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Please turn with me in your Bibles 
to 1 Samuel chapter 20. We will return, God willing, 
to our study in the Gospel of Matthew in a few weeks. Just 
looking at some of these chapters dealing with the life of David, 
hopefully it's been an encouragement for you to see in many respects 
God's grace, God's provision, God's kindness fleshed out in 
the lives of God's people. Certainly we get that in the 
New Testament as well, but in many respects when we look at 
the Old Testament, we see sort of ordinary life events. We see 
God's people in the grind, and we see them in the difficulty, 
and we see them in their afflictions. And through that, we see the 
faithfulness and the goodness of our God in providing care 
to them. Well, 1 Samuel 20 is no different. Remember, after the victory in 
the Valley of Elah, when David returns, we see that Saul is 
filled with rage, and envy, and malice, and even a degree of 
madness of heart toward David. We saw how covertly he tries 
to exterminate David in chapter 18. By the time we get to chapter 
19, that's over. That means it is avowed. It is 
spoken specifically to servants and to Jonathan. And there are 
several attempts upon the life of David in 1 Samuel 19. I mentioned 
that if there was one word that we could sort of use to tie up 
chapter 19, it would be deliverance. Well, as we come to chapter 20, 
if we had to tie up this under one heading, it would be covenant. And specifically that covenant 
between David and Jonathan, which as I hope to show at the end 
of the message, It certainly typifies or points forward to 
that new covenant that we have relative to our Lord Jesus. But 
I do want to read the chapter. I realize it's a longer chapter, 
but it's good for us to have the text before our eyes. So 
let us begin in 1 Samuel 20 at verse 1. Then David fled from 
Naoth and Ramah and went and said to Jonathan, What have I 
done? What is my iniquity and what is my sin before your father 
that he seeks my life? So Jonathan said to him, by no 
means, you shall not die. Indeed, my father will do nothing 
either great or small without first telling me. And why should 
my father hide this thing from me? Is it not so? Then David 
took an oath again and said, your father certainly knows that 
I have found favor in your eyes. And he has said, do not let Jonathan 
know this lest he be grieved. But truly as the Lord lives and 
as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death. 
So Jonathan said to David, whatever you yourself desire, I will do 
it for you. And David said to Jonathan, indeed, 
tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with 
the king to eat. But let me go that I may hide 
in the field until the third day at evening. If your father 
misses me at all, then say, David earnestly asked permission of 
me that he might run over to Bethlehem, his city, for there 
is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. If he says thus, 
it is well. Your servant will be safe, but 
if he is very angry, be sure that evil is determined by him. 
Therefore, you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have 
brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. Nevertheless, 
if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you 
bring me to your father?" 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? Then David 
said to Jonathan, who will tell me, or what if your father answers 
you roughly? And Jonathan said to David, come, 
let us go into the field. So both of them went out into 
the field. Then Jonathan said to David, the Lord God of Israel 
is witness. When I have sounded out my father 
sometime tomorrow or the third day, and indeed there is good 
toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you, may the 
Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. 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 the Lord be with you as he 
has been with my father. And you shall not only show me 
the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not 
die. but you shall not cut off your 
kindness from my house forever. No, not when the Lord has cut 
off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the 
earth." So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David saying, 
let the Lord require it at the hand of David's enemies. Now 
Jonathan again caused David to vow because he loved him. For 
he loved him as he loved his own soul. Then Jonathan said 
to David, tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed 
because your seat will be empty. And when 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 Eitzel. Then I will 
shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target. 
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. But if I say thus to the young 
man, look, the arrows are beyond you. Go your way, for the Lord 
has sent you away. And as for the matter which you 
and I have spoken of, indeed the Lord be between you and me 
forever.' Then David hid in the field, and when the new moon 
had come, the king sat down to eat the feast. 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. Nevertheless, Saul did not say 
anything that day for he thought something has happened to him. 
He is unclean. Surely he is unclean. And it 
happened the next day, the second day of the month that David's 
place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan, his 
son, why has the son of Jesse not come to eat either yesterday 
or today? So Jonathan answered Saul, David 
earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. And he 
said, please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the 
city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now if I 
have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see 
my brothers. Therefore he has not come to 
the king's table. Then Saul's anger was aroused 
against Jonathan, and he said to him, you son of a perverse, 
rebellious woman. Do I not know that you have chosen 
the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your 
mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse 
lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your 
kingdom. Therefore, send and bring him 
to me, for he shall surely die.' Jonathan answered Saul, his father, 
and said to him, Why should he be killed? What has he done? 
And Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan 
knew that it was determined by his father to kill David. So 
Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food 
the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, 
because his father had treated him shamefully. And so it was 
in the morning, Jonathan went out into the field, at the time 
appointed with David, and a little lad was with him. Then he said 
to his lad, now run, find the arrows which I shoot. As the 
lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. When the lad had come to 
the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan 
cried out after the lad and said, is not the arrow beyond you? 
Jonathan cried out after the lad, make haste, hurry, do not 
delay. So Jonathan's lad gathered up 
the arrows and came back to his master. The lad did not know 
anything. Only Jonathan and David knew 
of the matter. Then Jonathan gave his weapons 
to his lad and said to him, go, carry them to the city. As soon 
as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, 
fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And 
they kissed one another, and they wept together, but David 
more so. Then Jonathan said to David, 
Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, 
saying, May the Lord be between you and me, and between your 
descendants and my descendants forever. So he arose and departed, 
and Jonathan went into the city. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank you for this book of 1 Samuel. We thank you 
for the life of David. which teaches us certainly about 
the God of heaven and earth. We thank you for your care. We 
thank you for your provision. We thank you for your kindness. 
And we know and acknowledge, even with the hymn writer, that 
you do work in mysterious ways your wonders to perform. But 
you have purposed and you have promised that all things do work 
for good to those who love you, to those who are the called according 
to your purpose. I pray that you would encourage 
our hearts as we study scripture. I pray that you would forgive 
us of all of our sins and unrighteousness as we come to the scriptures. 
