1 Samuel chapter 23. I'm going to read you a text in Romans
chapter 15. 1 Samuel chapter 23 is where we'll
be, but let me read this first. Romans 15. Verse 4, For whatsoever
things were written aforetime were written for our learning,
that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might
have hope." Might have hope. And David was in need of encouragement
and hope. Turn to 1 Samuel. Chapter 23, we're going to look
at verses 13 through 18. I pray the Lord give me the ability
to speak this as it needs to be. This is just so wonderful,
just absolutely wonderful passage. Truly great. Chapter 23 in 1 Samuel
and verse 13, Then David and his men, which
were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and
went withersoever they could. And it was told Saul that David
was escaped from Keilah, and he forbade to go forth. And David
abode in the wilderness, in strongholds, and remained in a mountain in
the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him, To kill
him, I'll say, Saul sought him every day, but God delivered
David not into Saul's hand. And David saw that Saul was come
out to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph,
in woods. And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose
and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in
God. And Jonathan said unto David,
Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee,
and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee,
and that also Saul my father knows. And they too made a covenant
before the Lord, and David abode in the woods, and Jonathan went
to his house. Now, this, I've got it titled,
there's several things, but I thought of friendship, fellowship, and
encouragement. Friendship, fellowship, and encouragement. David, we see, he's a most eminent
saint. The Lord's delivered him out
of different situations. He's already anointed him through
Samuel. He's an eminent saint. He's only
a sinner saved by grace. And as such, as we ourselves,
need helps and encouragements from time to time. This passage
before us, we will observe these three thoughts, fellowship, excuse
me, friendship, fellowship, and encouragement. And then we'll
draw a close. But here's the scene, just to
bring us up to context of what's been going on chapters before. David and his men are on the
run. David has been anointed king,
but he is not king proper. So he's on the run. He's being
chased, he's being pursued by Saul, and Saul wants to He wants to kill him. He wants
to kill him. Because he knows David's going
to be king. In verses 16 and 17, we notice
the kind and compassionate hands of very present help. Or in the
accord of Jonathan, David's friend David finds some relief. He's
out in the wilderness as it says a couple times woods wilderness
which is important that word wilderness and David finds Jonathan finds
David now why his dad couldn't find him. He just knew he was
in a certain area, but Jonathan being David's Close friend. I'm sure he had information that
his father was didn't know. And so he finds him. David, excuse
me, verse 16, Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David
into the woods and strengthened his hand in God. Now he did this
at his own peril. Because there's a time when Saul
says, I know you're in league with David. And it's a wonder
that Saul didn't turn and kill his own son. So this Jonathan,
he took some responsibility and he took some heat. Who knows what his dad was kind
of going out of his mind. So the first thing we see is
friendship. Even the most faithful of saints
are still very much in this flesh and need to be exhorted or perhaps
softly rebuked or in any case they need to have a word spoken
in due season. David here is pursued, he's dogged,
he's hounded, wanted dead or alive by the hand of his enemy.
But David would not lift up his hand against Saul because he
said he's God's anointed so I'm not going to touch him. But David,
in this situation, in the wilderness, in Ziph, Saul's son, Jonathan,
finds him. David needs assistance. He needs
help in this great time of need. Turn with me to Job chapter 6. chapter 6 and the first part of the 14th
verse. Job chapter 6. To him that is afflicted, pity
should be showed from his friend. Job chapter 6 and the first part
of verse 14. To him that is afflicted, pity
should be showed from his friends. That's all Job's asking. He's
asking, you guys are here, there's four of you, and you say you're
my friends, and they're just not comforting him. They're saying,
you must have been sinned. There's something wrong with
you. We know. Oh, outwardly we didn't see it,
but no, a friend, friendship, just basic principle. Man on man, woman on woman. Friendship. We should take pity from a friend.
Proverbs chapter 27. Proverbs chapter 27. 27 and verse
9. Ointment and perfume rejoice
the heart, so does the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel."
