This friendship is preserved by God because God is central to their friendship. Very simple. You want to have a good friendship? Let God truly be center to it. Deeper friendships are made in Christ, and they're very hard to preserve over the years.
For he loved him, verse 17 still, as he loved his own soul. David knew he was loved. Too bad that Saul had no such love to give to anybody else. It's a shame that here's a man that People adored. He was head and shoulders above everyone, had all these chances, and he didn't love anybody.
Yeah. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of 1 Samuel. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically, how you can get a free copy of this teaching.
And now here's Pastor Rick in 1 Samuel chapter 20 with today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio. He says here in verse 5. And I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. He means I have to make these staff meals, the staff dinner at the new moon. I can miss all the other days of the month, but this is Compulsory, I have to be there.
He says, But let me go that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening. And this would be the second day of the month, the day that they're talking, the day of the new moon, and then the day after that, and that's in the story. You can go. Crazy. Trying to make all of these things reconcile.
You will, you can most of the time, but they are very difficult because you have got to remember so many things. There are going to be two meals. How does that happen? I thought it was just the celebration of the new moon.
Well, there's sundown to sundown.
So that's where you get the two meals in the one-day span. I mean, it's just, you have to remember little things like that. For it to make sense. Anyway, I don't care how many times you go through the scripture, it is always a lot there. It is never I got this one.
Well, it is when the Lord gives it to you for an application, but as a student, just no bottom to it. Verse 6. If your father misses me at all, then say, David earnestly asked permission of me that he might. Run over to Bethlehem. His city.
But there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. And so the family, evidently, David's family, had a New Moon Festival yearly that coincided with this staff meeting. And David is saying, I'm going to go to that. dinner with my family, and that will be my alibi. No evidence that David is lying to cover it up.
He's not telling the whole story, nor is he obligated to tell the whole story. You don't either. You don't tell the whole story. Because if you did, you'd go down to the courthouse routinely and tell them you were speeding. That was me.
I went 56 and a 55.
Some of you I've noticed. That's just As I passed you. Anyway. You know, of a selfie stick, you want to give some people an accelerator stick. Where you just hear, push this, shove this on the accelerator.
Okay, I'm having fun.
Somebody's like, I'm a slow driver, I know, just stay to the side. The shoulder of the road. Yeah. Okay. All right, let's finish this here.
Verse seven. Let me pause there. You younger Christians, you newer drivers, I am not encouraging you to speed. I am encouraging you to stay out of my way. It's not tricky.
All right. And I don't speed, I just go faster than what they say I should. Verse 7: if he says thus, It is well. Your servant will be safe. David is going, this ain't gonna happen.
But, Jonathan, I gotta say it to you because you're just dense in the head. And this is a serious problem. It's a serious problem to be hunted for your life, and your best friend doesn't believe it. It's a big problem. He says, but if he is very angry, be sure that evil is determined by him.
Well, Saul is going to be very angry at being denied the chance to slaughter David at the meal, at the sacrificial meal. David's supposed to be the sacrifice, according to Saul. Who cares about what God wants? I want to kill him. And so David needed Jonathan to see this.
And he knew David would play music and he probably would glance up and see Saul glaring at him with hatred. A dirty look? with daggers. And he knew he was hated by this point, and he had given up on it. Saul was irretrievable.
There was no way to get him back. And he never does come back. And as far as we know, whatever happens between him and God is beyond us, but between Man and his service towards God and man, we have the full story. Why is it that victims of gross wrongs and the circumstances that they have to suffer are so easily misunderstood even by loved ones. Why is it?
You know, if something happens to you, someone, they broke into my car.
Well, you shouldn't have parked it there. Why am I the villain? I'm the victim here. I mean, it's a difference, you know, if you go in a bad neighborhood with cash hanging out of your pockets and you get mugged.
Well, that's different. But to be a genuine victim. And have people say, well, you must have done something wrong. I'm like that a little bit. If the washing machine acts up or something, what'd you do?
It just can't be the machine, it has to be you. but on a larger scale. This is As you read the story, this is some of what's going on here in part of the lesson.
Someone clearly doing you wrong, while others make excuses for the run that's doing the wrong. Why? Why doesn't Jonathan say, Listen, I saw him with that spear thing in you, I know he hates you, I've seen him glaring at you with that look, I know he hates you. Why didn't he just do that and skip this whole step? Because humans aren't that way.
