1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,240 Chapter 21 Samuel, chapter 20. 2 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:21,920 Now, it's important as you go through these chapters of the Old 3 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:31,250 Testament, to put yourself in the place of the characters that 4 00:00:31,250 --> 00:00:32,090 we read about. 5 00:00:32,570 --> 00:00:37,290 It is quite interesting, the details that we get to know about 6 00:00:37,610 --> 00:00:42,890 the lives of those who lived in the Old Testament. 7 00:00:43,370 --> 00:00:49,890 You know, we get that special window into other saints, their. 8 00:00:49,890 --> 00:00:50,250 Their. 9 00:00:50,250 --> 00:00:52,960 Their lives, their connection to God, their. 10 00:00:53,430 --> 00:00:57,430 We get that window into their mistakes. 11 00:00:57,990 --> 00:01:03,790 We get that window into their success that they have at times, 12 00:01:03,790 --> 00:01:07,110 their fears, their failings, their. 13 00:01:07,590 --> 00:01:10,390 Their faltering emotions at times. 14 00:01:10,390 --> 00:01:13,630 And that's really, you know, what we see in the life of David 15 00:01:13,630 --> 00:01:13,990 here. 16 00:01:14,070 --> 00:01:18,030 But we also see this in the life of Saul and in Jonathan as they 17 00:01:18,030 --> 00:01:19,990 go through this narrative. 18 00:01:20,780 --> 00:01:24,420 And as you go through this narrative, studying this, it's important 19 00:01:24,420 --> 00:01:27,660 that you put yourself in this person's shoes. 20 00:01:28,540 --> 00:01:33,420 So that's what I want you to do tonight is put yourself in David's 21 00:01:33,420 --> 00:01:35,580 shoes tonight, so to speak. 22 00:01:36,139 --> 00:01:40,660 That's who we're mainly going to focus on, obviously, but it's 23 00:01:40,660 --> 00:01:44,340 really the relationship of David and Jonathan as they have went 24 00:01:44,340 --> 00:01:44,540 out. 25 00:01:44,540 --> 00:01:48,380 Now, a lot of us are probably familiar with this story. 26 00:01:48,380 --> 00:01:52,440 We've probably read through First Samuel, Second Samuel, We've 27 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:53,720 probably read the end of the book. 28 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:55,840 Obviously, you know, it comes at the end. 29 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:04,200 But try to come at this as you are in his position, not knowing 30 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:09,240 the end of the story, because that's the position that you are 31 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:10,400 in tonight. 32 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,920 You are in your own place, not necessarily David's place. 33 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:18,460 It's great to get perspective, but you are in your own position, 34 00:02:18,700 --> 00:02:21,100 not knowing the end of your own story. 35 00:02:21,420 --> 00:02:23,180 We don't know who holds tomorrow. 36 00:02:23,420 --> 00:02:26,300 We do know that God does, that he holds tomorrow. 37 00:02:26,300 --> 00:02:28,220 But we know we don't hold tomorrow. 38 00:02:28,620 --> 00:02:29,940 All right, so we'll start here. 39 00:02:29,940 --> 00:02:32,300 In chapter 20, it says verse number one. 40 00:02:32,300 --> 00:02:33,900 And David fled from Naoth. 41 00:02:33,900 --> 00:02:38,380 And Ramah came and said before Jonathan, what have I done? 42 00:02:38,620 --> 00:02:40,300 What is my iniquity? 43 00:02:40,780 --> 00:02:43,100 What is my sin before thy Father? 44 00:02:43,100 --> 00:02:45,250 That he said, seeketh my life. 45 00:02:45,810 --> 00:02:49,770 And he said unto him, God forbid, thou shalt not die. 46 00:02:49,770 --> 00:02:53,130 Behold, my father will do nothing, either great or small, but 47 00:02:53,130 --> 00:02:55,330 that he will show it me. 48 00:02:55,570 --> 00:02:58,850 And why should my Father hide this thing from me? 49 00:02:58,850 --> 00:03:00,050 It is not so. 50 00:03:01,090 --> 00:03:02,690 And David swear, moreover. 51 00:03:02,690 --> 00:03:06,250 And said, thy Father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in 52 00:03:06,250 --> 00:03:06,850 thine eyes. 53 00:03:07,330 --> 00:03:10,850 And he saith, let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. 54 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:16,480 But truly, as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, there is 55 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,520 but a step between death and me. 56 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:25,360 Then said Jonathan unto David, whatsoever thy soul desireth I will 57 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,560 even do it for thee. 58 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:29,360 Let's pray and we'll start this evening. 59 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:35,120 Our Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you that you are a good God 60 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:41,380 and a God who is gracious to us, Lord, a God who leads us, guides 61 00:03:41,380 --> 00:03:41,700 us. 62 00:03:42,500 --> 00:03:47,020 And Lord, your hand is never off of our lives, Lord, not even 63 00:03:47,020 --> 00:03:47,660 for one second. 64 00:03:47,660 --> 00:03:51,220 But Lord, you are in control, Lord, and you have a plan. 65 00:03:51,780 --> 00:03:54,380 And Lord, I just pray that you would help us to see that tonight, 66 00:03:54,380 --> 00:03:57,860 that even in our own lives, just as in the lives of the saints 67 00:03:57,860 --> 00:04:01,020 that have come before us, you were in control then, you are in 68 00:04:01,020 --> 00:04:05,470 control now, Lord, and we can trust in in you, no matter what our 69 00:04:05,470 --> 00:04:07,150 circumstances may be bringing. 70 00:04:07,630 --> 00:04:10,190 Lord, I pray that we would find comfort in that and that we 71 00:04:10,190 --> 00:04:14,870 would step out in faith and trust you more in the smallest of 72 00:04:14,870 --> 00:04:16,590 things, Lord, not just the big things. 73 00:04:16,670 --> 00:04:18,670 But I pray that we would follow you gladly. 74 00:04:19,070 --> 00:04:19,390 Lord. 75 00:04:19,390 --> 00:04:22,430 I pray that you'd help us to see that in David and Jonathan's 76 00:04:22,430 --> 00:04:23,070 life tonight. 77 00:04:23,470 --> 00:04:25,390 Pray and ask these things in Jesus name. 78 00:04:25,550 --> 00:04:26,190 Amen. 79 00:04:27,630 --> 00:04:34,700 So we have Here in chapter 20, the story beginning to really intensify. 80 00:04:35,420 --> 00:04:39,620 You know, as David and Jonathan and Saul, as we're introduced 81 00:04:39,620 --> 00:04:44,140 to these characters and we see some of the deeds that they are accomplishing 82 00:04:44,700 --> 00:04:48,460 and some of the failures of Saul, you know, we get the outside 83 00:04:49,260 --> 00:04:50,300 look of it. 84 00:04:51,260 --> 00:04:56,080 But these are three people that are currently dealing with, 85 00:04:56,630 --> 00:05:01,110 with basically what God is trying to do. 86 00:05:01,830 --> 00:05:06,510 There's three people that are dealing with what God is trying to 87 00:05:06,510 --> 00:05:11,430 do and what God is doing in Israel at this time. 88 00:05:11,430 --> 00:05:13,670 And they're dealing with it in three different ways. 89 00:05:14,790 --> 00:05:20,110 And as the characters are developing and we start to learn 90 00:05:20,110 --> 00:05:23,230 more about Saul and as we start to learn more about Jonathan 91 00:05:23,230 --> 00:05:30,420 and David, we get to see their situation in some ways climax up 92 00:05:30,420 --> 00:05:31,100 to a point. 93 00:05:31,900 --> 00:05:35,900 Because this story, as we read it, we're trying to figure out what 94 00:05:35,900 --> 00:05:40,379 is happening with these characters, what is going to happen 95 00:05:40,379 --> 00:05:45,260 with David, what's happening with the prophecy that God has? 96 00:05:45,260 --> 00:05:47,260 We're told that David will be king. 97 00:05:48,060 --> 00:05:50,500 What is happening with, with Saul? 98 00:05:51,620 --> 00:05:56,100 Is Saul going to literally just fight against God, his entire 99 00:05:56,180 --> 00:05:56,900 kingship? 100 00:05:57,540 --> 00:06:03,500 It's not a long rule for Saul in terms of he was living pleasing 101 00:06:03,500 --> 00:06:04,660 in the eyes of the Lord. 102 00:06:04,740 --> 00:06:05,700 It really isn't. 103 00:06:06,020 --> 00:06:12,420 There's Saul becoming king and then there is Saul beginning to try 104 00:06:12,420 --> 00:06:16,180 to do things and then all of a sudden deciding to do things his 105 00:06:16,180 --> 00:06:16,740 own way. 106 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,920 And it just goes completely downhill from there. 107 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:25,680 And so we're asking some of these questions as we approach chapter 108 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,720 20 of I don't Understand? 109 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:32,800 That's how I feel as I read some of this. 110 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:34,960 What is Saul doing? 111 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:41,920 You know, in chapter 19, we plainly see that, okay, Saul is completely 112 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:42,960 wishy washy. 113 00:06:43,210 --> 00:06:45,050 He's off his rock for just a little bit. 114 00:06:45,530 --> 00:06:49,730 Jonathan tries to convince him that, father, you know, why would 115 00:06:49,730 --> 00:06:52,290 you sin against your servant David? 116 00:06:52,290 --> 00:06:53,450 He hasn't done anything wrong. 117 00:06:53,450 --> 00:06:54,490 Then there's appeasing. 118 00:06:54,490 --> 00:06:59,770 And all of a sudden now Saul is okay, I swear by the Lord, I'm 119 00:06:59,770 --> 00:07:00,610 not going to hurt David. 120 00:07:00,610 --> 00:07:02,770 And then just he falters. 121 00:07:02,770 --> 00:07:07,810 And, and what is at the heart of all of this, you'll notice there 122 00:07:07,810 --> 00:07:13,170 in chapter 19, whenever he falters, it's right after David has 123 00:07:13,330 --> 00:07:14,530 success again. 124 00:07:15,970 --> 00:07:21,370 The jealousy of Saul, the understanding that God is no longer 125 00:07:21,370 --> 00:07:25,170 on my life, God is on someone else's life. 126 00:07:25,570 --> 00:07:30,850 The rejection of that idea, flat out complete rejection. 127 00:07:30,930 --> 00:07:32,850 That's what's going through in Saul's mind. 128 00:07:33,410 --> 00:07:37,710 And then we come here to chapter 20 right off the heels of 129 00:07:38,830 --> 00:07:46,430 God protecting David through physical means, through his wife's 130 00:07:46,510 --> 00:07:53,830 help, through Jonathan's help, through the spear, not pinning him, 131 00:07:53,830 --> 00:08:00,950 him to the wall, through divine help, whenever Saul and sends 132 00:08:00,950 --> 00:08:07,000 his servants to the Samuel, to Ramah, and they are compelled to 133 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:10,840 basically by the Spirit, to prophesy and to not capture David. 134 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:15,160 And then Saul himself saying, I'm going to take the lead here. 135 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,360 I'm going to get this done, I'll do this myself. 136 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:20,920 And then God once again humbling Saul. 137 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:23,560 We see through all of that. 138 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:30,790 We come here to this passage in chapter 20 and David asks the 139 00:08:30,790 --> 00:08:38,150 question, this is, if you will, a crossroad crossroads of what 140 00:08:38,150 --> 00:08:39,270 is going to happen. 141 00:08:39,270 --> 00:08:43,430 You ever been that place in your life where you've tried a bunch 142 00:08:43,430 --> 00:08:44,230 of different things? 143 00:08:45,190 --> 00:08:52,310 You have put effort into trying to maintain something or perhaps 144 00:08:52,310 --> 00:08:53,350 to fix something. 145 00:08:54,070 --> 00:08:55,750 And I mean, you've given it your all. 146 00:08:56,620 --> 00:08:59,180 I think every single one of us have been in that kind of situation. 147 00:08:59,180 --> 00:09:03,100 I've been in that situation more times than I would like to admit, 148 00:09:04,060 --> 00:09:10,940 where I really, really did my best and my best was not enough. 149 00:09:12,540 --> 00:09:16,340 That's kind of the understanding that we come to here 150 00:09:16,340 --> 00:09:19,020 in chapter 20, the Crossroads. 151 00:09:19,500 --> 00:09:22,380 It's kind of like, where do we go from here? 152 00:09:23,890 --> 00:09:25,890 What do we do from here? 153 00:09:26,850 --> 00:09:30,050 Because everything that we know is about to change. 154 00:09:30,450 --> 00:09:32,090 And that is what is happening here. 155 00:09:32,090 --> 00:09:37,130 In chapter 20, David comes to Jonathan asking basically, what have 156 00:09:37,130 --> 00:09:37,570 I done? 157 00:09:38,850 --> 00:09:40,530 Why does Saul want me dead? 158 00:09:40,530 --> 00:09:43,890 Is this really where things stand now? 159 00:09:44,690 --> 00:09:50,290 And as we look at this, this is bigger than just being scared. 160 00:09:50,290 --> 00:09:51,890 And it's the same thing with our Lives. 161 00:09:53,730 --> 00:09:54,050 Yeah. 162 00:09:54,050 --> 00:09:56,610 Sometimes we wonder how in the world we're going to get through 163 00:09:56,610 --> 00:10:00,610 this and how we're going to wake up tomorrow or how we're going 164 00:10:00,610 --> 00:10:03,770 to wake up in a week from now and where are we going to be? 165 00:10:03,770 --> 00:10:07,210 You know, we had that, that, that scared feeling, but this is 166 00:10:07,210 --> 00:10:08,770 a little bit further past that. 167 00:10:09,010 --> 00:10:11,330 This is past David just simply being scared. 168 00:10:11,810 --> 00:10:18,450 It's his entire future that he, for all purposes sake, thought, 169 00:10:18,450 --> 00:10:20,130 okay, this is planned out. 170 00:10:20,130 --> 00:10:24,620 God has his hands on this, and this is going to come to pass. 171 00:10:24,620 --> 00:10:25,740 I'm going to be king. 172 00:10:26,140 --> 00:10:32,380 By all understanding here, his entire future appears to contradict 173 00:10:32,940 --> 00:10:35,020 what God has already promised. 174 00:10:35,580 --> 00:10:39,460 Because as far as he can see in his future, Saul's going to kill 175 00:10:39,460 --> 00:10:39,820 me. 176 00:10:40,380 --> 00:10:41,740 And that's what he declares here. 177 00:10:41,740 --> 00:10:45,420 There is but a step between me and death. 178 00:10:46,380 --> 00:10:49,470 It's interesting he continues to make that statement throughout 179 00:10:49,470 --> 00:10:49,990 his life. 180 00:10:50,390 --> 00:10:54,710 Shortly down the road here in the few chapters following this, 181 00:10:55,270 --> 00:10:59,910 he says the statement again, this is a statement of pure depression, 182 00:11:00,550 --> 00:11:04,069 of pure depressed soul. 183 00:11:05,190 --> 00:11:11,630 And David is trusting God as the Lord liveth. 184 00:11:11,630 --> 00:11:16,560 God knows I could die at any moment, John, and that's where we 185 00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:17,840 find ourselves today. 186 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:24,880 How can God's plan be true when David's circumstances seem to 187 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:26,400 be moving in the opposite direction? 188 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:29,120 Now put yourself in that shoe. 189 00:11:29,680 --> 00:11:36,800 How can God's plan for you be true when your circumstances are 190 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:38,320 completely opposite? 191 00:11:40,810 --> 00:11:46,130 A lot of us in our life will face different things where it really 192 00:11:46,130 --> 00:11:53,370 does seem like what we are living is completely opposite of 193 00:11:53,370 --> 00:11:57,450 perhaps what we would believe God would have for our lives. 194 00:11:58,810 --> 00:12:02,730 You know, we will often pray in our prayer time. 195 00:12:03,850 --> 00:12:04,810 Lord, give us. 196 00:12:06,540 --> 00:12:07,420 Give us a good day. 197 00:12:07,820 --> 00:12:09,380 It's a simple prayer request. 198 00:12:09,380 --> 00:12:10,380 Give us a good day. 199 00:12:10,460 --> 00:12:11,340 What does that mean? 200 00:12:12,380 --> 00:12:13,580 Are you looking for blessings? 201 00:12:13,580 --> 00:12:16,780 Are you looking for the lottery to be, to come on your, you 202 00:12:16,780 --> 00:12:17,740 know, your lap? 203 00:12:17,900 --> 00:12:20,620 Are you looking for, you know, what are you looking for? 204 00:12:20,620 --> 00:12:21,740 But we pray for that. 205 00:12:22,300 --> 00:12:23,260 We get on the road. 206 00:12:23,340 --> 00:12:25,420 I'm not saying there's anything wrong with praying for this, 207 00:12:25,420 --> 00:12:26,460 praying for safety. 208 00:12:27,420 --> 00:12:29,180 We pray for safety for our kids. 209 00:12:29,900 --> 00:12:34,450 We pray in every single way for us to be blessed. 210 00:12:34,690 --> 00:12:37,650 And I'm not saying that that is wrong whatsoever. 211 00:12:37,890 --> 00:12:41,490 We should play pray and ask God for his blessings. 212 00:12:41,570 --> 00:12:42,930 There's nothing wrong with that. 213 00:12:43,890 --> 00:12:51,970 But sometimes we get wrapped up with the expectation that this 214 00:12:51,970 --> 00:12:54,210 is how this is going to go. 215 00:12:55,010 --> 00:12:58,870 Maybe because I prayed that way or maybe because I just. 216 00:12:58,870 --> 00:13:00,710 I think this is how life's going to go. 217 00:13:01,110 --> 00:13:03,270 We get wrapped up in that expectation. 218 00:13:03,350 --> 00:13:07,990 So as you put yourself in David's shoe, ask that question, 219 00:13:07,990 --> 00:13:12,749 how Can God's plan be true when my circumstances seem to be 220 00:13:12,749 --> 00:13:15,590 moving in the opposite direction? 221 00:13:16,870 --> 00:13:20,310 And then are we trusting in what God is doing? 222 00:13:21,510 --> 00:13:28,800 So as that tension begins to build in this chapter, we see David 223 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:30,400 questioning his future. 224 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,640 We see him asking his friend about this future. 225 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:38,160 How can God's promises fit what is happening to me? 226 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:43,720 The dilemma that David is facing and Jonathan is also facing 227 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:49,610 is all the more painful because there's false hope constantly 228 00:13:49,610 --> 00:13:50,170 being given. 229 00:13:51,370 --> 00:13:55,050 There is the hope that, okay, well, maybe Saul is just having fits 230 00:13:55,050 --> 00:13:56,570 and he's going to get over this. 231 00:13:57,370 --> 00:14:00,250 A peaceful resolution had appeared well within reach. 232 00:14:00,330 --> 00:14:02,490 The last chapter in chapter 19. 233 00:14:03,050 --> 00:14:07,530 During the events of chapter 19, Jonathan interceded on David's 234 00:14:07,530 --> 00:14:12,290 behalf, prompting Saul to vow, as the Lord liveth, he shall not 235 00:14:12,290 --> 00:14:12,890 be slain. 236 00:14:15,140 --> 00:14:17,140 That was a confident vow that Saul did. 237 00:14:18,180 --> 00:14:21,780 Yet shortly thereafter, Saul launches another attempt on his life. 238 00:14:22,420 --> 00:14:27,980 And then, as chapter 20 opens, David begins to confront the harsh 239 00:14:27,980 --> 00:14:34,020 reality of what exactly is taking place, the harsh reality that 240 00:14:34,020 --> 00:14:37,700 any hope of lasting reconciliation has evaporated. 241 00:14:38,420 --> 00:14:38,680 He. 242 00:14:38,750 --> 00:14:42,270 He now realizes this is not going to be a peaceful transition. 243 00:14:42,910 --> 00:14:48,030 This is not going to be perhaps, you know, just. 244 00:14:48,030 --> 00:14:49,470 Just put yourself for a second. 245 00:14:49,550 --> 00:14:52,350 I would have thought if I was David. 246 00:14:52,670 --> 00:14:54,350 God has anointed me as king. 247 00:14:55,150 --> 00:14:58,950 That's the special, okay, I'm still a shepherd boy right now, so 248 00:14:58,950 --> 00:15:01,270 I'm probably not going to be king after all. 249 00:15:01,270 --> 00:15:04,830 King Saul is, and he's a good king from all outside perspective. 250 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:06,880 Oh, King Saul wants me. 251 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:09,600 He's already had me play for him in the heart. 252 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:15,040 But in the door now I've killed Goliath now. 253 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:19,280 Now Saul has me fighting his enemies, foot in the door. 254 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:20,880 I mean, we're getting promoted here. 255 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,440 Now I'm commander over armies. 256 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,880 I'm winning these battles for Israel. 257 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:33,200 Israel is seeing me, and I can see how God is moving and how God 258 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:34,480 is setting that up. 259 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:39,000 I think we could all say in our lives that we've seen how God 260 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:40,640 has set things in motion. 261 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:46,360 And I, at this point in my life, if I was David, now Saul's 262 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:47,560 trying to kill me constantly. 263 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:48,480 He's chasing me. 264 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:53,040 He's literally doing everything he can for me to fail. 265 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,520 I'd seriously be questioning what God is doing. 266 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:00,800 God, is this your plan? 267 00:16:01,420 --> 00:16:04,220 It's interesting how we can do that. 268 00:16:05,740 --> 00:16:09,500 We can have great experiences. 269 00:16:10,380 --> 00:16:17,900 We can have spiritual highs, and we can be so confident in what 270 00:16:17,900 --> 00:16:21,900 God is doing because look at all the evidence. 271 00:16:23,180 --> 00:16:27,110 And then all of a sudden, we. 272 00:16:27,110 --> 00:16:29,110 We say to ourselves, God, where you at? 273 00:16:29,750 --> 00:16:30,510 This is this. 274 00:16:30,510 --> 00:16:30,790 This. 275 00:16:30,790 --> 00:16:33,910 I must have misinterpreted all of this completely wrong. 276 00:16:34,390 --> 00:16:36,950 And that's kind of what David is thinking here. 277 00:16:39,190 --> 00:16:41,910 At least that's what I would be thinking if I was David. 278 00:16:43,750 --> 00:16:44,870 So he flees. 279 00:16:45,670 --> 00:16:48,150 He's in rhema with Samuel. 280 00:16:48,870 --> 00:16:53,800 Saul is incapacitated by the spirit of God and he flees. 281 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:57,240 So that brings us the question, why did he flee? 282 00:16:58,680 --> 00:16:59,600 You know, God is. 283 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,360 The spirit of God is protecting David there in a powerful 284 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:02,680 way. 285 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:05,880 And you know, you have to ask that question. 286 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:06,920 This is a safe place. 287 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:10,280 He's with Samuel, Samuel is helping. 288 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:13,160 This is probably a good place. 289 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:14,080 Why does he flee? 290 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:15,560 That's a great question we can ask. 291 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:19,850 While Saul was under the constraining influence of the spirit 292 00:17:19,850 --> 00:17:24,610 of prophecy, David escapes and returns to Saul's court to commune 293 00:17:24,850 --> 00:17:26,370 with Jonathan. 294 00:17:26,370 --> 00:17:31,410 And this is where he asks that question, what have I done? 295 00:17:32,450 --> 00:17:35,330 And you really, you have to ask also, you know, why. 296 00:17:35,410 --> 00:17:38,930 What prompted David to flee back into Saul's court? 297 00:17:38,930 --> 00:17:40,530 Was that really a good idea? 298 00:17:40,690 --> 00:17:43,010 Because surely Saul's going to go back there eventually. 299 00:17:44,780 --> 00:17:46,940 But he asked Jonathan, what have I done? 300 00:17:47,500 --> 00:17:49,420 He's seeking the advice of his friend. 301 00:17:50,300 --> 00:17:54,300 He's going to the highest official, if you will, that he has 302 00:17:54,620 --> 00:17:59,820 on his side, and he's asking him for that godly wisdom. 303 00:17:59,900 --> 00:18:04,140 You know, you and I live our life in going through moments of 304 00:18:04,140 --> 00:18:11,830 up and down in those times, whenever we don't understand what 305 00:18:11,830 --> 00:18:12,710 is happening. 306 00:18:13,510 --> 00:18:19,350 Godly wisdom is very appreciated and it's very important 307 00:18:19,430 --> 00:18:21,350 for us to seek that out. 308 00:18:21,990 --> 00:18:27,390 And sometimes in our pride, we believe that, well, I've done this 309 00:18:27,390 --> 00:18:30,070 before, and so maybe I don't need wisdom. 310 00:18:30,790 --> 00:18:33,270 That's immediately the first thing you have to cast aside. 311 00:18:33,670 --> 00:18:35,670 Just because you've done something before doesn't mean it's 312 00:18:35,670 --> 00:18:36,470 going to help you now. 313 00:18:37,310 --> 00:18:38,510 It's good to have experience. 314 00:18:39,150 --> 00:18:44,270 But godly wisdom from other sources is always a welcome, welcomed 315 00:18:45,390 --> 00:18:47,630 bit of relief, if you will. 316 00:18:47,790 --> 00:18:49,390 And so seek that out as. 317 00:18:49,390 --> 00:18:50,990 As David sought this out. 318 00:18:51,310 --> 00:18:54,430 So he goes to Jonathan, what have I done? 319 00:18:54,510 --> 00:18:55,710 What is my iniquity? 320 00:18:55,950 --> 00:18:58,590 Why does your father seek my life? 321 00:19:00,190 --> 00:19:05,080 We should see in this that David is testing Jonathan's loyalty. 322 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:06,400 In. 323 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:11,720 In all of this, David is questioning why didn't. 324 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,800 Why was I warned possibly about that attack in my house? 325 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:17,800 Why. 326 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:22,720 Why didn't I get news from somebody telling me that he was on 327 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,840 his way to Rama whenever I was fleeing there with Samuel? 328 00:19:28,210 --> 00:19:32,450 In all of this, David is going to Jonathan because he trusts him. 329 00:19:32,610 --> 00:19:36,050 He's going to Jonathan because they made a covenant with one another. 330 00:19:36,210 --> 00:19:40,370 He's going to Jonathan because he loves him, because this is his 331 00:19:40,370 --> 00:19:40,770 friend. 332 00:19:40,770 --> 00:19:42,290 This is his companion. 333 00:19:42,530 --> 00:19:50,050 This is the person who, in a way, he has just devoted himself 334 00:19:50,050 --> 00:19:57,980 to and received the same kind of devotion, this discipleship, companionship, 335 00:19:58,700 --> 00:20:00,460 relationship that these two have. 336 00:20:00,780 --> 00:20:04,300 He goes through this question of not understanding. 337 00:20:04,940 --> 00:20:08,980 So we have David, who doesn't understand what Saul has against 338 00:20:08,980 --> 00:20:09,219 him. 339 00:20:09,219 --> 00:20:11,580 And Jonathan probably doesn't understand either. 340 00:20:12,060 --> 00:20:16,580 Jonathan doesn't yet understand how far Saul has deteriorated. 341 00:20:16,580 --> 00:20:18,180 Look there in that verse number two. 342 00:20:18,180 --> 00:20:20,650 He says, God forbid, thou shalt not die. 343 00:20:21,530 --> 00:20:23,810 Behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but 344 00:20:23,810 --> 00:20:24,650 he will show it me. 345 00:20:24,810 --> 00:20:27,450 Why should my father hide this thing from me? 346 00:20:28,330 --> 00:20:28,970 What do you mean? 347 00:20:28,970 --> 00:20:31,250 He doesn't do anything great or small, Jonathan. 348 00:20:31,250 --> 00:20:34,410 He's already tried to kill me twice, and you didn't tell me anything 349 00:20:34,410 --> 00:20:34,970 about it. 350 00:20:35,369 --> 00:20:37,930 Obviously, he's hiding things from you, Jonathan. 351 00:20:38,810 --> 00:20:42,290 They need Saul's true intentions exposed. 352 00:20:42,290 --> 00:20:46,410 And that's the climax here of what exactly is going to happen? 353 00:20:46,890 --> 00:20:49,610 What is the future actually holding here? 354 00:20:50,410 --> 00:20:53,770 David swears, thy father knows, I found grace in your size. 355 00:20:53,930 --> 00:20:56,810 I'm about to die, Jonathan, and you're not going to know about 356 00:20:56,810 --> 00:20:58,890 it because he doesn't want to tell you. 357 00:20:59,850 --> 00:21:01,890 They need Saul's true intentions. 358 00:21:01,890 --> 00:21:06,730 Jonathan needs to understand Saul's true intentions. 359 00:21:06,810 --> 00:21:08,930 And so Jonathan reconsiders. 360 00:21:08,930 --> 00:21:10,170 And look here what he says. 361 00:21:11,210 --> 00:21:15,060 The fear is pouring out of David. 362 00:21:16,340 --> 00:21:18,500 He is asking Jonathan for help. 363 00:21:18,900 --> 00:21:21,140 Jonathan is trying to reassure him. 364 00:21:21,540 --> 00:21:26,180 But then Jonathan takes this place of practicality. 365 00:21:27,460 --> 00:21:28,980 And this is a lesson for us. 366 00:21:29,620 --> 00:21:32,940 When your friends are fearing, when people come to ask you for help, 367 00:21:32,940 --> 00:21:34,340 Scripture is always welcome. 368 00:21:34,980 --> 00:21:38,910 But there also needs to be a practical point of application. 369 00:21:39,390 --> 00:21:40,790 And this is what Jonathan does. 370 00:21:40,790 --> 00:21:44,470 He doesn't say, david, have faith, David, why are you fearing? 371 00:21:44,470 --> 00:21:47,390 Haven't you seen all the things that God's done for you? 372 00:21:47,470 --> 00:21:48,190 Haven't you? 373 00:21:48,350 --> 00:21:48,670 No. 374 00:21:48,670 --> 00:21:52,310 He just says, whatever you want, man, I'm going to do it for 375 00:21:52,310 --> 00:21:52,590 you. 376 00:21:53,230 --> 00:21:57,470 Whatever thy soul desire, I will even do it for thee. 377 00:21:57,790 --> 00:21:59,390 Take note from Jonathan. 378 00:21:59,630 --> 00:22:03,230 Practical help is always needed. 379 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:04,200 Yes. 380 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:05,360 Give the word of God. 381 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:05,920 Yes. 382 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:07,840 Try to encourage that person's faith. 383 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:10,160 But ask them, what do I need to do? 384 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:14,080 What do I need to do to help you right now? 385 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:16,920 Because that's really what they need, you know. 386 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:21,200 What good does it do, brother, if you have someone who's poor and 387 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:27,360 needy and hungry and cold, and you say, be well, you know, go and 388 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:28,080 prosper. 389 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:31,410 May the Lord be with you, notwithstanding you didn't feed them? 390 00:22:31,810 --> 00:22:37,530 James says, what good is empty words of exhortation if you didn't 391 00:22:37,530 --> 00:22:38,930 do the things that were practical? 392 00:22:39,570 --> 00:22:43,570 And so Jonathan does the practical and this sets up the plan, 393 00:22:43,570 --> 00:22:49,170 the test to determine the heart that David has in mind. 394 00:22:50,370 --> 00:22:55,250 David wants to test two people's heart with this plan. 395 00:22:56,110 --> 00:22:56,750 That's plural. 396 00:22:58,830 --> 00:23:02,030 David says to Jonathan, behold, tomorrow is the new moon, 397 00:23:02,030 --> 00:23:04,070 and I should not fail to sit with the king of meat. 398 00:23:04,070 --> 00:23:07,590 But let me go that I may have myself in the field unto the third 399 00:23:07,590 --> 00:23:08,830 day at evening. 400 00:23:09,070 --> 00:23:13,430 If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave 401 00:23:13,430 --> 00:23:19,070 of me that he might run to Bethlehem, his city, for there is 402 00:23:19,550 --> 00:23:21,790 a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. 403 00:23:22,310 --> 00:23:27,350 If he say thus, it is well, thy servant shall have peace. 404 00:23:27,670 --> 00:23:32,430 But if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by 405 00:23:32,430 --> 00:23:32,790 him. 406 00:23:33,590 --> 00:23:38,590 Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant, for thou 407 00:23:38,590 --> 00:23:42,070 hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee. 408 00:23:42,550 --> 00:23:47,190 Notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself, 409 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:50,240 for why shouldst thou bring me to thy father? 410 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:56,720 You see the inquiry, if you will, in David's voice in that last 411 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:57,280 statement. 412 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:02,640 I'm doing this, and let's test him. 413 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:07,360 If you do this for me, Jonathan, you will show me a kindness 414 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:08,400 of the Lord. 415 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:13,730 Jonathan, do you remember the covenant that we have between you 416 00:24:13,730 --> 00:24:16,570 and I, Jonathan? 417 00:24:16,730 --> 00:24:18,490 Do you remember, Jonathan, if. 418 00:24:18,810 --> 00:24:22,730 If there's something wrong, if you're in agreement with your father. 419 00:24:23,130 --> 00:24:25,370 Why would you even bring me to your father? 420 00:24:25,370 --> 00:24:26,570 Just slay me now. 421 00:24:27,130 --> 00:24:28,090 Kill me now. 422 00:24:29,930 --> 00:24:34,090 To silent test, in a way, to see if Jonathan is honoring the covenant 423 00:24:34,170 --> 00:24:36,570 that he has agreed to since the beginning. 424 00:24:37,210 --> 00:24:39,770 And David has no way of knowing whether or not he's going 425 00:24:39,770 --> 00:24:41,450 to defect from his father's rule. 426 00:24:42,430 --> 00:24:43,550 He doesn't know this. 427 00:24:44,510 --> 00:24:48,870 He has confidence, perhaps as you would have confidence in trusting 428 00:24:48,870 --> 00:24:49,550 your own friend. 429 00:24:50,590 --> 00:24:55,510 He has reason to say that I don't think Jonathan would betray 430 00:24:55,510 --> 00:24:55,790 me. 431 00:24:56,030 --> 00:24:58,190 But this is Jonathan's flesh and blood. 432 00:24:58,830 --> 00:25:00,110 This is his father. 433 00:25:01,070 --> 00:25:03,230 I don't know what kind of relationship you have with your own 434 00:25:03,230 --> 00:25:09,110 parents, but to deny flesh and blood and choose a stranger, would 435 00:25:09,110 --> 00:25:10,750 you do that yourself? 