1 Samuel #20: An exposition of 1 Samuel 20:1-42. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, May 20, 2012.
Intro:
Loyalty seems to be a thing of the past. We are all familiar with the marriage stats; add to that the fact we used to have the store where we shopped now it’s whoever has the best deal today. With jobs it seems to be, “What have you done for me lately”, whether you are talking as an employee or an employer. The notion seems to be get the most you can for the least investment. Further most friendships are superficial. Surface-level commitments seem to rule the day. It is a rare thing to see sacrifice for the sake of another. So this week as the stories come out about the plane crash in Kansas involving the ORU students – we heard over and over about how the young man pulled the lone survivor from the wreckage and then died from his injuries. Yes it was heroic but even more so because of how rare a thing it is in our day. That’s part of what makes their relationship so extraordinary to us. We are not used to such loyalty and devotion. I am amazed at the friendship between Jonathan, son of Saul, crown prince of Israel and David, God’s choice for Israel’s next king. Conventional wisdom and political policy both demand something very different. If there is a rival to your throne – eliminate him. If anyone is left from a previous regime – wipe them out. It is an extraordinary story and is at the heart of our text this evening.
Text: 1 Samuel 20:1-42
I’m convinced the key to understanding this chapter and the actions of both David and Jonathan is to hear it in light of their covenant. Their relationship is more than just friendship. Look back at chapter 18 and verses 1-5:
As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.
Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.
And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants…
The Holman Bible Dictionary defines covenant as:
[an] oath-bound promise whereby one party solemnly pledges to bless or serve another party in some specified way. Sometimes the keeping of the promise depends upon the meeting of certain conditions by the party to whom the promise is made. On other occasions the promise is made unilaterally and unconditionally. The covenant concept is a central, unifying theme of Scripture, establishing and defining God’s relationship to man in all ages.
So a covenant is a binding agreement made in the presence of God.
Another important aspect is the last line in the above definition.
The covenant concept is a central, unifying theme of Scripture, establishing and defining God’s relationship to man in all ages.
As we work our way through this chapter I want us to see that…
Thesis: 1 Samuel chapter 20 provides for us a moving portrait of the power and wonder of covenantal love.
There are 4 things I want us to note:
- Covenantal love provides an ally in times of distress. (20:1-9)
- Covenantal love provides the grounds for uncommon faithfulness. (20:12-17)
- Covenantal love often proves costly. (20:24-34)
- Covenantal love provides peace even in the midst of chaos. (20:35-42)