Proverbs 27 verse 9 and again in verse 17 of the same chapter.
Iron sharpeneth iron. So a man or a woman, a believer,
sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. These are just basic
principles. We see this at Jonathan. You
have friends who are not believers, When they come and they speak
a word of encouragement, you're thankful. You're thankful. Ecclesiastes chapter 4. Ecclesiastes chapter 4 verse
9 through 12. Two are better than one because
they have good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the
one shall lift up his fellow, but woe unto him that is alone
when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, they
have heat, but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail
against him, two shall withstand that enemy, and a three-four
cord is not easily broken. Now, that's the Trinity. We see
that. That's the higher understanding of this passage. The Father,
Son, and the Holy Spirit. Nobody can break that covenant that
they have with His people. But the point is encouragement. And Jonathan did so. Oh, may we be such a friend one
to another here in this place. Me to you and you to me. even
if it means anger, wrath, or even harm may come of it. They're my brother. They're my
sister in Christ. I don't care. I'm going to be
associated with them. I'm going to be one with them.
The second thought, fellowship. If friendship is good, fellowship. is better. Turn with me to Acts
chapter 28. I had never really seen this.
I knew it was here, but I didn't know how it was worded. But this
is wonderful. Acts chapter 28, the last chapter
in Acts. And you know what's going on
with Saul. He's being here in the shipwreck. He's making his
way to Rome. And he's here and there. The
snake bites him. He shakes it off. All these different
tribulations and trials are going on. He's under house arrest,
so to speak. And he says it in verse 12 of
chapter 28, or verse 11, and after three months, we departed
on a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle whose
sign was Castor and Pollux, the landing at Syracuse, we tarried
there three days, and from thence we fetched a compass, and came
to Rigdom, and after one day the south wind blew, and we came
the next day to Petulia, where we found brethren, and were desired
to tarry with them seven days, and so we went towards Rome,
and from thence when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet
us as far as Appi Forum and the three taverns." And that place
is still there technically, the ruins, but it's a little ways
from Rome. It's not just getting 20 minutes
down the road. The brethren heard somehow, on
the phones, they heard somehow that Paul was in this place,
and you can find it in your New Testament maps, The brethren
heard, they came to meet us as far as this place, whom when
Paul saw, thank God, and took courage." This is fellowship. Now I know some of you have good
friends and have good friends. I have friends, believe it or
not, a couple. I can count them maybe on my
toe. But I'm telling you to help maybe
save some heartache. Friends of the world do not understand
you. They do not understand your God.
nor do they love your God." Now, should you be mean to them? Should
you not take the gracious gift if somebody gives a gift? No,
I'm not saying any of that. This is just common. These passages
in Proverbs, they're just common. But to the believer, all things
are spiritual, so you take it to that next principle. We're
alive, we're the flesh, we're human, but we're new creatures
in Christ. So if friendship is good, fellowship
is much better. Do you think, Paul, when he saw them, that they had
sacrificed to walk down to this place, to Abbey Forum, one of
the three taverns, he thanked God and took courage. I'm sure they may have talked
about the weather. They may have talked about the
Greek games that were coming up and so on and so forth. Boy,
he can throw a discus. They may have said just a little
bit. But I guarantee you, they talked about the gospel. And whether we want to admit
it or not, this world does not care about us. The believer should
and does. This little family, and little
families we got scattered across the country, and the Lord Jesus
Christ does. Fellowship. Friendship is amazing,
yet fellowship is best. Now in our text, back in our
text, what does it specifically say? Jonathan Saul's son arose
at no expense to himself, at certain danger to himself. People
were going to talk. Are you in allegiance with David?
