True And Biblical Friendship - [1 Samuel 18]

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Our Father in heaven how grateful we are that your word says that as a father pitieth his children so the
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Lord pities them that fear him and God we're grateful that we can come to the throne of grace and we can confess our sins and Know that according to your word you are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
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Unrighteousness We're grateful that we have a God who saves a God who keeps a
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God who helps us And a God who loves us and thinks upon us and now as we come to your word, we pray that you would teach us
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We ask that you'd help us. We want to to grow we want to learn
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We want to as we open the Word of God We pray and and beseech you that we may be taught of the
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Spirit of God this morning so that we can Be your faithful people and to put feet to this word to With our hearts be glad to walk in the ways of the
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Lord So, please Lord, we pray that we might be changed what we might we might be challenged that we might be encouraged
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And that we might do it all for the glory of Christ That he might be magnified in this church
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That he may be magnified in our families and in our very lives
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So, please come upon us and help us We pray in Jesus name. Amen If you would please turn in your bibles to the old testament and then we'll be looking in first samuel chapter 18 first samuel 18 i'm going to do um
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Just a short study this morning on a true and biblical friendship there isn't um
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There isn't a greater or i'd say maybe I can't put it that way one of the greatest gifts
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That God gives us On the face of the earth is a faithful and true friend i'm reminded of um
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Of anna green gables if you've ever seen that and anne was always looking for that kindred spirit
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That's how she put it A true bosom friend someone who would as the proverb tells us
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A friend that sticks closer than a brother now
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It is easy to go through life And not have a friend To not to not be friendly ourselves and it's very important for us to consider this that if we want
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If we want to have friends We must show ourselves friendly.
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That's what the scriptures tell us the proverbs And i've i've written uh an article that's going to Appear as in the next bbc newsletter.
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That is exactly Geared to that. It's a very short article And when
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I was thinking of that article I was thinking of some examples of in the scriptures of True friendship and of course
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None can exceed the friendship of god When he befriends sinners when god saves us when god
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Draws us to himself When he takes his enemies and um and makes them his friends and when when um
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We see this in the example of folks in the scriptures that uh, that were friends of god abraham being one a friend of god jesus in the new testament a friend of sinners and aren't we glad about that because That's who we are and that's what he has done for us on on uh on his behalf
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For his namesake is to befriend sinners, but I wanted to look at some examples and I mean and particularly an example in in the old testament um of of two men
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That were close friends and some characteristics of that friendship And of course i'd be speaking of here in first samuel 18 of jonathan and david
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In first samuel 17, you'll remember this is the account where god used david
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To kill goliath the enemy of the philistine enemy of of israel
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And at the end of at the end of um the slaying of goliath
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David is called in before saul and you will see um at the end of chapter 17
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It says that in verse 57 and as david returned from the slaughter of the philistine
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Abner took him and brought him before saul with the head of the philistine in his hand So david comes before saul
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With the head of the dreaded enemy Goliath and you remember the whole contest there goliath said send me a man
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Whoever if that person that man kills me We will be your servants and if it's just the opposite then you we we will be the conquerors and of course david
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Goes and um and says, you know, is there not a cause isn't anybody going to do anything and for days
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Of course the israel army was trembling in their boots and would not do anything would not approach would not send anybody out and david said, you know,
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I was watching the sheep and and um, there was lion and a bear had come in to take one of the the lambs and and basically uh
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All he says is is by the strength of the lord by god's enabling by by god's power.
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It wasn't david It was god It was the god of david that That gave him victory with those animals grabbing the lion by the beard and smoting him killing him and and saving
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Uh the lamb and david said what's the difference? What's the difference between a lion a powerful lion in this in this hunk of a guy this warrior this goliath this
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Uh man who's over nine feet tall and david acknowledges and knows
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Uh, if you look in in chapter 17 in verse 46, he says this day
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Will I deliver you? Into our hands. No, it doesn't say that it says in this day
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Will the lord he's talking to goliath deliver you into my hand And I will smite you and take your head from you and I will give the carcasses of the philistines to the to the birds of the air
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David acknowledged the fact that the battle was not was hit not in his strength, but it was of the lord
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And at the end of this chapter when david comes with the head of saul in his hand the head of uh,
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Goliath in his hand before saul verse 58 and saul said to him whose son art thou thou
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Young man and david answered. I am the son of thy servant jesse the bethlehemite And we go right into verse chapter 18 and it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking to saul
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That the soul of jonathan was knit with the soul of david and jonathan loved him as his own soul jonathan heard
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Jonathan jonathan saw the testimony of david in chapter 17. He knew what was going on.