We are very complex in the positive and in the negative. And that's why people, you know, what is the meaning of life? Why do I do what I do? Let's sit down and talk about me for an hour. God says, okay, come to church.
Come to Calvary Chapel. You get a whole hour of talking about you in my presence. Just by opening the Word of God. Verse 8. Therefore, you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant with Yahweh with you.
Nevertheless, if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, why should you bring me to your father? Let's get it over with. And you know, when you're the victim, sometimes you begin to second-guess yourself. Maybe I did something to deserve this. What did I do?
Nothing. Again, David, you're hated for absolutely nothing by this man. And most people can't understand it because it has not happened to them. They lack. discernment and perception.
They can't look at this and say, what is really happening here? Or even ask God, show me what is going on. That you're going to be used more and more as a Christian. You want those skills to be able to perceive, to know what's truly going on as best you can. And so, verse 9, but Jonathan said, Far be it from you, for if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?
In other words, I would tell you, Jonathan, wake up. Wake up! It's not It's not as happy as you think it is there in Gieah. Verse 10 And David said to Jonathan, Who will tell me? Or What if your father answers you roughly?
So they're trying to figure out a plan, how are they going to Verify or validate David's fears. And he's looking For answers from Jonathan about notifying him about how this is going to do. Again, David has no illusion about Saul's many attempts to murder him, just everybody else does. And man, I would not want to be David in this situation. But over the years I've come across them.
I've come across people who no one else understands why they are being attacked. In time, some you lose touch with, but others they do work out for the righteous. And you know, all David wanted to do was slay the giant. and serve his king in the name of Yahweh. and that was stripped from him by one fool, Because of his Devotion to self, Saul's devotion to him.
He was devout. about himself. Imagine living this way. What a hard way to live to Always wanna be pleased and always wanna be happy and always wanna be exalted. Who wants to live that way?
I don't want to live that way. Yeah, I don't want to live the hard way, but if If there were a room full of souls, I'd be better off without them. Verse 11, and Jonathan said to David, Come, let us go into the field.
So both of them went into the field.
Now this takes them away from the ears of others. There were servants around. Verse twelve. Then Jonathan said to David, Yahweh, God of Israel, is witness. When I have sounded out my father, Sometime to morrow, on the third day, and indeed there is good toward David.
And I do not Send to you and tell you. In other words, if. I find out that my dad loves you and doesn't want to hurt you. Be sure, David, I'm going to get that information to you. I'm not going to withhold it.
I'm going to settle this as quickly as we can. Verse 13, may Yahweh do so. And much more to Jonathan. A bit dramatic. But if It pleases my Father to do you evil.
Then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And Yahweh be with you as he has been with my father. Jonathan, it does please your dad to do evil to me. Where he says, And Yahweh be with you as he was with my father.
Well, God was with Saul. called him to the throne. and gave him early victories. And Saul threw it away. And the Spirit was given to David.
to be king and David is being shaped. Into being the ruler that he will be. Verse fourteen. And you shall not only show me kindness, Of Yahweh while I still live. That I may not die.
Jonathan saying, I'm risking my life by siding you to begin with. And when you do become ruler, Don't purge the house of Saul, me being one of them. Which was the custom of the kings. That's all in this. Let's come out a little bit more, verse 15.
But you shall not cut off my. Kindness from my house forever. No, not when Yahweh has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.
So there it is. Jonathan knew that. God's hand was on David. It is coming out more and more in the kingdom. that David is going to succeed and he is going to be the ruler.
Jonathan is not expecting. To die with his demonized father on Mount Gilboa, he is expecting to live a long life, have children and grandchildren, and be David's friend. and not be executed by David. This is what he's talking to David about. And they've brought Yahweh into this because that's how they did business, rightfully so.
God was in all of their thoughts. And Saul, of course, is insane with efforts to stop this friendship between these two men. Abigail would later confirm that David would be king. 1 Samuel 25, she says, Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life. This is sometime later.
We don't know exactly how much time, but some time. But the life of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with Yahweh your God, and. The lives of your enemies. He shall sling out. As from the pocket of a sling.
She's pretty articulate, this is poetic. She's bringing in to David's future David's past. God is going to sling out your enemies like you put that sling on that giant. That's what she's saying to him. Davis got this army in back of him and she's got a donkey with Raisins and bread.
And she's just cool as a cucumber. Every chance I get to talk about Abigail, I take. She is by far my favorite woman in all the Bible. You don't have to agree with that. When we get to Abigail I'm going to hammer it yet again.
