More Received

We have been talking about Jonathan’s outward expression, if you like, concerning his love, covenant relationship with David, where he gave himself to David. Additionally, there was something else which Jonathan gave to David. Remember, David is but a shepherd boy, one who never even dreamt of entering the king’s palace, much more being called, chosen and conferred the honour of living in the palace, with the king and his son. In other words, David had nothing of such showing or belonging, as being one with the king, belonging to royalty.  Jonathan not only gave him his clothing to wear, but he clothed David with his armor.

Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even his sword, and his bow and his belt. 1 Samuel 18: 3 – 4.

Who is like our Jesus, our God, our Lord, our Covenant- Lover, whose Love for us leaves us fully covered?  When Paul encourages us to wear the full armour of God, is it not precisely because God has already offered His armour to us and we ought to be wearing it? Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6: 11

Again, I repeat with pleading. The armour Jesus wore has been given to you, not as a show piece, to put up proudly, on some prized place of pride and glory in Christ, not to be hung up, if you dare, but to be worn by you, on your person. We wear Jesus, who is God’s complete and sufficient armour to us.

Be reminded and consciously aware! With the armour Jonathan gives to David, three specifically and specially named items have been recorded. They are Jonathan’s sword, bow and belt. Even his sword, and his bow and his belt.

Isn’t this a dead giveaway, an unarguable action showing love that reaches to the lowest depths and the highest heights? Is this not indeed, the testimony, the convincing proof that Jonathan has indeed given all of himself to David? Jonathan is a warrior, a soldier in the king’s army. His sword is his single weapon of defence and attack. His sword is his life, as a soldier on active duty. Jonathan is not a veteran, a retired soldier, whose sword is encased in some treasured glass frame and put on show for all to see and hear about, as that which served him faithfully when he was a servant-serving soldier in active combat. Absolutely not! Jonathan unsheathed his sword from the scabbard that was strapped to his body.

We know that our Lord Jesus offers you His own Sword, the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God and He is the Word of God. 

Haven’t you seen? Don’t you know? Don’t you believe that Jesus has really and truly given all of Himself to you? Jesus, God’s Chief servant and warrior, is a Soldier Supreme, in Sovereign God’s army. His Sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, is Jesus’ single weapon of defence and attack. The Word is His Life, for He is the Living, Active Word and He has given it all to you. Have you not seen how Jesus defended Himself against the vicious attacks of the devil, when He came with his poisonous weapons of deceit, flattery and power-pushing, severely tempting Jesus in His weakest human moments? The devil was trying his hardest to get Jesus to deny His Heavenly Father. Jesus quickly pulled out the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and victoriously defended Himself with absolute power and precision. The devil had to leave, as the defeated foe. 

Here is an occasion, when Jesus used the Sword, the Word of God, to attack and cut down many of the religious people of His time. Jesus is God, so that any Word Jesus speaks, is what God the Father also speaks. These religious leaders were teaching erroneous facts to the people and Jesus attacked their religious hypocrisy, their spiritual blindness, and their self-righteous attitudes. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourself. Woe to you blind guides, who say, Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it. Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? Matthew 23: 15 – 17.

A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to have a meal with him and Jesus accepted. However, when Jesus began to eat without the ceremonial washing of His hands, that Pharisee made some scathing non-verbal attacks on Jesus’ non-conformist manner. Boy! How with unmatched skill and precise dexterity, Jesus used the Sword of the Spirit on his host and others of his number. Among the barrage of attacks Jesus spoke these words. Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogue and respectful greetings in the marketplace. Luke 11: 43 

Can you receive this fact? By faith and only by faith, you must believe that Jesus has given you the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, as an offensive and defensive weapon to be used as He directs.