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His father's the king he had seen and heard when david came before him and said that he could go and there was um,
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He could go and and slay goliath he would he would fight for the cause of god because the the name of god had
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Had been defied and that and that gritted on the soul of david He could not stand for the name of god to be cast down and for the name and the testimony and for the honor of god
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He would go before this before and approach this uncircumcised philistine and he would fight him
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Not in his own strength, but the strength of the lord and and jonathan was hearing all of this And jonathan saw what took place and he heard when he came back with the head of uh goliath in his hand
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And when he was done speaking jonathan saw something In david he watched him and he heard his testimony
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And he sought him out and from this moment forward jonathan
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Be friends david now the proverb tells us That it is a is an important thing for us
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Uh to choose our friends wisely in proverbs 12 and 26 the righteous shall choose
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His friends carefully now, why do you think it's important to choose?
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our friends carefully Why is it important? They exactly that is the main that is it's not
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And carl said because of their influence upon us It is not because it is not
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If they will influence us It's just how they will because no matter who we surround ourselves with we will
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Be influenced lewis. Is that a hand or oh, I thought you might have had a had a comment there um
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We will be influenced by the people that we surround ourselves with In um in tommy nelson's book the 12 essentials to godly success
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He's got a chapter in there about friendship and how the people that you surround yourself will influence you and one of the things he says is if you want to take a picture, um of us of of birds and you want a rare bird to take a picture of You can just stick you can just stick your head outside of your door
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And I can't remember how he described it But you you know the the sparrows the the common sparrows are a dime a dozen you can get yourself some, uh, you know
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I can't remember the word he used to describe it, but it was like just some commonplace sparrow You stick your head out the window snap take a shot
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But if you want to take a picture of an eagle, you're going to have to hustle You're going to have to go find it. You're going to have to you're going to have to search
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You're going to have to put forth some effort And basically in the correlation that he was making there was is if you want a dime a dozen friend
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If you want someone who will just um, just tell you what you want to hear if you want someone um, who who will just kind of uh pamper to you
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And make you feel good never challenge you never never be pointed towards you Never never be like the proverb says where it's iron sharpening iron
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That's the type of relationship that we ought to have, you know that metal being rubbed Um and and there in the proverbs 27 17 iron sharpens iron to take off the burrs to take off the
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The dull spots and to make it sharp It says iron sharpens iron and so a man the countenance of his friend
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If you want someone who will challenge you if you want someone who is godly spiritual mature
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And that will help you then you're going to have to hustle You're gonna have to look you're gonna have to take the time and not and not just um, you know hang out with anybody who will um, just Give you uh their ear
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It's so critical and so important and and jonathan here see something in david and his and his soul is knit with him
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Um the word knit there means to tie Or to bind together or to be in league with And it says that jonathan loved him as his own soul jonathan
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Has a deep concern. He has a deep affection for Um, and of course we're going to see as this goes along notice what it says and saul
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Took him that day and david and would let him go no more to his father's house in verse three
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Then jonathan and david made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul
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There was this affection and there was this deep concern and It that that affection and that deep concern becomes the basis for a covenantal relationship
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A covenant is a promise and they make a promise between the two of them
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Um that they would be kind to each other and to their seed Afterwards and to their children afterwards and we see this later.
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It comes out In in uh as they speak But this covenant is not just between jonathan and david.
