1 Samuel 18:1

Now it came about when [David] had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.

! Samuel 18:1

People of faith are drawn to one another.

The friendship of David and Jonathan was truly remarkable. From a human standpoint, this friendship should have never happened, or it should have fallen apart under the severe stresses of the following years. Yet each pledged his life to the other. They completely identified with one another (the giving of the clothes and weapons was an indication of this strong bond). And both men remained true to this covenant regardless of circumstances – in David’s case, even beyond Jonathan’s death. Jonathan’s love for David was not based upon David’s success against Goliath, it had much deeper roots. And, because of that, their friendship stood the test of time.

What was it that drew these men together? How did this friendship transcend the differences of economic status and social position? Where did the firm foundation of this friendship come from? After all, David had been anointed to take Jonathan’s “rightful place” as king of Israel. But Jonathan seemed to feel no jealousy or rivalry, and from this point on, David was completely comfortable in Jonathan’s presence. Obviously, this friendship was God’s gift to these men – both for their benefit and for our instruction. Jonathan’s commitment t was especially vital for David, since it would prove instrumental in his survival on several occasions. But there was something else that drew them together – something that formed an indissoluble bond between them.

David and Jonathan were very much alike in their trust of God and in their walk of faith. They were both young men of faith, men who loved the Lord. And this love seems to be what drew them together. Even within the covenant community of God’s people, there are those who are more deeply committed to trusting God in every circumstance of life, and these “men of faith” are drawn to one another. David and Jonathan must have each recognized this characteristic in the other, for a man of faith instinctively recognizes a kindred spirit. David had just given a graphic example of his faith in God on the battlefield, and God had honored his faith with a great victory. Jonathan was also a warrior of faith. (see 1 Sam. 14:6-15, where, immediately before going into battle against overwhelming odds, Jonathan says, “Perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.”) Jonathan had just watched David topple Goliath, and recognized in him the same commitment to the Lord. Also, they were both men of action, who each saw action as the best way of serving God. And they were men who had committed their lives to following the Lord, whatever the cost. This kinship was based, then, on their love for and faith in God. This is what enabled them to be utterly selfless in their friendship.

In this friendship we can see again our Lord Jesus foreshadowed. He is the Son of the King who set His love upon unworthy, unknown commoners. He is the one who has clothed us with His own robe of perfect righteousness (Rom. 3:21-26) and who has also given us His armor and weapons (Eph. 6:14-18). He has made a covenant with us, ratifying it with the shedding of his own blood on the cross. And He has done all of this because He loves us – in a sense – as He loves Himself (Jn 15:9). It is by this great work of eternal friendship (Jn. 15:15,16), that Christ has ensured that we will indeed reign as kings, by God’s appointment (Rev. 1:6).

David and Jonathan also exemplify the kind of relationship we ought to seek and sustain with our fellow believers. Their friendship is an OT pattern for the love of the brethren (Rom. 12:10ff) – a covenantal commitment to one another founded upon a mutual love for and faith in God. This relationship is stronger than all other human relationships. It is the pattern for a Christian marriage, both in its inception and in its outworking. It is stronger than family ties (Note that Jonathan actually opposed his father for David’s sake). And it is stronger than our friendships with non-Christians. May the Lord bless us with such friendships and may our friends spur us on to greater faith as we serve the Lord together.

1 Samuel 18:5

So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

1 Samuel 18:5

Everybody loves a winner – but faithfulness is usually not popular.

David’s star was ascendant at this point: his defeat of the giant had turned around the entire situation, and Israel had won a resounding victory over the Philistines. As a result, everyone loved him, and it seemed that he could do no wrong. Saul promoted him; Jonathan paraded him; the people praised him and the army was pleased with his leadership. David’s career had suddenly taken off, and it appeared that nothing could hold him back. Heady stuff for the young shepherd boy from Bethlehem! His trust in God had resulted in both victory over Goliath and personal notoriety in the eyes of the world.

This is the vision that many have of a “successful ministry.” They are successful when their walk of faith gains not only God’s approval, but also that of the watching world. And even Christians may judge success on the basis of this kind of widespread acclaim. But David is not the poster boy for some kind of prosperity gospel. This moment of popularity is not the whole story for David. It would require some severe twisting of the Scriptures to make this into a simple “home town boy makes good” story. It would be nice to think that one act of faith – one instance of stepping out and trusting God – would have been enough to set David on the throne. Yet, this is not God’s way. True, a few of His choice servants have been successful, as the world defines it, but most were apparently total failures! The vast majority of God’s faithful ones have lived as unknown and unsung heroes of faith, daily following the Lord’s leading, scorned and ignored by the uncaring world. David acted in faith and it brought him a brief flurry of fame and popularity. But such things are notoriously fickle, so it is best not to set our heart on them. On rare occasions, godly faithfulness will gain the applause of the world, but far more often it will be misunderstood or even openly opposed. It was Christ Himself who warned us that since the world hated Him, it would also hate those who followed Him. (John 15:18-20)

How quickly David’s fortunes changed! Most of those who applauded him quickly turned against him and became his enemies. In this, as in so many other areas of his life, David foreshadows his greater Son, Jesus. Christ also enjoyed a brief moment of notoriety, until His teaching shone the light of God’s truth on the comfortable errors of His day. Not only that, but Jesus’ growing popularity with the crowds also caused the country’s leadership to turn against Him. So it was with David: the very source of his acclaim - his defeat of Goliath - became the source of bitter rancor, hatred and life-threatening situations for many years to come. And his popularity with the people turned Saul into a relentless enemy1.

