Following Christ in His Present Rejection - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

And [David] arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.
1 Samuel 20:42

Following Christ in His Present Rejection
The story of Jonathan has a very serious lesson to teach us. We have seen his faith, his love, and his efforts to help David in his rejection. But here we have the first sign of something that wasn't right. David had to leave and hide from Saul, but Jonathan didn't go with him; He went home. He loved David and he served David, but he wasn't ready to follow him in his rejection.

In we find David living and hiding in the cave of Adullam. Gradually, more and more men came to join him there until "there were with him about four hundred men." But Jonathan was not there. Living and hiding in a cave with some disgruntled men must not have been a very pleasant experience. Jonathan continued in the comforts of his home. He loved David alright, but not enough to follow him and share in his rejection.

On a later occasion Jonathan visited David when he was hiding in a wood: "Jonathan went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God." He encouraged David and expressed his confidence in him, saying, "Thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next to thee;" but then when the visit was over, "David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house" (1 Sam. 23:16-18).

Jonathan looked forward to the time when David would be king and he could share in his reign. But meanwhile, he wasn't ready to share with his rejection; he wasn't ready to identify himself with David as the hated and rejected one. The Lord Jesus is going to be King someday over this whole world. But at the present time He is still "despised and rejected of men." When He came, they crucified Him, and the world doesn't want Him today any more than they did then. Are we ready to follow our Lord and identify ourselves with Him during this time of His rejection?

Steve Labelle