Duty and Privilege of the Christian to His Brethren

Introduction: The Christian's Duty to Brethren in Distress

0:04 Now let us turn together in our Bibles to the book of 1st Samuel, as we did this morning, but this evening, not to chapter 30, but to chapter 23. 1st Samuel, chapter 23, and I shall read in your hearing the portion bounded by verses 7 through 18. 1st Samuel 23 and verse 7. In the midst of this section describing David's period of exile before he actually ascended the throne in Judah

0:40 and then over all of Israel, the period in which Saul was chasing him like a fugitive, like a common criminal, we read in verse 7, and it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand. For he is shut in by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. And Saul summoned all the people to war to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

1:13 And David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him, and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. Then said David, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand, and Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Jehovah, the God of Israel, I beseech you, tell your servant.

1:47 And Jehovah said, He will come down. Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me up and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver you up. 1st Samuel 23 and verse 7.

2:01 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wheresoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah, and he forbear to go forth. And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

2:32 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood. And Jonathon, Saul's son, arose and went to David in the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you, and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto you. And that also Saul went to ever Quizazite con bible for that was the way.

3:01 Example 2 James 6, 9.4-10. all my father knows and they too made a covenant before jehovah and david abode in the wood and jonathan went to his house well as god was gracious to feed us and encourage us from his word this morning let us look to him for fresh manna from his hand as we come to the word of god tonight let us pray our father we thank you that already you have instructed our minds you have encouraged our hearts in the singing of these wonderful hymns of the christian faith

3:42 you have drawn us out to seek you in prayer for the spread of the gospel even to the ends of the earth but now we come in all of our felt need and ask that according to your own promise you would draw near to us as we draw near to you we pray that your word will come this night not in words but in the comments of thenesses and the torments of matters and the cause for which you have made us all에 to pray these things we have seen them part of our faith in our faith and overseas but now we come in all of our felt need and ask that according to your promise you would use only, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that our faith should not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of you, our God. Hear us and meet with us as we come in the

4:20 expectation of faith through Christ our Lord. Amen. Now in Romans 15 and verse 4, a text to which I made reference in my introduction this morning, we find these words, for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope. And my purpose in the ministry this morning and again this evening is underscored in those words that through patience and confidence we might have hope.

5:04 comfort of the scriptures, we, the people of God in this place, might have hope, hope especially suited to our present circumstances in our congregational life. In the ministry this morning, I sought to set before you the Christian's duty and privilege in seasons of great distress. I've amended the title in the afternoon hours. I should have said the Christian's duty and privilege with respect to himself in seasons of great distress, as we looked at 1 Samuel 30 and

5:41 verse 6, where we read, and David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God. Tonight, we're going to consider the Christian's duty and privilege with respect to his brethren in seasons of great distress, and our text is 1 Samuel 23 and verse 6. Verse 16, in which we read, and Jonathan Saul's son arose and went to David in the wood and strengthened his hand in God. Now, let me first of all give a brief overview of the historical setting of this passage. Most of you will

Historical Setting: David's Exile and Jonathan's Loyalty

6:25 remember that in 1 Samuel chapter 17, we have the well-known story of David's conquest over Goliath, by the power of Jehovah his God. And then, in chapter 18, we have the record of Jonathan's bonding to David, and the beginning of Saul's bad disposition to the same David. After the conquest of Goliath, as you will remember, David comes into Saul's court and begins to be one of Saul's pets, as we saw this morning, and by his

7:03 harp and his sword, he serves King Saul. In chapter 18, we have the record of this unique bonding between Jonathan, Saul's son, and David, the one anointed to be Saul's successor as king in Israel. But in chapter 18, in verse 9, there is a very critical word of transition of Saul's relationship to David. And Saul eyed David.

7:33 And Saul eyed David from that day forward. No longer did he look upon him with good will and with favor. His eye became a green eye that burned with envy. It became a jealous eye that was constantly looking at David as a threat to his own position. And when that happens, no one can do anything that is right in the sight of an evil eye. The most known

8:03 noble deeds will be given the most ignoble significance and meaning. And this is what happened in the case of David. From chapter 19 onward, David is a fugitive. Many incidents in this matter of Saul's pursuit of David are given to us in great detail, but with every concentrated pursuit of Saul, there is the marvelous intervention of God in delivering his servant David.