So I'm just prophetic like that. And it shall come to pass, she continues to say, When Yahweh has done for my Lord according to all the good he has spoken concerning you. and has appointed you ruler over Israel.
So the word was getting out. And Jonathan had glimpses of it. Saul may have. I don't think Saul had enough of it yet. He did certainly have some.
No question. Anyway, David remembered Jonathan telling him this, because David is. Giving us this information. And that ancient practice of killing Anyone who is perceived a threat to the throne, Is what David and Jonathan are hammering out here in their own friendly way. And this is the case with Adonijah.
When David was still alive.
Solomon was not yet crowned. Adonijah crowned himself. He was Absalom's brother. It seems as though rebellion ran in that side of David's harem. Anyway, quickly David's men rallied to Solomon's support.
And they got Solomon crowned by David. And Solomon warned Adonijah: don't do this again. But he did. Because it meant that He was going to kill Solomon. And that's what was told.
Bathsheba, if you do not go in and tell the king what is going on. They're going to kill you and Solomon.
So you go tell David what's happening, and I'll come in right behind you. And on the strength of two witnesses, the king will make a decision, the right decision, and that is just what happened.
So my point for bringing this up is to say that everybody knew if you had a rival to your throne, you would kill them. And Jonathan is saying, David, I don't want you to kill my family. I'm not going to be a problem. This is why Herod killed the innocents in Bethlehem. David will make good on this because he will elevate Mephibosheth.
the son of Jonathan, to his position of honor in David's Kingdom. And Mofibosheth, the man with the difficult name to pronounce. He's quite a hero, and he gets a bad deal. He gets a tough life. The whole life is kind of messed up, but we'll get to that when we get to 2 Samuel.
He says here in the bottom of verse 15: Not when Yahweh has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth. He's saying, God is going to cut off all of your enemies, that includes Saul. He knows it's going to go well with David, but not yet. Who would I be in the story? The hero.
Very simple. We all have to ask ourselves, who would I be in this story? Who wants to be Saul? Raise your hand. Verse 16.
Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let Yahweh require it at the hand of David's enemies. And this is something important here, where it all comes down to reinforcing their loyalties, their friendship. Jonathan is caught in the middle. David is caught at the bottom. And a hundred percent of the cause is one psychosol.
May we not allow a rift between two other people. to be the reason why we're no longer loyal. to where we need to be loyal. See, that's the lesson from Jonathan. Look, I know he's messed up.
I'm not that way. No, I cannot betray him. But I don't have to betray you either. And he's quite honorable. Romans chapter 16, verse 17.
Here's Paul's recipe for dealing with people who. Cause a rift. In the church, or amongst friends, he says, Now I urge you, brethren, Romans 16:17, note those who cause divisions and offenses. contrary to the doctrine. Which you learned.
and avoid them.
Sound wisdom.
Some don't learn to. They think that they can well, you know, they just need a You just need a little talking to. It's like fifty people have talked to them and fifty people have been divided by them. Fools go in where angels fear to tread. Verse 17.
Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul. Their friendship. Menaced by one influencer, that Saul, again. But this friendship is preserved by God because God is central to their friendship. Very simple.
You want to have a good friendship? Let God truly be centered to it. Deeper friendships are made in Christ, and they're very hard to preserve over the years. For he loved him, verse 17 still, as he loved his own soul. David knew he was loved.
too bad that Saul had no such love to give to anybody else. It's a shame that here's a man that People adored. He was head and shoulders above everyone. He had all these chances and he didn't love anybody. He didn't love Samuel.
And that's usually a passage. Again, fiddler on the roof. You like the scene where they're talking about, you know, you've got the butcher and this person and our beloved rabbi, because to them, their faith is central. to their Existence. And that's a right way to go about it.
Unfortunately, it was Judaism and tradition and not Scripture.
So instead of saying tradition, it should have been scripture, that's what the cry should have been.
So here He is loved. Saul hoarded love. Any love coming into Saul, he kept it and it festered in there. This is the dead sea. No love coming out of him.
Just love me. Give me attention. Give me what I want. And Jonathan never allowed the hatred of his father. and the delusions of his father to creep into his own heart.
quite honourable again. Of Jonathan, because a lot of people they would succumb to that. You hate David, I hate David. You're my dad, I'm siding with you. I don't care if you're wrong before God.
Your family. I belong to another family whose inheritance Is from the throne of God. And the allegiance first is to the Lord. And that should not upset people. I don't know why people get upset by that.