I pray that you would wash us in that precious fount that is 
open for sin and uncleanness. As well, God, supply the Holy 
Spirit so that we may be led into all truth. I pray for the 
Spirit to be at work in the hearts of unbelievers. I pray, God, 
that you would bring conviction for sin and show them a greater 
than David, a greater than Jonathan, even our Lord Jesus Christ, who 
went to the cross, sinners to save. how we thank you for the 
gospel, how we thank you for your mercies, how we thank you 
that you have blessed us so richly with every spiritual blessing 
in the heavenly places in Christ. Be with us now, we pray, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as you study these 
books or these Old Testament prophets, this is part of the 
former prophets, when you read commentators, you'll see oftentimes 
They'll ask questions as to why is chapter 20 in this particular 
book. They'll say things like, later 
authors added chapter 20 because it presents to their mind certain 
challenges. And probably it's the case as 
we read, we ask questions of the text as well. So I just want 
to try and clarify or explain three of the questions we might 
have when we come to 1 Samuel chapter 20. In the first place, 
why does David need to determine if Saul is really against him? 
Why does David need to determine if Saul is really against him? 
Hasn't he already learned as he's had to dodge the spear from 
Saul? as he's had to escape from Michael's 
house, as he has gone to Naathir and Ramah and seen the Spirit 
of God come upon Saul to keep him from engaging in murder. 
Well, David knows that Saul is after him to kill him. What David 
is after here with Jonathan is to find out the reason why. That 
is precisely what is stated in verse 1. He says, what have I 
done? What is my iniquity? And what 
is my sin before your father that he seeks my life? Now, David's 
gaining an answer to that would certainly not stop Saul, but 
it would at least help alleviate some of the difficulties involved 
in this situation. Sometimes persons have physical 
infirmities or physical challenges and the doctors aren't able to 
diagnose it and they feel sort of at their wits end and then 
the doctor comes back with a diagnosis. It doesn't solve the problem, 
but it brings peace to the mind. In the second place, why does 
David believe he should attend Saul's feast knowing that Saul 
is trying to kill him? Well, David is still an official 
of the court. David is still expected to be 
where Saul tells him to be. In fact, Saul is surprised when 
David is not at this new moon festival. And in the third place, 
why use this arrow signal at the end, the signal worked out 
by Jonathan and David, where Jonathan shoots the arrows beyond 
the lad so that David will know whether or not Saul has this 
animosity against him. Why use that signal if Jonathan 
and David have this final conversation? Well, at the time, Jonathan and 
David didn't know they would have a final conversation. He 
didn't know that there wouldn't be spies. He didn't know that 
there wouldn't be Saul's henchmen watching out for him to try and 
neutralize or liquidize him. Now notice specifically David's 
concern in this chapter. He first had obligations and 
responsibilities to Saul, and so he must deal righteously. 
David is a man of integrity. David is a man of loyalty. David 
is a court official, and as a result, he has obligations to Saul. But 
in the second place, David feared for his life. Certainly, being 
the one who's escaped Saul's spear up to this point, and Saul's 
henchman up to this point, and Saul himself up to this point, 
David was fearful that his life was in danger. Now, when we look 
at the other side of this covenant equation, we've got David and 
we've got Jonathan. What is driving Jonathan in chapter 
20? I can do no better than to quote 
a commentator named Vannoy. He says, for Jonathan, he faced 
a crisis that arose out of the strife between Saul, his father, 
and David. Never forget the human element 
when you study the Bible. Never forget the reality that 
Saul was Jonathan's father. How would you like it if your 
father was trying to destroy your best friend. And especially 
when your best friend had only done well for Israel. Don't forget or don't underestimate 
that human element that's involved in these particular stories. 
He goes on to say, in Jonathan's case, the conflict was between 
the advancement of God's kingdom and the advancement of his own 
personal ambition. Jonathan was the crown prince. He had every right to expect 
to succeed his father on the throne of Israel, but he was 
ready and willing to renounce his own interests and aspirations 
for the sake of submission to the Lord's choice of David to 
be king. As we move through this section 
of Holy Scripture, David is certainly a hero. David is certainly a 
champion. David is certainly one that we 
ought to emulate and imitate and follow after. But so is Jonathan. Jonathan is a Matthew 6.33 man. When David comes back from the 
Valley of Elah in 1 Samuel 18, Jonathan takes his royal robes 
off. Jonathan takes his belt off. 
Jonathan takes those things that are significant of his own royalty, 
and he hands them over to David. For Jonathan, it was the kingdom 
of God that mattered. And that is one of the emphases 
in this passage. Now, we'll look at this, and 
we won't look in great detail, because there's some things here 
that are pretty easy to explain in a sentence. Jonathan launched 
the arrows, and they went past the lap. We don't need to go 
through every jot and tittle of exposition there. But I want 
to look at three things concerning the chapter. In the first place, 
the meeting with Jonathan, verses 1 to 24a. Secondly, this new 
moon festival in 24b to 34. And then in the final place, 
the report concerning Saul in verses 35 to 42. Now note in the first place, 
this meeting with Jonathan, we've already underscored the danger 
involved. David flees from Ramah, he goes 
back to Gibeah, where Saul and Jonathan live. He approaches 
Jonathan and he asks him specifically, what have I done, what is my 
iniquity, what is my sin before you, that he seeks my life. Again, 
remembering the human element. As far as we know up to this 
point, David has only done well. David has bested the champion 
from Gath. David has cut off the head of 
the arch foe of Israel. David has only been an honorable 
soldier and an honorable warrior. David has only done what he's 
told. And so this reality that Saul is hunting him like a dog 
to try and murder him is perplexing to him. Do you ever feel like 
a David in your life? Do you ever go through those 
instances or seasons where you're perplexed, where you wonder, 
where you ask the questions? Now, there's a sinful, arrogant, 
godless way to do that, but as we survey the Scriptures, there 
are instances where godly men ask questions concerning certain 
situations, and this is one of them. David says, what is it? 