8:33 And this pursuit and deliverance is summarized in chapter 23 and in verse 14. Look at the latter part of the verse. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. This was a relentless, a persistent, a never-ending, constant attempt on the part of Saul to track David down and to bring David down.

9:03 This was a relentless, a persistent, a never-ending, constant attempt on the part of Saul to track David down and to bring David down. This was a relentless, a persistent, a never-ending, constant attempt on the part of Saul to track David down and to bring David down.

9:33 This was a relentless, a persistent, a never-ending, constant attempt on the part of Saul to track David down and to bring David down.

10:03 Jonathan leaves the palace, leaves the safety and security of his own home, seeks out David in the wood or the thicket, and we read in that setting, he strengthened his, that is, David's hand in God. Here Jonathan seeks out his bosom friend and does what is recorded in our text. He strengthens his hand in God. Here Jonathan seeks out his bosom friend and does what is recorded in our text. He strengthens his hand in God.

Jonathan's Conscious Activity to Encourage David

10:34 Now as I attempt to expound the text, note with me first of all, as we did with our text this morning, that this was a conscious activity of Jonathan toward his friend David. The text tells us that Jonathan, who sought out David, is the one who strengthened the hand of David in God. The text tells us that Jonathan, who sought out David, is the one who strengthened the hand of David in God. and strengthened, the subject of that sentence is Jonathan.

11:08 And Jonathan strengthened his, that is, David's hand in God. As surely as chapter 30 and verse 6, which reads, David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God, as that text points to an activity of David toward himself, this text focuses on the activity of Jonathan, not with respect to himself, or David with respect to himself, but with respect to Jonathan as he relates to and ministers to his friend David.

11:50 And so when we speak of the Christian's duty and privilege with respect to his brethren, I do so because in this text we find Jonathan, Jonathan relating to and describing an activity of Jonathan with respect to his friend David. But then secondly, note with me that it was an activity of Jonathan calculated to encourage David in his distressing circumstances. David knows that Saul is seeking his life. He began to be aware of how passionate Saul was, in this attempt, way back in chapter 20.

12:35 And we have the account of how David becomes increasingly aware, and he cries out in the opening verse, What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is the sin before your father that he seeks my life? It's dawning on him.

12:51 Saul is not just occasionally having a fit and a passion of murder. He eats, he sleeps, he drinks, he wakes, with nothing but a murderous disposition to David. A murderous disposition validated by his actions. So much so that when he thinks he's got David, he says, God is on my side in this effort.

13:15 God is delivering him into my hand. That was Saul's language, but the language of the Holy Ghost is, in 23.14, God did not deliver him into his hand. You see, the mere language of divine assistance, in one's cause, is no validation of divine assistance in that cause.

The Essence of Strengthening Hands in God

13:38 And Jonathan, in that setting, gives himself to an activity calculated to encourage David in this distressing set of circumstances. Look with me, first of all, at the essence of what he did, and then, secondly, the means by which he did it. The essence of what Jonathan did, is captured in the words, he strengthened his hand in God. Now, here we have a figure of speech.

14:11 When we read in the Scripture that someone strengthened the hands of another, what it means is, they encouraged and increased someone's resolution to pursue a given course of action. That's what this figure of speech means. It doesn't mean that someone put someone in a regimen of pumping iron to give them stronger arms or hands. Let's look at a couple of illustrations where this terminology is found.

14:43 Over in 2 Samuel 2 and verse 7. 2 Samuel chapter 2 and verse 7. Now therefore let your hands be strong and be valiant, for Saul your Lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king, over them. That's the wrong text.

15:08 2 Samuel 2 verse 7. Hmm, I have the wrong text. Well, I have another. Nehemiah 2 and verse 18.

15:18 I'm sorry. Nehemiah 2 and verse 17. Alright, 2 Samuel 2 and verse 17. Then said I unto them, You see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

15:51 Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. And I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me, as also the king's word that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good work.

16:13 Now you see it's a figure of speech. They didn't go out and do hand exercises, but by the encouragement of Nehemiah's report of how God was with him, and how God's hand was upon him, and by the encouragement of God's leader amongst them, they strengthened their hands. They intensified and increased their resolution to pursue a given course of action. Now that course of action may be evil, and people's hands can be strengthened in an evil course.

16:48 Look at Judges chapter 9 verses 22 to 24. Judges. Chapter 9 verses 22 to 24. And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years.

