Bible Study - Sidekicks (3) - David and Jonathan - 1 Samuel 18:5-16 - August 4, 2024

 

Bible Study – Sidekicks (3) – David and Jonathan – 1 Samuel 18:5-16 - August 4, 2024

Serve with excellence even when that work is not appreciated by others.

Our focus scripture is 1 Samuel 18:5-16.

David’s Success

Let’s read 1 Samuel 1-4: (Background)

David and King Saul’s son, Jonathan, had a special bond with each other. It was a close friendship. I know our eldest son had a close relationship with a dear friend and we often thought of David and Jonathan’s relationship.

David and Jonathan remained close friends through very troubling times. We will study Jonathan next week.

When you study the lives of King Saul and David, we see the true heart of David and of King Saul.

To me the key take-away regarding David is that “even as one after GOD’S own heart, you can fall into grievous sin.”

Let’s explore!!!

Background as recorded in 1 Samuel 13:7b-11: (King Saul was fighting the Philistines, when King Saul realized they were in trouble from a military perspective.)

Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear. ⁸ He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel (The Prophet) had set, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. ⁹ So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering.

¹⁰ Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So, Saul went out to greet him, ¹¹ and Samuel asked, “What have you done?”

Most often when we get tired of waiting and take matters into our own hands, it means trouble. I know, I have been there and when we take matters into our own hands, it is a harsh teaching lesson from GOD. When GOD tells us to wait, that is what we are to do. Wait, pray, and trust. It is a test for us to wait upon GOD.

This was the beginning of the end of the reign of King Saul.

David’s dad sent David with provisions for David’s brothers who were on the battlefield. David heard what Goliath was saying to the Israelites as recorded in 1 Samuel 17: Goliath appears on the battlefield:

⁴ Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches^[a][b] tall.

 ⁸ He (Goliath) stood and shouted to the Israelite battle formations, “Why do you come out to line up in battle formation?” He asked them, “Am I not a Philistine and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me. ⁹ If he wins in a fight against me and kills me, we will be your servants. But if I win against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.” ¹⁰ Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel today. Send me a man so we can fight each other!” ¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.

Who do we turn to when we face the giants in our lives?

David heard what Goliath said and was insulted and stepped up to the challenge. ³³ But Saul replied, “You can’t go fight this, Philistine. You’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since he was young.”

Often, people in authority will discourage those with no apparent experience or less experience. But in whom do we place our faith when we encounter obstacles in our life’s journey? David had a history of conquering the lion and the bear. Notice in whom David trusted in verse 37. David explains why he is qualified to fight Goliath.

³⁴ David answered Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur,^[g] strike it down, and kill it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” ³⁷ Then David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Our past experience of walking and trusting in GOD prepares us for life’s bigger challenges we face in life’s journey.

Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”

Now, let’s fast forward to David speaking with King Saul sometime after he defeated Goliath.

Let’s read 1 Samuel 18:5-7:

18 When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan was bound to David in close friendship,^[a] and loved him as much as he loved himself. ² Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father’s house.

³ Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as much as himself. ⁴ Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt. (Transfer of authority.)

⁵ David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the fighting men, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well.

⁶ As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments. ⁷ As they danced, the women sang: Saul has killed his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands.

⁸ Saul was furious and resented this song. “They credited tens of thousands to David,” he complained, “but they only credited me with thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?” ⁹ So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.

Jealousy is a tool Satan uses to cause others to despise those who get the attention for what they are doing. We, as Christians, must be on our guard to resist getting jealous when others get credit for something we were either involved in or wanted to be involved in.

Saul Attempts to Kill David.

¹⁰ The next day an evil spirit sent from God came powerfully on Saul, and he began to rave^[b] inside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual, but Saul was holding a spear, ¹¹ and he threw it, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David got away from him twice.

Jealousy blinded the mind of King Saul and pulled him from being under the canopy of GOD’S protection. When we remove ourselves or circumstances remove us from the canopy of GOD’S protection, we must confess it and ask for GOD to place HIS canopy of grace over us and give us the strength to overcome the desires of our flesh.

It is clear that David was a man after GOD’S own heart but even though a person is the apple of GOD’S eye, he/she must never get self-sufficient.

Let’s read 1 Samuel 18:12-17:

¹² Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had left Saul. ¹³ Therefore, Saul sent David away from him and made him commander over a thousand men. David led the troops ¹⁴ and continued to be successful in all his activities because the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul observed that David was remarkably successful, he dreaded him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was leading their troops. ¹⁷ Saul told David, “Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife if you will be a warrior for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I don’t need to raise a hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

King Saul knew that GOD was with David and that GOD had left him.

What does a person do when they feel that GOD has abandoned him or her? First, what does the scripture reveal to those who have been Spirit-born through faith in JESUS?

Hebrews 13:5 - ⁵ Keep your lifestyle free from the love of money and be content with what you have. For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,”

Lifestyle is especially important. Spirit-born Christins must keep their focus on their relationship with GOD and JESUS. Yes, Spirit-born Christians are subject to sin and even-though their citizenship is eternally secure, their Heavenly rewards are subject to the test of fire, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 - 13 each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, he/she will experience^[e] loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.

King David is a prime example as recorded in 2 Samuel 11:1 In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. ² One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. ³ So David sent someone to inquire about her, and he said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hethite?” ^[a]

David changed his routine activity and remained home when he would have normally gone off with his troops. The rest of the story is recorded in 2 Samuel Chapters 11 and 12.

Just because we may be a person after GOD’S own heart, it does not mean that you will not end up in grievous sin. When we battle serious temptation, ask fellow believers to stand with you and help you until you get on the other side of the temptation. This may take a while. A person must have others to pray with him/her, trust GOD and DO NOT PLACE YOURSELF IN A VULNERABLE POSITION.

Blessings!!!