What have I done? What is my guilt? What is my 
sin? How have I faltered in this situation such that Saul wants 
to kill me? And notice what Jonathan does. 
He allays his fear. Jonathan said to him in verse 
2, by no means, you shall not die. Indeed, my father will do 
nothing either great or small without first telling me. And 
why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so. Now, Jonathan knew that Saul 
wanted to kill David. That's how chapter 19 begins. But if Jonathan didn't know about 
those subsequent attacks on his life, this does make sense, that 
Jonathan is not holding back, Jonathan is not lying, or Jonathan 
is not misinterpreting. If you look back for just a moment, 
in chapter 19, at verse 6, Saul gives his word to Jonathan that 
he will not try to kill David. So as far as Jonathan knows at 
this point, this is not the case. My father has pledged, my father 
has said, and if he has changed his mind, well then certainly 
he will let me know. That's only if we understand 
that Jonathan did not know of those other attempts on David's 
life. But notice, very specifically, what David says. David took an 
oath again in verse three and said, your father certainly knows 
that I have found favor in your eyes. And he has said, do not 
let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as the 
Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me 
and death. It's probably good for us to 
recognize this once again. It's one of the things that we 
have sought to point out in our study in 1 Samuel. Remember what 
happens at the end of chapter 16? The end of chapter 16, Samuel 
anoints David. Samuel is the kingmaker in the 
book of 1 Samuel. He anoints Saul and then he anoints 
David. And we see at the end of chapter 
16 that the Holy Spirit comes upon David. Now you would certainly 
think that when such a thing takes place, everything is going 
to be okay. Everything is going to be hunky-dory. Everything's going to be happy, 
happy, happy. Like the old World War II song, 
pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, 
smile. That's the conception that people 
have concerning the Christian life. But we who are true believers 
in Jesus know that that's not always the case, is it? We know 
that oftentimes when the Spirit comes, so do the troubles, so 
do the trials, so do the afflictions, and so do the difficulties. You 
see, it wasn't just the case in David. When the Spirit comes, 
the trouble comes. But in David's greater son. At 
the end of Matthew chapter 3, we see our beloved Savior in 
the River Jordan. As Turretin says, if you want 
to see the Trinity, says this to Arius, go down to the River 
Jordan. And that is precisely what we 
witness. Jesus goes into the water. The Spirit, like a dove, 
falls upon Him. And the voice of His Father says, 
this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. So Jesus receives 
the Spirit. What then? Does everything change? 
Is everything magic? Is it happy, happy, happy days? 
No, the Spirit then drives him out to the wilderness to be tested 
or tempted by the devil. You see, it's simply false to 
believe or to conclude that once we have the Spirit, once we believe 
the Gospel, once we are born again, that everything's going 
to be magic. It's always going to be blessed, 
it's always going to be good, it's always going to have a genuine 
peace, but it's never the case that we will be without tribulation, 
or difficulty, or trial. David's greater son, again, in 
the upper room, says to his disciples, he says, in this world you will 
have tribulation. How's that for a sales pitch? 
How's that for marketing the kingdom? How's that for being 
accepted in 21st century North America? Imagine you go to a 
hotel conference center and you're there to hear a spiel. And the 
man who brings the spiel says, I tell you what, if you sign 
up for me, it's going to be difficult. It's going to be hard. It's going 
to be grueling. It's going to be full of tribulation. 
How many North Americans would raise their hand and say, sign 
me up? No, they go to hotel conference 
rooms for promises of good things to come, for promises of ease 
and comfort and full bank accounts. You see, the Lord Christ is not 
a shyster. He is not a liar. He does not 
engage in a spiel, but rather he promises to his people that 
in this world you will have tribulation. Note what David says, there is 
but a step between me and death. This is David. This is the godly 
man. This is the king elect. This 
is the one who's on the throne. This is the one whom the Lord 
Most High will use most powerfully. Now notice, as we go back to 
the text, whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you. 
This is Jonathan's response, and then David proposes this 
test. Let's figure out where your father 
really is. I'll go out in the field, I'll 
absent myself from this new moon festival. If your father's not 
upset, if he's not full of rage, if he's not full of madness, 
then I'll believe that your father doesn't want me ultimately dead. 
But if your father is full of rage, if he's full of madness, 
if he's full of anger, then you, Jonathan, and I both know that 
he wants me gone. Now notice what then happens. 
He appeals to the covenant. Verse 8, therefore you shall 
deal kindly with your servant. The word deal kindly here is 
the word hesed. It's the Hebrew word that often 
times captures this idea of covenant and love. Some translations have 
loving kindness, others have steadfast love. In this instance, 
we have deal kindly, but it's that same Hebrew word, hesed. It is a covenant love. It is 
a rock-solid love. In the language of Ralph Davis, 
he says it carries the ideas of love, compassion, affection, 
but often with the additional connotation of loyalty, reliability, 
faithfulness. Chesed often has that flavor. It is not merely love, but loyal 
love. Not merely kindness, but dependable 
kindness. Not merely affection, but affection 
that has committed itself. That's what David appeals to. 
Deal kindly, engage in hesed with me, with your servant." 
And then notice what he says, "...for you have brought your 
servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. Nevertheless, 
if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you 
bring me to your father?" David says, if I'm guilty, deal with 
me. If I have sinned, then end it. If I am the bad guy in this 
transaction, then finish it. But what's the point? He's not 
the bad guy. David is a man of integrity. 
David is a man of loyalty and of fidelity, and he appeals to 
Jonathan based on this covenant arrangement. But notice what 
Jonathan then says to David in terms of covenant. This is amazing. I won't go through every point 
or every jot and tittle as I say, but look at what Jonathan asks. Jonathan says to David, I want 
you to swear to me, I want you on the basis of this covenant, 
I want you to agree with me that you will not exterminate my family." 
