Blessed Assurance

BLESSED ASSURANCE

1 Samuel 18:1-5 

Jonathan's relationship with David has parallels with that of Christ and the saints. Jonathan was a prince while David was from a poor background. Yet he loved David so much that his soul knit to that of David.  Jonathan proved to be the greatest friend that David would know. The relationship was so strong that Jonathan and David established a covenant between themselves. They were not just friends but bond friends. In life, you will make hundreds of acquaintances; but you will have few genuine friends.  Jesus Christ is the most genuine friend you can have.   

A covenant relationship was the strongest form of agreement and commitment people could make to each other. When God chose a form of relationship with humanity, he graciously chose the strongest. He chose a covenant relationship. He made a covenant with his people through Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and ultimately with the Church through Christ. In Christ, saints received a better covenant founded on better promises (Hebrews 8:6).  A covenant was more than a mere promise. It was the basis of favor guaranteed by the character of the parties. God therefore chose two unchangeable things to assure believers of his commitment - his covenant and his trustworthy character. God is a covenant keeping God (Daniel 9:4; Leviticus 26:44; Psalm 89:34; Isaiah 54:10). His covenant commitment is the blessed assurance or strong consolation that gives us confidence and unshaken hope in his word (Hebrews 6:18). May the following three characteristics of a covenant be an encouragement?

1) A Covenant is lasting.   David was committed to Jonathan in life and in death (2 Samuel 1:17-27). People in a covenant were bound together with an oath for life.  They swore to honor the covenant.  Their commitment to one another withstood the hurdles and obstacles in the way of their relationship. The relationship between David and Jonathan was tested.  For instance, Saul hated David and repeatedly in direct and indirect ways tried to kill him (1 Samuel 18:25; 19:1, 8-11). Jonathan’s devotion to David was however not weakened to the extent that it even caused a rift to develop between him and his father, as he repeatedly took David’s side against the king (1 Samuel 19:2, 4-7; 20:24-34). The covenant lasted so long that David remembered Jonathan's lame rejected and dejected son,  Mephibosheth, to promote him to the king’s table and to restore Saul's wealth to him (2 Samuel 4:4; 9:5-13). This favor was regardless of Mephibosheth possessing nothing that would commend him to King David except that he was Jonathan's son.

2) A Covenant is an exchange. Parties to a covenant exchanged identities, wealth and weapons. They committed to sharing everything. To remind themselves of their commitment they established a memorial by for example planting a tree or making a scar. Whoever attacked one of them had attacked all.   Those who saw David on the day he entered a covenant with Jonathan mistook him for Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1-4). Jonathan had put his royal robes and sword on David. God has also given saints his divine nature and name (2 Peter 1:4, Revelation 3:12).    He in his love, saved his saints through Christ and put on them his robe of righteousness in place of their filthy rags of sin ( Isaiah 64:6; 61:10; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 8:7). In the relationship, God has nothing else to gain apart from the relationship itself. On the other hand, humanity has everything of God to gain. A covenant with God entitles one to everything that belongs to God. That is why believers have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. You are already blessed in Christ (Ephesians 1:3, 2:6; Colossians 3:3; Romans 4:24). It is because you already have the blessing that blessings follow you. The standard and condition for your blessing is not how much blessed your neighbor, your parents or spiritual leaders are but that you are in Christ.

3) A Covenant is a choice. Parties willingly enter into a covenant.  Jonathan showed uncommon, unselfish, unconditional and sacrificial love to David. Love is a choice one commits to live by.  Even though he knew David would ascend to the throne in instead of him, Jonathan was not jealous (1 Samuel 23:17). Even though he was a prince, he loved David of a poor background. Even though he had more to lose, he loved him anyway. He loved him as his soul (1 Samuel 18:3). Similarly, Jesus had nothing to gain in comparison to what it took to save you. He showed uncommon love for lost sinners (Romans 5:8; 8:38-39; John 15:13; 1 John 3:16; 4:9-10). He knew they would never show their love for Him to the same degree He demonstrated His love for them but He loved anyway.   He loves us because that is His nature and choice (1 John 4:7; Ephesians 2:4; Romans 4:16-25). You can do nothing good enough to earn God's love. Your prayer, fasting, giving etc may position you to receive but can never earn you his love and the favor at work in your life. Thank God for his unmerited love and his unfailing covenant commitment to you. That is the blessed assurance.

Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building,

204B Bram Fischer drive,

Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa