Tuesday 18 October, 2016
1 Samuel 19:1-7
19 Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan liked David very much. 2 So Jonathan warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be very careful tomorrow morning. Find a place to hide and stay there. 3 My father and I will come and stand in the field where you are hiding. I’ll speak to him about you. Then I’ll tell you what I find out.” 4 Jonathan told his father Saul some good things about David. He said to him, “Please don’t do anything to harm David. He hasn’t done anything to harm you. And what he’s done has helped you a lot. 5 He put his own life in danger when he killed Goliath. The Lord used him to win a great battle for the whole nation of Israel. When you saw it, you were glad. So why would you do anything to harm a man like David? He isn’t guilty of doing anything to harm you. Why would you want to kill him without any reason?” 6 Saul paid attention to Jonathan. Saul made a promise. He said, “You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that David will not be put to death.” 7 So Jonathan sent for David and told him everything he and Saul had said. Then he brought David to Saul. David served Saul as he had done before.
Previously King Saul – jealous, disturbed and vicious – tried to manipulate circumstances around David so that he might die ‘by someone else’s hand’. This passage begins and the pussyfooting has ended, Saul out-rightly commands David’s death. But Jonathan…
Wise, insightful, committed to David, a servant heart, someone who pleases God – Jonathan intervenes. David is safe again because of Jonathan.
I am reminded that the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf. Romans 8:25-27 and Hebrews 7:25 states this explicitly but today’s passage implies a different direction of activity. Like Jonathan to David, God guides us, shapes circumstances around our lives, keeps us safe, does us favours – God participates in our lives, God is our friend. Like Jonathan, God knows what challenges we face. We can rest assured that God knows our burdens, God knows our lives, God knows what spiritual forces are set against us. We are safe because of Him.
Lord, I acknowledge your goodness in my life. Thank you for being my friend, thank you for being close with me in my life’s journey. Amen.
Written by Sam Stewart
It is indeed true the Holy Spirit has made himself available to intercede, guide and shape our circumstances but there are some things we must do to allow this to happen. Ephesians 4:30 instructs us not to ‘grieve the Holy Spirit’ while he is doing His work, likewise 1 Thessalonians 5:19 says ‘Do not extinguish the Spirit’. The real question for us is “What are we doing in our daily lives that interfere with the Holy Spirit and ultimately God’s ability to shape the circumstances of our lives?” Some of the answers to this question can be found in the Scriptures in Ephesians 4:29,31.
Thanks so much for that Sam!