683 Paul began his victorious Christian life he trod a thorny path to the end. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Captain of our salvation, set his face like a flint to wards the Cross, and toiled and suf fered until He was nailed upon it. There are perils plentiful, blit there is to every true soldier intense satisfac tion in the consciousness of being in the will of God. David had his weaknesses. There was no perfection in him, but he was chosen of God for such a time, and he was kept by God until His purposes were fulfilled in his life. (2) THE FAITHFUL FRIEND, vs. 34- 40. There had grown into the lives of David and Jonathan a friendship sacred and sweet and sturdily strong. Friends are not bought. They are made. True friendships are wrought out by time, testings and fiery trials, and the friend ship between these two soldiers stands out amidst the friendships of men as the model. It is Damon and Pythias on a supreme scale. Shakespeare has well said: “ The friends thou hast and their virtues tried, Clasp with a hook of steel.” Jonathan was a splendid specimen of manhood with a true heart and nerve of steel,T^the idol of the army, the darling of the people. With one sturdy blow he had struck terror to the heart of Israel’s foe. His moral courage was equal to his physical valor. He bore testimony to David’s word and work, and put his father to shame. He was angered because of his father’s conduct and covenanted with David (vs. 32-35). Saul had the whole scheme staged for David’s death. David did not come to the feast. The hatred of Saul for David intensified the love of Janathan for him. He recognized the error of his father and the injustice done to David, and this
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S to Saul after the slaying of Goliath that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David. Outline. (X) David’s Danger, vs. 32, 33. (2) The Faithful Friend, vs. 34-40. (3) The Blessed Bond, vs. 41, 42. (1) DAVID’S DANGER, vs. 32, 33. King Saul, moved with envy and jeal ousy, sought the life of David. The reason for it was David’s popularity (18:6-11). He was afraid of David (18:12-15) and proposed his death ( 20 : 1 ) . Saul had promised his daughter to David, provided David would win a vic tory over the Philistines. He hoped that David would be slain in this ad venture, and when he was not, he gave his daughter to another man. This was the beginning of a long series of perse cutions upon the part of Saul, in which is manifested the wisdom of David, and God’s overruling providences in his be half. Saul was intent upon David’s death, and had planned its accomplishment at the feast in his own house (v. 31). There are two lessons to be learned from this experience of David: (1) Men should not seek great things for themselves (Jer. 45:5) and David did not do this. God had sought him and selected him to be the king (2) When one has been thrust into a place of prominence and power for God, he should remember that it will be a path beset with temptations, misunder standings and trials. Human nature is jealous, and enemies multiply as God honors and blesses. Troubles begin with triumphs. The path to success is strewn with thorns. Look through the record of God’s men as set forth in the Bible. Commence, if you will, with Noah and see if you can find a single exception,-—Abraham and Moses, Jonathan and David, John the Baptist and the Apostles. So soon as
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