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Friday, February 28, 2014

The Covenant Between David And Jonathan



1 Samuel 20:1-42 NIV







David and Jonathan





1Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to kill me?”


2“Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”


3But David took an oath and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as The Lord Lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”





4Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”


5So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. 6If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’ 7If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me. 8As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before The Lord. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”


9“Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”


10David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”


11“Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.


12Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by The Lord, The GOD of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? 13But if my father intends to harm you, may The Lord Deal With Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May The Lord Be With you as HE Has Been With my father.


14 But show me unfailing kindness like The Lord’s Kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, 15and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when The Lord Has Cut Off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”


16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May The Lord Call David’s enemies to account.” 17And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.


18Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. 20I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. 21Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as The Lord Lives, you are safe; there is no danger. 22But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, because The Lord Has Sent you away. 23And about the matter you and I discussed—remember, The Lord Is Witness between you and me forever.”


24So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feast came, the king sat down to eat. 25He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan,a and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty.26Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.” 27But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”


28Jonathan answered, “David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. 29He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”


30Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? 31As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”


32“Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. 33But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.









34Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.


35In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him,




36and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.37When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” 38Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. 




39(The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) 40Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”


41After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.




42Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the Name of The Lord, saying, ‘The Lord Is Witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’ ” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.









The Covenant Between David and Jonathan Renewed by oath In The Name of JEHOVAH




The private dialogue, which is here detailed at full length, presents a most beautiful exhibition of these two amiable and noble-minded friends. Jonathan was led, in the circumstances, to be the chief speaker. The strength of his attachment, his pure disinterestedness, his warm piety, his invocation to GOD (consisting of a prayer and a solemn oath combined), the calm and full expression he gave of his conviction that his own family were, by the Divine Will, to be disinherited, and David elevated to the possession of the throne, the covenant entered into with David on behalf of his descendants, and the imprecation (1Samuel 20:16) denounced on any of them who should violate his part of the conditions, the reiteration of this covenant on both sides (1Samuel 20:17) to make it indissoluble—all this indicates such a power of mutual affection, such magnetic attractiveness in the character of David, such susceptibility and elevation of feeling in the heart of Jonathan, that this interview for dramatic interest and moral beauty stands unrivalled in the records of any human friendship.







Saul Tries To Kill David



1 Samuel 19:1-24 NIV







Saul Tries to Kill David





1Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David 2and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 3I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”





4Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”


6Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as The Lord lives, David will not be put to death.”


7So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.


8Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.


9But an evil spirit from The Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, 10Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, 




but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.




11Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. 





13Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.


14When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, “He is ill.”


15Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” 16But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.


17Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?”


Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’ ”


18When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”; 20so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, The Spirit of God came on Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.21Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”


“Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said.





23So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But The Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. 24He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”






In the time of trouble, David made JEHOVAH his Refuge



Michal's trick to gain time until David got to a distance was allowable, but her falsehood manifests that she was not influenced by the same spirit of piety which had dictated Jonathan's language to Saul.


In fleeing to Samuel, David made GOD his refuge. Samuel, as a prophet, was best able to advise him what to do in this day of distress. He met with little rest or satisfaction in Saul's court, therefore went to seek it in Samuel's people. What little pleasure is to be had in this world, those have who live a life of communion with GOD; to that David returned in the time of trouble.


So impatient was Saul after David's blood, so restless against him, that although baffled by one providence after another, he could not see that David was under the special protection of GOD. And when GOD Will Take this way to protect David, even Saul prophesies. Many have great gifts, yet no grace; they may prophesy in CHRIST's Name, yet are disowned by Him.


Let us daily seek for renewing Grace of The HOLY SPIRIT, which shall be in us as a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Let us cleave to truth and holiness with full purpose of heart. In every danger and trouble, let us seek protection, comfort, and direction in GOD's Providence.

















Saul Was Afraid Of David Because JEHOVAH Was With Him



1 Samuel 18:1-30 NIV







Saul’s Growing Fear of David





1After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.


5Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.


6When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres.


7As they danced, they sang:


“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands.”




8Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.


10 The next day an evil spirit from GOD came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. 




Saul had a spear in his hand 11and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.




12Saul was afraid of David, because The Lord Was With David but had departed from Saul. 13So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 14In everything he did he had great success, because The Lord Was With him. 15When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.


17Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of The Lord.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”


18But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 19So when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.




20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.21“I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”




22Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’ ”


23They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”


24When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 25Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’ ” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.


26When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.




28When Saul realized that The Lord Was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, 29Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.


30The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.






Michal Loves David




The king does not desire any dowry - In Eastern countries the husband purchases his wife either by gifts or services. As neither David nor his family were in circumstances to give a suitable dowry for a princess, the king intimated that he would be graciously pleased to accept some gallant deed in the public service.


But A hundred foreskins of the Philistines - Such mutilations on the bodies of their slain enemies were commonly practiced in ancient war, and the number told indicated the glory of the victory. Saul's willingness to accept a public service had an air of liberality, while his choice of so difficult and hazardous a service seemed only putting a proper value on gaining the king's daughter. But Saul covered a disguised malice against David under this proposal.