Samuel 1, chapter 20, starting to read at verse 24, and this may be found on your Bible for 256eage in the Old Testament section. So David hit himself in the field, and when the new mountain, the King sat down to eat food. The King sat upon his seat, as at other times, upon the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite, and admissed by Saul's side, but David's place was empty. Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought something had befallen him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean. But on the second day, the morrow after the new moon, David's place was empty, and Saul said to Jonathan his son, why not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today? Jonathan answered Saul. David earnestly asked the leap of me to go to Bethlehem. He said, let me go, for I'll family hold the sacrifice in the city, and my brother has come command with me to be there. So now if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers. For this reason, he has not come to the King's table. Then Saul's anger was keenled against Jonathan, and he said to him, you son of a perverse rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore, send an affection to me for he shall surely die. Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, why should he be put to death? What have he done but Saul cast his spear at him to smite him? So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month. But he was grieved for David because his father had disgraced him. In the morning, Jonathan went out into the field to the appointments with David and with him a little lad. And he said to his lad, run and find the arrows which I shoot. And the lad ran and he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the lad came to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the lad and said, it's not the arrow beyond you. And Jonathan called after the lad, hurry, make haste, stay not. So Jonathan's lad gathered at the arrows and came to his mosque. But the lad knew nothing, only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his weapons to the lad and said to him, go and carry them to the city. And as soon as the lad had gone, David rose from the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground. And about three times and they kissed one another and wet with one another until David recovered himself. Then Jonathan said to David, go in peace. For as much as we have sworn both thus in the name of the Lord saying, the Lord shall be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever. And he rose and departed and Jonathan went into the city. This is the word of the Lord. About the by your spirit that you breathe on us, help us to understand your word tonight. In Christ's name we ask it, Amen. There are a number of advantages in having a cure, not least of which is the day to clock this morning when I came in. I wasn't on duty. And although Dick was mildly surprised and said, why hadn't I stayed in bed a bit longer today, it was good to sit in a service and sit somewhere back there. And to realize that you couldn't see the face of the person who was preaching. I don't know whether any of you noticed that, but there's no way in which you could see the face because the spotlights weren't on at all. And so I was listening to Mark and unable to see his face. Well, now I can't see you because the spotlights are on my face, but I hope at least you can see me. We come now to one Samuel chapter 20 and we're looking at a close friendship. That's what I entitled the sermon on the sermon card. A close friendship. When our second child was born who's in church tonight, we had two reasons for calling him David. One, it was his grandfather's name who's also in church tonight. And secondly, of course, it was a lovely name for a child who already had a brother called Jonathan. I doubt if any other friendship between two people has gone down in history in quite the same way as that friendship in the Old Testament between Jonathan and David. A friendship you remember between the King's son, Jonathan, on the one hand, and God's King Designet, David, on the other hand. It was a model of a close friendship. It all started, you remember, back in one Samuel chapter 18. Now if you've got the Pew Bibles or your own Bible, do have a look at this passage and we'll be looking through several verses of it this evening. One Samuel chapter 18, chapter 20 is on page 259. So it must be about 257 or so in the few Bibles. And in chapter 18 there, David had just started winning battles, you remember. Great battles for the Lord and for Israel and Saul had brought David to live at the palace because here was a great new commander. Probably David and Jonathan were a very similar age. They were both warriors. They were both future leaders of their country and they must have had quite a lot in common and they became very close friends. One of the most important things, of course, that they had in common was their faith in God. Yare the Hebrew name for God and they made a covenant together. It's referred to in chapter 18, verse 3, a covenant which means they swore together and before God that they would be faithful to each other, that they would never let each other down and that they would look after each other in whatever circumstances. So this evening what I want to do is to look at Jonathan and David's friendship and see why it is under the Spirit's guidance for the Spirit guides the writing of Scripture why it is that this friendship is recorded for us in Scripture and there must have been all sorts of friendships going on, mustn't there? Why does the Lord record have this one recorded for us in Scripture? Why is this so important? What can we learn from this friendship? Well, the first thing that shines through, I think, in this passage is that it is a friendship