17:05 And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem. And the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, that the violence done to the threescore and ten sons of Jeroboam might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren. There was an intention and purpose to kill his brethren. These men strengthened his hands.

17:36 What did they do? They augmented, they intensified that purpose and resolution to pursue this evil course of action. Jeremiah 23.14 says this is one of the functions and the wretched fruits of the ministry of the false prophets.

17:55 People had an evil intention. Along came the false prophets, and what did they do? They strengthened their hands in the pursuit of that intention. Jeremiah 23.14

18:06 In the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing. They commit adultery and walk in lies, and they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that none of them returns from his wickedness. They intensify and increase the resolve of wicked men to do wickedness. Well, I trust these passages underscore that that is the meaning of this figure.

18:33 So when we are told that Jonathan sought out David in Zip, in the wood or in the thicket, and strengthened his hand in God, it is a figure of speech telling us that the resolve of David's heart to do the will of God, to serve his God, to maintain fidelity to God, this purpose and intention was intensified by the ministry of Jonathan to his friend. That is the figure employed. But then notice the focus of what he did. The figure strengthened his hand.

Means of Strengthening: God's Immutable Promise

19:14 But the focus is this. He strengthened his hand. He buttressed and increased David's resolve in God. You see, the reference point in Jonathan's ministry to David was not man, not circumstances, not anything that Jonathan might bring to him.

19:37 It transcended man, circumstances, and things. And there in the situation with no information that Saul's murderous purpose has in any way evaded, that Saul's murderous designs have in any way eroded, yet the focus is so upon the living God that David is strengthened in his resolve to be faithful to his God. Now there's the essence of what Jonathan did. When he came to David and ministered to him, he left David in a state in which his resolution of fidelity to God

20:20 was intensified and augmented. But now what were the means? That Jonathan used? Well, if we look at the text, we see that at least some of those means are described for us.

20:34 How did Jonathan strengthen David's hand in God? Well, I suggest that though we might break them down into four or reduce them to two, that in broad strokes there are three divisions of Jonathan's actual ministry to David by which he strengthened his hands. First of all, he reminds David of God's immutable promise. Verse 17, And he said unto him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you,

21:14 and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto you, that also Saul my father knows. How is David strengthened in that whole complex of resolution to wait God's time and God's way to bring him to the place of God's appointment? David's men would say to him when he's found in the cave with Saul, God has delivered him into your hand, kill him and take the throne. David said no.

21:50 God has said I must not touch his anointed. I will come to the throne God's way and God's time. And he knew that because God had given promise when Samuel anointed him way back in chapter 16 of 1 Samuel. And now his friend Jonathan comes to him when Saul is seeking his life.

22:13 Saul even thinks God is cooperating with him in his murderous designs. And how does he strengthen his hand in God? He reminds him of God's immutable promise. David, you shall be king and my father knows it.

22:32 Now how do we know that Saul knew that David was to be king? Well if you turn back to chapter 21 we have it from his own mouth. Chapter 21. Chapter 20, I'm sorry.

22:47 Chapter 20 verses 30 and 31. Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan and he said unto him, you son of a perverse, rebellious woman. Very flattering language about his wife. You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do not I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and unto the shame of your mother's nakedness?

23:14 For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the ground you shall not be established nor your kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me and he shall surely die. See what he says? Jonathan, you won't be my successor and heir as long as David's alive.

23:33 He is next on the throne. Saul knew it. Now how he knew it, the scripture doesn't tell us. But when Jonathan strengthens David's hand in God he does so by reminding David of God's immutable promise.

23:51 David, you shall be king over Israel. God has said it. My father cannot negate it. All the powers of hell cannot negate it.

Means of Strengthening: God's Invincible Purpose

24:01 David, remember, God's immutable promise. But secondly, he affirms to David God's invincible purpose. He affirms to David God's invincible purpose. And notice how he does it with these words.

24:21 Knowing that God's promise cannot fail, he says, My father, the hand of Saul, my father, shall not find you. Now that's an amazing statement when you read these chapters. Because in chapter after chapter, no matter where David goes, there's somebody ready to snitch on him. David makes a retreat.

24:48 He hides out someplace and somebody goes and snitches to Saul. And Saul sends out another part. And David has to leave. And the whole account of these chapters is Saul's almost demonic, yes, demonic, murderous intention, I am going to get him.

25:07 And some of the encounters were very dangerous. We read of one where David says, Will the men deliver me up if I stay? Yes, they will deliver me up. God knows all contingencies.

