Sons of Encouragement

by Francine Rivers

  Find God’s Ways for You

  Think of someone you admired who made poor choices that affected you and your future. What was the outcome?

  What was (or is) your attitude toward this person? toward God?

  Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the LORD will be joyful.

  PROVERBS 16:20

  What advice is offered in this verse?

  Stop and Ponder

  Be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the LORD wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.

  EPHESIANS 5:15-18

  FAITHFUL SERVANT

  Seek God’s Word for Truth

  Read the following passage:

  One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.

  Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree at Migron. Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest. Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the LORD who had served at Shiloh.

  No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp. To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba. “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the LORD will help us, for nothing can hinder the LORD. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”

  “Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”

  “All right then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us. If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are or we’ll kill you,’ then we will stop and not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the LORD’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”

  When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!” Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!”

  “Come on, climb right behind me,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “for the LORD will help us defeat them!”

  So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre.

  Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.

  Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction. “Call the roll and find out who’s missing,” Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.

  Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod here!” For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites. But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, “Never mind; let’s get going!”

  Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere. Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites. Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away. So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.

  1 SAMUEL 14:1-23

  Describe what you learn about Jonathan from this passage.

  Who or what was the source of Jonathan’s daring feat?

  How did God honor Jonathan’s faith?

  Where were Saul and the rest of the army? What were they doing?

  What was Saul’s reaction to the event? What did he do?

  What did God do for all of Israel that day?

  Find God’s Ways for You

  Describe a time when you plunged ahead in your job, community, family, or other circle of influence to do something others thought was not possible. What was the outcome? Who or what motivated you?

  Do you consider yourself a faithful servant? Why or why not?

  The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.

  PROVERBS 18:10

  What does God offer those who run to Him?

  Stop and Ponder

  Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”

  MATTHEW 21:21-22

  FAITHFUL FRIEND

  Seek God’s Word for Truth

  Read the following passage:

  As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?”

  “I really don’t know,” Abner declared.

  “Well, find out who he is!” the king told him.

  As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand. “Tell me about your father, young man,” Saul said.

  And David replied, “His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem.”

  After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond of love between them, and they became the best of friends. From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.

  Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.

  When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. This was their song:

  “Saul has killed his thousands,

  and David his ten thousands!”

  This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

  Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his close friendship with David, told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”

  The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could. Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the LORD brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!”

  So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be killed.”

  Afterward Jonathan called David
and told him what had happened. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in the court as before.

  1 SAMUEL 17:55–18:9; 19:1-7

  What were the circumstances surrounding Jonathan’s introduction to David?

  What was Jonathan’s response to David?

  How did Saul react to David?

  Discuss Jonathan’s boldness in opposing his father on behalf of his friend.

  List the considerations Jonathan laid out for his father regarding David. How effective was his approach?

  Find God’s Ways for You

  Share about a time when you experienced immediate friendship. Are you still close to that person?

  Has one of your friendships ever created conflict with your family? If so, what steps did you take to resolve the conflict? What was the outcome?

  There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

  PROVERBS 18:24

  How would you define friends in this verse?

  Stop and Ponder

  Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

  ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12

  FAITHFUL LEADER

  Seek God’s Word for Truth

  Reread the following passage that was covered in the last study:

  Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his close friendship with David, told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”

  The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could. Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the LORD brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!”

  So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be killed.”

  Afterward Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in the court as before.

  1 SAMUEL 19:1-7

  In this passage, what leadership skills and attributes does Jonathan exhibit?

  Read the following passage:

  Now the men of Israel were pressed to exhaustion that day, because Saul had placed them under an oath, saying, “Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening—before I have full revenge on my enemies.” So no one ate anything all day, even though they had all found honeycomb on the ground in the forest. They didn’t dare touch the honey because they all feared the oath they had taken.

  But Jonathan had not heard his father’s command, and he dipped the end of his stick into a piece of honeycomb and ate the honey. After he had eaten it, he felt refreshed. But one of the men saw him and said, “Your father made the army take a strict oath that anyone who eats food today will be cursed. That is why everyone is weary and faint.”

  “My father has made trouble for us all!” Jonathan exclaimed. “A command like that only hurts us. See how refreshed I am now that I have eaten this little bit of honey. If the men had been allowed to eat freely from the food they found among our enemies, think how many more Philistines we could have killed!”

  Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.”

  His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.”

  But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”

  So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day.

  Then Saul said to the leaders, “Something’s wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today. I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!” But no one would tell him what the trouble was.

  Then Saul said, “Jonathan and I will stand over here, and all of you stand over there.”

  And the people responded to Saul, “Whatever you think is best.”

  Then Saul prayed, “O LORD, God of Israel, please show us who is guilty and who is innocent.” Then they cast sacred lots, and Jonathan and Saul were chosen as the guilty ones, and the people were declared innocent.

  Then Saul said, “Now cast lots again and choose between me and Jonathan.” And Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one.

  “Tell me what you have done,” Saul demanded of Jonathan.

  “I tasted a little honey,” Jonathan admitted. “It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?”

  “Yes, Jonathan,” Saul said, “you must die! May God strike me and even kill me if you do not die for this.”

  But the people broke in and said to Saul, “Jonathan has won this great victory for Israel. Should he die? Far from it! As surely as the LORD lives, not one hair on his head will be touched, for God helped him do a great deed today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.

  Then Saul called back the army from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines returned home.

  1 SAMUEL 14:24-30, 36-46

  What do we learn about Jonathan’s leadership abilities from this passage?

  Contrast Jonathan’s relationship with the people to his father’s.

  Compare Jonathan and Saul regarding wisdom and logic.

  Of what value was Jonathan to his father?

  How did the people value Jonathan? How did they show it?

  Find God’s Ways for You

  How do your peers perceive you? What about those in authority over you?

  What leadership skills do you have? Have you made them available to God?

  Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

  PSALM 139:23-24

  How do you think God will measure your abilities?

  Stop and Ponder

  A person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. As for me [the apostle Paul], it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the LORD himself who will examine me and decide.

  1 CORINTHIANS 4:2-4

  FAITHFUL SON

  Seek God’s Word for Truth

  Read the following passage:

  David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. “What have I done?” he exclaimed. “What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?”

  “That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “You’re not going to die. He always tells me everything he’s going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t so!”

  Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won’t tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?’ But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the LORD and by your own soul!”

  “Tell me what I can do to help you,” Jonathan exclaimed.

  David replied, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I’ve always eaten with the king on this
occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day. If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice. If he says, ‘Fine!’ you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, you will know he is determined to kill me. Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend—for we made a solemn pact before the LORD—or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!”

  “Never!” Jonathan exclaimed. “You know that if I had the slightest notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once.”

  Then David asked, “How will I know whether or not your father is angry?”

  “Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together. Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the LORD, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know. But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the LORD strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live. May the LORD be with you as he used to be with my father. And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, treat my family with this faithful love, even when the LORD destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.”

  So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, saying, “May the LORD destroy all your enemies!” And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

  Then Jonathan said, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. You will be missed when your place at the table is empty. The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid before, and wait there by the stone pile. I will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as though I were shooting at a target. Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, ‘They’re on this side,’ then you will know, as surely as the LORD lives, that all is well, and there is no trouble. But if I tell him, ‘Go farther—the arrows are still ahead of you,’ then it will mean that you must leave immediately, for the LORD is sending you away. And may the LORD make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.”