436 00:25:10,750 --> 00:25:17,670 Would you choose someone who is not of your blood over your family? 437 00:25:18,230 --> 00:25:19,270 A stranger? 438 00:25:20,230 --> 00:25:23,670 How deep does this man's real friendship for me really go? 439 00:25:23,830 --> 00:25:27,110 That's the question that David ultimately poses to Jonathan. 440 00:25:27,590 --> 00:25:31,030 This is a test to reveal two people's hearts so that David may 441 00:25:31,030 --> 00:25:32,950 understand completely. 442 00:25:33,110 --> 00:25:35,750 The first is to completely understand Jonathan's heart. 443 00:25:36,260 --> 00:25:40,140 And if that is well, then he will get an accurate view of his 444 00:25:40,140 --> 00:25:41,860 position before Saul. 445 00:25:42,820 --> 00:25:46,380 Now, we have a couple of things here that need explaining 446 00:25:46,380 --> 00:25:48,180 as we go through this little description here. 447 00:25:48,740 --> 00:25:50,740 Some we can, others we can't. 448 00:25:51,300 --> 00:25:51,620 What? 449 00:25:51,620 --> 00:25:52,260 We can't. 450 00:25:53,540 --> 00:25:57,500 The question that many of us probably should have as you study 451 00:25:57,500 --> 00:26:02,260 this passage is, okay, the new moon festival is coming up. 452 00:26:03,310 --> 00:26:07,390 David is supposed to be there at the table beside Saul. 453 00:26:08,830 --> 00:26:10,030 Why would he ever do that? 454 00:26:11,230 --> 00:26:11,630 What. 455 00:26:11,710 --> 00:26:13,230 What kind of sense does that make? 456 00:26:14,830 --> 00:26:18,830 Why, after his life being so severely threatened, would David 457 00:26:18,830 --> 00:26:22,030 go sit inside Saul at this festival? 458 00:26:22,430 --> 00:26:26,710 First, we can't necessarily answer this completely because we 459 00:26:26,710 --> 00:26:28,670 just don't have the information here readily available. 460 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:34,560 First, he might suppose that David maybe would ascribe this to 461 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:35,640 frantic fits. 462 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:39,040 He's had frantic fits in the past where the evil spirits come 463 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:42,600 upon him, and then things seem to smooth out after that. 464 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:48,120 Secondly, maybe we would think that David might not even think that 465 00:26:48,120 --> 00:26:48,760 Saul would. 466 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:52,320 Would expect him to be at the feast at all, considering his late 467 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:53,640 and great danger from Saul. 468 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:58,320 Maybe this is one of those things of, okay, maybe he doesn't 469 00:26:58,320 --> 00:26:59,960 even expect me there at the festival. 470 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:05,000 And this is gonna be basically not be a good test at all because 471 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:06,520 Saul doesn't even care if I'm there. 472 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:13,960 Or possibly another explanation is that when Saul came 473 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:17,560 to Rhema, perhaps Saul was. 474 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:23,180 Or that David rather was interceded by Samuel on behalf of 475 00:27:23,180 --> 00:27:24,060 David's life. 476 00:27:24,060 --> 00:27:28,020 Maybe Saul came and David said, he's coming for my life. 477 00:27:28,020 --> 00:27:31,540 And Samuel told Saul, hey, this isn't good idea. 478 00:27:32,180 --> 00:27:37,500 We've already seen that Saul is quick to have conviction in what 479 00:27:37,500 --> 00:27:38,100 he's doing. 480 00:27:39,220 --> 00:27:42,300 We actually see this on numerous occasions. 481 00:27:42,300 --> 00:27:44,580 This is a pattern in Saul's life. 482 00:27:44,580 --> 00:27:47,780 It'll be a pattern whenever David cuts off the hem of his garment 483 00:27:48,020 --> 00:27:48,660 in the cave. 484 00:27:49,060 --> 00:27:52,340 It'll be a pattern when David says, I was able to kill you. 485 00:27:52,340 --> 00:27:54,460 He says, okay, David, I'm not going to kill you anymore. 486 00:27:54,460 --> 00:27:55,540 Then he goes after him again. 487 00:27:56,100 --> 00:27:59,540 It was a pattern whenever Jonathan convinced his father. 488 00:27:59,540 --> 00:28:04,099 There's this conviction that comes over Saul that he says, I know 489 00:28:04,099 --> 00:28:06,740 that this is wrong and I'm not going to do it anymore. 490 00:28:07,060 --> 00:28:08,420 Does that sound familiar? 491 00:28:09,540 --> 00:28:10,020 Familiar? 492 00:28:10,020 --> 00:28:15,230 With our own lives, there is a difference between conviction and 493 00:28:15,230 --> 00:28:16,350 actual repentance. 494 00:28:16,990 --> 00:28:22,110 Saul expresses the conviction of wrongdoing. 495 00:28:22,990 --> 00:28:28,750 But that actual heart change of repentance is not found in the 496 00:28:28,750 --> 00:28:29,550 life of Saul. 497 00:28:29,790 --> 00:28:33,030 You'll see that in the very beginning of Saul's rule, whenever 498 00:28:33,030 --> 00:28:35,950 he gets confronted by Samuel for doing what's wrong. 499 00:28:36,430 --> 00:28:37,950 Pray to your God. 500 00:28:38,110 --> 00:28:39,630 That always strikes out to me. 501 00:28:39,870 --> 00:28:41,150 Ask your God. 502 00:28:41,220 --> 00:28:45,130 So saying that this wouldn't happen to me, what about our God, 503 00:28:45,210 --> 00:28:45,850 Saul? 504 00:28:45,930 --> 00:28:48,170 What about your God, Saul? 505 00:28:48,810 --> 00:28:51,450 There is the I am sorry I got caught. 506 00:28:52,730 --> 00:28:53,410 This is a. 507 00:28:53,410 --> 00:28:56,970 A constant theme with Saul. 508 00:28:57,610 --> 00:28:59,290 And then we come to this new moon feast. 509 00:28:59,290 --> 00:29:00,570 What is the new moon feast? 510 00:29:01,210 --> 00:29:02,330 This new moon fe. 511 00:29:02,730 --> 00:29:05,010 This new moon feast. 512 00:29:05,010 --> 00:29:06,810 Say that five times, real fast. 513 00:29:07,700 --> 00:29:09,780 It was happening at the beginning of each month. 514 00:29:10,180 --> 00:29:13,460 It was celebrated with special sacrifice, blowing of the trumpets. 515 00:29:13,940 --> 00:29:17,940 And this feast was kept as a day of gladness. 516 00:29:17,940 --> 00:29:19,380 According to Numbers 28. 517 00:29:19,620 --> 00:29:23,299 One of the feasts actually is mentioned there in the book of Acts, 518 00:29:24,340 --> 00:29:25,140 the new moon. 519 00:29:25,860 --> 00:29:28,700 Maybe it's actually Galatians when Paul's talking about the feast 520 00:29:28,700 --> 00:29:29,780 that we don't have to keep. 521 00:29:31,380 --> 00:29:34,940 It was a significant religious celebration involving sacrifices 522 00:29:34,940 --> 00:29:35,700 and feasting. 523 00:29:36,050 --> 00:29:40,290 All of Israel would have been celebrating this feast, participating 524 00:29:40,290 --> 00:29:41,010 in this feast. 525 00:29:41,010 --> 00:29:45,690 This was a religious festival that God had commanded that they 526 00:29:45,690 --> 00:29:50,290 do in remembrance and praise and offerings to him. 527 00:29:50,530 --> 00:29:51,490 That's what this was. 528 00:29:52,370 --> 00:29:58,530 And so David was a significant person, being an officer of Saul. 529 00:29:58,530 --> 00:30:03,340 And he was supposed to attend if from the outside perspective, 530 00:30:03,340 --> 00:30:07,180 if nothing bad would have been attending the happening between Saul 531 00:30:07,180 --> 00:30:10,860 and David, David should be there by all accounts. 532 00:30:11,180 --> 00:30:14,780 And so he asks Jonathan, this is the test. 533 00:30:15,180 --> 00:30:18,020 David's empty chair is going to be noticed. 534 00:30:18,020 --> 00:30:23,660 But he asked Jonathan, I want you to basically tell your father 535 00:30:23,660 --> 00:30:26,380 this if he asks. 536 00:30:26,870 --> 00:30:31,190 Now, this brings us to great conundrum of Scripture of trying 537 00:30:31,190 --> 00:30:36,790 to understand, does David ask Jonathan to lie? 538 00:30:38,470 --> 00:30:40,550 And the answer is absolutely. 539 00:30:40,790 --> 00:30:44,310 This is full deception that he is asking him to do. 540 00:30:45,110 --> 00:30:48,790 And as we read through Scripture, we have to understand 541 00:30:48,950 --> 00:30:53,190 the difference between reading about what happened and what God 542 00:30:53,190 --> 00:30:54,150 is endorsing. 543 00:30:54,150 --> 00:30:58,390 Okay, but one of the things that we can take encouragement of 544 00:30:59,350 --> 00:31:05,150 is that was this directly according to God's plan, that Jonathan 545 00:31:05,150 --> 00:31:09,270 goes in there and just tells a big fib and Elias to his father saw, 546 00:31:12,150 --> 00:31:13,030 I'm asking. 