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Promises Kept Means Blessing

January 16, 2022

Scripture: 1 Samuel 20

I. Promises kept bless us with help in uncertainty.

A. In 1 Samuel 20 David turns to Jonathan for help when it was uncertain if Jonathan’s father Saul wanted to kill David. In verse 8, David asks Jonathan to deal kindly with him. This word literally means loving-kindness or steadfast love. Exodus 34:6-7: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” God is a God of steadfast love. God will keep His promises to help you.

II. Promises kept bless us with unusual faithfulness.

A. Jonathan promises David in vs. 12-13 to let David know if Saul does not want to kill him, and he promises to let David know if Saul does want to kill him. These are unusual promises for a prince to make to a rival. We see what Saul expected Jonathan to do to David in vs. 30-31. And David made the unusual promise to Jonathan that he would not kill Jonathan’s children if and when he became king of Israel (vs. 14-15). David kept this unusual promise in 2 Samuel 9.

III. Promises kept bless us with costly commitment.

A. It cost Jonathan a lot to keep his promises to David. Jonathan put God’s servant David, God’s Word, and God’s Kingdom first in his life – even though Jonathan was next in line to be king. Saul could not believe that Jonathan was willing to lose his kingdom (vs. 31). He would also lose the love of his father. Jonathan would have understood the command of Jesus in Luke 14:26: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Life is not about achieving your goals. Life is about keeping your promises.

IV. Promises kept bless us with peace in confusion.

A. Jonathan blessed David before they were separated: “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring forever’” (vs. 42). David can go in peace because there is peace between Jonathan and David. Their covenant promises had established peace between them. John 16:33: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” We can have peace because someone greater than Jonathan has promised his friendship to us: Jesus.

Application:
Trust that Jesus will keep His promises in your life.

Sources:
The book of 1 Samuel
Commentaries on 1 Samuel by Dale Ralph Davis, Robert Bergen and Tim Chester

Sermon Discussion Questions

1) It cost Jonathan and David much to keep their covenant promises to one another. How much did it cost Jesus to keep His new covenant promises to us according to Mark 14:24?

2) Life does not consist in achieving your goals but in fulfilling your promises. How did fulfilling his promises to David run into conflict with achieving Jonathan’s goal of being Israel’s next king? Which was more important to Jonathan – achieving his goals or keeping His promises?

3) How does the Bible’s definition of peace conflict with the world’s definition of peace? How can our peace in times of turmoil communicate the Gospel to others around us?