Are you in allegiance with your father who is already on the
throne? All these political things could come up here too. He didn't
care. He ventured his life. on meeting this brethren, but
it specifically says, he went to David into the woods and strengthened
his hand in God. So fellowship is most certainly
implied. I say again, beware of plain
earthly friends. We have nothing in common with
them, spiritually that is. And this word, strengthen, it
means to fasten. To fasten one's hands. Strengthen
one another. I don't know, my hands are on
a plow, but they're getting... I kind of want to look back. I want
to do like Lot's wife. I kind of want to... And then
the brethren, we encourage... No, you keep hold on. And this is what Bruce has done
for me and I hope I've done for Bruce." She's like, you know,
I don't know. No, just keep preaching the gospel. And it means to repair. And there's not a one of us here
that doesn't have something broken. Flat tire. Flat spirit. I don't want to worship. I came,
I told them, I said, I'm in no mood to worship this morning.
Don't know what it was, woke up, just aggravated. And I thought,
and I just got looking at the text and I go, well there, it
needs to be preached. I wish all were here to hear
it. But the word strengthened, he
strengthened his hand, and then another interpreter of scripture
says, in the word of the Lord. Now that's key. Bruce was saying,
what do we have to, how do you know what decision, this and
that? It's all in the book. You look for promises in the
book, you look for direction in the book, if you don't have
it, you don't do anything. But again, we're weak. I know, the Lord establishes
my thoughts and this and that, so I don't need it. No. We feed our souls, we feed
our bodies every day, three times a day. More? Why not the Scriptures? Turn with me to Luke chapter
24. Luke chapter 24. Fellowship. You know this passage, the two
on the road to Emmaus. Behold, two of them, these are
two brethren, the same day they were walking to a village called
Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about three score furlongs, and
they talked together of all the things that had happened. What?
Christ crucified, risen from the dead, reiterated the gospel
to one another perhaps, And it came to pass that while they
communed together and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near and went
with them. But their eyes were holding that
they should not know Him. So Christ asked them, What are
you doing? And they said, Are you a stranger? Did you not know
what happened? But look at what they said. Verse 19, And He said unto them,
What things? And they said, Concerning Jesus
of Nazareth, which was a prophet, mighty indeed, and a word before
God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers
delivered them to be condemned to death and to have crucifixion. But we trusted, here we go, we
trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel. They still didn't understand.
It's like I said the other day, when you expect redemption with
the body, it may come, it may not come. Ours is, what Christ
came to do is to redeem the soul. That's kind of that horizontal
versus vertical. If you're looking here, looking
for, I got bill problems, I'm looking, boom, boom, boom. Know
what? You look up, the Lord opens her eyes. This is fellowship. This is fellowship. They're trying
to encourage one another over the events that just had occurred.
I'm sure they were upset. They fully didn't understand
because of what they said. The events perhaps were even
disappointed that Christ did not set up His earthly kingdom.
It is He we trusted. We trusted that it would have
been He that should have redeemed Israel. And besides all, this
is the third day. And certain women among us, they
were astonished and were early at the sepulcher. And then Christ, He said to them,
O fools and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets
have spoken, the Word of God. They didn't even have the New
Testament. So back to our text, Jonathan went to David in where
he was at and strengthened, fastened his hand in the Word of God. That's why we gather together. That's why the gospel must be
preached. It's the only gospel that God
will honor, it's the only gospel that will save sinners, and it's
the only gospel that will help and encourage one another. Their hearts were broken, yet
they were specifically talking about Christ. Oh, how good and
needful it is the Scripture says that we dwell together in unity,
unified under one banner, that banner is Christ, regarding one
gospel. And that one gospel is eminently
the good news of how God came to save sinners. There's promises
in this book to take note of and to believe. There's the word
to seek, to take refuge under, and one another to weep with
those who weep, and to laugh with those who laugh, and to
encourage one another. There is no truth. Linda and
I have been talking about this in this day of modern horrible
yellow journalism. There is no truth. There is no
truth but this truth. The Book of God to us. He strengthened His hand in God. He strengthened His hand in the
Word of the Lord. There is only one God, one faith,
one baptism, one Lord, even our Lord Jesus Christ. To the downcast
believer, we speak of Him whom his or her soul loves, and this
will surely remedy any situation." What Matt read in Song of Solomon.
Our beloved. We want to hear of our beloved.