547 00:31:13,990 --> 00:31:16,790 No, probably not. 548 00:31:17,190 --> 00:31:18,070 I don't think so. 549 00:31:19,150 --> 00:31:21,510 We know that lying is not what God wants us to do. 550 00:31:21,510 --> 00:31:23,230 That's thou shalt not lie. 551 00:31:23,230 --> 00:31:25,550 There is no workaround for that. 552 00:31:26,270 --> 00:31:29,830 But what we do see all throughout the Old Testament, because 553 00:31:29,830 --> 00:31:33,430 these things are written to us as an example, as Paul says, these 554 00:31:33,430 --> 00:31:36,510 things are written for our learning, for us to look at. 555 00:31:36,830 --> 00:31:44,240 What we do see is we see in perfect, imperfect, constantly doing 556 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:49,160 things that we look at, and we're thinking, horrible decision. 557 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:50,360 Why would you do that? 558 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:52,360 And yet God uses. 559 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:58,120 God uses imperfect people because that's all he's got. 560 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:03,080 And you and I, we are imperfect. 561 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:04,040 I saw. 562 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:05,800 I can't remember what church that was. 563 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:07,480 I feel like I was down in Tampa. 564 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:09,320 No perfect people allowed. 565 00:32:10,030 --> 00:32:11,110 I can't remember where that is. 566 00:32:11,110 --> 00:32:11,950 It's in Tampa. 567 00:32:11,950 --> 00:32:12,910 That's where I've seen it. 568 00:32:13,310 --> 00:32:16,070 That was the, that's the, that's the slogan of the Church. 569 00:32:16,070 --> 00:32:17,790 No perfect people allowed. 570 00:32:18,190 --> 00:32:19,630 I get what they're trying to do. 571 00:32:20,430 --> 00:32:21,950 Because none of us are perfect. 572 00:32:23,390 --> 00:32:32,750 None of us meet that place of pure, holy, 100% good, no faults, 573 00:32:33,230 --> 00:32:37,630 blameless, being able to just make it to heaven on our own righteousness. 574 00:32:37,710 --> 00:32:39,470 None of us meet that criteria. 575 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:42,480 None of us have saved ourselves. 576 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,120 None of us will be able to save ourselves. 577 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:49,920 It is by God and by God alone that we are able to even say we are 578 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:52,400 children of God because of the blood of Jesus Christ. 579 00:32:53,920 --> 00:33:00,800 And whenever it comes to us in our life, God uses us and desires 580 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:07,930 to use us as imperfect children to fulfill his will. 581 00:33:07,930 --> 00:33:09,290 And that's what he's doing here. 582 00:33:09,530 --> 00:33:11,330 That even in the. 583 00:33:11,330 --> 00:33:16,250 The failures of man, God still is able to control and still to have 584 00:33:16,250 --> 00:33:17,370 sovereignty in this. 585 00:33:18,410 --> 00:33:24,050 Jonathan at this point understands what David is asking. 586 00:33:24,050 --> 00:33:29,770 And so Jonathan begins to trust not necessarily David here, 587 00:33:30,090 --> 00:33:31,610 but God rather. 588 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:35,600 Verse number nine, it says, and Jonathan said, far be it from 589 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:40,240 thee, for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my Father 590 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:45,840 to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee Then, said David 591 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:47,720 to Jonathan, who shall tell me? 592 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:50,360 Or what if thy father answered thee roughly? 593 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:54,760 And Jonathan said unto David, come, let us go out into the field. 594 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:57,720 And they went out, both of them, into the field. 595 00:33:59,130 --> 00:34:00,570 David, come. 596 00:34:01,690 --> 00:34:05,930 You know, as we look at this again, you have to understand the 597 00:34:05,930 --> 00:34:06,890 age difference here. 598 00:34:06,970 --> 00:34:10,170 There's at least, I think there's at least 10 years worth of 599 00:34:10,170 --> 00:34:11,210 difference of age. 600 00:34:11,530 --> 00:34:17,210 This is an older man who's been tutoring David, who has been 601 00:34:18,250 --> 00:34:22,570 making this influence on David's life. 602 00:34:22,570 --> 00:34:24,650 He has connected his heart to David. 603 00:34:24,950 --> 00:34:27,270 He has poured his life possibly into David. 604 00:34:27,270 --> 00:34:29,030 He's loved this David. 605 00:34:29,190 --> 00:34:34,950 He has done everything that he possibly can to save this man's life 606 00:34:35,430 --> 00:34:43,270 and this man's future, all the expense of his own future. 607 00:34:44,870 --> 00:34:48,310 And this relationship that they have is so sweet. 608 00:34:48,310 --> 00:34:50,350 This is the reason why they, that they. 609 00:34:50,350 --> 00:34:53,030 People talk about this relationship with Jonathan and David, 610 00:34:53,500 --> 00:34:56,540 the type of friendship and bond that these two people have. 611 00:34:57,900 --> 00:35:03,580 This is what people are jealous of, to have a friend this 612 00:35:03,580 --> 00:35:06,820 close, a friend that sticks closer than a brother. 613 00:35:06,820 --> 00:35:10,220 That's what these two men have here, a friendship. 614 00:35:10,940 --> 00:35:13,580 And this, that's where Jonathan comes at. 615 00:35:13,660 --> 00:35:15,020 David, come with me. 616 00:35:15,180 --> 00:35:18,700 Let's go take a walk, buddy, because I'm going to show and I'm 617 00:35:18,700 --> 00:35:25,390 going to prove to you my love for you, my friendship towards you. 618 00:35:26,270 --> 00:35:30,030 Let us renew our confidence once again, though there is no need, 619 00:35:30,110 --> 00:35:32,590 there's no need for that in Jonathan's mind. 620 00:35:33,150 --> 00:35:34,030 And David. 621 00:35:34,190 --> 00:35:36,310 David was questioning Jonathan. 622 00:35:36,310 --> 00:35:39,310 You do remember the covenant that we have, right, buddy? 623 00:35:39,950 --> 00:35:41,830 And Jonathan said, come on, David, let's. 624 00:35:41,830 --> 00:35:42,350 Let's walk. 625 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:48,600 I'm desiring that you and I have certain confidence, one to another. 626 00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:50,600 And this is the crossroad. 627 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:53,680 Jonathan is at a crossroad. 628 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:57,640 For what he could do and what he will do. 629 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:02,360 Jonathan could take the route that leads to his success. 630 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:05,520 There's evil found in me, Jonathan. 631 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:06,280 Just slay me. 632 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:11,400 Now you know what Jonathan's success looked like as far as man 633 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:16,630 was considered rising to the throne, becoming the next king. 634 00:36:17,350 --> 00:36:21,670 That's the plan that we would look at and aspire to. 635 00:36:23,750 --> 00:36:26,710 Success, however, is not measured by what we think we know. 636 00:36:26,870 --> 00:36:30,710 Who are we to say that we know what is good for us, though we say 637 00:36:30,710 --> 00:36:31,510 it daily. 638 00:36:32,630 --> 00:36:37,590 We often pursue something that we believe this is right. 639 00:36:37,750 --> 00:36:39,270 This is going to lead to my future. 640 00:36:39,990 --> 00:36:43,230 Woe to us if we believe we can take our future into our own hands 641 00:36:43,230 --> 00:36:45,990 and gain success, though by our own hand. 642 00:36:46,630 --> 00:36:48,150 Book of James talks about this. 643 00:36:48,470 --> 00:36:52,630 Woe unto them that say that we will go into this city and buy and 644 00:36:52,630 --> 00:36:53,830 sell and get gain. 645 00:36:55,190 --> 00:36:56,870 Bible calls that person a fool. 646 00:36:57,190 --> 00:37:01,790 You should say, if the Lord wills, then you will get this or 647 00:37:01,790 --> 00:37:02,070 that. 648 00:37:02,310 --> 00:37:04,470 You don't know what tomorrow is going to bring. 