Читать книгу Master Teacher - R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation - Страница 9

KJV		NRSV
• • • 1 Samuel 19:1–3 • • •		• • • 1 Samuel 19:1–3 • • •
AND Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.		SAUL spoke with his son Jonathan and with all his servants about killing David. But Saul’s son Jonathan took great delight in David.
2 But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:		2 Jonathan told David, “My father Saul is trying to kill you; therefore be on guard tomorrow morning; stay in a secret place and hide yourself.
3 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; and what I see, that I will tell thee.		3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you; if I learn anything I will tell you.”

#TrueFriendship

Do you have any true friends? Brag on your friends and share a picture. Tag us @rhboydco and use #rhboydco.

The beginning of chapter 19 may have the reader asking: Did I read that right? Did Saul order his son and servants to kill David? It would not be unusual for any of the kings of Israel’s neighbors of that time to issue an order to neutralize a threat to the kingdom. However, for the first king of Israel to issue such an order indicated just how far he had patterned himself after the kings of the world rather than God. Israel’s outcry for a king was not made from a willingness to follow God. Israel wanted a change from the years of being led by judges and prophets. This was a new generation who looked more to the material success of other nations and admired what they saw in them. Saul, tall and handsome, appealed to their notions of what a king/leader should look like. However, Saul proved to not be a positive example for Israel to follow. King Saul failed to follow God’s protocol. It was customary to allow prophets/priests to guide military leaders in matters of war and peace. Instead, Saul usurped the priestly role by offering sacrifices himself rather than wait on the God-ordained prophet to do so. This angered God so much that He rejected Saul as king and instructed Samuel to anoint David as the future king. Saul could not have known any of this or he never would have invited David into his home to eat at his table. What he did know was what Samuel told him: “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you” (1 Sam. 15:28, NKJV). In Saul’s mind, David presented that kind of threat, so he ordered his son and servants to kill David just to be sure. The desire to kill David was rooted in Saul’s disobedience of God and his anger at God’s chastisement. Sin clouded his judgment and ability to see David as innocent and chosen by the Lord.

Jonathan clearly showed his love and willingness to take great risks to protect David by arguing David’s case to his father. In the effort to protect David, Jonathan undermined his father’s desire to ensure Israel’s kingdom was passed down to his son (Jonathan). Saul was motivated by self-interest while Jonathan was motivated by the interest of another. Deep friendship cares for the other even at times of sacrifice. This kind of love is best exemplified on the cross, as Jesus sacrificed His life not for His own benefit, as He needed nothing from humanity, but for humankind.

Connect with Learners: What are you willing to lose on behalf of a friend? Have you ever sacrificed anything on behalf of a friend? Do you have any friends for whom you would put your life in peril?