The Arrow Beyond Us
The Arrow Beyond us
1 Sam 20
KINGDOM EVENTS
God had ordained David to be King over Saul.
1 Samuel 16:6-13 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
(This was an Arrow beyond SAMUEL the Prophet….
PERSONAL EVENTS
David and Jonathan had made a PACT together and had made a secret arrangement to discover the motives of Saul.
1 Samuel 18:1-3 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
1 Samuel 20:1-4 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so. And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.
1 Samuel 20:16-17 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
PROPHETICAL EVENTS
David was Anointed King to be the line of Christ Jesus, to be appointed Governor over the Millennium, to be a King that had FAR reaching import in the History of a Nation, in the history of a People, in the history of those who were grafted in.
2 Samuel 7:16-17 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
PARTICULAR EVENTS
The Plan
1 Samuel 20:20-23 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth. But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away. And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.
This plan was shared with no one other than Jonathan and David, it was an event that is given to us by the Holy Spirit, after the fact… it was not revealed to the LAD.
The Lad and Jonathan
The immediate relationship
Knew Jonathan, looked UP to this WARRIOR
***(1Sam 14:1-15)
No doubt as any young boy would look at such a warrior and emulate him, HERO
Here was the Son of the King, perhaps in the eyes of this Lad the next King, a servant chosen by the Eye of Jonathan. Involved in what he would deem as a Military exercise…
The immediate authority
Looked toward Jonathan and took direction from Jonathan.
Being ATTATCHED to Jonathan was probably more than enough for this lad
The Immediate situation
1 Samuel 20:35-41 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
Archery practice
THE LAD’S PART
Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
THE LESSON
Childlike
1 John 2:12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
Matthew 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
SIMPLE in our OUTLOOK, … All we reasonably have to do is OBEY, He will take care of the REST
Do what we are told and let God sort out the things we don’t know.
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
There are GREAT things, GREAT events transpiring around us , but GOD is on the THRONE and we need only DO OUR PART for that is an ARROW beyond us.
UNDISTURBED in our FAITH
(we walk in times and places where we have not the sleigtest concept of the raging war and perilous precipice we hand upon, to us it is a day with the Prince, to watch the arrows fly in the safety of our Prince.
Daniel 10:12-14 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.
Daniel 10:20-21 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
Only a few responsibilities
Home,
servant hood, faithfulness, Available Willing
And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
Swift
Run… And as the lad ran…., Make speed, haste, stay not…
The Direction is given
Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not.
The Discrepancy discerned
And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?
The arrow was near him ,… he came to the PLACE but Jonathan gave him MISDIRECTION…. For the PURPOSE was not in the finding of the arrow itself but was in the greater event.
There are sometimes when God will direct us to a place, or an event and we perceive that THIS is the SOUL of the MATTER, when there are greater things at work… ours is not to completely understand NOW all fgacets of the Work we are called to do, but ours is certainly to have a SIMPLE childlike FAITH in our PRINCE and the DIRECTION GIVEN by HIM.
The Lad who was RUNNING at the time when the arrow was in flight would not have discerned the PATH of the arrow, but would TRUST in the eyesight of Jonathan… when the arrow was not FOUND where Jonathan had directed him, but BACK where he was… He may have cause to DOUBT his master or his ability…. Yet he was a faithful lad
We may be tempted to question the direction of our Prince when we find the arrow not where he directed us at all… but remember THE ARROW BEYOND US IS NOT THE ARROW THAT WAS SHOT AND THE TARGET WAS HIT EVEN THOUGH WE ASSUMED THAT OUR PRINCE WAS OFF TARGET.
The PRINCE was ON TARGET and ON PLAN….
And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou:
The Duty Discharged
And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
The lad goes home with a few questions in his mind about the abilities of Jonathan, his marksmanship and his eyesight, a few questions perhaps about his strange directions but soon all is forgotten, for he remembers he was of Service to HIS PRINCE and his HERO and was personally chosen to carry the artillery of his Lord… what better day could a boy of Israel have?
All of this was BEYOND his knowledge or his understanding, his perception but it was VITAL
But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter, yet for all of this the LAD’S PART was a VITAL PART…..
The KINGDOM EVENTS
THE PERSONAL EVENTS
THE PROPHETICAL EVENTS
THE PARTICULAR EVENTS
Jonathan is a good picture of the HOLY SPIRIT to us LEADING US where we should go, even when the way is not what we WANT or DISCERN…. There are greater things involved for us.
1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Paul and the Macedonian call