Closer Than a Brother

Think about listening to David about Jonathan!

As iron sharpens iron, So one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot Is confidence in a treacherous person in time of trouble.  Proverbs 25:19

David’s encounter with Jonathan is mentioned in 1 Samuel 23, as David finds himself no more than a .

By this time David was so terrified by Saul that he had turned to methods.

He Ahimelech the priest = (1 Samuel 21:1-9).

He was reduced to playing the part of a madman before the king of Gath, the city of Goliath. (1 Samuel 21:10-15) (Psalm 34, 53, 56)

Then everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.  1 Samuel 22:2

From the Gadites valiant mighty men went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness, men trained for war who could handle a large shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains.  1 Chronicles 12:8

We should be that God is in the business of lives.

David was dealt a crushing at the Hebrew town of Keilah. (1 Samuel 23)

David sought the of God:

Then David said, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will hand you over.” Then David and his men, about six hundred, rose up and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit. David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand him over to him.  1 Samuel 23:12-14

David, at this point, must have had a sense of – even .

When my spirit felt weak within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have hidden a trap for me.

Look to the right and see;
For there is no one who regards me favorably;

There is no escape for me;
No one cares for my soul.
Psalm 142:3-4

A Friend In Need!

And Jonathan, Saul’s son, set out and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.  1 Samuel 23:16

As iron sharpens iron, So one person sharpens another.  Proverbs 27:17

A friend comes to and to strengthen in .

In other words – Jonathan David’s perspective on life by focusing him on .

• Three principles emerge:

1^st I need to be a friend.

2^nd My friendship with God must be the of my friendship with others.

3^rd I must help my friend be directly on the Lord.

Also, David was in great distress because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David felt strengthened in the Lord his God.  1 Samuel 30:6

Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
He will pay back the evil to my enemies;
Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
I will praise Your name, Lord, for it is good.

For He has saved me from all trouble,
And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.
Psalm 54:4-7

Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13