Success, Anger and Jealousy

The story of Jonathan and his father, King Saul and their relationship with David deserves much study which I have meditated on since last Sunday. I have read the text of 1 Sam 18-20 over and over again and every time the Lord showed me things that I might preach on this Sunday. I do not know how long my time with this church will be; it could be just for a short time, a year or maybe a long term pastorate but I would not think so far ahead. After the AGM last Sunday concluded, I felt in a way my job is done and I can move on, whether to stay or to go I leave to the Lord as He directs the heart of the king as He directs streams of a river.

Jonathan is a true hero, one of the few genuinely praise worthy figures in the whole Bible. Just a short meeting made his heart clung in love to David and he was prepared to give up his claim to the throne for David’s sake. Jonathan must have seen something very few people saw at the time that David was the anointed king of Israel who would. succeed his father, King Saul. Surely one of the most tragic statements when Jonathan said the Lord be with David as He was with his father. The tense there was decidedly past tense “as He was with my father”. 

There was a time God was with Saul, perhaps in the first 10 years of his reign. Like so many pastors I know who were anointed by God when they first started but things happened in between and they lost the anointing which means God is no longer with them. How tragic to give one’s life to the Lord’s service and for many years served Him faithfully then in middle of the years or latter years fell away. 

Like Saul who was jealous of David’s success, many leaders do not want share their glory or credit with others. It must be them or else they get all worked up and became angry and jealous and then murderous intent came into the heart. Maybe they do not kill literally or throw javelin in David’s direction to pin him to the wall but do we not know that if we hate a brother we have already committed murder (1 John)? 

So every one who is successful makes himself a target of envy and slander for many would get furious seeing others more successful than themselves and will do anything to bring down their rivals. As King Saul at the end met with defeat and death, so will be the fate of those who hate the Lord’s anointed.