1 Samuel 20 (NIV)

David and Jonathan

20Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wrongedyour father, that he is trying to kill me?

2Never! Jonathan replied. You are not going to die! Look, my father doesnt do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isnt so!

3But David took an oathand said, Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved. Yet as surely as theLordlives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.

4Jonathan said to David, Whatever you want me to do, Ill do for you.

5So David said, Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast,and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hidein the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow.6If your father misses me at all, tell him, David earnestly asked my permissionto hurry to Bethlehem,his hometown, because an annualsacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.7If he says, Very well, then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper,you can be sure that he is determinedto harm me.8As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenantwith you before theLord. If I am guilty, then killme yourself! Why hand me over to your father?

9Never! Jonathan said. If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldnt I tell you?

10David asked, Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?

11Come, Jonathan said, lets go out into the field. So they went there together.

12Then Jonathan said to David, I swear by theLord, the God of Israel, that I will surely soundout my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know?13But if my father intends to harm you, may theLorddeal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely,if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May theLordbe withyou as he has been with my father.14But show me unfailing kindnesslike theLords kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed,15and do not ever cut off your kindness from my familynot even when theLordhas cut off every one of Davids enemies from the face of the earth.

16So Jonathanmade a covenantwith the house of David, saying, May theLordcall Davids enemies to account.17And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oathout of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

18Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty.19The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hidwhen this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel.20I will shoot three arrowsto the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target.21Then I will send a boy and say, Go, find the arrows. If I say to him, Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here, then come, because, as surely as theLordlives, you are safe; there is no danger.22But if I say to the boy, Look, the arrows are beyondyou, then you must go, because theLordhas sent you away.23And about the matter you and I discussedremember, theLordis witnessbetween you and me forever.

24So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feastcame, the king sat down to eat.25He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan,and Abner sat next to Saul, but Davids place was empty.26Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially uncleansurely he is unclean.27But the next day, the second day of the month, Davids place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, Why hasnt the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?

28Jonathan answered, David earnestly asked me for permissionto go to Bethlehem.29He said, Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrificein the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers. That is why he has not come to the kings table.

30Sauls anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Dont I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you?31As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdomwill be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!

32Whyshould he be put to death? Whathas he done? Jonathan asked his father.33But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intendedto kill David.

34Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his fathers shameful treatment of David.

35In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him,36and he said to the boy, Run and find the arrows I shoot. As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.37When the boy came to the place where Jonathans arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, Isnt the arrow beyondyou?38Then he shouted, Hurry! Go quickly! Dont stop! The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.39(The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.)40Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, Go, carry them back to town.

41After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground.Then they kissed each other and wept togetherbut David wept the most.

42Jonathan said to David, Go in peace,for we have sworn friendshipwith each other in the name of theLord,saying, TheLordis witnessbetween you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever. Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.

Continuing in this (parallel) sermon series from the book of Malachi, his third oraclebrings charges against Gods people for their faithlessness. Faith is a belief or trust,along with a demonstration of commitment. On behalf of the LORD, Malachicharged the people with being faithless to one another'' and faithless to theirspouses. According to Noah Websters 1828 Dictionary, the people were notadhering to allegiance or duty; disloyal; treacherousnot true to [their] covenantnot observant of [their] promises. The Westminster Larger Catechism explains thatThe duties required in the eighth commandment [Thou shalt not steal.] are, truth,faithfulness, and justice in contracts and commerce between man andman (Q141) and that this commandment forbids, injustice and unfaithfulness incontracts between man and man, or in matters of trust (Q142)

1 Samuel 19:18-24 (ESV)

18Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel atRamah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth.19And it was told Saul, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.20Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them,the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul,and they also prophesied.21When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers,and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time,and they also prophesied.22Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they are at Naioth inRamah.23And he went there to Naioth in Ramah.And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.24And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said,Is Saul also among the prophets?

Continuing in this series from the book of Malachi, consider the importance of aname. Many hold the background and meaning of their own name in high esteem.For others, it may be a mystery, or it may even convey disappointment. The priestsof Malachis time failed to live up to their name, thereby reflecting poorly upon theLORDs name. If you have the name Christian, as a disciple of Christ you havereceived a name that conveys the highest value for a person. Not that it makes youbetter than others, but because the name, Christian, is yours at the cost of the life,death, and resurrection of the eternally begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, who isyour King, your Prophet, and your Priest.

As we begin a new (parallel) sermon series on the book of Malachi, think about agood conversation that youve had. A good, productive conversation comes withchallenges, but also brings a sense of connection and joy. The LORD God, transcendent over and completely independent of all His creation, invites and expectsthe crown of His creation man and woman (Genesis 1:26-31) to engage withHim in a two-way exchange of ideas. Yet real dialogue must be based on truth, anddialogue with the sovereign God is therefore based on His revealed truth, the holyScriptures.

QUESTION 98. What is prayer?A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in thename of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.QUESTION 99. What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?A. The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but the special rule of direction isthat form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called the Lords Prayer.QUESTION 100. What doth the preface of the Lords Prayer teach us?A. The preface of the Lords Prayer, which is, Our Father which art in heaven, teacheth us todraw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able andready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.QUESTION 101. What do we pray for in the first petition?A. In the first petition, which is, Hallowed be thy name, we pray that God would enable us,and others, to glorify him in all that whereby he maketh himself known; and that he woulddispose all things to his own glory.QUESTION 102. What do we pray for in the second petition?A. In the second petition, which is, Thy kingdom come, we pray that Satans kingdom may bedestroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others broughtinto it, and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.QUESTION 103. What do we pray for in the third petition?A. In the third petition, which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven, we pray thatGod, by his grace, would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to his will in allthings, as the angels do in heaven.QUESTION 104. What do we pray for in the fourth petition?A. In the fourth petition, which is, Give us this day our daily bread, we pray that of Gods freegift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy his blessingwith them.QUESTION 105. What do we pray for in the fifth petition?A. In the fifth petition, which is, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, we praythat God, for Christs sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.QUESTION 106. What do we pray for in the sixth petition?A. In the sixth petition, which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, wepray that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver uswhen we are tempted.QUESTION 107. What doth the conclusion of the Lords Prayer teach us?A. The conclusion of the Lords Prayer, which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power,and the glory, forever. Amen, teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from Godonly, and in our prayers to praise him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to him; and, intestimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.