Yet this descent into disrepute was also was God’s plan for David’s life. The pain and hardship had a tempering, sanctifying influence upon him. We know from the Biblical account that he had many painful lessons ahead of him – lessons that many of us are also called to learn. And while the story of the young man winning an impossible fight thrills us, it is the David who could write about anger and abandonment and yearning for God who we most identify with. The David of the Psalms is the one who is able to touch our hearts and lead us back to worship God in the midst of pain and loneliness and hardship. This David was not born on the battlefield or the king’s court; he was forged on the anvil of severe trial, as he learned to trust the promises of an incomprehensible God. (Is. 55:8) David was not immortalized by his worldly successes – his dogged faith in the midst of struggles and failures were what made him the man after God’s own heart.

God’s people often don’t understand this principle and still view worldly acclaim as the measure of success. Sadly, there are some within the church who are willing to do whatever it takes to “glorify God” by being personally successful. After all, everybody loves a winner – and just think about how much could be done for God through worldly success. Our problem is we don’t define success Biblically. In fact, if we are to think Biblically about this issue, we may need to change our vocabulary and replace the world “success” with “faithfulness.” God’s work in the world is accomplished through the faithfulness of millions of foolish, weak and base nobodies. (1 Cor. 1:26-29) ”That no man should boast before God.”

Don’t seek worldly acclaim – it’s a decidedly temporary phenomenon. And don’t expect the world to applaud you for your faithfulness. It may never even know your name. Many times, our acts of faith will only have an audience of One. But that audience is the only one that is important. Only God knows who your faithfulness will impact, but a life of faithfulness reflects His glory. May God’s grace enable us to remain faithful to His call on our life.

1 Samuel 17:58

And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
1 Samuel 17:58

Rather than give glory to God, unbelief seeks to explain away faith’s victories.

I have long been confused by Saul’s reaction to David’s victory. David had just defeated Goliath using his shepherd’s sling and had cut off the giant’s head. And in a foreshadowing of the conflict still to come, David (who had earlier refused Saul’s sword) takes the giant’s sword to his own tent. The forces of Israel, galvanized by this unexpected turn of events, have routed the Philistine army. And in that context, Saul questioned his field commander, Abner, about David’s identity. So David, still carrying the gory head of Goliath, is brought before the king to introduce himself.
The fact that Saul questioned Abner about David’s parentage is baffling when one considers that David was already something of a fixture at Saul’s court. Now it’s possible that Saul, not being in his right mind when David sang for him, simply didn’t remember the identity of this young man. It’s also possible that Saul was feigning ignorance in order to avoid the embarrassment of having sent a boy to do a man’s job. But we have already seen that unbelief ruled Saul’s thought life and dictated his actions. He had attempted to discourage David’s faith, and when unable to succeed, Saul had tried to dilute David’s faith by suggesting David use ‘reasonable precautions.’ His disobedient, unbelieving heart is well-documented. On this basis, it’s entirely valid to expect Saul to continue in his pattern of unbelief after David’s victory as well.
Therefore, these verses provide a helpful insight into the unbelieving mind. The common response of unbelief, when face-to-face with a triumph of faith, is to seek some natural explanation. Unbelief (especially in our culture) most often finds its roots in a materialistic, naturalistic worldview. It assumes that the supernatural does not exist, and so rejects out of hand the very concept of divine intervention or provision. This response is not new; we find it clearly illustrated here. Saul simply couldn’t accept that it was faith in God that had enabled David to triumph over Goliath. Believing action and faithful confidence in a covenant-keeping God were not part of Saul’s worldview and so they were not an acceptable explanation for David’s victory. So Saul went looking for a natural explanation: he inquired about David’s family tree. The implication is that David must be the scion of a hitherto unknown but great family – a family of warriors. Somehow, David’s genetic heritage (and perhaps early training) had produced a prodigy of warfare. As far-fetched as this may seem, such an explanation was far easier for Saul’s unbelieving mind to accept than was the truth.
Saul’s response provides a Biblical example of what it means to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” (Rom. 1:18) Sinful man’s inherent hostility toward God and His glory causes him to suppress the truth about God and, by extension, about God’s actions within creation. This suppression is so total that an unbeliever will readily accept an untenable explanation (e.g. the theory of evolution) as long as it effectively denies any action by God. So, answers to prayer will be passed off as coincidence. Spirit-enabled actions and initiative will be explained (as here) through purely human means. And, when all else fails, unbelief will accuse believing conquerors of error or deceit. If we understand Paul’s teaching in Romans 1, we will not be surprised by this kind of response. Fallen, sinful men simply think and act in accord with their sinful nature.
The surprise comes when we witness this kind of response from within the church. Among believers, we should expect to find a broad consensus that affirms the action of God within His creation. Christians, of all people, should expect God to answer prayer, to “show Himself strong on behalf of those who fear Him,” and to do “exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.” But unbelief is also alive and well within the Christian community:
A sister is diagnosed with terminal cancer, the church prays for her healing, and God responds with a miraculous removal of the tumors. Rather than give glory to God, unbelief responds by “explaining” that the doctor had misdiagnosed her condition.
A brother responds to God’s leading by praying for an offer on the house he needs to sell, and God provides an offer that very day. But unbelief characterizes God’s provision as a coincidence.
A Christian family has a large financial need that is met “out of the blue” by unsolicited gifts. Yet, unbelief focuses on the human means God used, making the miraculous appear mundane.