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This is a covenant between them but before god They covenant they promise before god that they will be kind to each other that they will care for each other and not only them too but they will also
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Uh promise to do that between uh them and their children and their seed after them and there's something interesting
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That's behind this covenant. Also notice in verse 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe
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That was upon him and gave it to david and his garments Even to his sword and to his bow
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And to his girdle now you could first look at that and you could say well a true friend should be unselfish and that's very true a true friend should provide for Uh his friend and that's true, too
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And and you know when it comes to the needs of those that uh that we do befriend
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Uh, we ought to be on so we ought to be unselfish and to give Uh, if you love somebody you sacrifice for that person and a true friend will do that But there's something a little bit more in this
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When jonathan stripped himself of his robe when he stripped himself of his outer garments
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Those pieces of clothing and you know clothing in the in the scriptures mean something and his robe and his outer garments were
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Were the were the clothing for jonathan that signified his position as the prince of israel?
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Saul his father is king Jonathan the son he wears the robe and the outer clothing of the of the prince of israel and when he did that What we see behind this is is that jonathan?
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Understands What god is doing in david's life? He understands
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And he knows and he's heard no doubt that david was anointed by saul earlier
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To be the next king. I mean by samuel. Sorry David was anointed by samuel to be the next king and jonathan
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Understood that and he discerned that god had chosen him to be king. So he humbly offers the robe to god's anointed
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And he's not fighting what god is doing and what's so neat about this friendship? is that When it comes to true friendship when it comes to lasting friendship when it comes to a friendship that will be deep
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It has to have a spiritual dimension It has to have Um a spiritual aspect to it.
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It cannot just be superficial It cannot be just how's the weather?
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How are things going? You know, what about the red socks? How about the patriots?
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Isn't uh, when is this rain rain gonna stop? You know, um, what are you doing this week?
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How's work? But it goes it goes deeper than that it is it is um
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What I mean that can be that can be a friendship but when it when what we're speaking of here is a fellowship
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We're speaking of something that goes just beyond the superficial goes beyond the external
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And it goes into a whole different different realm that is so very important because it's part of our makeup
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We have a we have a spiritual life in jesus christ God has saved us the spirit of god dwells within us
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And god is working in our lives and god is working in our myths And what we ought to be talking about are those things?
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And to be sharing and we have those things in common That's the fellowship but when it comes to our day -to -day lives
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There has to be and must be and should be an examination of what god is doing in each other's lives
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And jonathan could see that He could see what god was doing in david's life how god would take this young boy
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Who who was not a warrior and we just saw the example of it the testimony of god's stamp of approval upon his life
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And god using him in the previous chapter And he would marvel at what god did in his life and how god used david and jonathan wanted and desired
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To be associated with to be friend And to be in close communion with and have a friend who is godly
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And that's important when it first comes to choosing friends somebody who is godly someone who is closely connected to the lord has a walk with god is spiritual and that will help us because When we connect with that person that person is going to influence us in that way
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Because we will either have friends that will influence influence us and and and possibly take us away from the lord or Our friends will take us closer to the lord and and encourage us and help us
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That's what that's what and jonathan saw this in david's life And he was willing even to the point where he just relinquishes himself and he's offering his clothing as as it were
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Uh to the to the one who will succeed To the one who will take take the throne next
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And he loved him As his own soul. What is what is um
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What is unique about that verse? Can anybody tell me something? What is it that's really unique and kind of neat about that?
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It says that jonathan loved david as his own soul exactly
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Exactly we're to love our neighbor as ourself. This is loyal love
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Um, this is love with faithfulness. This is an honorable relationship
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Uh, that is of course based upon the covenant that they mean it's based upon the the passion and the affection that he has but in leviticus 1918 we have that where god states that we're we're to love our neighbor as ourself and and of course it is
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It is some uh put in a summary form when jesus was asked that question
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What is the the greatest commandment and he says we're to love god first with all our heart soul mind and strength in matthew 22 39 and to love our neighbor as ourselves unselfish meeting needs loyal love honorable and um, and we see uh that jonathan
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Um jonathan felt it very important to Surround himself with that type of person and if you want
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To choose somebody who is going to bring you to heights to encourage to edify
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Um, it must be a person who is living a life um, that is biblically sound biblically pure biblically, um,
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Uh, you know christ focused god honoring Uh, and that's the type of person that we should ourselves desire to be so we can be a friend like that to somebody else
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And it's the type of person that we ought to pray for that. God would would give us that type of person
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Now let's let's go on because there's a few chapters. I got to try to cover here. Let's go to chapter 19 at the beginning of chapter 19,
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I mean we're finding here That uh, there's this jealousy that comes from saul.
