Foundations 52+ Christian Friendship 1 Samuel 23

1 Sam. 23:14-18

1. Background

David is a fugitive from Saul’s jealously.  Ever since David came back victoriously from war, Saul has been trying to kill David (see Samuel 18:6-9).

And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. And the women answered one another as they played, and said,

Saul hath slain his thousands,

And David his ten thousands.

And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?  And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

1 Samuel 18:6-9

By chapter 23, David has fled to the wilderness to live in the mountains and caves with men who remain loyal to him.  But God was with David and has chosen him to be king in stead of Saul.

And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

Verse 14

Even with God’s blessing and protection, David is still living in suffering and discomfort.  David is a man of discipline, he has learned encourage himself in the Lord.  The psalms he wrote let us see into his private though while he was on the run:

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble;

Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Psalm 32:7

Even though David has great trust in God, he still deals with contradicting thoughts.  “If God is with me then why do I flee?  Why am I suffering like this?  Why am I being defeated?”  Psalms 11 lets us see in the battle raging in his heart:

In the Lord put I my trust:

How say ye to my soul,

Flee as a bird to your mountain?

For, lo, the wicked bend their bow,

They make ready their arrow upon the string,

That they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.

If the foundations be destroyed,

What can the righteous do?

Psalm 11:1-3

The oppression is so overwhelming, what can the righteous do?  If David, God’s chosen, can feel this way, then people today who love God and perform His call can expect to deal with the same circumstances.  Being a witness for Christ in a world engulfed in darkness is not an easy life.  Even though we go with God’s power, still, obedience to great commission will mean suffering and times of discouragement.  

2. What Can we Learn about God?

God’s loves us with promises, sacrifice, and personal risk to Himself.

It’s at this point in David’s life where discouragement as set in where Jonathan, Saul’s son, comes out to comfort him.

And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into 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 thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

Verse 16-18

Consider the cost to Jonathan to be David’s friend.  Jonathan was willing to give up his claim to the throne (v17). By being David’s friend, he was risking his own life by the hands of his father Saul (see 20:32-33).

And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? What hath he done? And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

1 Samuel 20:32-33

Jonathan put the life of his friend before his own.  It didn’t matter if Jonathan would lost his rights.  It didn’t matter if Jonathan wouldn’t be the most important person in the kingdom.  Jonathan was willing to put his friend first and sweat to his own hurt. What a friend!

Jonathan’s encouragement went far beyond just a simple pat on the back or a few idle words like “hang in there.”  It does not cost you anything to simply wish someone good luck and leave them to their misery.  Like verse 16 says, Jonathan strengthened him in God.  Jonathan must knew what God had promised David, that he would be king, and so Jonathan came to remind David of those promises. Following this, Jonathan adds his own promise to put David before himself v18.  This covenant they made was before the Lord, meaning, Jonathan would do all he can to help David according to the plans God has already put in place.

And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

Verse 18

What makes Jonathan’s encouragement so powerful is a combination of these elements we see:  

• Jonathan’s risk to injury to meet with David.
• Jonathan’s sacrifice to comfort and push David forward.
• Jonathan’s use of God’s promises to encourage David.
• Jonathan’s own promise to put David first in the Lord.

If you can learn to be a friend like Jonathan, you can make disciples.  Thought the scope of this lesson is to learn Christian friendship, the principle of friendship also applies to making disciples.  Discipleship making is not a discipline that must be learned in seminary, but rather a more basic call to love others and put them first, encouraging them in the Lord.

As we see a story like this in the Bible, we must remember that these stories are not stories about the glory of Jonathan, David, or any other Bible hero.  But rather, they reveal to us who God is and help us understand how we can trust and believe Him.

In the background portion of this lesson we considered the contradiction raging in David’s heart. “If I am God’s chosen, then why am I suffering this way?”  Though it may feel like God had distanced Himself from our suffering, His word assures us He has not.  God’s promises to sinners like Abraham, David, you and I guarantees only that He will suffer along side us before there will be a resolution to our suffering and struggle with sin.

3. How does this passage point to Jesus and the Gospel?

All passages of the Bible point to the gospel at least in three ways, themes, roles, and rituals.

The Role of Jonathan and the theme of friendship:

Jesus’ faithful friendship secures our hope in the Gospel.

Jesus’ selflessly sacrificed His life on the cross not only cleansed our sin and gave us eternal life, but also elevated our status in His eyes from servants to become friends.

There was a moment in Jonathan and David’s friendship where Jonathan symbolically gave David his own royal robe, bow, and sword. 

“Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.  And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.”

1 Samuel 18:3-4

It was clear that Prince Jonathan did not merely see David as a servant even though it was in his power to treat him as such.  Because of their friendship, Jonathan elevated David’s status greatly and shared his royal table with him.  Whatever Jonathan heard from his father or any pertinent news from court, he shared it with David.

On the eve of Jesus final sacrifice for His disciple He tells them, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. (John 15:15)”

Jesus paid with His blood to make friendship with us.  In order to pay for sins of His friends, His blood was shed.  This was a “risk” that He willingly accepted, knowing from the beginning that the mission was always the cross.

The comfort He would give us as His friends goes far beyond a list of religious sounding words of wisdom.  But we are comforted by His personal appearance and salvation He secured for us on the cross.  His love was coupled with His suffering for our sake, a decision He was not forced to make, but made it anyway out of love for us.

Like Jonathan was able to portray on a smaller scale, Jesus also laid aside His royal crown to serve us.  He wore instead a crown of thorns as symbol of His service and suffering for our sake.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:5-8

Finally, Jesus friendship and encouragement towards us is based on the promises of God.  This act of friendship toward us was promised before the world began.  Jesus on the last night with His disciple made His own covenant with them, all according to the word His Father had already proclaimed.

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Luke 22:19-20

Finally, Jesus gave us more than just His royal robes, but He gave us His own flesh and blood on the cross.  Its through His provision of His flesh we are able to approach God as the friends of Christ with our sins forgiven and welcomed to the courts of God.

4. Application:

It is clear from Philippians 2:5 and John 15 we apply these promise first by believing then and then imitating them.  Our freedom from sin comes when we believe and accept the offer of friendship Jesus is giving through His body.

But then as His friends we are called to “let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”  Our behavior towards others should be and imitation of Christ as already done for us.

Jesus commands us to continue in His love, the love He love us with:

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love,; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love…This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

John 15:9-10; 12

What did it cost to purchase your soul from sin and hell?  It cost God the most precious thing in His possession.  It cost Jesus His life.  If we are going to rescue souls from hell, we must be prepared to pay with our lives.  We give our lives in His service, we sacrifice, we share,  we open ourselves to strangers, we come under attack, we are hated for His name sake.  

We are His friends willing to do His willing as He was willing to give all He had for us.