Now you say, that seems like a pretty much of a no-brainer 
question. But you see, this isn't the way 
kings operate. You know what the first order 
of business for a king was? If you're watching the political 
arena in Canada or in America, they typically say what they're 
first going to do when they walk into Ottawa or when they assume 
the White House. Here's the first thing I'm going 
to do. Some of them are going to be very busy. They've got 
5, 10, 15 massive things. I don't know how many hours they 
think there are in a day. But you know what the first order 
of business was for ancient Near Eastern kings? And that included 
Israel as well. It was to exterminate the preceding 
dynasty. Now, that offends our delicate 
sensitivities and perhaps it should because we don't operate 
this way, but that's what they did. Davis says, the name of 
the game was purge. You destroyed the competing family. You destroyed all of the heirs. You took them out of the way 
so there would be no rival, no competition, so that you could 
secure and stabilize your own kingdom. This was common garden 
variety kingship in this situation. But Jonathan says, I want you 
to return Chesed to me. I want you to deal kindly with 
me. I want you to respond in such 
manner to me. And notice what David does. David 
does it. Now, Jonathan doesn't live until 
the time that David is on the throne. But in 2 Samuel, chapter 
9, there's a young man, or a man by the name of Mephibosheth, 
that David shows this chesed too. David does not follow the 
protocol when it comes to the covenant. David follows his Lord. David enters in and solemnizes 
and swears fidelity in this particular situation. Now you may ask the 
question, what does that mean for me? What does that have to 
do with me? I'm not on my way to a throne. 
I'm not on my way to having to secure my kingdom. I'm not on 
the way to having to commit a purge in order to make sure my kingdom 
is stable. Well, consider covenant and marriage. Consider the reality that we're 
in it to the very end. That we swear fidelity before 
God and witnesses. that we say for better and worse, 
that we say for riches and poverty, that we say for, are in sickness 
and in health. You see, fidelity, covenant, 
promise, all those things are what arises in 1 Samuel 20 and 
ought to connect in our own minds and hearts right now. I'm sure 
you saw over the last few weeks, you probably couldn't have missed 
it, this whole news report on this Ashley Madison site. I read 
in one instance where one of the participants on this website 
did so because his wife was incapacitated and couldn't engage in conjugal 
relations. You see, Covenant doesn't enter 
their name and credit card onto the Ashley Madison website because 
their wives are incapacitated. Covenant stands by in the midst 
of sickness. Covenant does not trash homes. Covenant does not wreck children. 
Covenant does not step outside. But what covenant is about is 
faithfulness to the long haul. And that's what David expresses. 
The very common activity of kings of that day was to take out any 
that would be in the succeeding family or in the other family, 
not David, David says that I will be faithful to you. It truly 
is beautiful. One commentator says concerning 
the love these two men shared, genuine love, person to person, 
sealed by a covenant such as there was between David and Jonathan, 
provides a most telling model of an unbreakable relationship. 
As I've said over the case of our studies here in 1 Samuel, 
be a Jonathan, be a David. Be this kind of person in your 
marriage. Be this kind of person in your family. Be this kind 
of person to your children. Do you know what your children 
ultimately need? They don't need all the riches 
of this world. They don't need all of the resources at your 
disposal. They need you. They need you 
involved. They need you catechizing, teaching, 
learning them in the doctrine of Christ. That's what kids need 
today. That's what they need and crave. 
Not broken homes, not broken marriages, not men or women who 
can't control themselves. You ever think about that? It's 
a fruit of the spirit to control oneself. A fruit of the Holy 
Spirit to control oneself. He doesn't say spirit control. 
He says self-control. That means govern your passions, 
govern your desires, govern those things and be structured and 
be submissive to the covenant that you find yourself in. That's 
what is desperately needed today, faithfulness, fidelity, long-haulism. They work out the details, the 
arrow plan in verses 18 to 22. Notice, the guardian of the covenant 
between David and Jonathan in verse 23. All right, and as for the matter 
which you and I have spoken of, indeed, the Lord be between you 
and me forever. The Lord, Yahweh himself, is 
the guardian, the keeper, the watcher over this particular 
arrangement. Now notice the new moon. The 
new moon, this was something that happened in conjunction 
with the new moon. That's impressive, isn't it? 
Wow, he's been studying Hebrew, no. It was probably a feast at 
the time of the new moon where they would have a sacrifice. 
And in this instance, Saul, as the leader of the family of this 
particular clan or family or tribe or kingdom, Saul would 
rather preside over it. And in conjunction with this, 
as I said, there would be a burnt sacrifice. That's why Saul doesn't 
make a big deal out of it when he first notices David isn't 
there. He says, well, David must be unclean. You had to be clean 
in order to participate in this burnt sacrifice. But notice what 
happens. He observes the fact that he's 
not there, and then he sees that he's not there on the second 
day. And notice, verse 27, and it happened the next day, the 
second day of the month, that David's place was empty, and 
Saul said to Jonathan his son, why has the son of Jesse not 
come to eat, either yesterday or today? This is Saul's way 
to talk about David. He's always the son of Jesse, 
he's not David. It's like calling me butler. 
That's legit, you can do that, but it's a bit impersonal, isn't 
it? I call you Hall, or I call you Van Oran, or I call you Van 
Oran, whatever. It's a bit impersonal, isn't 
it? It's always the son of Jesse. There was never an affection 
on the part of Saul for David. There was never a praise be to 
God for David. There was never in the heart 
of Saul anything pure toward this man that God had given to 
Israel to save them from their oppressors. Just the opposite 
of Jonathan. Nothing but love in Jonathan. 
Nothing but a desire to put David first. Nothing in Jonathan but 
a heartfelt zeal to promote David, because in promoting David, what 
he was doing was advancing the kingdom of God most high. You 
see, that's the crux, that's the point, that's the issue betwixt 
Jonathan and Saul. Saul doesn't care one bit about 
God. Saul doesn't care one bit about God's kingdom. Saul cares 
about Saul. Saul is about himself. He is 
a textbook narcissist. He is paradigmatic of so many 
tyrannical rulers of our own day. In many respects, Saul serves 
as a pattern for the sorts of government that we so oftentimes 
witness in our own generation. And that is what Saul has going 
on. So Jonathan answers Saul when 
he asks the question, where is Jesse? Or the son of Jesse. And Jonathan says he went home 
to sacrifice in Bethlehem. Jonathan would have that prerogative 
as the crown prince on his way to the throne to be able to tell 
David, you can go home to Bethlehem and enjoy this family sacrifice. 