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You remember david goes out and and he's and he's uh, victorious in the in the conquests of fighting the philistines
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And he comes back and saul has killed his thousands. David is ten thousands and and and saul is jealous and saw saul, um
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Interestingly, I believe that in 18 -2 when saul took him to come into his house.
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It wasn't to do him a favor I Believe that it was for saul to keep david this young upstart underneath his his thumb
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He wanted to know what was going on in his life because at from the from the get -go. He's jealous He's envious
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And he wants to keep an eye on david and we see of course that borne out when saul here in 19
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Saul speaks to jonathan verse 1 his son and to all his servants that they should kill david
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Saul wants him murdered He doesn't he he doesn't want david to succeed
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Notice what jonathan does but jonathan saul's son Delighted much in david that word delighted there said means that he took pleasure in david
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He was he was um, he was thrilled with david He he um, he had this love for him.
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And if if you have love for another person You're going to do whatever it takes uh to to make sure
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Uh that they that their well -being is is taken care of and we're going to see this happen here jonathan, uh, jonathan
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Delights much in david and jonathan told david saying saul My father seeks to kill you now
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Therefore I pray thee take heed to thyself until the morning and abide in a secret place and hide thyself
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And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art and I will commune with my father of thee
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And and what I see that I will tell you and we see some things come out here
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That saul, I mean jonathan delights so much in david That he will warn him of danger
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That he will watch out for his well -being And he won't let his friend fall into a trap or into a bad situation
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I think that if we have a friend and if we see somebody that we call our friend We ought to do everything possible when we see them falling into a trap or going the wrong way
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To warn them that they're going in the wrong way to to warn them that their danger is around the corner and that could be
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Sin that they're involved in it could be Somebody they're following some teacher some book that they get a hold of um
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I mean there could be all different types of things that could uh Try to snatch somebody's heart away from the lord and put them in a perilous situation
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And jonathan loves his friend so much that he will tell him the truth
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And he's going to tell him everything here. He's going to reveal The plan of saul now think about that What what is it?
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What is it there that uh kind of comes into that mix? He's going to reveal the plan of saul
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What about that relationship? Saul is his father Saul is the king not only just his father, but he's the king and the king is
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Going against the law of god and saul jonathan loves david so much
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He's going to honor god and honor god's word and do the right thing No matter what the cost
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No matter who he fends Even if it turns his father against him and it does
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Because there's a time there's a time later on and I don't know if we'll get to see that But where jonathan keeps sticking up for david and he keeps protecting david that uh, that that uh,
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Saul just lets him have it He just derides him and he any um, and and um, and and he lashes out at him
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But here we see that that jonathan Is going to tell david everything he hears and notice in verse 4 1st.