founded on a common faith in God. A common faith in the God of Israel, Yare the by name in Hebrew, the Lord in our translations. Now, I've told you this before, but have a look at the text again wherever you see Lord in the Old Testament with capital L, capital L, capital L, capital R, capital D. That means that in Hebrew the word Yare was used, the Lord God Almighty, but particularly the covenant God. The God who was always faithful to His people and whenever Jonathan and David talk about God in this whole passage here whenever they talk about God they use this word Yare together because they knew God you see together as a God who loved them and constantly cared for them and who would be faithful to them. And we see that foundation of faith in the covenant they made with each other in verse 42 of chapter 20, which we read earlier on. There's the words of that original covenant. Back in chapter 18, we didn't hear the words, but in chapter 20 verse 42, Jonathan reminds David of the covenant they made and the words go like this at the end of the chapter there. The Lord, Yare, shall be between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever. What's he saying? He's saying our friendship, our covenant together, our love for each other is based on God, the covenant God. It's guaranteed by Him nobody's ever going to break it up. Now there are a few couples in church tonight. I know who've been through the marriage preparation talks with me for better or for worse and you know that I firmly believe that marriage friendships, marriage love in marriage must be based to be really strong and positive, must be based on this common faith in God, a common faith in Jesus Christ. Such a marriage, such a friendship is going to be a much deeper one, a much firmer one, a much safer one because God is there in that relationship to help us when we fail each other, to point us in the right direction to help us love each other better. But of course while that's wonderfully true in marriage, very specially true in marriage, it's also wonderfully true in all sorts of our different relationships and friendships that we have. And David and Jonathan knew that truth. Their allegiance to each other came out of their allegiance first and foremost to the God that they loved and worshiped together. Let's just have a quick look through these chapters and see how their reliance on the Lord entered into their relationship at almost every stage back in chapter 19, Saul had wanted to kill David that Jonathan had been able to talk his father out of it. Jonathan had done so by reminding Saul in chapter 19 verse 5 if you have a look at that verse. By reminding Saul that it was God who had led David into victory against the Philistines and Jonathan said David took his life in his hand and he slew the Philistine and the Lord Yahweh wrought a great victory for all Israel. You saw it and rejoice, Saul. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause? See what Jonathan is doing is saying look my friendship with David is based on an understanding that the Lord was with my friend. The Lord is here and there was a time when even Saul had been able to see that God was with David. Jonathan appeals to that fact. Jonathan knew that their friendship based on was based upon God's work in their lives and so he managed at that stage to dissuade Saul from violence. In fact, he even got Saul to swear by Yahweh, by God, that he would not harm David. Now of course that explains, if you turn over again to the beginning of chapter 20, that explains why in chapter 20 Jonathan is so reluctant really to believe that his father wanted to kill David again. David in fact as we read this evening had quite a hard job persuading Jonathan that really his life was in danger from Saul. Anyway, eventually as you know David managed to persuade Jonathan to set up this test to see whether Saul was prepared whether it was safe for David to go back to the palace or not. But even as Jonathan set up the test, Jonathan was already had already determined that if there was any truth at all in what David was saying, then Jonathan's allegiance would go with David. His allegiance would go with God's anointed. He swore in chapter 20 verses 12 to 13 that he would indeed reveal to David the real situation of his father. But look at verse 22 of chapter 20. There they agreed you remember to bar arrows as assigned to each other. Depending on what Jonathan told his servant David would know whether or not it was going to be safe to return to the palace. But this verse, verse 22 is really quite staggering in what it reveals. Here Jonathan showed that he was not in fact just supporting David for the sake of friendship. It wasn't just the friendship that this was important. But it was because he knew already that their covenant was based on God and that God was going to have his will with David. Verse 22, if he says look the arrows are beyond you then go David, for the Lord has sent you away. Jonathan knew that if he brought bad news it would be the Lord who was sending him away. How sad they both were when eventually they had to part. It's actually a very sad story this one. As far as we're aware they never met again but their friendship was indeed binding and years and years later after Saul and Jonathan had both died. David looked around for Saul's relatives and Jonathan's relatives in an attempt to help them and make sure they were cared for. So firstly this friendship was based then on a common faith in a covenant in the covenant faithfulness of God. And an understanding that God himself was at work in their relationship binding them together for his own purposes. But arising out of that comes the second point. I want just to see that this friendship was submissive to the council and will of God. It was a friendship that was submissive to the council