What does Saul do? Saul gets mad at Jonathan. He 
gets really mad at Jonathan. In many respects, as we read 
1 Samuel, this block concerning David and Saul, it's like we're 
watching Saul come unravel. It's like you just watch Saul 
go from step to step to step to step. From madness, to rage, 
to anger, to malice, to envy, to murder. He's a man on a mission, 
and that mission is not to promote the kingdom. That mission is 
to promote Saul. What a terrible thing pride is, 
isn't it? What a terrible thing, and such 
is the reason why God says through James, why He says through Solomon, 
that He opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. 
This is why Yahweh says, heaven is my throne and earth is my 
footstool, but on this one will I look, to him who is humble 
and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word. Brethren, 
if you learn one lesson in our studies in 1 Samuel with reference 
to Saul, learn to kill pride. Learn to cut its throat, learn 
to deal violently with it, learn to take no prisoners, but rather 
destroy it. Because ultimately, or at least 
fundamentally, this is one of the things operating in the heart 
and in the soul of Saul. Pride. Pride. You say, well, 
that doesn't apply to me. Well, then turn off your ears, 
because it applies to the rest of us. You want to see pride? I would say look in your mirror, 
but I don't want to insult you. Look at your Facebook account. 
Look at your Twitter feed. Look at where you spend your 
money. Look at where you spend your time. See where all that 
terminates. Is it upon the glory of God or 
upon you? You see, it's quite easy to see 
what matters most to us. One man, I think, has well said, 
where people spend their money and time is where their heart 
really is. This isn't a plea for money. 
It's not a plea for you to be here tonight at the evening service. 
It is a plea for us to consider the reality That's Saul's problem. That's the enemy. God is at war 
with pride. You have any doubt whatsoever 
that God sees pride as something obnoxious, then you haven't read 
the Bible ever. Because this is a chief sin. Oftentimes the mother of other 
sins. When we've got pride in the heart, 
how does it flesh itself out? In all manner of wickedness. 
In Saul's case, it's envy, it's malice, it's pouting, it's self-pity. when we get to the next chapter, 
and he's sitting in Gibeah, and he's with his servants, actually 
in chapter 22, he says, and none of you have had pity on me. None 
of you have felt compassion for me. None of you have cared. Really, 
Saul? Is that how you interpret this? 
Because I see you as a wretch with his hand raised to heaven, 
seeking to exterminate Yahweh's man. You shouldn't be pitied, 
you should be converted unto Christ. Pride, brethren, it's 
terrible. We get later on in chapter 23, 
and he's so happy that the Ziphites finally have had compassion upon 
him. See, that's another indicator. 
Are you the victim in every circumstance in your life? Is it always everybody 
else out to get you? Is there pity parties? Is there 
this idea that how could they ever offend me? Welcome to Salisbury, 
if that's the case. because that's Saul. That's how 
things are done in Saul's vill. Saul is the first and the foremost, 
and those who inherit Saulisms are going to live in like manner. 
So Jonathan explains what has happened. He gives him his response. 
Notice the anger of Saul and Jonathan in verses 30 to 34. 
Look at Saul's response to Jonathan, and it seems so reasonable, doesn't 
it? David just went home to Bethlehem. David just went home for a family 
sacrifice. David will be back. David didn't 
sneak up to your throne. He didn't put poison in your 
cup. David's not coming after you with Goliath's sword. I mean, 
I could see where Saul would respond in this manner if there 
was a frontal attack upon his being and his person. That's 
not the case. He went home. He went to visit 
his father, his brother. He went to visit his family. 
He went to engage in what men engaged in this particular time. 
But notice how Saul responds. Saul's anger was aroused against 
Jonathan and he said to him, You son of a perverse, rebellious 
woman." You should hear how the New Living translation actually 
translates that. It's pretty strong, strongly 
worded. He's not insulting his wife, 
he's insulting Jonathan. He's putting Jonathan down. You 
son of a perverse, rebellious woman. Do I not know that you 
have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the 
shame of your mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse 
lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your 
kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he shall 
surely die. Notice, Saul may be a madman, 
but he's not foolish. Saul may be teetering on the 
brink of irrecoverable insanity, but he's not foolish. He knows 
the score. He knows what's happening. He 
understands that Jonathan's support of David means the end of Jonathan's 
career. And Saul says, don't do that. Saul says, let's keep the dynasty 
in house. Saul says, how dare you promote 
this one who's more qualified, who's better at it, and who will 
advance the kingdom of God. You see, those things don't matter 
to Saul. All that matters to Saul is to hold on to what he 
perceives is his. See, that's another fundamental 
problem that we face. God gives us gift, God gives 
us resources, God calls us to be stewards, but we put a death 
grip on them. It's mine! It's mine! It's mine! If God wants to take it away 
from you and hand it to someone else who will be able to advance 
His cause further and better, then that's God's prerogative. 
Not with Saul, man. Look at what Saul does here. 
You have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the 
shame of your mother's nakedness. For as long as the son of Jesse 
lives on the earth, notice, you shall not be established nor 
your kingdom. Now therefore send and bring 
him to me for he shall surely die." He doesn't care about the 
reality that his son was a Matthew 6.33 man. What did Pastor Cam 
just read to us in 2 John 3, 2 John 4, I'm sorry, 3 John 4? I have no greater joy than that 
my children walk in the truth. Parents, can you actually say, 
in this world, there would be something that would make you 
happier than to know that your child is a believer in Jesus? 