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Samuel 19 4 and jonathan Spake good of david unto saul his father
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And said unto him let not the king sin against his servant against david because he hath not sinned against thee
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And because his words have been to thee word very good For he did put his life in his hand and slew the philistine at speaking of goliath and the lord wrought a great salvation for all israel
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Thou sorrested and did rejoice wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood to slay david without a cause
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But back up in verse 4 in the beginning of verse 4 jonathan spake good of david friends speak well of their friends friends don't gossip behind their friends back
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They don't talk to other people in a in a in a deriding way in a slanderous way about those that they say are their friends um
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They're careful what they say to other people about their friends and here It says that jonathan speaks well of he tried to persuade his father um with reasoning why david should not be murdered and jonathan in this case here, he remains faithful even before the king even before his father to to um to bring a good testimony
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To say that which is good to his father concerning concerning david and you know
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You've heard the saying if you if you don't have anything good to say then don't say anything at all another one that you may not have you may not have remembered but um those
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Who speak to you? About others will speak to others about you you have to be very careful who you speak to and who you will who you will open up to Because you need to judge their character
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You need to judge their their true Whether they are sincere with you
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Whether they truly do love you enough um like the saying
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Let's think i'll pull it out of here out of my Other thing of notes here. It's written by dina craig
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She said a friend Is one whom you can pour out the contents of your heart
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Chaff and grain alike Knowing that the gentlest of hands will take it and sift it
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Keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest of way That's what a true friend is
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A true friend will know That we are not perfect a true friend will know that we have our blemishes and that we have our sins that we're dealing with and we have
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Um and and we have those things That um that ought to be that ought to remain covered
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And uh, that is the demonstration of true love when you know something about somebody and you just won't broadcast it
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You care enough for the person that you're working with them or helping them or or you're just befriending them and you're working
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You're praying through a thing with them Maybe but you don't go telling all kinds of folks about the secrets that have been or the things that have been trusted to you
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You keep that confidentiality and You're so concerned about their name
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And so concerned about their well -being that it would be uh, it would be detrimental. It would be devastating.
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It would be Very frustrating if you always knew that somebody's going around talking bad about you
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That's just the op. That's just the opposite of what we see here. Jonathan speaking well of david even though It cost him something and notice too he's going and he's interceding for david
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He's sticking up for david. He's pleading the cause for david and sometimes we need to do that for a friend
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Because somebody may misunderstand their motive. Somebody may uh may not Quite know the whole story and you do but rather than just sit back and watch the train wreck
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You'll do something to stand in the gap for somebody else And to stick up for them and that's exactly what jonathan did and he
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He reminds saul that david had done nothing worthy of death Uh, and that david had been used of god to spare israel to give them victory over the philistines with goliath and of course temporarily
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Saul's wrath is assuaged here just for a moment just for a little while and uh, and jonathan
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Saul agrees that he won't do it and we start kind of like all over again. Then we come to chapter 20 notice in chapter 20 in verse 1
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And david fled from naoth and ramath And came and said before jonathan.
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What have I done? What is mine iniquity? And what is my sin before thy father that he seeketh my life?
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And he said unto him Jonathan says to david god forbid that thou shalt thou shalt not die
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Behold, my father will do nothing either great or small But that he will show it me and why should my father hide this thing from me?
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Is it not so? And what I wanted to just bring out here is notice the notice the conversation
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It isn't the uh, the head of goliath It wasn't the you know, the armor that that he brought in a goliath sword or or the numbers and the splendor that was out
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Uh out there on the battlefield Here they're talking about personal matters
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And when it comes to the conversation Between two friends it is deep
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And it is serious and it is spiritual and sometimes it hurts
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Now in this case here, I mean, there's there's a helping but sometimes as the proverb says Faithful are the wounds of a friend sometimes we have to tell the truth and talk about weighty matters and and we need to to talk in such a way that we
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That we deal with what needs to be dealt with And because we're concerned about the person we want them to grow.
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We want them to uh mature we want them Uh to have a foundation We want their well -being we want them to be well -rounded
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We want to care enough for them to speak on on the level that goes beyond the superficial
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It's not just fluff, but it's serious when we when we have conversation and I believe that we see here that a friend thinks about Others and looks out for them and doesn't stick their head in the sand jonathan could have so easily
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Because of his position if he was selfish if he if he only cared about what was going to take place in his future
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He would have just pushed david aside because he would be the next king But he could not do that Because he had recognized as I said earlier what god was doing in david's life
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And he understood that and he saw that and that is so neat when it comes to a relationship when you can share that with Somebody else
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You know walk up to a person and and rather and rather than just saying hey, what'd you have for dinner last night?
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Um, hey, what what is the lord teaching you? As you're reading the scriptures or if you're are you reading a book or whatever what's god teaching you?
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How is your heart being uh dealt with what is it that what is it that's going through your mind? What can I pray for you, uh about?