We have all experienced victories of this kind and, sadly, many of us have responded in a similar fashion. In the light of the excesses that exist in the church, it is understandable that many believers are reluctant to expect and accept God’s miraculous working. However, such caution runs the risk of denying the legitimate work of the Holy Spirit and tends to dull (rather than sharpen) our faith. Frankly, if we do not expect God to give us great victories, He often gives us what we expect - nothing. Listen to the great hymn-writer, William Cowper:

Come, my soul, thy suit prepare, Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He Himself hath bid thee pray, therefore will not say thee nay.

Thou art coming to a King, large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much.

May the Lord give us discernment as we evaluate the victories of faith. But may He also enable us to discern the biases of our own thoughts and keep us from explaining away His answers to prayer. If faith is the victory that overcomes the world, the place it must begin is with the worldly assumptions we harbor in our own thoughts. “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph.3:20,21)

1 Samuel 17: 46,47

…”[T[hat all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.”

1Samuel 17:46,47

God's glory necessitates an open declaration of faith.

It may seem rather obvious to say, but David’s challenge of Goliath was stated publicly. He made no attempt to hide or temper his open declaration of confidence in God: it was made before the king and court and, soon thereafter, reaffirmed on the battlefield as he cast his challenge into the giant’s teeth. While it is possible for one to exercise faith in a private fashion, it is striking to consider how often the Bible records public declarations of faith – either in word or in action. See Noah’s public declaration of faith in God’s word as the ark took shape over 120 long years. Watch Moses hold out his rod over the Red Sea. Listen to Elijah defiantly call down fire from heaven. Hear Daniel praying out his open window, knowing the lions await him. The examples roll on through the centuries as prophets and apostles, martyrs and missionaries give public testimony to the truth of God’s promises and His power to provide. David’s actions here are completely in accord with this pattern.

Faith is indispensable because it is the essence of what God requires from us as His people. From the very beginning, Adam was given the test of simply taking God at His word. Sadly, his failure to do so plunged all of mankind into unbelief – a condition that lies at the root of all sin. So, when God comes in grace to unbelieving sinners, the first thing He requires of them (of us) is faith: faith that believes His word; faith that repents of all sin; faith that embraces the cross of His Son; faith that is impossible until given as a gift of God’s sovereign grace. (Eph. 2:8-10) True faith is God’s work in us, and He will have His workmanship declared for all the world to see. This is why we profess with our mouth as well as believe in our hearts (Rom. 10:9,10), and why we are to continue to walk by faith and not by sight.

David saw Goliath’s challenge as an opportunity to bring glory to God. He believed without hesitation that God stood for Israel in this conflict, and he openly stated that God’s covenant faithfulness was the source of his courage. Even though he was acting alone as he went out against the giant, David knew he wasn’t alone. God was there, the unbelieving Philistines were there and God’s covenant people were there too. All of them would witness David’s public demonstration of faith – they comprised his audience. His goals were clear: to bring glory to God, to convict the unbelievers and to encourage God’s people. But David understood that, in order for these goals to be accomplished, he had to express his faith openly.

David’s expression of confidence in God brought glory to God and so met his first goal. The mere fact that faith in God moved a stripling to stand against the mightiest warrior on the field proclaimed the glory of the God of Israel – whether or not the giant was defeated. This is the lesson of martyrdom: God is glorified when His people stand for the truth, even if they forfeit their lives in the process. Perhaps Martin Luther said it best: “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still. His Kingdom is forever.” In this case, God chose not only to show His glory through David’s profession, but also by granting him a great victory.

David’s stunning defeat of Goliath electrified both armies. The Philistines were at first dumbfounded and then panic-stricken as they fled the field with the army of Israel on their heels. The Israelites, on the other hand, seemed reborn. Shaking off their earlier cowardice, they stormed after the Philistines with a shout of victory and slaughtered the enemy up to the very gates of his strongholds. What a transformation! The entire course of the battle shifted in those few moments as God’s people were inspired and God’s enemies were demoralized by one public act of faith.

Don’t be surprised when you find yourself facing a requirement to “go public” with your faith. God’s commitment to His own glory and His love for you will not allow your faith to remain hidden for long. If your faith is a gift from God, it MUST express itself openly. This is how faith grows stronger. Remember also that stepping out in faith impacts those around you. This is where the reformations and revivals in the history of the church have started – with men and women who were willing to trust God and take a step of faithful obedience. Who knows what God may do through you?