649 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:07,760 You don't know what God's plan really is for you. 650 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:10,600 God knows God has a plan. 651 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:17,360 And God can turn your ideas on their head whenever you least expect 652 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:17,840 it. 653 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:23,520 What a foolish move it would have been for Jonathan to defect 654 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:27,360 from his covenant with David and go in rather with his father 655 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:31,680 and go after his, maybe his own desires for glory. 656 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:35,760 We look at it here not even as a question because we know the story 657 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:36,560 so well. 658 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:40,120 But this is exactly what David wondered about in this time of his 659 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:40,400 life. 660 00:37:40,720 --> 00:37:42,480 These are the thoughts that plagued David. 661 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:46,320 He wondered whether Jonathan really would be loyal to him. 662 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:50,600 A nobody says in verse number 12, and Jonathan said unto David, 663 00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:55,080 o Lord, God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about tomorrow 664 00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:57,520 at any time, notice who he's talking to here. 665 00:37:58,230 --> 00:37:59,750 He takes David into the field. 666 00:38:00,070 --> 00:38:01,230 They're walking together. 667 00:38:01,230 --> 00:38:04,230 And Jonathan doesn't start speaking to David. 668 00:38:04,310 --> 00:38:10,150 He starts talking to God about the tomorrow at any time or the third 669 00:38:10,150 --> 00:38:10,390 day. 670 00:38:10,390 --> 00:38:14,470 And behold, if there be good towards David and I, then sin not 671 00:38:14,470 --> 00:38:18,950 unto thee and showeth thee the Lord do so, and much more to Jonathan. 672 00:38:19,590 --> 00:38:23,830 But if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will show it 673 00:38:23,830 --> 00:38:28,580 thee and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace and the Lord 674 00:38:28,580 --> 00:38:33,140 be with thee, as he hath been with My father and thou shalt not 675 00:38:33,140 --> 00:38:37,060 only while yet I live, show me the kindness of the Lord that I die 676 00:38:37,060 --> 00:38:41,060 not, but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house 677 00:38:41,060 --> 00:38:41,580 forever. 678 00:38:41,740 --> 00:38:45,260 No, not when the Lord hath cut off the enemies of David, every one, 679 00:38:45,260 --> 00:38:46,380 from the face of the earth. 680 00:38:46,540 --> 00:38:50,990 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying what 681 00:38:50,990 --> 00:38:54,710 the Lord even required at the hand of David's enemies. 682 00:38:55,510 --> 00:39:00,070 And Jonathan calls David to swear again because he loved him, 683 00:39:00,150 --> 00:39:03,750 for he loved him as he loved his own soul. 684 00:39:06,150 --> 00:39:11,750 Jonathan said, God has chosen this boy instead of me. 685 00:39:12,150 --> 00:39:13,590 He was perfectly fine with it. 686 00:39:14,550 --> 00:39:19,000 What an honorable thing to emulate, to allow God to do with 687 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:21,080 us whatever he wants. 688 00:39:21,720 --> 00:39:26,280 Jonathan clearly saw the hand of God on David, the great victories 689 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:27,000 in his life. 690 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:32,040 And no doubt by some means Jonathan knew exactly what David 691 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:33,000 was set for. 692 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:37,200 Even though we're not ever explicitly told that David revealed 693 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:38,200 he would be king. 694 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:42,240 This was plainly note between Jonathan and David. 695 00:39:42,240 --> 00:39:46,230 By the way Jonathan acts a few chapters later, Jonathan says, you 696 00:39:46,230 --> 00:39:49,790 will be king and I will be there right beside you. 697 00:39:51,150 --> 00:39:53,630 That was what Jonathan was looking forward to. 698 00:39:53,950 --> 00:39:58,470 He wasn't looking forward to being the natural next heir of the 699 00:39:58,470 --> 00:39:59,590 throne, the next king. 700 00:39:59,590 --> 00:40:02,830 He said, david, God has his hand on you. 701 00:40:03,150 --> 00:40:04,590 You're the next king. 702 00:40:05,070 --> 00:40:08,710 And I'm going to get to be there to watch and I'm going to get 703 00:40:08,710 --> 00:40:10,110 to be there to be beside you. 704 00:40:10,110 --> 00:40:12,910 Still, that is what Jonathan desired. 705 00:40:14,270 --> 00:40:15,630 Yet that never happened. 706 00:40:16,110 --> 00:40:17,550 That never came to pass. 707 00:40:18,510 --> 00:40:22,710 Jonathan was excited to see his friend do something that he every 708 00:40:22,710 --> 00:40:24,670 bit should have been the one to do. 709 00:40:25,310 --> 00:40:29,390 There was no question of why didn't God choose me. 710 00:40:29,790 --> 00:40:34,190 There was no question of God's displeasing my father, sure he would 711 00:40:34,190 --> 00:40:34,950 be pleased with me. 712 00:40:34,950 --> 00:40:35,390 Instead. 713 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:40,040 Their hearts were knit because they loved the Lord. 714 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:44,200 Their hearts were knit in a heart of friendship because these 715 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:48,840 were two people who had their heart after God's own heart. 716 00:40:49,240 --> 00:40:53,080 I truly believe Jonathan could be that other person who has. 717 00:40:53,240 --> 00:40:54,920 He was a man after God's own heart. 718 00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:56,680 I really believe Jonathan could be. 719 00:40:57,400 --> 00:41:02,870 Then I believe that all of us should desire to be a person whose 720 00:41:02,870 --> 00:41:08,310 own heart was so inclined to God, so taking so much delight in 721 00:41:08,310 --> 00:41:13,750 God, that God would say, there is a son, there is a daughter whose 722 00:41:13,750 --> 00:41:15,590 heart is after my heart. 723 00:41:16,790 --> 00:41:18,790 That's who I believe Jonathan was. 724 00:41:18,790 --> 00:41:23,830 And yet that question wasn't why didn't God choose me? 725 00:41:25,750 --> 00:41:28,390 No, there was only acceptance and surrender to God's will. 726 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:34,240 So you'll be familiar with First Timothy, Chapter 6, Godliness 727 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:36,400 with Contentment is great gain. 728 00:41:36,720 --> 00:41:41,120 Jonathan was Godly but he was also very content in what God was 729 00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:41,440 doing. 730 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:46,480 You see, a Christian can easily say God's will be done until 731 00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:51,920 someone else gets the position, until someone else's ministry 732 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:58,240 grows, God's will be done until another family gets the opportunity, 733 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:03,840 another person is recognized, their own plan closes. 734 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:08,160 God seems to use somebody else more visibly. 735 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:13,440 And this is where Jonathan becomes painfully practical. 736 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:19,080 Because Jonathan was living a life that by all means was supposed 737 00:42:19,080 --> 00:42:21,680 to be his, and yet he stepped aside. 738 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:26,680 So he's for him could have, because not necessarily his friend 739 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:30,960 had chosen it, but because he trusted God and he was relying on 740 00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:32,520 what God had planned. 741 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:36,760 Be familiar with way John the Baptist talked about Jesus. 742 00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:40,200 He must increase, but I must decrease. 743 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:44,040 That was the humility of Jonathan there. 744 00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:46,200 So the covenant is renewed. 745 00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:50,670 Jonathan promises to protect David's support, God's purpose for 746 00:42:50,670 --> 00:42:51,030 him. 747 00:42:51,510 --> 00:42:54,990 David promises lasting covenant kindness towards Jonathan 748 00:42:54,990 --> 00:43:00,310 and his descendants, and both bind themselves and their descendants 749 00:43:00,550 --> 00:43:01,750 before the Lord. 750 00:43:02,310 --> 00:43:05,430 And then Jonathan acts on what he believes. 