TALENTED AND SKILLED HANDS (4)

“Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David into the woods and STRENGHENED HIS HAND in GOD” – 1 Samuel 23:16

The David-Jonathan friendship exemplifies the ‘Iron-sharpens-iron’ process of TALENTED and SKILLED HANDS: “Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David into the woods and STRENGHENED HIS HAND in GOD” (1 Sam. 23:16). David was passing through deeply dark days prior to becoming king over Israel. His God-given courage and skills had brought him great success and popularity. Saul’s joy and delight in David then turned to fear and suspicion. He became Israel’s most wanted man, guilty of nothing more than faithfully serving God and his king. He fled to Ahimelech, the high priest, who gave him some sacred bread and Goliath’s sword (1Sam. 21:1-9). This resulted in the total slaughter of Ahimelech, the priests, and their families, based on Saul’s incorrect conclusion that they had joined with David in a conspiracy (1 Sam. 22:6-19). David continued as a fugitive until this point when Jonathan visited to strengthen his hand!

This chapter began with David using his skill of inquiring from the Lord, to know whether to attack the Philistines who had invaded Keilah. God gave him the go-ahead, with assurance of victory; so David offered his military skills and saved Keilah. Saul heard of this and planned to besiege Keilah, but the Lord led David and his 600-men army into strongholds in the wilderness of Ziph (vv.7-14). In this hideout, the anointed man with skilled hands came to his lowest ebb, in dire need of help. The arrival of Jonathan, his covenant friend, brought the required companionship and strength. At such gloomy season of life, when this man with a price on his head could not be sure of anyone, including his own kinsmen, Jonathan’s visit was like refreshing rain in a desolate desert. Even his father and mother might have distanced themselves from David: “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me” (Psa.27:10).

Great men of God, like David, Paul, and many others, experienced times of despair, even depression. In His grace, God sent Jonathan to David as an emissary of encouragement: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of sliver” (Pro.25:11). In contrast to betrayal by the people of Keilah and those of Ziph, there was Jonathan’s loyal love and devotion: “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Pro.18:24). Friendship is mutual. Jonathan was a friend in need, and indeed! When David was in danger and his spirit seemed to wane, Jonathan made his way to and through the wilderness to seek out and encourage him.

Jonathan came with soothing words: “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that” (v.17b). “As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country” (Pro.25:25). His encouragement comprised these elements: He told David not to be afraid; assured David that in spite of his father’s efforts to find him, he will not succeed; assured regarding David’s safety based on his confidence in God’s designation of David as the next king; and pledged his allegiance and loyal service to David as Israel’s future king. Jonathan knew that God will somehow remove his father from the throne and install David in his place, and he purposed to be David’s most loyal servant and supporter, despite being the king apparent!

The nature of Jonathan’s ministry to David illustrates the qualities in the practice of encouragement, namely: It comes at the right moment, and selects the right words to say; deals with fear; promotes and produces the courage to act; turns the eyes of the discouraged to God; and is more than mere words. Encouragement comes from people who exemplify courage, not just those who talk about it! God is still in the business of disconnecting us from betrayers and strengthening our Talented and Skilled Hands through the ministries of encouragers.