Come what may, trial, persecution, tribulation, famine, peril, sword,
nakedness, a wilderness. Nothing says this infallible
book shall separate us, the elect, from the love of God which is
in Christ Jesus. If we know, or I should say,
if we have been shown ourselves, truly, which we're weak and helpless
in our own strength, oftentimes out of the way, we need helps
to fasten our faith's grip upon the kinsman-redeemer. We need
repair in our walk of faith, so to speak. Remember the text
in Acts, when Paul saw Him, he was encouraged. Yes, God can,
He can unassistedly come in and help us in a time of need, but
more often, and how kind and how tender He is to bring a true
brotherly friend to our aid, because we're flesh and blood.
The last thought, or one of the last thoughts, fellowship. I'm
sorry, this word fellowship. Now this is interesting. I've
looked this up a lot of times. Fellowship, I looked this up
in the Greek. It means, watch it, I'm going to use a word that
is a horrible word in half of 2020. Social intercourse. Hmm. Partnership. And it includes participation.
And where I got this is in Acts chapter 2 verse 42, where they
had things in common. They broke bread daily in accord
with what the apostles taught. Social interaction. The third thing, not only is
Jonathan David's friend, which we all need friends like that,
but more specifically, If it's a friend who's an unbeliever,
and I have a lot of experience in this because I've been in
the world for... There's things called casting your pearls before
swine. And if you don't think that they will not turn and rent
on you, then you haven't been shown that. But it happens. It
happens because when your heart is breaking, you need a brother or sister.
But not only friendship is important, fellowship, but encouragement.
Verses 16, 17, and 18. He strengthens his hand in God,
and then this is what he says. He didn't just go, well, this
is what he says. Jonathan says, David, fear not. Now, he could go to Isaiah, he
could go to Jeremiah, he could go to Ecclesiastes, he could
go to all these places and say, fear not, fear not. Well, he
couldn't here, but we can. Fear not. God is with you. He gives them encouragement.
For the hand of Saul, my father, he shall not find thee. There's
a second promise. And he never did. He sought.
He got close to him one time when he was backed up in that
cave. The Lord delivered him time and
time again. He will not find thee. And you
will be king over Israel. And you know what, I'm going
to be next to you. I'll resign my servitude to you even though
I'm in the next line. And Saul knows this. And so they
actually made an agreement. They shook hands, they hugged,
or whatever you want to say. This is not like James. James
2. Just stare in your text. James 2, verses 14-16. What does it profit, my brethren,
though a man say he hath faith and not works? Can faith save
him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily
food, and you say, Depart in peace, the Lord be with you,
notwithstanding he gives them not those things which he has
need of, what does it profit? Even so, faith, if it hath not
works, is dead, being alone. James. scripted, inspired word of God.
Oh, but I believe the doctrine. Do you practice the doctrine?
It's in vain. Oh, I believe, I believe, I believe
the saint ought to do this, this and that. Yeah, you've got your
dots, your eyes dotted and your T's crossed, but if you're not
doing anything, So not only was he a friend to
his friend in need, not only was he a believer in a fellowship
around the Word of God, but he actually did. Basically what James is saying
is there's talk and no action, or we say talk and no walk. He
said He strengthened His hand in God, not man. Don't tell me
what man can do for me. Tell me what Christ can do for
me. I don't care who's sitting. at Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington,
D.C. Don't tell me, tell me what great
things God has done. And in verse 17, He says, fear
not. Don't you remember the promises made to you? Do you not remember,
Rebekah, in your mind's eye, I'm sure He brought up Saul's
anointing? Do you not remember how the Lord
delivered you out of the lion and out of the bears and out
of Goliath? Humanly, that was impossible.