751 00:43:05,590 --> 00:43:11,070 His loyalty to David is that expression of submission to what 752 00:43:11,070 --> 00:43:11,910 God is doing. 753 00:43:12,070 --> 00:43:14,470 And he says, this is what we will do. 754 00:43:14,830 --> 00:43:15,870 Tomorrow is the new moon. 755 00:43:15,870 --> 00:43:18,710 Thou shalt be missed because thy seat shall be empty. 756 00:43:18,710 --> 00:43:19,310 Verse 19. 757 00:43:19,630 --> 00:43:22,070 And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shall go down 758 00:43:22,070 --> 00:43:25,230 quickly and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when 759 00:43:25,230 --> 00:43:26,550 the business was in hand. 760 00:43:26,550 --> 00:43:28,750 And thou shalt remain by the stone is hill. 761 00:43:28,750 --> 00:43:32,950 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I 762 00:43:32,950 --> 00:43:33,870 shot at a mark. 763 00:43:34,110 --> 00:43:37,550 And behold, I will send a lad saying, go find the arrows. 764 00:43:37,630 --> 00:43:40,710 If I expressly say unto the lad, behold, the arrows are on the 765 00:43:40,710 --> 00:43:42,350 side of the take them. 766 00:43:42,510 --> 00:43:47,390 Then come thou, there's peace to thee, and no hurt as the Lord 767 00:43:47,390 --> 00:43:47,710 live. 768 00:43:48,190 --> 00:43:52,310 But if I say thus unto the young man, behold, the arrows are 769 00:43:52,310 --> 00:43:52,910 beyond thee. 770 00:43:52,910 --> 00:43:56,830 Go thy way, for the Lord hath sent thee away. 771 00:43:58,110 --> 00:44:00,870 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, 772 00:44:00,870 --> 00:44:03,390 behold the Lord be between thee and me. 773 00:44:04,270 --> 00:44:06,110 Jonathan fully accepts the plan. 774 00:44:06,670 --> 00:44:12,040 He fully is on board with what it would take to reveal the true 775 00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:13,480 intentions of Saul. 776 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:20,560 And this was that moment that would have to take place in order 777 00:44:20,560 --> 00:44:25,720 to fully convince Jonathan and David that there is no hope. 778 00:44:25,720 --> 00:44:30,680 And the chapter ends so sadly once we get to the end of that it 779 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:35,890 ends so sadly because there is that great realization of what we 780 00:44:35,890 --> 00:44:38,250 have feared has come to pass. 781 00:44:39,370 --> 00:44:43,210 What we have hoped for cannot be. 782 00:44:44,250 --> 00:44:51,290 And there is this recognition that, as Jonathan says, here, go 783 00:44:51,290 --> 00:44:54,890 thy way, for the Lord hath sent thee away, that this is the 784 00:44:54,890 --> 00:44:56,250 path that God has us on. 785 00:44:56,810 --> 00:44:57,890 So I ask you tonight. 786 00:44:57,890 --> 00:45:00,090 What is the path that God has you on? 787 00:45:00,820 --> 00:45:04,180 What happens when God's will doesn't look like the future we wanted? 788 00:45:04,660 --> 00:45:06,420 Do we respond like Saul? 789 00:45:06,420 --> 00:45:11,460 Because Saul's response is all through this and all through this, 790 00:45:11,540 --> 00:45:18,060 this narrative through first Samuel, his response of I have to 791 00:45:18,060 --> 00:45:21,060 protect what I think belongs to me. 792 00:45:22,580 --> 00:45:24,420 Then we have the other response. 793 00:45:25,460 --> 00:45:29,140 When God's will doesn't look like the future we want to, we see 794 00:45:29,140 --> 00:45:33,500 Jonathan, if this is where God is leading, I can trust him with 795 00:45:33,500 --> 00:45:34,660 what happens to me. 796 00:45:35,220 --> 00:45:42,020 Can we trust God with our place when his plan gives someone 797 00:45:42,020 --> 00:45:46,140 else the position, recognition, opportunity, or future 798 00:45:46,140 --> 00:45:48,340 that we think should be ours? 799 00:45:49,540 --> 00:45:54,670 You contrast between Saul's need to control the outcome and then 800 00:45:54,830 --> 00:45:59,630 Jonathan, on the other hand, his willingness to trust the outcome 801 00:45:59,630 --> 00:46:00,430 to God. 802 00:46:01,150 --> 00:46:06,070 Saul essentially spends these chapters, I don't like where this 803 00:46:06,070 --> 00:46:09,630 is going and I'm going to force a different result. 804 00:46:10,109 --> 00:46:12,110 And then Jonathan does the opposite. 805 00:46:13,950 --> 00:46:22,030 This gives us a question that ultimately says, when God closes 806 00:46:22,030 --> 00:46:27,790 a door or changes the direction in our life, do I surrender 807 00:46:28,750 --> 00:46:34,510 or do I start manipulating circumstances to get the outcome 808 00:46:34,510 --> 00:46:35,550 I always want? 809 00:46:37,710 --> 00:46:44,350 How comfortable are you in your trust for what God is doing? 810 00:46:45,550 --> 00:46:47,790 We trust him in things throughout our life. 811 00:46:48,770 --> 00:46:52,730 We trust him with maybe his plans. 812 00:46:52,730 --> 00:46:56,050 At time we say, okay, looks like I know what God's doing, so 813 00:46:56,050 --> 00:46:57,010 I'm going to trust him. 814 00:46:57,970 --> 00:47:01,570 But how real does that come to us? 815 00:47:03,090 --> 00:47:07,010 How does that really affect you and I as Christians? 816 00:47:07,570 --> 00:47:12,130 I remember I was struggling with something probably a year ago. 817 00:47:13,250 --> 00:47:20,180 And the question that was ultimately plaguing my mind is, is 818 00:47:20,180 --> 00:47:21,340 God going to take care of me? 819 00:47:23,260 --> 00:47:24,780 Is God going to take care of me? 820 00:47:26,860 --> 00:47:32,540 And what I finally, as I was thinking about this, what came to 821 00:47:32,540 --> 00:47:35,020 my mind was this one question. 822 00:47:35,100 --> 00:47:39,500 Ethan, you trust God with your eternity. 823 00:47:41,490 --> 00:47:44,530 I have zero doubt where I will spend a turn. 824 00:47:45,250 --> 00:47:47,410 I don't think about that one second. 825 00:47:48,850 --> 00:47:51,810 I haven't thought about that actually, since I've gotten saved. 826 00:47:52,530 --> 00:47:54,690 Praise the Lord, that I haven't thought about that. 827 00:47:55,489 --> 00:47:57,090 I've never doubted that. 828 00:47:57,730 --> 00:48:00,610 And I don't know if everyone can say that. 829 00:48:01,090 --> 00:48:03,010 I don't know necessarily if that's good or bad. 830 00:48:03,010 --> 00:48:07,620 It's not me bragging about that, but I don't doubt where I'm 831 00:48:07,620 --> 00:48:08,700 going to spend eternity. 832 00:48:08,860 --> 00:48:10,380 Not one shred. 833 00:48:11,820 --> 00:48:20,300 And that one thing is more important than anything else on this 834 00:48:20,300 --> 00:48:20,700 earth. 835 00:48:21,580 --> 00:48:25,100 Nothing else matters if you die and go to hell. 836 00:48:26,220 --> 00:48:29,100 What will a man give in exchange for his soul? 837 00:48:29,900 --> 00:48:31,340 Nothing else matters. 838 00:48:32,880 --> 00:48:41,040 That one thing is so great, and I trust God 100% with that completely. 839 00:48:41,360 --> 00:48:45,520 No doubt of understanding what God is going to do one day? 840 00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:49,600 What about the smaller things? 841 00:48:50,480 --> 00:48:56,400 If God can do greater things than these, why would we not trust 842 00:48:56,480 --> 00:48:58,410 God in the smaller thing? 843 00:48:59,290 --> 00:49:01,090 Why would we not trust him with our future? 844 00:49:01,090 --> 00:49:06,570 Even our future is maybe as big of a thing that that may be your 845 00:49:06,570 --> 00:49:09,970 ultimate future in heaven is already decided and you're trusting 846 00:49:09,970 --> 00:49:10,650 him for that. 847 00:49:10,730 --> 00:49:12,890 Why wouldn't you trust him for everything else? 848 00:49:13,370 --> 00:49:15,450 It's a question that we have to ask ourselves. 849 00:49:15,690 --> 00:49:21,530 Why am I not trusting God in this if I trust him in that one? 850 00:49:23,140 --> 00:49:30,020 This is ultimately a test of our Christianity to force that answer 851 00:49:30,660 --> 00:49:35,300 to say God gets to decide my place. 852 00:49:36,340 --> 00:49:38,500 Will I trust in what he's doing? 853 00:49:38,819 --> 00:49:40,740 Will you trust in what God's doing? 854 00:49:41,540 --> 00:49:42,220 Let's pray. 855 00:49:42,220 --> 00:49:46,660 Father, thank you so much for the grace that you give us that we 856 00:49:46,660 --> 00:49:47,860 get to learn from you. 857 00:49:48,350 --> 00:49:51,590 We want get to learn from the examples that you've given us in 858 00:49:51,590 --> 00:49:52,110 Scripture. 859 00:49:52,670 --> 00:49:55,790 I pray that we would trust you more every day. 860 00:49:56,750 --> 00:49:59,590 Pray that we lean in on that trust and the grace that you give 861 00:49:59,590 --> 00:50:00,190 us to do. 862 00:50:00,510 --> 00:50:01,710 Jesus name, we pray.