Mike, thank you. This old sheep needed to hear about his shepherd again. I appreciate that so much. Would you turn with me to 2 Samuel chapter 1? While you're turning, let me say of all the stories in the scripture in the Bible, there's no greater story of friendship and brotherly love among mortal men than the story of David and Jonathan. The story I love, love to read about it, love to think about it. Now, upon receiving the news of Saul and Jonathan's death, we read in verse 26 David's words. 2 Samuel chapter 1 verse 26, David said, I am distressed for thee. my brother Jonathan, very pleasant has thou been unto me. Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. May the words of David ring in our hearts and our minds this morning when we consider the love of Christ to sinners like us. Thy love to me is wonderful. I love those words, don't you? Thy love to me was wonderful. And I just get lost in the thought of Christ's love for me. We sing at home, and I'm sure y'all do here, that hymn called Why. Why. And my heart just swells with gratitude when I consider the phrase that says, why would he love me, a sinner undone? Why, tell me why, should he care? Why would he love me, one who did not love him? Why would he care for me, who cared nothing for him? Well, the answer's simple when you, when God reveals to you the mercy and the grace of God, who God is. It simply pleased Him to do so. In 1 Samuel 12 it says, For the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake, because it hath pleased the Lord to make you His people. It pleased Him to do so. It wasn't due to anything in me. It wasn't due to anything in you. It was due to His good pleasure. The beloved Jonathan understood something about God's sober love. He said we love him because. The cause of us loving him is because he first loved us. Because he first loved us. And it's, I know, hard for us to get our minds and our hearts around that amazing and blessed truth. And we call it sovereign love. I heard Brother Todd saying a message one time. We call it sovereign grace. We call it sovereign love because we want to distinguish it from what religion in the world thinks it is. But there is no grace but sovereign grace, is there? There is no love but sovereign love. And we call it sovereign grace because it was the unmerited and undeserved grace of the sovereign God. that bestowed it upon chosen and worthless sinners. Well, this morning I want to talk to you a few minutes about covenant love. Covenant love. Jonathan and David shared a covenant love. And as great as it was, it pales in comparison to Christ's love, His covenant love for His people. So turn back with me a few pages to 1st Samuel chapter 18 if you would. 1st Samuel chapter 18. Let's begin reading in verse 1. And it came to pass when he, the speaking of David, 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. Now after David had answered the questions of the king, I'm sure the king had many questions about his heritage, where he came from. We're told that the soul of Jonathan, the king's son, was knit with the soul of David. I got to thinking about that word knit. Now it doesn't say that he knitted his soul with David, but that his soul was knit. God did the knitting. True friendship is a gift of God, isn't it? It's a gift of God, and a person that has a true friend should count them as such. That's a gift from God. I've got many wonderful friends here today, and I love them, I do. But they're God's gift to me. And I'm convinced, I told Gabe yesterday, we were talking about this, I'm convinced that the great The greatest token of God's grace to us, other than saving us, is giving us one another. It is, isn't it? Scripture so supports this blessed truth of God knitting the soul of one to the other, that when you really look at that word closely, it means to be drawn or joined together, to be made one. And that's a very appropriate translation. Made one. And upon considering the knitting of Jonathan and David's souls, which were drawn and joined by God, I can't help but to think about what the Apostle Paul talks about husbands and wives. made of one flesh. These examples foreshadow Christ and Christ's love for his church and being joined together with them. Christ and his people are knit together and made one. The Apostle Paul tells us that very plainly in chapter 5 of Ephesians. That spiritual union between husband and wife and he compares it to Christ and his church. It is written, for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined. Knit. That's what that means. Knit unto his wife. And they too shall be what? One flesh. One flesh. And Paul continues on and he says, this is a great mystery. But, but, I speak concerning Christ and the church. That's what this is about. That union that God creates between believing husbands and wives pictures the same union between Christ and His church. Bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, He became. And knit together. Think about that word when you read that in scripture. When I consider the knitting of David and Jonathan's souls together, I'm reminded also of what Paul wrote in Colossians chapter 2. So that our hearts may be comforted, Paul writes and reminds us that we, his people, are being knit together in love. Knit together. Jonathan loved David as his own soul. Simply put, Jonathan preferred David. He