They feel like you're going to come and. Burn down their house now, your enemy, because you love God? The world treats us that way. The world is infuriated that we dare love God more than love them. And that's a tough cookie for them, but they're going to have to eat it.
Verse 18. Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon. And you will be missed because your seat will be empty. And when, verse 19, you have stayed Three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid on the day of the deed and remain by the stone of Ezel. The day of the new moon, we've covered that.
Restricting him to 72 hours, when they say three days, not 72 hours, but they're going from sunup to sundown. It simplified everything. They didn't have a wall calendar or a watch for time. The sun up, the sun down, that pretty much set the rhythm for how they did business. And what he says, the place where you hid on the day of the deed, a bit obscure.
I wish Jonathan, well, David telling the story. I like to think it's David because Jonathan did not live to tell the story. David did. Is he referring to the time when he first fled Saul or the assassins? I don't know.
None of the commentators, I mean, I checked like 20 or 30 of them. They're all Either silent on it or not, really, the answer that I'm comfortable with. Anyway, and it's not a big thing.
So I've spent three minutes. Discussing about an obscure verse that has nothing really to do with anything. Oh, my doctrine's going to fall apart. I don't know where David hid and why. Does that look goofy saying that?
No, you know what? You're looking goofy when you stepped up there. Don't worry about it. It was a nice change. The place where you hid on the day of the deed, moving down to verse 20.
Then I will shoot three arrows on the side as though I shot at a target. Interesting, one arrow for each of them? David saw on Jonathan. I don't think that's what he meant, but you know, you see that when you study too hard. Verse 21: And there I will send a lad, saying, Go find the arrows.
If I expressly say to the lad, Look, the arrows are on this side of you, get them and come. Then, As the Lord lives, there is safety for you and no harm.
So the prearranged signal: I'm going to take a lad out, I'm going to fire three arrows. If I tell the lad, go get the arrows and bring them back, David, it's all good. David is going, it ain't going to happen. Verse 22, but If I say to the young man, Look, the arrows are beyond you. Go your way, for Yahweh has sent you away.
Words that David does not want to hear, but he's going to hear them. He knows it. David knows this is a nightmare. Remember, we, I don't know, chapter 18, the nightmare begins. And it is ongoing.
Verse twenty three And as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed Yahweh be between you and me.
So he's not letting it go, the oath. Yahweh is central to everything these two men are doing. And so they're keeping it right up in front. And so David telling the story is the one emphasizing this. You know, we had this agreement before God.
And both of us were committed to making sure we held up our end of the covenant. And they did. Verse twenty four Then David hid in the field, and when the new moon had come, the king sat down to eat the feast.
Now We don't learn about these things so we can use them for evil's sake. Let's make a covenant to do evil. It's a covenant to be obedient to God. That is important.
So David, verse 24, hid in the field, not immediately. He goes to Bethlehem, and at some point he comes back to the field. It'd be kind of difficult for him to hang out there. In Gibeah, extended period of time without being detected. Anyway, here's Israel's future king hiding like this in the field, waiting, nauseous, all the things that come with what does my future hold for me?
Where am I going to go? And he's probably, where am I going to go? If I go home, just all kill my family. These you know, this is sickening. His entire future hinges upon where that arrow is going to remain.
Either in Jonathan's custody because the lad got it. Or in the field somewhere. Verse 25.
Now the king sat on his seat. As at other times, on a seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty. And this, of course, information gets out, but there he is. Sitting Saul's back to the wall, how typical.
Yeah, who's gonna sneak up on you, Sol? You're not that important! What policies are you making for anybody to protest? The only policy Saul had is let's kill David. Good morning, Saul.
Let's kill David. Golly, can this story be in my Bible? Is this true? Every word of it, and there are people who have to suffer this in life.
So, anyway, verse 26, nevertheless. Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought something has happened to him. He is unclean, surely he is unclean. Boy, do they capture the moment. The monster knows the prey is not in the trap.
And you can hear him, he's unclean, he's unclean. You're unclean. You're planning to kill someone at a Yahweh festival. You're the unclean one, you nut. Yeah.
Uh Thanks for joining us for today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Virginia. Currently, Pastor Rick is in the book of 1 Samuel. If you'd like to listen again to this or other messages or share it with someone you know, please visit crossreferenceradio.com. Here, you can also listen to interviews with Pastor Rick to learn more about his life and ministry.
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