25:19 All that would happen were the natural course of events left to happen. And often David escapes, as it were, by the skin of his teeth. But you see, Jonathan strengthens David's hand in God not by looking at probability statistics, but by deriving from the promise of God fresh confidence in the invincibility of the purpose of God. Let Saul quadruply spies.

25:49 Let Saul multiply his troops a hundredfold, David. Saul, my father, will not find you, he will not take you. God's purpose for you is immutable. As well invincible as well as his promises immutable.

Means of Strengthening: Reconfirming Mutual Commitments

26:10 And then thirdly, he strengthens his hand in God as he reconfirms with David their mutual commitments. He reconfirms with David their mutual commitments. Notice how he does this in this language. Do not be afraid, verse 17, for the hand of Saul, my father, shall not find you.

26:32 You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto you. And they too made a covenant before Jehovah. And David abode in the wood, or the thicket, and Jonathan went to his house. You see, in this exchange, Jonathan is saying two things to David.

26:58 David, God's purpose for you is to be king, and I embrace that from the heart. God's purpose for me is to be next to you as your servant and embracing place number two for my life. No jealousy, no rivalry, no envy. In this reconfirmation of mutual commitments, Jonathan says, I embrace the will of God for me and I affirm the will of God for you.

27:38 And in that setting, with this intensified baptism of attack and oppression upon his friend David, it says, the two made a covenant before in the very presence of Jehovah. You say, I thought they already made a covenant. Yeah, they did. They made a covenant many times before.

28:01 Back in chapter 18, in relatively quiet, peaceful, non-disturbed times, they made a covenant. David is the hero in Saul's court. He has defeated Goliath, the Philistine champion. And we read in chapter 18, verse 1, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, loved him as his own soul.

28:25 Saul took him that day to his father's house. Everything was fine with all of these parties. Then, in that setting, Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. They make a covenant of friendship in these relatively peaceful, quiet, undisturbed times.

28:46 But now when it becomes evident that Saul is really out to get David and David cries out, what evil have I done in chapter 20? Notice how they renew their covenant in verse 17. And Jonathan caused David to swear again to renew their covenantal commitments to one another. Why?

29:12 Because that friendship was now bearing a strain that it never bore before. Jonathan will now pay the price of being an outcast in his own father's house in order to be loyal to David. That's what the passages teach. We just read later on in this very chapter how Saul speaks in the most denigrating language to his own son and to his own mother.

29:44 Why? Because of his loyalty to David. So you see, a covenant made in peaceful, non-stressful, non-challenging times is renewed in the face of a challenge to that friendship and to the higher demands of that friendship. To be in covenant friendship with David now is not to have the smile of Papa Saul, it's to have his anger.

30:16 Now, after the re-covenanting in chapter 20, the opposition of Saul is intensified even more and Jonathan now seeking out his friend in the wood with this whole new cumulative dimension of pressure upon that friendship, he renews the covenant. Three times he makes a covenant. Now, why does the Holy Ghost record that? Not just an interesting bit of history?

30:44 No, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, profitable for training in righteousness. Here we are given principles of how Christians in peculiar relationships of covenantal commitment to common perspectives on the will of God are to relate to one another in seasons of intensified pressure upon those covenanted relationships as brothers. You won't find those details in the epistles. You find the principles of the epistles beautifully illustrated

31:29 in many of the historical books of the Scripture as we saw this morning. And here is one of those beautiful examples. So by what means then did Jonathan strengthen David's hands in God? It reminds David of God's immutable promise.

Pastoral Application: Implementing New Testament Commands

31:48 He affirms to David God's invincible purpose. He reconfirms with David their mutual commitments. Now then, for the pastoral application to us tonight. How do we implement these New Testament epistolatory commands?

32:05 You are familiar with them. Hebrews 3.13 Exhort one another day by day while it is cold today lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. What's it mean to encourage one another day by day?

32:22 The passage doesn't tell us. It just says do it. How do you do it? When we read in the Scriptures in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 15 a very pivotal text.

32:35 You may want to turn there with me and look at it. Some very cryptic imperatives found in the New Testament epistle but very little instruction. Very little instruction given as to the details. We exhort you brethren admonish the disorderly.

32:52 The Greek verb means to clearly point out wrong and to earnestly entreat that one turn from the wrong. Admonish one another when admonition is needed. Admonish who? The disorderly.