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And over how can I how can I help you? And and begin to talk in those on that, uh level
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So that it is a it is edification. It is a building up and here
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We see that this is taking place between the two of them and jonathan in particular because he is not willing
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To just look the other way, but he's going to be faithful to his friend And what a characteristic of a true friend to be faithful to a person that you say that you love and notice what it says
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Here in verse three david swear moreover and said my father certainly knoweth
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That I have found grace in thine eyes. What a beautiful description of a friendship that that David had found grace
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In jonathan's eyes, or he had found favor in jonathan's eyes or Charm, this word means or acceptance
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I mean, I mean, it's just it just again. It just shows you um the
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The different plane that this type of friendship is on biblical friendship. Where is it in the scriptures that we see this phrase?
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Anybody remember back in genesis? Noah, right?
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Noah found grace in the eyes of the lord God spared noah. God loved noah and god took care of him in his family and jonathan kind of kind of like um, we we see that first mention in the in the um in in the life of noah
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Jonathan when he when when david finds grace or favor or this acceptance in the eyes of jonathan
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Jonathan this this true characteristic this of of favor and accepting this person
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He will do Whatever it takes to make sure Uh david is protected and david is cared for and he's provided for and he's watched out for and he's warned and this is kind of a a tricky situation that he's in because of the
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Relationship in the house with his father and the king and and all that all that goes on there
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But that doesn't matter to jonathan. He loves david enough and even though it will cost him
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Disfavor with his father. He is still going to favor his friend And nothing is going to stop him from doing that and this is unconditional love
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No matter what it takes. He's going to sacrifice for the person that he calls his friend
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Notice in verse 4. How does he show it? Then send jonathan unto david whatsoever
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Your soul desires. I will even do it for you Whatever you desire
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Whatever you want David, whatever whatever it is. I want to please you.
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I want to make sure that you are satisfied that you are taken care of That you are provided for whatever you need whatever you desire.
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I will be there for you And you notice that when it comes to being a friend
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Here it is a one -way street here Jonathan is willing to give He loves david the odd and and what you do is you?
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Sacrifice and you give for the object of your love and that's what jonathan's doing and he's saying that he's going to do it
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And we we see him doing it over and over again as he warns david as he provides for david as he cares for david
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As he sticks in the gap for him as he intercedes for him and And this is this is the this is true friendship.
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If you're going to be a friend it is pouring your life Into somebody else and seeing that because you have such of an affection for them
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And you accept them and you and you love them that that it is it is a desire
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To to have favor upon them and to make sure that they are blessed And that they are helped and that they are helped along in their life
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And we'll see some we'll see some other examples of this. Let me see I'll just read a little bit further on in here
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Because I think this is the chapter. Yes. This is the chapter where Uh david in verses five through seven basically what david says is is i'm not coming home for dinner
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Um, he knows that's something he's because up in verse in verse three at the end of verse three He says there's a step between me and death
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He discerns He knows what's what's going on. It's not favorable. Saul is not favoring david and david says
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I I I won't be home for dinner and in verse eight Therefore that david says to jonathan thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant
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For thou has brought thy servant into a covenant of the lord with thee notice In chapter 18, we didn't see we just saw the word covenant.
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But here it says the covenant of the lord This was something that was this had a spiritual dimension a spiritual aspect to it
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And david says deal kindly with thy servant because we brought in the covenant of the lord with thee Notwithstanding if there be iniquity in me slay me thyself or why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?
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David is basically saying jonathan, you know, if I have sinned if i've done something deserving of death and kill me
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But he knew that he was honorable before saul. He had not done anything He was just serving the lord his god to the to the best of his ability but found disfavor in in saul's sight
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But notice his request to jonathan was to deal kindly with thy servant and isn't that an aspect of friendship?