Isn't that it? I mean, if you knew your children 
were safely folded in the arms of Christ, you say, Lord Jesus, 
come. The only thing keeping me here is I want my children 
to confess faith in Christ, or my grandchildren, or my great-grandchildren. This is what it's about, isn't 
it? You see, Saul sees Jonathan walking in the truth. Saul sees 
Jonathan with a Matthew 6.33 mindset. Seek first the kingdom 
of God and His righteousness, and then these things will be 
added to you. And instead of Saul saying, praise God who's 
got a hold of my son Jonathan's heart. Praise God that he's walking 
in the truth. Praise God that God matters most 
to him. He's upset, he's angry, and he 
wants him to fetch David so he can exterminate him, so he can 
kill him, so he can murder him and rid the kingdom of him. But 
notice what then happens. Jonathan answered Saul his father 
and said to him, why should he be killed? What has he done? 
Verse 32. Isn't this the perennial question 
in the Saul narratives? What's he done? What's happened? Give us some evidence. There's 
no due process in Saul's kingdom. Ask the priests at Nob if there's 
due process in Saul's kingdom. There is summary execution for 
having at least been in touch with David. I mean, it's truly 
an amazing tyranny that is operating here. The political leaders should 
be required to read the Saul and David story. And the political 
leaders should be required to dare to not be a Saul. Government 
by the iron fist. So Jonathan again says, why? 
What has he done? Then Saul cast a spear at him 
to kill him by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by 
his father to kill David. Again I ask one of those servants 
to take Saul's spear from him. This guy's got a, you know, Quick 
finger on a hair trigger. He is ready to cast that spirit, 
anybody he doesn't like. And in this instance now, he 
throws the spirit, Jonathan. You see the enmity, you see the 
rage, you see the envy and the malice operative in Saul's heart? 
Again, I think if you trace out all those corollaries and all 
those tributaries and all those little rivers, you'll find that 
big ocean of pride. big ocean of arrogance, that 
big ocean of rebellion against the living and true God, and 
it manifests itself in all of these tributaries. So he chucks 
his spear at Jonathan, his own son. But notice, verse 34, Jonathan 
arose from the table in fierce anger. Jonathan's upset now. And I doubt it's probably because 
he, I mean, certainly the spirit probably had something to do 
with it with Jonathan, but the reality that Saul wants to murder 
David. Jonathan's angry. He's upset. 
He ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved 
for David because his father had treated him shamefully. Again, 
you see what covenant does here. Covenant sides with the partner. 
Covenant doesn't betray. He doesn't say, oh, Saul, I want 
to appease you. Saul, I don't want you throwing 
spears at me. Saul, I want you to be happy, so I'm gonna bring 
David to you so you can chop off his head and get things back. 
No. Jonathan's grieved that Saul wants to kill David. And in the 
last place, the report concerning Saul. There's a man by the name 
of Roger Ellsworth that has an article on this section of Scripture. 
And I don't have a subscription to read the article, but I read 
the title, and I think the title is very appropriate. He calls 
it, when God's arrows fall beyond us, God's strange providence. When God's arrows fall beyond 
us, God's strange providence. I told Brother Jeff yesterday, 
who's reading 1 Samuel, pay attention to providence. You read 1 Samuel, 
pay attention to providence. God the Lord identifies the king 
through a case of lost dominance. God the Lord brings David into 
contact with the royal court through the distressing spirit 
from the Lord. A servant happens to believe 
that music will calm Saul. A servant happens to know one 
who's able to play that music well, and his name is David. 
This is providence! God governing all His creatures 
and all their actions according to His wisdom and His holiness 
and His goodness. All of this is according to plan. 
David will arrive on the throne. David again is being spared from 
the massacre that is Saul. David is being helped covenantally 
by Jonathan. We know the story. Jonathan takes 
the lad out. He takes three arrows. This is 
wisdom. A man who's doing target practice doesn't take three arrows. 
A man who's doing target practice takes three arrows. So Jonathan 
takes the three arrows out there. He fires them past the lad. He 
tells the lad, they've gone beyond you. David hears. David understands. David knows. Again, the human 
element. What do you think David's thinking? 
David's probably hoping that the lad would have the arrows 
shot right next to him. David is probably, you know, 
cheering for the possibility that Saul really isn't engaged 
in enmity and rage against him. David, in his heart of hearts, 
as I mentioned on Wednesday night, when you pray, do you pray for 
the worst possible outcomes? Dear Lord, I want this and I 
want it to come as miserably as it can. Do you? Seriously. Lord God, would you 
work this out in my life and make it tough Make it hard. Make me go through many trials 
and tribulations. We don't pray that way, brethren. We say, bless me, Father, and 
make it go like this. And because our Father is good, 
it doesn't always go like this, so that we will be conformed 
unto the image of his Son. But you see, at our heart, we 
want happiness. We want blessing. We want joy. We want privilege, we want delight. Do you think David was different? 
Do you think David is hiding in that field saying, I can't 
wait, so those arrows go beyond him. Then I know for sure, and 
it is confirmed, that I'm being hunted like a dog to be put to 
death. How do you think David felt? I don't want to psychologize 
and have a therapy session here, but put yourself in the text 
for a moment. Bad things happen to God's people. Bad things happen 
to God's people. You've heard, I think it was 
Rabbi Kushner that says, or has a book called, Why Bad Things 
Happen to Good People. That's really not the question 
we ought to be asking. Bad things only happen to one 
good person, and he did it willingly so that he could save his people 
from their sins. The bigger question, contra Rabbi 
Kushner, is why does anything good happen to sinners? Why does 
anything good even happen to redeemed sinners? You see, brethren, 
in the text and in our lives there will be those arrows that 
fall beyond us. There will be God's strange providence 
in our lives. We will one day, whether it was 
this morning or it will be in the future, sing Hymn 21 and 
know it experientially. If you just ran through the words 
this morning without giving any thought to what Cooper had penned, 
Someday, you will understand it. You will understand that 
blind unbelief is sure to error. You will understand that God 
is his own interpreter. That God ultimately makes things 
plain. You will someday understand that 
behind a frowning providence, God hides a smiling face. You 
may not have tasted those trials, you may not have tasted those 
afflictions yet. I'm not asking that God, you 
know, hit you on the head with bad things, but I'm simply telling 
you that one day you will read, or you will sing, Hymn 21 or 
Hymn 79. Though dangers face us, though 
trials assail us, what one thing can we conclude? The Lord will 
provide. They even do this. Now notice 
the meeting that they have together. Verse 41, as soon as the lad 
had gone, David rose from a place toward the south, fell on his 
face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed 
one another, and they wept together, but David more so. Then Jonathan 
said to David, go in peace. Did you ever read that and say, 
what are you talking about, Jonathan? Go in peace? Didn't you just 
shoot the arrows past the lad? Doesn't that mean that your father 
wants to kill me? What do you mean, go in peace? 