33:09 Encourage the faint hearted. Support the weak. How do you encourage the faint hearted? To use the imagery of our passage how do you strengthen hands that are weak?

33:25 Where someone's purpose according to the revealed will of God is weakening. How do you strengthen their hands in God? How do you encourage the faint hearted? How do you support the weak?

33:41 Let's go to our passage for an example of how a godly man encouraged a faint hearted brother and supported one who was weakening in his resolve. Again in the New Testament we are told Colossians 3.17 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly and all of scripture is the word of Christ. For Peter says the spirit of Christ which was in them did testify of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow.

34:14 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs I'm sorry in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another. Well how do you do that? Well here's a beautiful example of how you do it in the specifics.

34:31 You want to strengthen one another's hands in God? To get more particular and specific in the midst of this present trial in our congregational life? What is our privilege and duty one to another? We who have entered not the covenant of a personal friendship as Jonathan and David but a covenant of commitment to common church life.

Practical Ways to Strengthen Hands in God

34:58 How do we minister to one another in our season of distress? Well may I say we have a beautiful paradigm in Jonathan's ministry to David when we have opportunity to interact with one another when the pressure of other biblical principles does not regulate what we talk about. What are we to talk about when we are free to direct the conversation? Well may I say we ought to do exactly what Jonathan did to strengthen one another's hands in God.

35:32 Let us remind one another of God's immutable promises. Let us not when we have opportunity and duty does not direct the conversation in this or that direction. Let us not talk about who this and who that and what this and what that. Let's say to one another my brother, my sister what promise was precious to your heart in the scriptures this morning?

35:58 Would you mind sharing it with me? And then to say my brother, my sister I appreciate let me share with you. Let me seek to strengthen your hands in God. Think of all the muck that Saul could have brought to David's ear.

36:13 He was right at headquarters. Did you know about the latest plot to get you? Did you hear of the latest plans to track you down? Jonathan back in the palace heard it all.

36:28 David need to know out in the woods about the latest plots to get him. That wouldn't have strengthened his hands in God it would have weakened them. And dear people let's not churn out the latest gossip. There will be a new ton of it next week.

36:46 It keeps coming ton loads. Let it come. By its own death. But strengthen one another's hands in God.

36:57 How do you do it? Remind one another of God's immutable promises. Such as no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper. When you pass through the waters I will be with you and through the fire it shall not kindle upon you.

37:10 I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage. Promise after promise sealed to us in the blood of Christ for how many so ever be the promises of God and the promises of God and the promises of God and the promises of God and the promises of God in him is the yea and through him the amen to the glory of God. Remind one another of God's immutable promises to his people.

37:41 Don't churn out the latest bit of gossip that's reached your ears. Don't churn out the latest bit of it may even be truth. Jonathan could have brought not gossip about what Paul is intending but real sure hard facts. But David didn't need them.

38:01 what David needed is to be reminded you should surely be king because God has said it and his promises are immutable we need secondly to affirm to each other God's invincible purposes did Jesus mean what he said I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it and if the continuance and blessing of Trinity Church is part of that promise I said it is and I believe it is then we need to remind ourselves an invincible Christ has made an immutable promise

38:44 and he will indeed accomplish it affirm to each other God's invincible purposes and say with soul now Paul the apostle standing amidst the raging of that storm that paralyzed even these experienced souls steaming with fear wherefore sirs I believe God wherefore sirs I believe God and may that be our posture affirming to each other the invincibility of the purposes of God listen to Blakey in his wonderful commentary or series of sermons on the life of David

39:28 commenting on this very incident this is what he says in his words to David the faith in Pilate and the piety of Jonathan were as apparent as his friendship he strengthened his hand in God's simple but beautiful words he put David's hand as it were into God's hand in token that they were one in token that the Almighty was pledged to keep and to bless David and that when he and his God were together no weapon formed against him would prosper surely no act of friendship is so true friendship is as this to remind our Christian friends in their day of trouble of their relation to God

40:12 to encourage them to think of his interest in them and his promises to them to drop in their ear some of his assurances I will never leave you nor forsake you is surely the best of all ways to encourage the downcast and send them on their way rejoicing remember what day? Jonathan's first words to David were fear not fear not did he sense something of the pallor of fear upon David's face? we do not know but we know that he did say fear not there's no place for fear David David could answer and say what are you talking about friend?

