Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Chapter 17 Beginning at the 55th verse. And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, and he said unto Abner, the captain of the host Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is?
And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the Saul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David and Jonathan.
Loved him as his own soul and Saul took him that day and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the road that was upon him, and gave it to David and his garments, even to his sword and to his bow, and to his girdle. And Saul went out, whither 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 servant. Would you also turn with me to Second Samuel? Second Samuel.
Chapter 15 and verse 19 Then said the king to Edei the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? Return to thy place, and abide with the king. For thou art a stranger and also an exile. For as thou camest but yesterday should I this day make thee go up and down with us.
Seeing I go, whether I may return now and take back thy brethren, Mercy and truth be with thee and Eddie. I answered the king, and said, As the Lord liveth, and as my Lord the King liveth, surely in what place my Lord the King shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.
And David said to Eddie, I go and Passover, and Eddie I the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him, and all the country wept with a loud voice. And all the people passed over. The king also himself passed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness.
Then if you'll turn over also to the 19th chapter second.
Samuel 19 and verse 24. And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace. And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore when it's not thou with me, Mephibosheth. And he answered, My Lord, O king, my.
Deceive me, for thy servant said I will saddle me and ask that I may ride thereon and go to the king, because thy servant is lame.
And he hath slandered thy servant unto my Lord the King, but as my Lord the King. But my Lord the King is as an Angel of God. Do therefore what is good in thine eyes. For all of my father's hosts were but dead men before my Lord the King. Yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eateth thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the King? And the King said unto him, Why speakest thou any more?
Thy matters I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land. And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yeah, let him take all, forasmuch as my Lord the King is come again in peace unto his own house fell. In these three portions that we have, there are three men brought before us, Jonathan and Brazilii and Mephibosheth. And I believe that each one of us bring before us different manner, a different manner in which there is devotedness to.
Christ. In the first instance, perhaps we could say about Jonathan, and that there was one who was drawn to David as victorious. In the second incident we find one who was drawn to David as being the rejected 1 And in the third instance, in the case of Mephibosheth, we find one who was drawn to David as the one who was the returning king.
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And so there are different ways in which our hearts too may be attracted to the Lord Jesus.
US, and I believe we can also say this.
Not in the measure in which we desire to give the Lord Jesus his rightful place. In that measure, how we find that there is misunderstanding and rejection. So we find when Jonathan wanted to give David his rightful place as the victor, as Saul didn't understand him, and he took quite a bit of rejection and hatred from Saul. And then with Idi, what a thing it was for him to identify himself with David in his rejection.
He was a stranger and an exile, and to be identified with David in his rejection was a real step of faith. And then for Mephibosheth he was misunderstood, He was slandered. But nevertheless all his hopes centered in the one who was going to return, who had returned there, and who had said everything right. And what is sometimes remarked that we face, we face a reproach in the measure.
Which the Lord Jesus has his rightful place in our lives. When we acknowledge Him as Savior, we find the world doesn't appreciate that. We find the world is against us. But when we want to make Him as our object and follow Him in His rejection, then we find that we face still more of the misunderstanding and rejection of the world because we're identified with Him.
And then if we're really looking for the Lord to come.
Why then still more do we find that the world doesn't have any place for us? Because the world is not looking for the return of our precious Savior. No, that's going to be an interference with all their plans for Him to come back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Why? It tells us in Revelation that when the announcement is made, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. It says the nations were angry.
They weren't glad that He was going to have his rightful place, nor the world would rather have its troubles. It would rather have its turmoil and its strife. It would rather have its strikes and confusion. And oil shall have the Lord Jesus Christ. But oh, how blessed it is that those of us in this room this afternoon who know Him as our Savior have found in him the one who has met our need. And it's a blessed thing, brethren, when we truly make Him our all.
In all, when we're content not only to know Him, a Savior, but to follow Him in the path that He has marked out for us, surely it's the path of true happiness and blessing. Because what is it that's going to make us supremely happy in heaven? Why, It's because we'll be with Him and like Him. Yes, He is the one who is going to make us supremely happy there. And in the measure in which we give Him His place, we taste more and more of those joys.
Even here. And that's what He wants us, as we have in the 15th chapter of John, when the Lord Jesus was going away, in the very chapter where he told them about the hatred of the world, He said He spoke those things to them that their joy might be full. He wanted them to have a portion in Himself that would really fill and satisfy their hearts. Well, the reason I began to read in this 17th chapter of First Samuel is because it tells.
Here that when Saul saw David go out to fight with Goliath, he asked who this young man was. Now this is very strange because previous to this time David had played the harp in his presence. This wasn't the first acquaintance that King Saul had had with David. He had seen him, he had enjoyed the playing of his harp. And why was it that he asked on this occasion, Why, who is this young man?
Ah, dear friend.
