you
read that in scripture. When I consider the knitting
of David and Jonathan's souls together, I'm reminded also of
what Paul wrote in Colossians chapter 2. So that our hearts
may be comforted, Paul writes and reminds us that we, his people,
are being knit together in love. Knit together. Jonathan loved
David as his own soul. Simply put, Jonathan preferred
David. He preferred David and he desired
his well-being above his own. The disciple whom Jesus loved,
the beloved John, wrote in his first epistle, we know that we've
passed from death to life because we love the brethren. We love
the brethren. There's no doubt in my mind that
Jonathan would have laid down his life for David. and David
for Jonathan. But what assurance the child
of God has in Christ's love for us. For we had been made to know
that he laid down his life for us, for his elect. And that's
exactly what John went on to say in 1 John chapter 3. Hereby
perceive we the love of God. because he laid down his life
for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Behold,
David wrote in Psalm 133, how good and pleasant, and how pleasant
it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. And I love that word,
don't you? Unity. That's what it is to be
knit together. to be in unity, serving the same
God, believing the same gospel, being made alive in Christ, the
same Redeemer. That's what we share. Well, secondly, notice that Jonathan's
love for David was in no wise self-serving. Look at verse 4. And Jonathan stripped himself
of the robe that was on upon him and gave it to David and
his garments even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle. Now there's more here than just
a token of gratitude and respect. Jonathan was willing to give
up his kingdom for David to reign. Saul was king. Jonathan was the
apparent heir as King Saul's son, but David had been anointed
king by Samuel and God's prophet by the instruction of God. The
kingdom was to be taken from the house of Saul and given into
the house of David. Very naturally, now you think
about this, the young prince, Jonathan, might have at first
felt envy and then hatred as Cain did for his brother Abel.
You remember that story well, but Jonathan's love had no bounds
of sacrifice, no bounds of love, no bounds of giving. Turn over,
just hold your place here, turn over a few pages to 1 Samuel
chapter 23. Look at verse 17. Jonathan here speaking to David,
and he said unto him, verse 17, Fear not, for the hand of Saul
my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel. Thou shalt be king over Israel,
and I shall be next unto thee. And that also Saul my father
knoweth. Jonathan took joy. He took joy
in seeing David wear the crown. which may have been adorned upon
his own brow. And oh, what love and what sacrifice
to put himself in the background like that. Oh, what unselfish
love to prefer the welfare of David over his own. Jonathan
was willing to be in the shadows. How great was Jonathan's condescending
of self and giving up his kingdom for his beloved friend David.
But friends, in the fullness of time, our Lord's great love
for us led him to leave his heavenly kingdom and condescend into the
world. And in this condescending, Christ
made himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a servant. God the Son took on flesh and
became the Son of Man in order to redeem fallen men and women
that they might reign with Him. And being found in fashion as
a man, the Scriptures tell us He humbled Himself and came obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. Now, has there ever
been such a condescending as that? He who created all things
hid himself in the body of a babe. The infinite became an infant. He whose glory filled the heavens
and the earth stooped to become a carpenter's son. For this cause
did the Son of God leave His Father's house, His heavenly
kingdom, that He might become obedient even unto death, the
death of the cross, to save one like me. For I came down from
heaven, He said. I came down from heaven, not
to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And
this is the Father's will, that of all which He hath given me,
I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last
day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone
which seeth the sun and believeth on him may have everlasting life,
and I'll raise him up at the last day. Jonathan stripped himself
of that princely robe that was upon him and he gave it to David. But friends, Christ in his covenant
love stripped himself of that perfect robe of righteousness
and gave it to his people. And all God's elect say what
David said, Oh Lord, thy love to me is wonderful. It's wonderful. I'd have you also to consider
that Jonathan's friendship to David was not earned by David.