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I mean, what does it say in first corinthians 13 love is kind And when we're when we truly love somebody when we truly uh concerned about somebody we will act in a way
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That is kind we will look for opportunities to do that person good Basically, that's how
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I when I think of kindness just to look for every opportunity No matter what it might be to do the person good and that's what jonathan did in his life
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Notice verse 9 and jonathan said far be it from thee for if I knew certainly, you know, i'm not gonna david
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I'm not going to kill you far be it from me for if I knew Certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee then would
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I not tell you? And he's promising again that he would warn him that he would look out for his well -being he wouldn't withhold anything from him
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Even if it meant him more disfavor even if it meant that he would not be advanced because Think about it if saul was successful in his desire his wicked desire to have david murdered
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Then jonathan would be the next king upon saul's death And We see over and over again
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That again, let's go on We'll see some more of the spiritual aspect verse 11 and jonathan said unto david come
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And let us go out into the field and they went out both of them into the field and in 20 chapter 20 verse 12
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And jonathan said unto david he's speaking to david and notice this notice the spiritual aspect of this.
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Oh lord god of israel When I have sounded my father or question or found out what my father about tomorrow any time
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Or the third day and behold if there be good toward david And I then send not unto thee and show it unto thee the lord do so and much more to jonathan
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But if it pleased my father to do the evil, then I will show it thee And send thee away that thou mayest go in peace and the lord be with thee
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As he hath been with my father Notice here that jonathan and a true friend.
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I believe one of the characteristics is Is that a true friend will pray with?
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And pray for their friends They will lift up their names before the lord They are so concerned about them that they want god's best in their life
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And they will intercede or they will pray for and lift up their names so that god would bless and god would take care of Them because they know they can't but they can bring them before the lord and uh and look for god's favor upon them
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And and david says I mean jonathan says that he just wants god's god to be with him god's presence to be
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With david and that's the desire. I mean, isn't it if you think about somebody that we we say and we call our friend
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Would we not want them to be walking close to the lord and have? God's hand upon them and be strengthened by god and be taken care of and to be blessed by the lord
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And of course as we go down through here, we see something more Um of this covenant that that they made between between each other
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Notice in verse 14 and thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the lord that I die not
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But also now jonathan's speaking to david thou shalt not cut off the kind thy kindness from my house forever.
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No Not when the lord hath cut off the enemies of david every one of them from the face of the earth
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Jonathan again realizing discerning understanding that when david's enemies are cut off when david when it's god's timing
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David will be king. Jonathan sees this and he says when you are king Be kind to not only me in my life
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But to my children after me And jonathan made a covenant verse 16 with the house of david saying let the lord even require it at the hand of david's enemies
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And jonathan caused david to swear again because he loved him. Notice it says He loved him for he loved him as he loved his own soul
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And why I think what's so interesting and it's a whole different study, but you'll notice you'll remember that After saul and and uh, jonathan are killed in battle at the end of this book
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At the beginning of second samuel chapter one Uh in in second samuel chapter one
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David is heartbroken when he finds out that saul and jonathan are um are dead
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And that's when he comes out with that phrase. Oh how the mighty have fallen and he just he was just so grief -stricken over their death
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David assumes the throne later on and if you ever want to read a neat story go to second samuel chapter 9 and read about Mephibosheth You probably uh, some of you may have remembered that that case david is uh, considering he says is there any of the household of saul?
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left remaining alive and someone tells him that there's this this man called mephibosheth and He he lives in lodabar and david seeks him out sends for him and brings him to sit he's and he's a man who is lame at his feet because when he was
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Uh when they were fleeing from enemies when he was young Uh, he I think the nurse dropped him became lame on his feet and he was lame all the rest of his life
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And david brings this lame man into his court and he can sit at his table and eat from his table
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All the days of his life and sets him up and blesses him and takes care of him And I believe that that was jonathan's son.
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Mephibosheth is jonathan's jonathan's son And uh, it's just so interesting that david fulfilled the promise that he had made to jonathan
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To spare and to be kind to his seed to keep this covenant That's the outworking of this covenant
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And it is a true characteristic is a characteristic of true friendship when you make a promise you keep the promise
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If you tell somebody that you love and that is your friend even it is to to your own hurt
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You fulfill the promise that you made that is so important because it's trust
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Is the ability to be able to to sink your teeth into a person so to speak to where you know?
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You just know that there is that foundation between the two of you and there is a trust there And that's what david and jonathan had well for the sake of time i'm going to have to uh to go to a place here where Saul will not relent.