preferred David and he desired his well-being above his own. The disciple whom Jesus loved, the beloved John, wrote in his first epistle, we know that we've passed from death to life because we love the brethren. We love the brethren. There's no doubt in my mind that Jonathan would have laid down his life for David. and David for Jonathan. But what assurance the child of God has in Christ's love for us. For we had been made to know that he laid down his life for us, for his elect. And that's exactly what John went on to say in 1 John chapter 3. Hereby perceive we the love of God. because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Behold, David wrote in Psalm 133, how good and pleasant, and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. And I love that word, don't you? Unity. That's what it is to be knit together. to be in unity, serving the same God, believing the same gospel, being made alive in Christ, the same Redeemer. That's what we share. Well, secondly, notice that Jonathan's love for David was in no wise self-serving. Look at verse 4. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on upon him and gave it to David and his garments even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle. Now there's more here than just a token of gratitude and respect. Jonathan was willing to give up his kingdom for David to reign. Saul was king. Jonathan was the apparent heir as King Saul's son, but David had been anointed king by Samuel and God's prophet by the instruction of God. The kingdom was to be taken from the house of Saul and given into the house of David. Very naturally, now you think about this, the young prince, Jonathan, might have at first felt envy and then hatred as Cain did for his brother Abel. You remember that story well, but Jonathan's love had no bounds of sacrifice, no bounds of love, no bounds of giving. Turn over, just hold your place here, turn over a few pages to 1 Samuel chapter 23. Look at verse 17. Jonathan here speaking to David, and he said unto him, verse 17, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel. Thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee. And that also Saul my father knoweth. Jonathan took joy. He took joy in seeing David wear the crown. which may have been adorned upon his own brow. And oh, what love and what sacrifice to put himself in the background like that. Oh, what unselfish love to prefer the welfare of David over his own. Jonathan was willing to be in the shadows. How great was Jonathan's condescending of self and giving up his kingdom for his beloved friend David. But friends, in the fullness of time, our Lord's great love for us led him to leave his heavenly kingdom and condescend into the world. And in this condescending, Christ made himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a servant. God the Son took on flesh and became the Son of Man in order to redeem fallen men and women that they might reign with Him. And being found in fashion as a man, the Scriptures tell us He humbled Himself and came obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Now, has there ever been such a condescending as that? He who created all things hid himself in the body of a babe. The infinite became an infant. He whose glory filled the heavens and the earth stooped to become a carpenter's son. For this cause did the Son of God leave His Father's house, His heavenly kingdom, that He might become obedient even unto death, the death of the cross, to save one like me. For I came down from heaven, He said. I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will, that of all which He hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the sun and believeth on him may have everlasting life, and I'll raise him up at the last day. Jonathan stripped himself of that princely robe that was upon him and he gave it to David. But friends, Christ in his covenant love stripped himself of that perfect robe of righteousness and gave it to his people. And all God's elect say what David said, Oh Lord, thy love to me is wonderful. It's wonderful. I'd have you also to consider that Jonathan's friendship to David was not earned by David. It was God's gift to David, as I said. And you might find it interesting to know, I did, that the name Jonathan means God has given, or given by God, or even more accurately, Jehovah given. Isn't that amazing? The names in the Bible mean something. And you probably know this, David means beloved. You see the connection? For God so loved his beloved people, his Davids, that are in the world that he gave, Jehovah given. What did he give? He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. God gave, God sent, God delivered, God killed his own darling son that he might redeem wretched and undeserving sinners as we are. God provided himself a sacrifice and God provided himself as the sacrifice. And Jehovah was given for elect sinners. No doubt Jonathan's love for David was great and no doubt he was a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. But when we consider the love of Christ, we have to say We have to say, greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Friends. Our Lord Jesus said, I lay down my life, no man taketh it. I lay it down on myself. I got power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. And friends, he laid down his life for his friends. And God's people say, oh Lord, thy love to me is wonderful. It's wonderful. I'd have you also to see that Jonathan gave to David his every desire. You're in 1 Samuel 23, turn back a page to chapter 20, 1 Samuel. Look at verse 4. Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. True love seeks for the needs of its object. It always does. It prefers its object over itself. And to show Christ's love or to attempt to, I simply give you his own words. Our Lord said in John 14, and whatsoever you shall ask of my name, that will I do. That the father may be glorified and the son, if you shall ask anything in my name, I'll do it. In John 15, seven, he said, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you. And John 15, 16, he said, you've not chosen me, but I've chosen you and ordained you that you should go forth and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. And again we say, thy love to me is wonderful. Well, my last point for your consideration is this, covenant love Defends and stands in the gap. Stands in the gap for the object of its love. Now, look at chapter 19 with me. And I want you to listen carefully to the words as we read this together. Beginning in verse 1. 1 Samuel chapter 19, verse 1. And Saul spake to Jonathan his son. and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan saw Saul's son delighted much in David, and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul, my father seeketh to kill thee. Now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself. And I'll go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee, and what I see, that I will tell thee." And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father. And he said unto him, let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee very good. Now, hear me well. Here is the gospel in a clear picture. The justice and judgment of God Almighty can by no means clear the guilty. The soul that sinneth, It shall die. This is what proves God to be holy and what proves God to be righteous. We being guilty sinners, God Almighty demands that the wages of sin be paid and the wages of sin is death. God, the Almighty King, impotentate from His holy throne demands death. God, the king, spoke to his son as Jonathan did his father, the king, in verse 1. In whose hand he's given all judgment and he demands that the sinner be killed. His holy justice demands it. But Christ, the son of the Omnipotent One, the Prince of Glory, like Jonathan in verse 2, delights. Do you see that in verse 2? He delights in David, his beloved ones. The Lord Jesus says to his beloved, his chosen people, for whom he came to die, as Jonathan did to David there in verse two, take heed to thyself. Abide in a secret place. There is a place by me. Hide thyself in me, the rock of ages. In verse three, and I'll go and stand beside my father, between him and you. And what I see, I'll tell you. The Christ God's Son didn't stop there. Verse 4, He speaks good of you to His Father. You see that? Oh, Heavenly Father, Christ says, bring not this judgment against my beloved, because they've not sinned against thee. What? Well, that's all they've done. No, they haven't. No, they haven't. Just the contrary. Their works to thee have been very good. Oh, it just makes me smile. My works? Yeah, mine. Their works to thee have been very good. How so? How so? Christ was made to be sin for us. He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us. He stands as the one mediator between God and man. Johnson said, I'll stand between my father, the king, and you. And what I hear and what I see, I'll tell you. I'll tell you. Father, all that you've given me have come to me, and I have taken their sin upon me, and as God the Son, I have made myself to be guilty in their state. That's why my works are good. He was made guilty in my place and I'm now the one that sinned against you, the Lord Jesus is. That's right. I'm now the guilty one. Kill me. Kill me in their place and in their stand. I've given them my perfect righteousness and their works have been to thee very good. Very good. Look down at verse six. And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan. And Saul sware, as the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain. God the Father always hears his son. He always hears his son. And he always hearkens unto him. Now as sure as Christ lives, dear friends, so do his people live with him forever. Christ tells us now what he's seen. And his words to us is, you shall not be slain. You shall not die. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. That's my hope. That's my only hope. And what does the redeemed of the Lord say to these things? Oh Lord, thy love to me is wonderful. It's wonderful. Okay, verse 7 and I'll stop. And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence. As in times past, Christ calls his people out of the field in which they were tossed and polluted. And shows them all the things that He has done as their one mediator between God and man. And Christ brings us to God. Now holy, unblameable, and unreprovable in His sight. And we will what? Be forever in His presence. Oh me. As we would have been before the fall, I believe that's the gospel. And I again must say, as I'm sure you would, oh Lord, thy love to me is wonderful. May God be pleased to make his word effectual to our hearts. I appreciate your attention.