This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&h) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
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books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus are
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COMMENTARY ON GENESIS to the address above.
1SAMUEL
1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?
2 And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.
When David realized that Saul was really trying to kill him, he ran. He went to where Jonathan was, and asked WHY? "What is my SIN? Why am I being TREATED this way?"
4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.
5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.
6 If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
7 If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
8 Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?
9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?
10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?
Jonathan's response is that of a TRUE FRIEND. He says, "Whatever you ask, I will do." (verse 4)
10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?
11 And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.
12 And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;
13 The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.
14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:
15 But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18 Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.
19 And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
21 And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth.
22 But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.
23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.
David asks Jonathan how he will tell David the news.
23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.
24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.
25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:
29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.
30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?
33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.
The first day of the feast Saul said nothing, but the second day he asked why David wasn't there. Jonathan had his story all planned out. When he explained, Saul became VERY angry. Saul intimated that Jonathan received his deceptive ways from "...the perverse woman..".
Are you willing to undergo adversity and even persecution for a fellow-believer and brother/sister in Christ?
35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.
36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
Jonathan went out the next day (the third day, as promised) and shot arrows as if he were practicing the warrior's skill.
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.
David stepped out, when the "coast was clear."
As a "side note" we should see that David indeed fulfilled his promise when Jonathan was dead (2Samuel 9).
Please continue to follow along with us in Bible Study.
CHAPTER 20
All Christians face that question sooner or later. We have to trust God's Word and be assured that He will deliver us in His time.
But we MUST understand that we will be persecuted; Not necessarily because of sin - but because of righteousness.
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."(Matthew 5:10-12)
Jonathan told David that surely Saul wouldn't try to kill him without revealing it to Jonathan first! (verse 2)
But David said Saul was hiding it from Jonathan because Saul knew that they were close, and Saul didn't want to grieve Jonathan.
David made a plan. Jonathan is to attend the feast. It is an annual feast, sorta like our family reunions.
If Saul displays anger because David is not there, Jonathan will know that Saul has decided to kill David (verses 5-8).
Jonathan assures David that he will tell him if Saul has evil intent.
At this point, Jonathan shows a real commitment of friendship, and asks for a real commitment of friendship from David. Jonathan senses this could cost him his life, and he's concerned about his family.
He asks David to accompany him to the field in order to make a covenant. Jonathan requested David to be sure and save his family when David comes into power (verse 15).
Then Jonathan explained his method of delivering the message to David.
Note in verse 23 that Jonathan is making a very strong commitment!
Is this a "macho male" thing? Is Saul saying that all women are gross sinners because of Eve's sin? This statement may give us a small indication of how perverse were the thoughts of Saul!
Saul also says, "Jonathan, don't you know that as long as David lives you can never take the throne?"
Jonathan again defended David (verse 32).
This makes Saul so angry he even attempted to kill Jonathan, his own son! (verse 33)
Sometimes, when a man is under the influence of God's Holy Spirit for conviction of sin - and then another person points out that sin, the response may be VICIOUS!
He made sure that David could hear what he said and invoked the predetermined warning. Then Jonathan instructed his aide to carry his weaponry to the city. This would leave Jonathan and David alone.
What an AWFUL thing had happened! Here are two good friends with special allegiances to one another, and they are going to be separated now and not able to visit with one another again.
In fact, they never even get to see one another again except for ONE TIME in the woods of hiding (1Samuel 23:16).
David will be consigned to wander about and make do for himself, and his grief was very great indeed. And the Bible tells us he "..exceeded" (verse 41), or he "broke down."
Have you ever lost a dear friend? These two were brothers-in-law, brothers in the Lord, and covenanted warriors. What a touching scened explained here in only two verses!!
Again, they renew their covenant with one another as they depart. David makes sure his promise to Jonathan to care for his family later.