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He wants to kill david And what happens is is that jonathan sets up this um, this method of communication that would david will be out in the field
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If uh, saul still wants to kill david that saul will take a little boy with him shooting out his arrows out into the field and And has this way of signifying
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Whether um things are well with saul and david or things are poor with saul and david and of course the indication is
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Near the end of chapter 20 that it is bad Saul will not stop and relent from his wanting to kill david
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And he gives the indication to the boy that goes out for the arrows that the arrows are beyond him
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Which means that the the that saul still wants to kill david david will not be allowed to come back
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And he needs to flee for his life And of course we see that happen, uh, the chapters, uh after this in the remaining chapters of this book and notice in chapter 20 in verse 37
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When the lad was come to the place of the arrow which jonathan had shot jonathan cried after the lad
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And said is not the arrow beyond thee And jonathan cried after the lad and I I know that the wording here is is that he's shouting out to the boy out there with the arrows
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But don't you just believe that when jonathan is saying this that he is I mean there is a tear in his eye
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He is just heartbroken because he knows that the relationship with david will never be the same.
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It just it won't be and The lad knew nothing of this it was only between jonathan and david verse 49 and jonathan verse 40 gave his
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Artillery to his lad and told him to go back to the city notice in verse 41 and as soon as the lad was gone
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David arose out of a place toward the south And fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times
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And they kissed one another and they wept one with another until david
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Exceeded now how anybody could possibly take this relationship between david and jonathan
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Today in the liberal circles. This is perverted to believe to try to teach that they had uh, an illicit
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Immoral relationship between them. There was something else going on that what we see in the scriptures here. No, this is biblical friendship
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This is this is the naomi and ruf when you see those when you when uh, when um
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When naomi is going to leave And ruth doesn't wanted to leave And she says and treat me not to leave, you know from following after you your people be my people, you know
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And and all that and she loved her and that's two women having that bond and here we have two men
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That have an inseparable deep Uh relationship what a friendship they have here and they're just weeping over the fact that their relationship will never
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Ever be the same and this is a this is a characteristic of true friendship That there's just a care one for another that at the at the thought of being separated
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A heartbreak, that's where the hymn was born Bless be the tie that binds our hearts in christian love a pastor having to leave his church wrote that based upon um
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The the thought of having to leave his people that he had pastored for decades One last example and I promise we'll close if you look quickly in um in chapter 23
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Just another one last thing as far as what a friend does for another friend This is one of one of the last examples that I can remember where jonathan
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You show you see jonathan and david's friendship because they never were able to spend the time together that they did before in first samuel 23 verse 16 jonathan saul's
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Uh son arose and went to david in the wood. David is already on the flight And he goes out and finds david in the woods and strengthens his hand in god
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And he said unto him fear not for the hand of saul. My father shall not finally A true friend will encourage their friend in the lord in god
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He he probably reminded david that he was god's man that he was god's anointed that he that god had promised to make him king
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Uh that god cared from david was probably discouraged and he wasn't we see that so many times when he thinks it's over Saul's gonna kill me.
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I'm gonna die. I'll never i'll never become king and in Jonathan goes to him
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And he as a true friend encourages him and builds him up and strengthens him and edifies them
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And I think that's one of the characteristics of a true friend that we ought we ought to do that to encourage somebody when they're down and discouraged
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Uh and depressed coming alongside of them And doing what we can to remind them that they're christians to remind them of the blessings of god to remind them of forgiveness
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To remind them of what god has done already in their lives and how special they are to the lord So there's just a quick brief study about true
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Friendship and you'll there'll be more coming out in the in the article in the newsletter. Let's pray together father, thank you and praise you for this study
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And lord, it is the desire of many here To have someone that they could call their true friend
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Or would you not work in our lives so that we would have these characteristics and that we would be friendly
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And that we would reach out to others and that we would show ourselves faithful to those whom we call our friends and and Live accordingly and lord.
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Would you not give us people who are spiritual? That would come alongside of us and befriend us and we them
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So that our hearts would be knit together as we travel this rugged road Here upon this earth before we come
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Home to heaven lord. We pray in jesus name for for his glory and for his name's sake.