This Sunday I preached, as part of our church series, on 1 Samuel 18-20. I thought I’d put my sermon up here, and then in another couple of posts delve a bit deeper into questions the passage raises – or questions that the passage relates to, and why I took a particular approach. So here goes with the sermon:
If we were living David’s life, we might not appreciate the twist that it takes in today’s passages. Two weeks ago David was anointed as God’s chosen King. Last week we heard how he defeated Goliath. But the final outcome from this week’s chapters is that he is on the run for his life, from a jealous king.
That in itself is part of the Bible’s realism. God being with his people, God saving his people, God giving his people a job to do – none of those things guarantees a smooth ride. And I guess that rings true in experience – we all know the reality of going from seeing God at work to seeing things seemingly fall apart quickly.
But in the midst of the confusion of these chapters, and in their gruesome realities how do we make sense of these chapters for us today? For the whole Bible contains encouragement for us, that we might have hope in God. And warning for us, that we might stay loyal to God. How do these chapters work in that for us?
To see the teaching of this passage most clearly, we need to set this story in the context of the whole Bible. And then to see how these chapters work together in that. We need to understand that as God’s chosen King, David’s reign points to David’s promised Son – Jesus.
The kingdom belongs to David – he is God’s chosen King, who has demonstrated it in winning the victory for Israel – but he is not yet crowned, and the throne is occupied by an enemy whose rule is not good for his people.
Israel lives between the time of the King’s choosing, and his final enthronement – and so do we. David will eventually be promised a Son whose rule will never end, and whose kingdom will last forever. Jesus came in fulfillment of that promise and by his life, death, resurrection, and ascension was seen to be God’s King, whose rule will last forever – but we do not yet see that rule working out in the world as we will one day. So we need to work out how to live now in the light of what is to come – and that will make a difference to our lives.
And with that big picture framework in place we turn to the overview of these chapters (overview on slide):
18:1-5 David and Jonathan’s love: David’s success
18:6-16 David and Saul’s envy: David’s success
18:17-30 David and Michal’s love: David’s success
19:1-17 Saul’s death threats: Jonathan and Michal save David
19:18-24 Saul’s death threats: God’s Spirit saves
20:1-23 David and Jonathan – protection promised
20:24-42 Jonathan and Saul, Jonathan and David – clarity, shame and peace
There is so much we could focus on in these chapters, in particular you can really see how God uses a whole range of circumstances and situations to keep David safe in the midst of seeming chaos – and take encouragement that the same God is ours in the midst of our life challenges – I’d really encourage you to read through on your own and think about that.
Through this story we see two reactions to God’s anointed King which are a warning and encouragement to us:
The first is the way of Saul, which stands as a stark warning to us that grasping hold of what we have will mean we lose our life.
Look at 18:5-9 with me:
Saul sends David on mission after successful mission – and all Israel are impressed – including Saul’s army commanders. Then the women sing of Israel’s victory – and they get the order wrong. You see they give the climax of the song, and the bigger number to David – yes, Saul has slain thousands – but David a multitude more – and Saul is angry. He is jealous of David’s success Saul has been rejected as God’s king by Samuel – and he knows his kingdom will be given to another.
Look down at verses 10-16
Saul knows someone is coming who will one day rule. Once upon a time God’s Spirit had powerfully come upon Saul and given him power to rule Israel and to defeat their enemies. But now a “troubling mood” (which is one way to translate the phrase ‘evil spirit’, given that the word often translated ‘evil’ can also be translated ‘troubling’ and ‘spirit’ can also mean ‘mood’) has been sent on him by God – part of God’s judgement on Saul’s rejection of him. David’s playing usually helps these moods, but now that David has been revealed as a successful commander Saul’s mood is just made worse.
We are told in 12-16 that Saul is afraid – because God is with David, and giving David success. Saul wants to cling to his kingdom, but sees David having everything he once had. The scene is tragic. And Saul stands as a warning to us all – A warning in relation to understanding the life of the Spirit.
Perhaps a good warning at Pentecost when we think about the work of the Spirit. Saul, and many OT figures, show us that it is possible to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, but not be transformed by the Spirit – because the Spirit empowers for God’s purposes and plans, and leaves individuals responsible for using that empowerment in their own transformation.
Which means it is possible to achieve things for God without necessarily allowing God’s Spirit to change us – which means two traps to avoid for us:
First don’t fall into the trap of thinking a Christian leader is necessarily a godly example simply because they have crowds flocking to hear them – still need to be accountable.
Second: don’t fall into the trap of thinking that doing good things for God means your relationship with God is in a good place – must individually be seeking God and asking what it means for him to be Lord.
Then also Saul stands as a warning of the danger of wrong fear. In 1 Samuel 15:24, Saul says that he disobeyed because he was afraid of the people. And now in ch 18 he is afraid. Afraid of the people, and afraid of David. Why is he is afraid? Why this fear? Perhaps because thinks the worst thing that could happen is that he loses his position and status. His concern is with people and what they think.
A vivid contrast with David’s life where David fears God first.