40:56 you know what it's like to be hounded? the text says daily daily do you know what it's like to live with your life as it were in your hand and you tell me fear not?

41:10 yes I'm telling you fear not why? because bigger than Saul and bigger than Saul's spies and bigger than all of Saul's men and all of Saul's intention to kill you is the living God who is committed that you shall sit upon the throne he's promised it his almighty power will effect it and bring it to pass and I your friend am committed with you to see the will of God come to pass you shall be king and I shall be second behind you affirmed to each other God's invincible purposes and then thirdly reconfirmed to each other our mutual commitments that's what David and Jonathan did

The Nature of Righteous Anger and Covenantal Love

41:52 not in the quiet setting of 1st Samuel 18 do you see some parallels? when most of us came into this church it was in a setting of mutual quiet and peace and we made solemn commitments at least that's what we said we did we made covenantal commitments to God to one another those commitments were solemnly made in the presence of God before the face of God and now intense trials have come

42:36 and what should they do? they should draw forth from us a fresh desire to express in fresh ways that those commitments rather than be eroded have only been strengthened as we have together faced those trials Jonathan is saying in essence to David I may be up at Pappy's house and you may be out here in the woods but my heart is with you in your trial and I'm going to express it by a fresh reaffirmation of my covenantal commitments to you in the face of Jehovah and dear people I urge you in your own way

43:20 as your leaders did spontaneously a few weeks ago a special prayer meeting on a Saturday morning and I shall never forget it as long as God gives me rationality and memory each man spontaneously expressed in fresh covenantal language his commitment to Christ to one another and to his church in this place some men making a covenant of willingness to lay down their lives for one another and for you the people of God oh what a posh sentiment do you think so I believe the same Jehovah who smiled there in the thicket

44:04 when he saw two noble men under the impulse of sanctified love for one another make a fresh covenant in the presence of Almighty God may I urge you to prayerfully do the same you know what that will mean if that's genuine and I want to address this because some of you are struggling with this very issue if you'll turn back to 1 Samuel chapter 23 sorry chapter 20

44:49 where we have that incident where Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan and he calls him and his mother very ungracious names notice what we read in verse 33 Saul cast his spirit him to smite him whereby Jonathan knew it was determined of his father to put David to death so Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger and did eat no food the second day of the month for he was grieved for David because his father had done him shame when you have covenantal commitments to friends

45:34 who have not betrayed that covenant and others do them shame it is righteous for you to experience righteous anger if someone speaks ill of the wife of my youth who has been a pure and faithful wife for 42 years I will not sit and take that without righteous anger and my love for her demands righteous anger expressed in righteous channels and Jonathan expressed his righteous anger not in carnal channels

46:19 he didn't rise up and punch his pappy out he subsequently goes to the wood and strengthens the hand of his friend in God he is willing to risk his own life and reputation you say idolatrous loyalty to a man no it was the demand of the genuine commitments of love for the scripture says that we ought to lay down our lives one for another first John chapter chapter 3 and laying down one's life is a far greater expression of self-sacrifice

47:02 than coming to the defense of the honor and the well-being of a trusted friend who's done nothing to forfeit that honor we got to understand that in this saccharine age that understands so little of the dynamics of intimate godly spirit forged friendship that can so wantonly that can so wantonly do what solid done to David done him shame noble David by his actions had one soul's commendation he had done nothing to forfeit that commendation all the problem was in

47:43 Saul's heart and soul's eye and when in human relationships that draws lines it is not wicked to see where the lines have been drawn and to experience appropriate emotions I'm a part of the human race I'm a part of the human race I'm a part of the human race I'm a part of the human race I'm a part of the human race I'm a part of the human race I'm a part of the human race I'm a part of the human race and I'm called at how people ignorant of their Bibles can make broad stroke pontifications on what is right and what is wrong in the dynamics of human relationships the word of God gives us such examples so that in the New Testament when it says be angry that's a command if you're never angry you're sinning against God's command be angry

48:28 that's an imperative and sin not that's what my Bible says Bible says, in the New Testament, angry and sin not. Here's a good example in the friendship between Jonathan and David. And for some of you who are angered at some of the things you've heard that denigrate your brothers and sisters and your leaders, that anger is justified so long as it has nothing of vindictiveness or cuts carnal channels. And you ought not to bear false guilt when you experience it. You're experiencing what David felt in his covenantal commitments to Jonathan.

