1 Samuel 18:1 says, And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. After Jonathan heard David's speech to Saul, he began to love David like a brother as much as he loved his own soul. Jonathan, who it would seem should have been the heir to the throne was not jealous of David, but accepted him wholeheartedly like a brother. We cannot allow what we may assume should be our future position in the church to cause us to be jealous of someone God has chosen instead. Verse two adds, And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. After David defeated Goliath, Saul took him into his house and would not allow him to return home to his father. Though Saul didn't know it, he had brought his replacement as king into the place he governed from. If people today are in a position of leadership in the church but are not following God's will, their replacement may already be with them and they do not even realize it. Verse three continues, Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. Jonathan and David made a covenant between themselves that day, because Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself. We are not told what this covenant was, but can assume it was to always support one another no matter what was happening. We need Christian friends like that today. Verse four concludes, 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. Jonathan gave David his robe and his armament. He didn't know it, but David was already anointed as replacement as the future king, so this would have symbolically transferred that position. Even if we think we should be the next to assume a position of leadership in the church, we should never allow that to keep us from being friends with someone that God has called to the position instead. Matthew Henry equates this with Jesus's love for the church, where He stripped Himself of His royal robes, but instead of putting them on us, He put on our fifty rags instead, spiritually speaking. Verse five states, And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. David was obedient to Saul, going wherever Saul sent him, and Saul set him over the men of war. Matthew Henry points out that Abner was still the overall leader of the army, but that David was placed in some position of authority over them. Today, instead of attempting to hang on to a position of power in the church and maybe even thinking that one of our children should succeed us,we need to be preparing for the replacement that God has chosen to be called. Verse six adds, 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. After a period of time, when David would return from battling the Philistines, the woman would come out sining praises, not to David, but to Saul. Since Saul was still king, this would have been normal, and we don't read anything about David resenting this fact. Not that we serve God for personal glory, but we need to be careful that we don't become jealous if someone else is praised for something that we did in the church. Verse seven continues, And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. Of course, even as the women sang praises to Saul, they gave David more honor, saying Ssul had killed his thousands and David his ten-thousands. I don't believe that David was seeking this praise, and neither should we be seeking praise above any other person who is in a position of leadership in the church today, even if they like Saul may not be following God's guidance. Verse eight says, 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? David might not have been seeking their praise, but Saul definitely noted it. He asked if they were attributing more honor to David than to Saul himself, then what more could David want but his kingdom. Two things we should note. First, God had already given David the kingdom, and second, it was not Saul's kingdom to give or have taken away from him, but it was God's kingdom. As long as we as followers of Christ recognize that the Church is God's and He calls people into positions of leadership, we have no reason to envy anyone. Verse nine adds, And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. Saul began to watch David from that day forward. Though David had no intention of overthrowing Saul, Saul’s jealousy made him think he did. We can never control how our fellow Christians view us, but as long as we are obedient to God, it is not our responsibility to placate them. Verse ten continues, And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. We are told that an evil spirit from God came upon Saul, but as stated earlier, I don't believe God sends evil spirits on anyone. I believe more accurately it would be that Saul allowed an evil spirit to control him and attributed it to God, and then under the influence of the evil spirit, he began to prophesy. Matthew Henry says this was likely to make it seem that God was behind his coming behavior. I don't believe that as followers of Christ that we should ever attempt to credit God with our evil behavior, and we certainly should never try to use this to justify our bad behavior if we act on it. Verse eleven concludes, And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. Saul then threw a javelin at David twice, but missed both times. Saul thought if he killed David that his problems would be over, but his problem was not David, but God's rejection of him because of his own unwillingness to serve God. If we as Christians are unwilling to do what God calls us to do, we should never become angry with someone who is willing.
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