and will of God. Founded in the faith of God now submissive to the council and will of God. And therefore of God of course God was able to use the friendship for his own glory. God you see was allowed to be sovereign in this relationship. Now just think how hard it is for us sometimes to see a friend get a position of responsibility that we thought we were entitled to. This can happen at school. It can happen anywhere. I wonder whether you've ever got well I don't even wonder I know I'm sure if you're like me that there are times when we have got jealous of friends. I would guess that's true for almost everybody here today. If not come up and tell me how you avoided afterwards. We get jealous. It's easy to fall into that trap isn't it? Did they get something that close to us? We care for them. They get something that really we would rather have liked. Those of you who are doing exams I wonder how many of you have really good friends friends who really do very little work at all and of course you study terribly well and terribly hard. And when it comes to the day after all your hours and hours and hours of studying you know how it goes. Everything goes wrong in the exam. You forget what you learned but your friend who only really mugged up on one thing and they only did it between 10 o'clock last night and midnight. That thing comes up on the paper and so of course they get an A and you get a low grade and you think it's all terribly unfair. Terribly unfair and it begins to sour our friendship. We get a bit jealous. Perhaps in some cases it even really signals the end to the friendship as our emotions get all caught up in this. I'm sure some of you could identify with that probably right at this moment. Now just imagine, just imagine Jonathan's position in all this. Jonathan was air to the throne. He was the son of the king. He was the important one. He probably been trained since a young lad to give commands. He'd been trained to fight. He'd been trained to be a diplomat. He'd been taught to dress properly. Perhaps he'd even been taught to speak properly. And along comes this local, this shepherd boy, this farmer lad, and he kills a giant. He chases the Philistines away. He wins a few more battles and he doesn't even know how to wear a suit of armour. And to cap it all as if he wasn't gifted enough in all that, he ends up as a musician in the court writing songs for the king. That was the man that Jonathan had befriended. Think of the difference between them. And gradually we don't know exactly when. Jonathan began to realise that Yahweh, the Covenant Lord, really was with David in the most amazing way. And that David was actually God's anointed king of Israel. Now think what that meant for him. It meant that he had to acknowledge the will of God in their friendship. He had to learn to be obedient in understanding that God was using their friendship for his own ends. Look at that faithful man, Jonathan. He was faithful, most naive, really. He couldn't imagine his father swearing by Almighty God and then breaking the promise not to hurt David. He didn't really believe at the beginning of chapter 20 that Saul was intent on killing David. So he agreed to the test, the test of allowing David to absent himself from the presence of the king when he should, of course, have been present. Nobody refused an invitation from the king. Now again, think what must have been going through Jonathan's mind. Quickly he had to come to terms with the horror of what was likely to happen if David was right. He would find himself siding against his father, against the king of Israel and with David. And yet if he had to do that he realised that it had to be God's plan. This would be what God wanted. In putting David first, Jonathan realised that he was actually putting the Lord's will first. Look at verse 13 of chapter 20. The significance of what he says here is tremendous. But should it please my father to do you harm the Lord, are they? Do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away that you may go in safety. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father. Now those words perhaps don't immediately strike you as significant. But it's an incredible statement. Jonathan had finally taken the plunge. He would even go against his father rather than against David. Not because he was determined to be disloyal to his father, but because he was determined he was going to submit to the Lord's will in this. The content of that prayer at the end of that verse. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father reveals a tremendous amount. What Jonathan was asking was that David would know the Lord's health in the way that the King of Israel had known the Lord's health earlier. In other words, it's a prayer that is already acknowledging that David needs the Lord to be the King in the way in which Saul once had the Lord when Saul came to the throne. Jonathan had already understood that it was no longer he who was going to be King, you see. It was David. Could you still remain a friend through all that? If you're in any doubt about whether Jonathan really anticipated that David would be King, just have a look at verses 14 to 16. I'll just read those to you. Jonathan is actually looking forward to the time when he knows David will probably have to destroy Saul because Saul has gone against the Lord and he says, look, if I am still alive, show me the loyal love of the Lord of Yahweh that I may not die. And do not cut off your loyalty from my house forever. When the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth, let not the name of Jonathan be cut off from the house of David and may the Lord take vengeance on David's enemies. What's he doing? Who are the enemies? The enemies his own father, Saul. Jonathan knows that already and Jonathan's looking forward to the