The world is glad to know God and glad to know Christ as the one who gives rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, and they're glad to turn to him when they're in sickness, that they might have their health restored. But they don't know him as a savior. They haven't been introduced to him in that way. There are many people say, Oh yes, we all believe in God. We're not Hindus, we're not Mohammedans. No, of course we believe in God and we believe in.
Jesus. And so Saul actually knew David before this, but he didn't know him as the victor over Goliath. And dear friends, you may know about God, you may have heard about the Lord Jesus from your childhood, you may have learned verses, but you know him as the one who went to Calvary's cross and died for you. Can you say I know him as my own personal Savior?
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Why even Abner here when they ever when?
Saul asked him. He said, Who is he? Abner said, Well, he said, I don't know either. Well, he said, you better inquire. And so when he inquired, it says, And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite. Yes, he didn't know him, but he saw him coming back with the head of the Philistine in his hand. He saw him as a victor. And oh, I hope that.
There's anyone here that has never been brought to know the Lord Jesus as the one who has gone into death and has conquered death, the one who there on Calvary's cross took our place as the sin bearer. I hope that you will be brought to know him this afternoon and that he will no longer be a stranger to you, but that instead you'll be able to say He is my own personal Savior.
But there's something very sad about this that even when.
Saul found out who this young man was. He didn't seem to be very much interested in knowing more about him. He seemed to be quite indifferent about knowing about him. But there's one thing that's very beautiful, and that is that Jonathan, his son, who was there on this occasion, took an entirely different attitude about this young man, David.
And so perhaps your father is saved. Perhaps your mother is saved.
Perhaps someone in your family is saved, but what about yourself? There was a tremendous difference between Saul and Jonathan. As far as we know, Saul went into a lost eternity. As far as we know, he died as he lived without a savior and his own son. Here we find one who was truly devoted to David, who truly loved him as it tells us, as his own soul. And the fact that you have a father who saved, or perhaps the fact you might even.
Even have a child that's saved. Now, that doesn't mean that you don't have to have a personal dealing with the Lord yourself. You must receive Him yourself. You must be brought to him as a Sinner and find in him the one who died for you. You can then say, like that verse that was quoted in the Sunday school, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Oh yes, it becomes an exceedingly personal matter. What a grand thing.
When you can truly say he's my savior.
Well, we don't find here that that David was talking to Jonathan at all. He was talking to King Saul and he apparently spoke to Abner. But here we find that Jonathan was listening and this is nice to see. God allowed Jonathan to be present on this occasion and when Jonathan listened and heard who this young man was, when he saw that he had won this great victory for the deliverance of.
Israel. And then his heart was touched, and it says here in the first verse of this 18th chapter. 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.
Yes, there was something happened in Jonathan's heart that day. It says that his soul was net to the soul of David. You know, it's a real thing to be saved. As another verse says, we love him because he first loved us. You know, sometimes young people have wondered whether they really believe in their hearts because it says in Romans chapter 10.
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall.
Believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. And I can remember when I was a boy hearing the preacher say do you believe in your head or do you believe in your heart? And that bothered me because I wanted to be sure that I believed in my heart and that it wasn't just in my head. Because the Bible does talk about people who believed and yet were not saved. In the 2nd chapter of John it says many believed in his name when they saw the.
Miracles that he did, but Jesus did not commit himself unto them, for he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. We read in the 8th chapter of Acts about Simon the sorcerer, and it says Simon believed, but Peter said to him, Thy heart is not right in the sight of God. We have to read in James where it says.
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Believe us that there is one God. Thou doest well. Dabbles also believe.
And tremble. So it must be in your heart. And so it is a very important thing, isn't it? Whether it's really in your heart or not is the most important matter of your whole existence. When you say how can we know whether it's in the heart, well, it tells us.
First, Peter chapter 2. It says unto you, therefore, which believe He is precious. He is precious now. That is what happened. I don't think that Saul had a single doubt that David was the son of Jesse the Bethlehemite. But that was only a matter of knowledge to him. It didn't touch his heart at all.
But when Jonathan found out who this person was and that he had won.
Victory for him than his heart went out to the person. You know, you can believe in things just in a historical way. You know, there are certain events that I learned in history. I learned about how Columbus came over in 1492 and I never doubted it from the time I learned it. But it's just a matter of history. It doesn't mean anything to me personally, but you know, when I found out that the Lord Jesus.
Died on the cross. For me that means something.
To me in my own soul, it's not just knowing about him, it's getting to know him personally. And so when you believe in him and your heart, your heart goes out to him. So it was with the till, it was with Jonathan. His heart went out to David and he loved him as he loved his own soul. And so another verse says in John's epistle, it says we know that we have passed from death unto life.
