Title: Happy Encounter
1 Samuel 29:12-17
happy meeting
Meetings are the most important thing in our lives. It is no exaggeration to say that this meeting determines happiness and unhappiness in human life, or success and failure. Because Paul met Barnabas, he was able to carry out God's work well and become a great messenger of the Lord. On the other hand, Samson met a woman named Delilah, and was arrested by the Philistines and led a miserable life.
Also, because Amnon met a friend named Jonadab by mistake, he raped his half-sister Tamar, and was eventually killed by Tamar's brother Absalom. The most beautiful encounter is shown in the text, the meeting between David and Jonathan. When David defeated the general Goliath and won, David's popularity grew in all Israel.
King Saul became jealous and jealous of David because of this incident. They also felt threatened by the kingship. So they plan to kill David and pursue him. At that time, David has a beautiful meeting as a friend with Jonathan, the son of King Saul, who is trying to kill him. David pours out his heart and speaks to Jonathan. (1 Samuel 18:1) David is protected through Jonathan, who loves him, and he receives great help in becoming the unifying king of Israel. Meanwhile, Jonathan knew that the kingship of Saul would be overthrown and that David would become king.
So, when his family is destroyed, he asks him to take good care of his descendants. Later, David took good care of Jonathan's descendants according to these words. The meeting between Jonathan and David was such a beautiful meeting. But today, we are facing a crisis of meeting. Guys, how many encounters with each other are only wounds, encounters of pain, and encounters of suffering? We do not gain strength, courage, and happiness through encounters, but rather suffer, suffer, and live in tears through encounters. We should examine the meeting between David and Jonathan at this time today to reveal their characteristics and live a happy life through beautiful encounters.
1. It is the meeting of faith and trust.
Considering the relationship between David and King Saul in a common sense, the relationship between David and Jonathan, the son of King Saul, must also be hostile. However, David was not wary of Jonathan; rather, he trusted Jonathan completely. In addition, Jonathan also loved David passionately and was able to establish a good relationship. Ladies and gentlemen, the problem in our lives today is the meeting of distrust. Mutual distrust continues between husband and wife, friends, and even between siblings. These encounters cause unhappiness, wounds, and pain every day. The Bible records the trustful meeting between Elijah and the widow of Sarepta. The widow of Sarepta was about to die of starvation after eating one meal after a long famine.
It was then that she met the prophet Elijah and served the last meal she had to the prophet. She trusted God and the prophet and made the last meal for her. After that, she experienced a miracle that oil and powder did not run out during the 3 years and 6 months of famine. What we need today is a meeting of trust. Through this meeting, we will create a happy couple, a happy family, a happy church, and a happy society.
2. It was a meeting of love.
Jonathan said, “He loved David as his own life” (1 Samuel 18:1). In another place, it was said that it was superior to a woman's love (2 Samuel 1:26). Their love was especially comforting and encouraging. David was in trouble, feeling his life threatened. Jonathan speaks encouraging words to David. Jonathan said that he would clearly tell David of his father's plan. (1 Samuel 20:13) Also, God said that David's enemies would be defeated (1 Samuel 20:16). When he led them away, Jonathan went to David and comforted him.
This event made David strongly dependent on God (1 Samuel 23:16). The characteristic of Christian encounters is that each other strongly depend on God. The more we meet, the more grace we meet, the more we love the Lord, the more we pursue a godly life, the more we serve the Lord, the more we pray, and the more we preach the gospel.
3. It is a meeting of sacrifice and giving up.
In Jonathan's point of view, if David is spared, he must give up his kingship. Nevertheless, Jonathan loved David. Dear brothers and sisters, in these difficult times where there is nowhere to turn to, we must become people of this kind of sacrifice and renunciation between husband and wife, family, and friends. This meeting of sacrifice and giving up is the most beautiful and happy meeting. In the Bible, we can see this kind of meeting in the home between the Lord and Lazarus.
When the Lord suffered a lot of pain and affliction while preaching the gospel, he would visit that house to be comforted. And the Lord had an encounter with life that brought Lazarus back to life when he died. Mary Magdalene met Jesus and poured a lot of perfume on Jesus, more than three hundred denarii. The meeting between the Lord and this family was a meeting of sacrifice and renunciation. Beloved, the hallmark of our Christian meeting is the meeting of sacrifice and renunciation. When I sacrifice, give up, and dedicate myself for my neighbor, there is true happiness and God's grace and blessing.
4. It is a meeting of hope.
Despite the many hardships and difficulties, the two talked to each other whenever they met, hoping that David would become king. Jonathan poured out hope on David. (1 Samuel 23:17) Our meeting today should be a meeting of hope. Meetings that instill hope when we meet someone in despair, an encounter that instills courage when we are in despair, an encounter that holds us up when we fall down and raises us up again. These encounters should be our Christian encounters. A truly blessed encounter is an encounter where we can instill hope in their empty hearts and put Jesus Christ in everyone we meet.
Beloved, Jonathan represents Jesus Christ. Just as Jonathan completely trusted when he loved David and fully trusted and relied on David when he loved Jonathan, our Lord is our only object of faith today. Also, the meeting between David and Jonathan was a love meeting. It was a meeting of comfort and encouragement. It was a meeting of courage. It was a meeting of hope. Today the Lord comforts us, gives us courage, and gives us the courage to start a new life when we are weary of life. He is the One who gives us hope when we are lost in the agony of despair. Therefore, I hope that you will meet the Lord without missing a single minute during this time. May we all meet the Lord and enjoy true peace in the Lord, solve our problems, gain courage and hope, and live a victorious life today and tomorrow as we fellowship with the Lord. do.