You didn't do that on your own strength. God sustains you. And Saul has not caught you yet,
nor in the Scriptures he doesn't do it. And in verse 18, they
shook on it. They mutually were present to
lift one another up. It's beautiful to have, and I
pray that I would be this to you and you would be this to
me. Age doesn't matter. Believing in Christ is what matters. But I've said all that, and I
left the best for last. Jonathan says in verse 17, I'm
going to be next to you. He made a statement, a declaration. He thought maybe he made a promise,
a promise of man. He made what he thought was going
to happen. Historically, this is the last
time they ever met. Never met. Jonathan was going
to be killed. So where Jonathan failed, Christ
cannot. Our Lord Jesus Christ cannot
fail. Our promises often end up like
Peter's. Lord, though everybody deny you,
I will not deny you. This was the last, as I said,
conversation these two men had. Let us always try to assist the
flock of God if we can, but we're broken vessels, we're insignificant,
and we're so sinful and often unable to fulfill what we promise
or what we speak. Yet, we must view this entire
passage, this entire scene, these verses, as a lovely gospel truth. Christ is the friend of sinners. What He said that He will do,
He has done. He is the God of all comfort,
says 2 Corinthians 1. He, God in Christ, is the one
who leads us to our wilderness. Turn with me to Isaiah chapter
2. This is what's going on here in Samuel. It fits it to a T. Hosea chapter 2, start in verse
14. The Lord speaking through His
prophet to His people, our best friend, the best friend anyone
could ever have, Chapter 2 in Hosea and verse 14, Therefore
behold, I will allure her, the sinner, and bring her into the
wilderness and speak comfortably unto her. Isn't that exactly
what's going on in Samuel? And I will give her vineyards
from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope. And
she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, as in the
day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be
at that day that I visit you, that I have opened your eyes
to see yourself, to see your miserable condition, and that
I have given you grace to repent and believe and be baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. and receive Christ by faith,
and walk with me in newness of life, it shall be in that day
that thou shalt call me Ishii, and shalt call me no more Delia,
Ishii." My husband, not my Lord. The gospel says, come. The law says, you better do this
or you're out. He leads us into the wilderness
through His Holy Spirit, and by the Gospel of His free and
sovereign grace, we hear of Christ. And it's there in the wilderness,
like it is here in Samuel, that He speaks comfortably to us. And He says lovingly, unashamedly,
and positively in Matthew 28.20, I am with you always. The government
may forsake you, Your friends may forsake you." The brethren,
like in the garden of Gethsemane, they all fled. But I am with
you always. We are not under law, we are
under His grace. In closing, turn to Proverbs
chapter 17. Proverbs 17 and verse 17. And you see Christ in both these
illustrations, these examples. A friend loves at all times. It's like Matt read, nothing,
nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. It can't happen. And a brother, is born for adversity. He is our brother. He's our lover. He's our Bauman
Gilead. He's God's sweet-smelling sacrifice,
which makes us acceptable in Him. He is a friend. Yes, He is a brother. By sweet
and sovereign grace, He has made unto us these things. A friend. Loves at all times. This friend, this Emmanuel, God with us because
God's in us and therefore God's for us. He cannot forsake His
own. He will not. He will not forsake
His own. Colossians in closing, Colossians
chapter 4. We'll look at this as Jonathan
and as our Lord Jesus Christ, because it's impossible for Him
to speak anything other than grace. But as we commune with
one another, we don't know if... you know, Tara may be in the
wilderness tomorrow. And if I can help, I need to,
but may this be... Again, the Word of God. I'm not
making this up. I'm just going to read it. Let your speech be always
with grace. Season was sought that you may
know how you ought to answer every man, in every situation. Trial, tribulation, high times,
low times, morning, evening, night. But Christ's speech was
always with grace. Because, as the Scripture says,
no man ever spake like this man. I want to be like Christ, like
Jonathan was to David. And yet, sometimes we have the
desire, but we have no ability. So, forgive me as I forgive you,
as we forgive one another for Christ's sake, who is the ultimate
friend, the ultimate brother, and he ultimately We'll bring
it back to His Father and strengthen, fasten, repair our hands in the
ways of God. He will not lose one sheep for
whom He laid down His life. To God be the glory. Bruce, would
you close us?