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Return to Learning to Wait on God Return to Wednesday Bible Study Series 1
Samuel 20 “The Help of a Friend”[1] Series:
“Learning to Wait on God: The Life of David Before He Became King”
1 Samuel 16-31 Think
about it:
What are the traits of a true friend?
Tonight, we're going to see the interaction between
two individuals who were true friends. 1
Samuel 20 is more than a sentimental story about friendship.
It's the fascinating record of how God continued the process to raise up
David to be king of
David went through a period of forsaken loneliness.
But God brought into his life someone who truly cared for him, and who
helped him to fix his attention on the sovereign plan of God.
That someone was Jonathan. What's
the purpose of 1 Samuel 20?
1 Samuel 20 is the adventure-filled story of David's beginning flight
from Saul. But why did God preserve
this story?
1. General purpose--God chose
David to be king (ch 16). But God
never told David to take matters in his own hand.
Saul was still king. 1 Samuel
20 helps us to see why David fled from Saul.
He did not flee because of disloyalty to Saul, nor because of desire for
personal gain (Klein, 210). He fled
in innocence.
2. Specific purpose--In the
lives of Jonathan and David, we find the models to two men in whose lives God
was REAL. We can learn from them,
particularly in the area of friendship. 1
Samuel 20 "The Help of a
Friend" Three
scenes in which God used Jonathan to help David... I.
Scene #1: Jonathan &
David (1-23) Q:
What happened to David at the end of ch 19?
He fled from Saul, and went to Samuel. Q:
What does David do at the beginning of ch 20?
He flees again, and finds Jonathan.
What do they do? Notice 4
activities...
A. They talk.
1. David asks, "Why is
your father trying to kill me?" (1) Q:
How does Jonathan respond to this question?
2. Jonathan responds,
"Surely not!" (2) Q:
Why is Jonathan so surprised at David's suggestion?
See 19:6 (he had already pacified him)
3. David exposes Saul's
deadly intent (3). Q:
Why did David say Jonathan was "in the dark" when it came to
his father's intent? V 3
B. They plan (4-10). Q:
What does v 4 tell us about the kind of person Jonathan was?
Selfless Q:
What plan did David come up with? Vv
5-7 Q:
What was the purpose of their plan? Twofold...
1. The plan reveals Saul's
true intent (7). Q:
How so?
2. The plan reveals the
nature of David's friendship with Jonathan (8-9). Q:
According to v 9, what was more important to Jonathan than family ties?
Doing RIGHT.
C. They reaffirm their
covenant (11-17).
The friendship between Jonathan and David was no "fair weather"
friendship. They had formed a
covenant with each other (back in 18:3). Here
they reaffirm it, as they will again (in 23:18).
Q: What does this teach us
about their friendship? Two marks...
1. Their friendship was based
on the Lord (16). It
was not mere sentiment that brought these two together.
It was the Lord. Notice how
many times the "LORD" is mentioned in this account (12, 13, 14, 15,
16).
Discuss: What difference does
the Lord make in a friendship?
2. Their friendship was based
on selflessness (17).
Discuss: How do you love
someone as you love yourself?
D. They plan their
rendezvous (18-23).
1. David will be by the stone
Ezel (19).
2. Jonathan will give a
"secret" message by shooting arrows (20). Q:
What's significant about the final words of the scene in v 23?
"the Lord is witness between you and me forever..." II.
Scene #2: Jonathan & Saul
(24-34) Here's the test case to discover Saul's intention...
A. They eat together at
the New Moon festival (24-29). Q:
What important details are we given in the narrative of v 25?
1. David doesn't show up
(25).
2. Abner does show up (25). Q:
What did Saul think when David was absent?
V 26 Q:
How about the second day? V
27 Q:
What did Jonathan do in v 28?
3. Jonathan explains where
David is (28-29). Q:
By including this story, is the Bible endorsing lying?
Is it saying it's Ok to deceive your parents?
Note: In the whole story,
both Jonathan and David demonstrate great respect for Saul. Q:
How does Saul react to Jonathan's explanation?
V 30...
B. Saul unleashes his
anger at Jonathan (30-34).
1. With cutting words
(30-31)--he practically swore at his own son Q:
What do Saul's words in v 30 say to us about the kind of marriage he had?
2. With cutting action (33) Q:
What does this remind you of? This
is the fourth time Saul's thrown his spear (3 times at David), and he's missed
every time. Why?
He's an insane, out of control man. Yet
more importantly, he's fighting against God.
C. Jonathan's response
1. He defends David (32). Q:
What questions does Jonathan raise? Q:
Notice this. Saul wanted
Jonathan to think of HIMSELF (31), but Jonathan thought of what, according to v
32? What was RIGHT.
2. He leaves in fierce anger
(34).
3. He grieves and doesn't eat
(34). III.
Scene #3: Jonathan &
David (35-42)
A. They meet as
prearranged (35-40).
1. Jonathan shoots the arrow
(36).
2. Jonathan shouts the
message to David (38).
3. Jonathan sends the
messenger boy home (40). Q:
What was going through the boy's mind?
Nothing! (see v 39)
B. They meet spontaneously
(41-42).
Discuss: We're not told, but
why do you think that, after going to such lengths to be secretive, Jonathan and
David came out in the open for this meeting?
Q: What happened when they
met?
1. David bows before Jonathan
3 times.
2. They exhibit affection.
(note: culture affects the way people display affection)
3. They reaffirm their
friendship. Q:
David left. Would these two
friends see each other again? Yes
(23:16). But don't miss this.
Key: As the B.K.C. points
out, "Jonathan was giving up a kingdom for the love of a friend." Lessons: 1.
Saul lived for the here and now. Jonathan
lived with the future in mind. So
must we (see vv 15, 23, 42). 2.
The Lord was real in David's friendship with Jonathan.
This is the basis for true friendship (see vv 3, 12, 13, 42).
Key phrase in v 42: "name
of the LORD." 3.
If we are to be true friends, we must love the other person as we love
ourselves (17). [1]
These are unedited
teaching notes used initially for a Wednesday evening Bible study at |