Because we love the brethren now. That is, your heart goes out to the Lord, and your heart goes out to others who love him too. And that's what happened with Jonathan. His heart went out in love to David. Now we may not love him as we should. And even Jonathan will find out in Jonathan's life that he wasn't as devoted as he should have been. He didn't follow David in his rejection like he should have been. But you know what David said about Jonathan's love.
After David was slain on the mountains of Gilboa, David, after Jonathan was slain on the mountains of Gilboa, why David made this comment about him. He said thy love to me was wonderful. Isn't that wonderful to think about? You know, that's often touched my heart because I know I don't love the Lord Jesus as much as I should. And Jonathan failed in his love, but nevertheless, he did love David.
And so isn't it blessed to know that the Lord?
Lord Jesus looks into your heart this afternoon and he knows whether your heart has responded to his love, whether you're really grateful for what he has done for you. And then you can say I love him because he first loved me. So here we find that the evidence of reality, the proof that David, that Jonathan believed in his heart was that his heart went out in love to David. And it says here.
Took him that day and would let him go no more home to his own house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. Here we find now that there was a bond between these two. And isn't it a marvelous thing to know that the Lord has made a pledge and promised to us? And that is that when we receive him as our Savior, this is what He says. He says, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall.
Will never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Another passage in Romans 8 says Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. And then it speaks of life, death, things present, things to come, all the things that might happen, and assures us that nothing can separate us from His love. I just like to call your attention too to something very wonderful in that passage, and that is that perhaps you turn.
In the eighth of Romans, Romans chapter 8 and verse 38, notice that it is in the singular. Here it says, I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God.
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Which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, what I wanted to call you attention.
To is the change from the singular to the plural. Notice that in the 38th verse it begins in the singular. I am persuaded. And then when we come to the 39th verse, it's in the plural. He doesn't say shall be able to separate me, but shall be able to separate us from the love of God. Why is there this change? Well, I think this is very wonderful because every believer, everyone who has put his trust in the Lord Jesus as his Savior is.
Is perfectly secure, but everyone hasn't been persuaded of it. And sometimes you meet a person and he knows the Lord is his Savior, but he's still not quite sure that he couldn't be lost. But to make it sure to us, the apostle in the 8th chapter of Romans, he said I'm persuaded of it, but he said it's true of every believer. Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God. That is, anyone who has received the Lord as his Savior is equally secure.
But all are not persuaded of it. What a happy thing when we can join with Paul and say I am persuaded. Makes me think of a a story that's not a story because I actually talked to this young man.
And he was a helper of the chaplain in the army. One time we were preaching on the street back in Ottawa and he came up and listened while we were preaching. And then at the end he introduced himself to us and told us that he was a true believer and that he worked for the chaplain in the army. And he said, I must tell you a little experience that I had. He said, he said there was a man in one of the battles was brought in and he was very, very.
Badly wounded and we were afraid that he wasn't going to get better. And he said the chaplain wanted to know what religion he was. And he said, so he sent me over to him and he said I, I try to find out what religion he was. But he said when I asked him, he just looked up and he said I am a pulse persuasion. And he said when when I heard that and I told the chaplain, the chaplain said, well, that's a new.
I never heard of that. I've heard of a lot of different religions, but that's different. And he said, I went back to speak to the young man and he said his voice was very weak. The Lord took him home very shortly afterwards and he said he just looked up in my face and smiled. And he courted those last two verses of the 8th chapter of Romans. Oh friends, what a wonderful thing. I hope it's true of you. I hope that you have been persuaded that you can't be separated from His love.
Now, that's just exactly what happened. As I said, Jonathan failed afterwards. But this was a standing covenant. This was a covenant that could not be broken because it depended on the victory that David had won, and that dear Jonathan had appropriated that victory for himself. His father knew about the victory, but it didn't mean that much to him. But Jonathan said that victory was for me. That victory set me free.
And so they had a covenant between themselves.
And isn't it a grand thing when you're in the good of that? When you know that the Lord Jesus himself has promised he's pledged himself that he'll never let you go?
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent Me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Now this was not only a love that existed between them, but this love showed itself in fruits. Because you know the Bible says faith without works is dead. Well, there's living faith, there's reality, there's the proof of it.
Works. Don't.
Save the soul. Works don't fit us for the presence of God, but works are the evidence of divine life, and when 1 is really saved, there is bound to be some evidence. Even the thief on the cross who perhaps only had a few minutes longer to live when he put his trust in the Lord Jesus and knew that he was going to be with the Lord Jesus that day in paradise.
Why? It tells us that he spoke out in front of all those people around.
There and he said this man.
Now this man hath done nothing amiss, and he turned and said, Lord, Remember Me when thou comest into thy Kingdom. Yes. Isn't it lovely to see that in front of all that crowd he acknowledged him as Lord? So you may not do very much, you may not say very much, but if you're truly his, there's going to be some evidence, some fruit in the life now that will show that you have received the Lord.