And you might think I’m being unfair – could we really expect Saul to welcome David with open arms? Well I think we could – I think Saul had the chance to show true repentance and save himself, if not his kingdom. And the reason I think that is that we see a second reaction to God’s choice of King here – and that reaction is Jonathan – who potentially has most to lose from David’s rise.
Jonathan’s example shows us that those who rightly respond to God’s chosen king should be marked by covenant love – loyal love, and kindness or steadfast love.
First we need to makes sure we understand a key word in this passage. There are three times in 1 Samuel that we are told that Jonathan and David made a covenant – and so we need to understand what that means. Essentially it is a more serious form of promise. In the ancient world kings and vassals would make these sort of agreements – and God makes covenants with his people throughout the Bible.
Those covenants are marked by God’s steadfast love for his people – and their loyal love in response.
In each of the three covenants in 1 Samuel between David and Jonathan there is a slightly different emphasis. In this first description of covenant the emphasis is on Jonathan’s loyal love to David.
Look at what Jonathan does 18:1-4. The phrase “one in spirit with David” means that they saw things the same way – it can be used of people who are in a conspiracy together – which is what Saul sees. But here it means that David and Jonathan saw things the same way. Jonathan, in fact delights in David – A warrior like him, who trusts God
Read 1 Samuel 14, and then 17 – and you see first Jonathan, then David winning the battle because they know that it is God who fights for them. Look here at v4 – Jonathan takes off his robe – likely the robe that shows he is the crown prince – the robe that shows his status. Then he takes off his tunic – which can be translated as armour – Saul gives David his when David is going to fight Goliath, and here Jonathan gives David his sword, bow and belt. Jonathan here shows vividly in symbolic fashion that he is giving priority to David, and that he is willingly giving David first place.
Because he recognises who David is – God’s chosen King. Are our lives marked by this loyal love to God’s King, and therefore loyal love to others?
Jonathan carries this on, as we saw in the overview of the chapter, to speak up for David before his father – and Saul promises on oath that David will not be put to death. Saul does not keep this vow – soon he seeks to kill David again. this time it seems that Jonathan is ignorant, because we then reach our second reading which contains the second covenant making time– Look at chapter 20.
David approaches Jonathan because Saul is still trying to kill him. And he wants to find out if it is true or not. So once more David and Jonathan make a covenant – this time it is David who initiates the covenant language in v8 – invoking the covenant that they have already made, and asking that Jonathan treat him with kindness. This second covenant making emphasizes ‘kindness’. This kindness is not simply “be nice to me” – it is a really significant word in the OT – often translated steadfast love – and supremely describes God’s unfailing love for Israel – a love that uses a position of security or power to benefit others – freely and willingly. Here Jonathan shows ‘kindness’ in using his position as Saul’s son to keep David safe.
Jonathan tells David his plan, and poignantly says “may the Lord be with you as he was with my father” – in other words, that God would look after David when David is King – and then Jonathan asks that David in turn would show Jonathan and his family kindness like God’s kindness. Jonathan knows that David will be king after him, and that if he behaves like other kings one of his first acts will be to wipe out Saul’s family. So he asks David not to do that – and David promises to be loyal to Jonathan’s family.
In the rest of the chapter Jonathan carries out his plan and Saul tries to kill Jonathan when Jonathan defends David – read 28-34 – look at v34 Jonathan is angry. Some of us might be angry because Saul had tried to kill us. But Jonathan is angry because his father is treating David shamefully. His concern is David.
If you are paying close attention you will have spotted two covenants, but the third is actually outside our passage, in 23:16-18 when David is on the run from Saul, and Jonathan helps David find strength in God – he reassures David of God’s plan – and promises that he will be second to David. Explicitly saying that is the marker of Jonathan’s covenant.
They renew the covenant promises one final time. They never see each other again, as far as we know. Jonathan never gets to be second to David. He dies with his father. It could be seen as tragic. Yet Jonathan has given his life in service to David, to God’s anointed King. Without Jonathan David would have died.
This is friendship – but more than friendship – this is covenant loyal love. A love that puts the other first. This is the way of John the Baptist in the gospels who says “he must increase, and I must decrease”. It is the way of the Spirit who shines the light on Jesus, and not himself.
And as we conclude, without giving away too much for the future David keeps his promise. When David is established as king in Jerusalem he looks for one of Jonathan’s family who he can show covenant love to – and Mephibosheth is brought to the table of the king – a beneficiary of the covenant promises made by his father and David.
That covenant love and kindness are a pale anticipation of the covenant love and kindness shown to us by the Lord Jesus on the cross. So as we come to the table now we remember that love and kindness shown to us. We remember the mercy shown to us, and we come with open hands to receive the gift God has for us.
As we come to communion today remember Saul – stop clinging on to your life, to your fears and to your reputation. Instead open your hand to receive. Lay down your ambitions and desires and come with nothing to receive from the kindness of the king – and then go, and show that kindness and loyal love to those you meet and interact with this week.
Joshua's Tree Rooted 