It was God's gift to David, as I said. And you might find it
interesting to know, I did, that the name Jonathan means God has
given, or given by God, or even more accurately, Jehovah given. Isn't that amazing? The names
in the Bible mean something. And you probably know this, David
means beloved. You see the connection? For God
so loved his beloved people, his Davids, that are in the world that he
gave, Jehovah given. What did he give? He gave his
only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish
but have everlasting life. God gave, God sent, God delivered,
God killed his own darling son that he might redeem wretched
and undeserving sinners as we are. God provided himself a sacrifice
and God provided himself as the sacrifice. And Jehovah was given
for elect sinners. No doubt Jonathan's love for
David was great and no doubt he was a friend that sticketh
closer than a brother. But when we consider the love
of Christ, we have to say We have to say, greater love hath
no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Friends. Our Lord Jesus said,
I lay down my life, no man taketh it. I lay it down on myself. I got power to lay it down, and
I have power to take it again. And friends, he laid down his
life for his friends. And God's people say, oh Lord,
thy love to me is wonderful. It's wonderful. I'd have you
also to see that Jonathan gave to David his every desire. You're in 1 Samuel 23, turn back
a page to chapter 20, 1 Samuel. Look at verse 4. Then said Jonathan unto David,
Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. True love seeks for the needs
of its object. It always does. It prefers its
object over itself. And to show Christ's love or
to attempt to, I simply give you his own words. Our Lord said
in John 14, and whatsoever you shall ask of my name, that will
I do. That the father may be glorified
and the son, if you shall ask anything in my name, I'll do
it. In John 15, seven, he said, if you abide in me and my words
abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done
unto you. And John 15, 16, he said, you've
not chosen me, but I've chosen you and ordained you that you
should go forth and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should
remain, that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name,
he may give it to you. And again we say, thy love to
me is wonderful. Well, my last point for your
consideration is this, covenant love Defends and stands in the
gap. Stands in the gap for the object
of its love. Now, look at chapter 19 with
me. And I want you to listen carefully
to the words as we read this together. Beginning in verse
1. 1 Samuel chapter 19, verse 1. And Saul spake to Jonathan his
son. and to all his servants, that
they should kill David. But Jonathan saw Saul's son delighted
much in David, and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul, my father
seeketh to kill thee. Now therefore, I pray thee, take
heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place,
and hide thyself. And I'll go out and stand beside
my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune
with my father of thee, and what I see, that I will tell thee."
And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father. And he
said unto him, let not the king sin against his servant, against
David, because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his
works have been to thee very good. Now, hear me well. Here
is the gospel in a clear picture. The justice and judgment of God
Almighty can by no means clear the guilty. The soul that sinneth,
It shall die. This is what proves God to be
holy and what proves God to be righteous. We being guilty sinners,
God Almighty demands that the wages of sin be paid and the
wages of sin is death. God, the Almighty King, impotentate
from His holy throne demands death. God, the king, spoke to
his son as Jonathan did his father, the king, in verse 1. In whose
hand he's given all judgment and he demands that the sinner
be killed. His holy justice demands it.
But Christ, the son of the Omnipotent One, the Prince of Glory, like
Jonathan in verse 2, delights. Do you see that in verse 2? He
delights in David, his beloved ones. The Lord Jesus says to
his beloved, his chosen people, for whom he came to die, as Jonathan
did to David there in verse two, take heed to thyself. Abide in
a secret place. There is a place by me. Hide
thyself in me, the rock of ages. In verse three, and I'll go and
stand beside my father, between him and you. And what I see, I'll tell you.
The Christ God's Son didn't stop there. Verse 4, He speaks good
of you to His Father. You see that? Oh, Heavenly Father,
Christ says, bring not this judgment against my beloved, because they've
not sinned against thee. What? Well, that's all they've
done. No, they haven't. No, they haven't. Just the contrary. Their works
to thee have been very good. Oh, it just makes me smile. My
works? Yeah, mine. Their works to thee
have been very good. How so? How so? Christ was made
to be sin for us. He who knew no sin was made to
be sin for us. He stands as the one mediator
between God and man. Johnson said, I'll stand between
my father, the king, and you. And what I hear and what I see,
I'll tell you. I'll tell you. Father, all that
you've given me have come to me, and I have taken their sin
upon me, and as God the Son, I have made myself to be guilty
in their state. That's why my works are good.
He was made guilty in my place and I'm now the one that sinned
against you, the Lord Jesus is. That's right. I'm now the guilty
one. Kill me. Kill me in their place
and in their stand. I've given them my perfect righteousness
and their works have been to thee very good. Very good. Look down at verse six. And Saul hearkened unto the voice
of Jonathan. And Saul sware, as the Lord liveth,
he shall not be slain. God the Father always hears his
son. He always hears his son. And
he always hearkens unto him. Now as sure as Christ lives,
dear friends, so do his people live with him forever. Christ
tells us now what he's seen. And his words to us is, you shall
not be slain. You shall not die. Herein is
our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day
of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. That's
my hope. That's my only hope. And what
does the redeemed of the Lord say to these things? Oh Lord,
thy love to me is wonderful. It's wonderful. Okay, verse 7
and I'll stop. And Jonathan called David, and
Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought
David to Saul, and he was in his presence. As in times past, Christ calls
his people out of the field in which they were tossed and polluted. And shows them all the things
that He has done as their one mediator between God and man. And Christ brings us to God. Now holy, unblameable, and unreprovable
in His sight. And we will what? Be forever
in His presence. Oh me. As we would have been
before the fall, I believe that's the gospel. And I again must
say, as I'm sure you would, oh Lord, thy love to me is wonderful. May God be pleased to make his
word effectual to our hearts. I appreciate your attention.