13th November 2023

13th November 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read - 1 Samuel 18:1-4


Message Alan Burke 


It’s probably a bit of an understatement to say things are not like they were when we were wains, it’s 2023 and the differences that we have seen in our lifetimes is stark. We come to a passage today that the change that has taken place in the past number of years has influenced many peoples reading of the passage, the relationship of David and Jonathan the love that they had for one another. Some would say that it’s obviously not just a friendship. But then we are very good at coming with our own preconceived ideas and our baggage to scripture even reading ourselves into the text so this is not surprising. We pick up after David had just shot to fame the one who was too young and too little to fight was now a warrior of Israel. 


In a world like this then it misses so much of what goes on here in this passage reading those presuppositions into the passage, and for men when a deep friendship with another man can only be seen through this lens there is something sad about that which impoverishes us for in this age men are so often the one who lack meaningful relationships with other men. The Hebrew word that is used here and translated as love refers of many different types of relationships, we see only the emotional aspect, but it is used for God, for the Love of God’s people. 


There is something significant that happens here that makes this love that Jonathan has for David so surprising. As we think of that think to how many times we have seen it in, possibly even in our own lives people falling out over money, over land, over inheritance, it seems that it brings out the worst in people, the knives come out, the claws, the handbags and most of the time don’t realise that it won’t make you happier and you definitely can’t take it with you. What makes this significant is that Jonathan is figuratively handing over everything to David. 


Taking off his robe, his tunic, his sword, his bow and belt, everything here is confounding expectation because Jonathan is next in line to be the king, he should be weary of David, he should see him as a rival for the throne, for all he would inherit, he should have hated David but instead of eliminating his rival he embraces him, turning everything on his head. Everything that Jonathan gave to David was that which signified his position as the royal son, as the next in line to the throne and by giving them to David he was renouncing his claim on it, renouncing his position as crown price and transferring it to David, he is saying this is the successor of my father and not I. 


It’s striking isn’t it, the next in line for the throne passes it to another, it goes against everything that we normally hear, expect, we would expect Jonathan to be promoting himself, its what people do, looking out for himself, trying to keep David down instead of wilfully submitting, but here everything was turned on his head, for in faith Jonathan saw that David was the Lord’s true king, he sees the Lord’s anointed, the Christ who would rule and surrenders his rights to him.


We as God’s people must be willing to like Jonathan give our selves, our entire lives, our future to the Lord’s anointed or are we just like the rest of the world, the people that surround us as Saul we will soon think as an example of, are we those who are so keen to strengthen and keep safe our own little kingdoms, of home and family, wanting it our way for us an those who come after or are we willing to submit to the Lord’s anointed, acknowledging him as the one who deserves our all. Each day we make choices to submit to the Lord’s anointed or not and that speaks volumes. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q95 To whom is baptism to be administered?
Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; (Acts 8:36–38, Acts 2:38) but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized. (Acts 2:38–39, Gen. 17:10, Col. 2:11–12, 1 Cor. 7:14)
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