The covenant brings peace even in times of confusion, brethren. 
The covenant brings stabilizing peace even in times of confusion. That's a lesson we ought to gather 
from this particular chapter. They wept together, David more 
so. Jonathan says to David, go in 
peace since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord. Not 
go in peace because everything's gonna be happy, happy, happy, 
but go in peace because we have both sworn in the name of Yahweh. 
You see the foundation for peace there? It's not in your circumstances, 
it's in your God. See, we mess that up, don't we? 
We look for our peace in circumstances. We look for our peace in riches. 
We look for our peace in health. We look for our peace in the 
bestest. We don't look for our peace in 
the God of heaven and earth, and therein we fail to find that 
peace. May the Lord be between you and 
me and between your descendants and my descendants forever." 
So he arose and departed and Jonathan went into the city. 
Let's just draw out a couple of final thoughts and then we'll 
close. The first place, I think we've camped on this enough, 
but the folly of Saul. Do not miss Saul in these narratives. I don't want to scare anyone. 
I don't want to terrify anyone. I don't want to say, You're a 
potential Saul. I think we all have the seeds 
of apostasy in us if we're not careful. And with Saul, go back 
to chapter 13 where it began. Chapter 13, Saul doesn't pick 
up a spear and throw it at an innocent man. Saul simply takes 
worship matters into his own hands. In 14, Saul imposes a 
fast that God the Lord had never commanded. You say, what's the 
big deal? Well, we're not supposed to try 
and outdo God. We're not supposed to be innovators 
and creators. We are supposed to be obedient. 
When we're told to wait for Samuel, guess what we're supposed to 
do? We're to wait for Samuel. 15, what happens? Well, the people, 
they said, let's spare Agag and let's spare the livestock. Why 
did you spare the livestock? So we could present a sacrifice 
unto Yahweh. You see, it all started out, 
at least seemingly, innocent enough. As I've said many a time, 
it doesn't happen typically that someone wakes up having professed 
faith in Christ on a Saturday night, they don't wake up on 
Sunday morning and say, I'm going to go to the satanic church, 
I'm going to throw off Jesus, I'm not going to have anything 
to do with Christ or Christianity. I mean, that may happen occasionally, 
but it's typically declension and steps and patterns and paring 
off the rough edges and taking shortcuts that leads to apostasy. Saul's a picture of that. The 
second place, the faithfulness of Jonathan. Jonathan does know 
that David should be the king. He's tried to give him his royal 
robes. He's entered into this covenant 
with him. Saul knows, Jonathan knows, that David should be king. 
As well, Jonathan was happy with God's choice of David. I say 
he's a Matthew 6.33 man. It's a text that's on our fridges 
or it's in our bumpers or it's in our lips, but is it in our 
hearts? Seek first the kingdom of God 
and his righteousness. For Jonathan, it was in his heart 
such that he would give up willingly his own claim to royalty so that 
David could occupy the throne and advance that kingdom. Brethren, 
there's an ethic in Jonathan that should be imitated and should 
be emulated. And in the third place, Jonathan 
was faithful in his covenant with David. And that brings me 
to consider the features of this covenant. I'm leaning on Pastor 
or Dr. Dale Ralph Davis here. The features 
of this covenant. In the first place, the covenant 
involves help in times of trouble. The covenant involves help in 
times of trouble. Verses one to nine. David is 
pressed. David has had spears thrown at 
him. David has had to escape Michael's house. David has saw 
the king of Israel trying to execute him. He is pressed and 
tried and having difficulty. What is his recourse? It is covenant 
in times of trial. In the second place, the covenant 
involves uncommon commitment. Uncommon commitment. Again, the 
husband and the wife. Till death do us part. Uncommon 
commitment in this particular chapter is David saying to Jonathan 
that he will not execute anyone in Jonathan's family. That's 
uncommon commitment, brethren. In the third place, the covenant 
involves costly commitment. Who did it cost in this chapter? Well, David is certainly being 
hunted like a dog to be sure, but that was gonna happen irregardless 
of his covenant with Jonathan. How does this covenant cost Jonathan? Oh, it costs him his relationship 
with his father. You think you have a difficult 
relationship with your father? Look at Jonathan. Some of us have had difficult 
relationships with our fathers, but I don't think any of us could 
ever say that they actually picked up spears and tried to pin us 
against a wall. David's fidelity in terms of 
covenant cost him his family relations. We're going to make 
a connection in just a moment, but I hope it's already coming. 
Doesn't David's greater son talk about this? That our commitment 
to him must exceed family commitments? Yeah, he does. The sacrifice 
as well of his royal rights for David, ultimately God. Listen 
to Davis here. He says, if Jonathan is a scribed 
disciple about the kingdom of heaven, what does he teach us? 
If Jonathan is a Matthew 6.33 man, as I have continued to maintain, 
what does he teach us? Please listen to this. We live 
in a world where there's an Ashley Madison website. We live in a 
world where there is infidelity all around us. We live in a world 
where men cheat and women cheat. We live in a world where people 
compromise all the time on covenants that they have sworn to. Listen 
to what David says. True life does not consist in 
securing you and your kingdom, but in reflecting Yahweh's faithfulness 
in covenant relationships. You've heard me say that before. 
