1st December 2023

1st December 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read - 1 Samuel 20:23-42


Message Alan Burke 


The passage started with Jonathan doing all that he could to defend his father who was indefensible, as it continued we had David and Jonathan agreeing in effect to put Saul to the test to prove to Jonathan that David wasn’t spouting some nonsense and that his father really wanted to kill him. It’s now the time of the test with the new moon festival having arrived and their plan swung into motion and day one goes without a hitch, but then the second day comes and David is not there and Saul’s rage is evident. Jonathan received the full Saul’s anger, abusive, extreme, verging on the obscene. In the tongue lashing (30), Saul calls Jonathan “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman!” that’s the nice way of putting, you can use your imagination and infer what is being said in everyday language. The literal truth was not that Jonathan was the son of a perverse woman, but a perverse rebellious man. He perceives that his son has chosen the son of Jesse, rather the Lord had chosen the son of Jesse, Jonathan may not have understood it fully covenanting himself to David but it seems that Saul knew. 


Still in a rage, Saul tried to take the life of his own son, the heir to the throne, for he identified Jonathan with David, now Jonathan knew what it was to fear his father, the fear David had experienced, he knew that Saul had determined to destroy David, it demonstrated his fathers hatred. While David was better to have stayed away we could have hardly expected the severity of the response that comes from Saul, the vile anger that flares up within in. The crux of all of this is that Saul was rebelling against the Lord and his anointed, he knew that as long as David lived his kingdom would fail as a result it wasn’t enough just to exile David he need to kill him. 


Jonathan had to choose between his father, his own legacy and the LORD and he chose the LORD. What is it for us, are we focused on securing our own kingdoms our own legacies, is it on making a name for ourselves or is it on the Lord, do we live as crown princes desiring to make our own way, living how we want, making our mark or do we seek to live the Lord’s way, living how he desires seeking to leave his mark on all that we do? It was a costly choice for Jonathan yet it was the right one, it was a liberating one, and for us it is a costly choice, between the LORD and the things of this life, (like a building or an organisation) yet it is the only one choice and it is a liberating one, life that does not consist in achieving our own goals or fulfilling our potential but living for the LORD God. 


In the closing scene is an emotional one. There are recorded the last words Jonathan speaks to David, telling him to go in peace seem almost laughable when Saul was seeking his life, but Jonathan was being sincere, for he is not claiming that there is pace for David that he will not meet danger on every hand, but that David can go because there is peace between the two of them. There is an anchor here between these men that they will hold fast to one another in the midst of all that will now transpire. Jesus told his followers “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33). For all those who know and love the Lord we do not have peace because things are peaceful but because we have peace with God. We have peace, peace between us and the LORD because of what Jesus Christ has done, we have security because of the covenant in his blood and know that no matter what unfolds in this life, today, tomorrow that through faith we will spend eternity with him. So what ever we face, we know that even though there is much to fear in our present world, there are real enemies, dangers, just like David and Jonathan we can look to the future to the kingdom that is coming.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q4 What is God?
God is a Spirit, (John 4:24) infinite, (Job 11:7–9) eternal, (Ps. 90:2) and unchangeable, (James 1:17) in his being, (Exod. 3:14)wisdom, (Ps. 147:5) power, (Rev. 4:8) holiness, (Rev. 15:4) justice, goodness, and truth. (Exod. 34:6–7)
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