time. He knows that God's will is going to win, that God is suffering, that God's suffering in their relationship, that he must submit to that will in their friendship. He knows that and he's now praying and he's even asking Jonathan that when that time comes and David's dynasty is established instead of Saul's, that David will look favorably on Jonathan. How many of us are really happy for our friends when we see the Lord working in their lives and yet feel perhaps that the Lord is not doing a lot in our lives at the moment. I wonder what Jonathan really thought of this. All we know is that he was, in fact, faithful through it all. His faithfulness involved coming to terms with the fact that his friendship with David was being used by God to bring in the new Davidic kingdom, one that would last forever. So in this friendship we see then two people who were submissive, often at great personal cost to God's counsel and will for both of them. What a friendship that was. Turn for a moment to Proverbs 17, verse 17. Proverbs 17, verse 17. We read this, a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. That's the sort of godly friendship, the total committed friendship isn't it, that Jonathan and David knew will turn on one page further to Proverbs 18, verse 24. There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Now that's the sort of friendship and covenant commitment that God Himself gives to us and which we are expected to give to our friends. In fact, if you flip back, I hope you kept your fingers in it to chapter 20, verse 14. In verse 14 when David said, look, show your loyal love to me. That word, loyal love, I'll give it to you because one down I'm going to teach it to the children in the morning service. That love in Hebrew is the word pethed and it's one of the most important words in the whole of the Old Testament. It's almost only ever used of God's love, God's covenant faithful love to His people. And David's love for Jonathan, which you've seen much later on as he rescues some of Jonathan's family, is the sort of love that comes from God, that imitates God's love for His people, a total all involved covenant commitment to us, to know that's love for each other. They both had to know first of all you see, the covenant love of God for them. And they had to be prepared through faith in Him to be submissive, to God and to His will, and to His love and purposes for them. Now I hope that tonight, even if you feel you have no close friends at all and I know many people feel that, I hope that you will know the covenant faithful love of God, which is where David and Jonathan's love started, that you'll know the constant love of God in your lives. It's a constant love of God that works through the friendship of Jonathan and David so that David would be protected and eventually would become king. It was the covenant love which eventually led to David's throne being established as we've seen over the last few weeks, so that eventually Christ would come and would sit on that throne as what? Well as the greatest expression from God, the best ever expression from God that He loves us, that He's constantly faithful, that He was prepared even to send His Son, to die for us, so that if we believe in Him, we should have everlasting life and not perish. Now that's God's covenant love, and it's there for all who believe in Him. So I hope as we remember David and Jonathan's friendship will be reminded that it was based first and foremost on God's love and their faith in that God who loved them and then that they were prepared to submit to God's will. And if you have Christian friends, let me ask you tonight, are you prepared to submit to God's will in your friendship? Are you prepared to help each other find God's will and to obey it? Are you able to let the other be first as sometimes necessary, isn't it? Particularly if that is what God wants. It's not always easy. In 1 Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul reminds us in a most famous passage, probably the most famous passage in Scripture. He reminds us of that covenant love, and He says that when we have it, it's a fruit of the Spirit, and He says this about that love. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful. It isn't arrogant or rude. Love doesn't insist on its own way. Jonathan could have insisted on his own way, couldn't he? He could have said I want to be King, tough David. Love is not irritable or resentful. It doesn't rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. In this church together, we are Christians if we love the Lord. And we are to love each other, the Bible says, and we are to be friends together. And David and Jonathan showed us how, they showed us it could be costly. They loved because God loved them in 1 John 419 in the New Testament. We're told that we are to love each other because God first loved us. How much do we love God and how much are we prepared really to make friends with each other? And to be committed together to seeking God's will in this church. Let's find prayer. Our Father, we thank you for this wonderful story of David and Jonathan and the way in which you led their faithfulness to you and used it for your glory in establishing a throne which eventually Christ came to live on and to be seated on. Father, we thank you for your covenant love to us, the covenant love that reached out to us in Christ Jesus, our love that never fails. Father, we ask that as we turn to Jesus, as we turn again tonight for some of us, perhaps for some the first time we've turned to Jesus tonight, we pray that we may know that covenant love, we ask that you will forgive us our sins. And take us to be your children, and Father, we ask that here tonight in our Christian fellowship, we may set about developing better Christian friendships that will be used by God. Amen.