You know what I think radical Christianity looks like today? 
Showing up at church and being faithful in your home. Some moderns go, that's not radical, 
they gotta leave, they gotta go to China, they gotta go to 
Timbuktu, they gotta show up at church and be faithful in 
their families. Because not many people are doing that anymore. 
I know it's amazing, but people don't always do that. Professing 
Christians don't always do that. It's not the great things we 
do for God that matter. It's the faithfulness before 
our great God that matters. Now if God happens to call you 
Spurgeon or Calvin or Edwards or one of these mountains and 
uses you tremendously, praise God. Most of us aren't Edwards. Most of us aren't Spurgeon. Most 
of us aren't Calvin. Most of us will never be those 
men. We are called to be faithful. 
Davis goes on to say, there is something liberating about that. 
Jonathan had acknowledged that the kingdom was Yahweh's and 
therefore David's. So his life did not need to be 
centered in his ambition, what can I get, but in God's providence, 
what Yahweh has given. Now he says, even as a believer 
and not as a crown prince, my reigning passion is not to make 
my way, my living or my mark, not to gain my place or to get 
ahead. That may be costly, but it is 
certainly liberating. Life does not consist in achieving 
your goals, but in fulfilling your promises. In case you missed 
that, I know it's getting late, I know that lunch is calling 
our hungry little bellies. Life does not consist in obtaining 
your goals, but in fulfilling your promises. We're not seeing 
that today, are we? We're not witnessing that today, 
are we? We're not talking about the pagans. 
We're talking about the professing church. What happened to fidelity 
to God's covenant? What happened to fidelity to 
the wife of one's youth? What happened to fidelity to 
the husband of one's youth? What happened to the sort of 
grit and determination that so many people before us just had 
and they persevered? You see, achieving greatness 
ought not to be our goal. Achieving faithfulness ought 
to be our goal. I think Davis is on the right 
track here. I think Davis is spot on. Are 
there any Jonathans today? Are there men who so seek the 
kingdom of God and His righteousness that they'll give away their 
royal robes to make sure that David gets to be on the throne? 
That's huge, brethren. That's massive. And the covenant 
involves peace in the midst of confusion. At the very end, Jonathan 
had already pointed out, go in peace. Now, when we leap from 
David to the greater son of David in the New Covenant, doesn't 
the New Covenant provide help in times of trouble? I hope you don't look puzzled. 
I hope you don't say, yes, the New Covenant provides help in 
times of trouble. What gets you out of bed some 
days? It's the fact that Jesus died 
and rose again to save me from my sin. The New Covenant provides help 
in times of trouble. The New Covenant involves uncommon 
commitment. For David, it meant sparing Jonathan's 
family. For Jesus, it meant setting his 
face like a flint to go to Jerusalem to give his life a ransom for 
all those whom the Father had given him. You see, this covenant 
provides uncommon commitment. Don't we see this in our Savior? Don't we hear its echo in the 
book of Hebrews? I will never leave you nor forsake 
you. Don't we hear that when we sing 
hymn 80 that's grounded upon or rooted upon or founded in 
Isaiah the prophet? As my brother would say, being 
a Londoner now, Isaiah the prophet, I will never, ever, never forsake 
you. That's uncommon commitment, brethren. 
We don't look for that sort of stuff, do we? But as well, when 
we look at this whole idea of costly commitment, and we transfer 
this to the New Covenant, it cost our Savior dearly. It cost 
Him His very blood. It cost Him everything. But it 
costs us as well. When, by God's grace, we believe 
the Gospel, Jesus Christ Himself says, whoever loves mother or 
father or brother or sister more than Me, he's not worthy of Me. 
You see, the kingdom ethic must filter down into our lives. Christ 
must be all in all, not just in lip service or not just when 
we're singing on Sunday or not just in proclamation or in reception 
of that proclamation, but daily, daily. And the new covenant provides 
peace in the midst of confusion. Don't you love it? Romans chapter 
5, Paul says, therefore having been justified by faith, we have 
peace with God through our Lord Jesus. Isn't that beautiful? 
And then Paul goes on to write about tribulation. You see, peace 
for the Christian does not mean the absence of tribulation. Peace 
for the Christian does not mean the absence of trial. Peace for 
the Christian means tranquility in the midst of it. It means 
a steadied soul, even though all around falls away. We just sang this this morning. 
His oath, his covenant, his blood, support me in the whelming flood. When all around my soul gives 
way, he then is all my hope and stay. On Christ, the solid rock 
I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. If you're here 
this morning and you have not believed the gospel, all of these 
new covenant promises are not for you. You don't have this 
peace in times of confusion. You don't have this stabilizing 
influence in the midst of difficulty. You don't have this commitment 
on the part of a covenant partner that is absolutely amazing. The 
way by which you enter into this new covenant is not by virtue 
of the fact that you grew up in a Christian home, or that 
you attend a Christian church, or that you own a Christian Bible. The way into the new covenant 
is through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is through His blood. It is 
through His righteousness. It is through His gospel. The 
gospel is not my warm feeling. The gospel is the record concerning 
Jesus, who lived and who died and who rose again. And all sinners 
who, by God's grace, look to Him in faith, will have everlasting 
life. I gotta say, there's no better 
place to be than the New Covenant. There is no better place to be 
than the new covenant. It is safe, it is secure, it 
is blessed, it is joyful, it is to be with Jesus. Well, let 
us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank 
you for these lessons so fleshed out in these prophets of old. 
I pray that these things would find their marks in our hearts 
and that you would affect us for good, that you would bring 
change to us areas where we have sinned and strayed, grant us 
repentance and grant us grace, Lord God. And for any and all 
who are outside of Christ, may today be the day of salvation. 
May it be the case that sinners could look back on the power 
of God manifested to them in opening their hearts to see their 
sin and to see that Christ is the one who is altogether lovely 
and the one who is chief among ten thousand and that one alone 
who saves to the uttermost. All who draw nigh to God through 
him. Go with us now we pray through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.