49:14 And if this church ever gets to the place where we've got to have nothing but sloppy, sentimental, unprincipled gush called love, God have mercy on us, because the love we profess will have no power to accomplish anything. The love that David had for Jonathan was a love that worked righteousness, caused him to come to his distressed brother in the wood, and to strengthen his hand in God. Brothers and sisters, this is our privilege and our duty to one another in this present crisis, to strengthen one another's

49:59 hands in God. Remind one another of God's immutable promises. Affirm to each other God's invincible purposes. Reconfirm to each other our mutual commitments.

Contentment in God's Will and Choosing Friends

50:13 You see, it's a wonderful thing when you have the heart of a Jonathan and the heart of a David. David not aspiring to the throne. He's moving to the throne by divine constraint and divine purpose. When Samuel comes and announces to Jesse his mission, David doesn't run from the field and say, ha ha ha, it must be me. No, he's out tending sheep and somebody has to send for him. He's

50:39 conscripted. He doesn't volunteer. But once he's conscripted by Jehovah, he's conscripted by his God of the covenant. He nobly sets his purpose of heart to be what God has marked him out to be.

50:53 And Jonathan knows that he's never going to be king. And he has no bent nose. He has no green eye. He embraces from the heart his place.

51:03 And really, at the foundation of covenantal friendships is that mutual commitment to be content with the will of God.

51:14 Unmortified ambition will fractionate the possibility of any intimate relationship on crucified eagles jostle one another and are inimical to any kind of genuine unity dear people of God let's affirm afresh our commitment to one another in things bigger than all of us and our contentment each to have his place in the will of God my final word is to ask the question of those of you who may not be Christians let me ask

51:54 you this question what do your friends do when they come to you in the thicket when your close friends have got you alone and you can talk about the things that are only appropriate to close friends when they are alone do they move your God word and heaven worked and holiness word and love word or do they move you devil word and hell word and sin part no one who moves you in that direction is a true friend you've got enough already to push you to hell a wicked devil an

52:37 evil heart and a seducing world don't gather to yourself allies in their cause in the form of evil companions who tell you that dirty jokes who mocked at the things of God who make light of the people of God and the ways of God oh dear young or old no one is your friend who nudges you toward hell and even if you're not a Christian for the sake of your soul put yourself around those that have a passion to nudge it to heaven they can't take you there but they can sure help point you there and keep you from the influences that would

53:20 drag you away and even as a Christian, you need to ask the question, do these intimate friendships result in my hand being strengthened in God or being strengthened in my suspicions to the people of God and the servants of God and the house of God? You've got to ask the question, my friend. I have to ask the question. I choose my close friends in terms of this principle. Does their

53:53 life make me jealous to be more holy, more zealous, more committed to Christ? If not, then I have a choice. I will not choose them as my close friends. I am godly neighbors.

54:11 I do all I can to become their friends that I might manifest Christ and speak of Christ. I'm talking about your choice of Christian friends. What do they say when they have the telephone in your ear? Ask yourself when you hang up the phone.

54:26 Have they strengthened my hand in God to be more holy, more devoted to Christ, to his cause, to his people, to his church? You've got to ask the question. Be not deceived. Evil companions corrupt good morals, even when they are fellow believers. Well, we've looked at two texts today,

Conclusion and Prayer

54:55 one that tells us the believer's duty and privilege in times of great distress toward himself, strengthen himself in Jehovah. God, our privilege and duty, one to another, to strengthen one another's hands in God. May the Lord find us by his grace engaged in those twin activities for our good and for his glory. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you that it is a lamp to our feet

55:32 and a light to our path. We thank you that the broad strokes of your commands are so beautifully illustrated in the scriptures themselves. And we pray that you would give us a Jonathan ministry to all of our Davids. May we learn the holy art of strengthening one another's hands in you, our God. Oh, Lord, forgive us when we've weakened the hands of our brethren

55:58 by negative words, by negative reports, by untrue reports or true reports of things not necessary to speak. Oh, God. Cleanse our lips, we pray, and teach us what it is to engage in this blessed ministry of strengthening each other's hands in you, our gracious God. We pray for those who know no such friendships, who only have friends that nudge them to the pit. God, show them the folly

56:32 of their way. Turn them to yourself and to your son and to those who will be helpers, on their way to heaven. Seal then your word and help us, we pray, in the outworking of it in the coming days. We plead through Christ our Lord. Amen.