No Strings Attached
Teaching Notes
Fruit of Spirit David’s Relationships
Love Jonathan
Patience Saul
Kindness Mephibosheth
Gentleness Nabal & Abigail
Goodness Bathsheba & Uriah
Biblical Definition of Love: “I sacrificially and unconditionally love and forgive others.”
The Setting of the Story
Genesis: Nation of Israel is founded by Abraham– 2000 B.C.
Joshua: Israel secures the land of Canaan promised to Abraham – 1400 B.C.
1 Samuel: Choose Saul as their first king – 1000 B.C.
The Story
55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?”Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.” 56 The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.” 57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head. 58 “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him. David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”
18 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. (1 Samuel 17:55-18:4)
5 Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.
6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. 7 As they danced, they sang:
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands.”8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. (1 Samuel 18:5-9)
Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David 2 and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 3 I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”4 Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5 He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”6 Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.”7 So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before. (I Samuel 19:1-7)
But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, 10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape. (1 Samuel 19:9-10)
Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to kill me?” 2 “Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”3 But David took an oath and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.” 4 Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.” (1 Samuel 20:1-4)
30 Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? 31 As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”32 “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. 33 But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.34 Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David. (1 Samuel 20:30-34)
41 After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most. 42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town. (1 Samuel 20:41-42)
How to really love someone?
I make a “no strings attached” covenant to love them.
I am their advocate.
I help them see God’s good vision for them.
I sacrifice my rights to see them succeed.
Going Deeper
After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family.3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. 1 Samuel 18:1-4
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-38
In the passage from Matthew above, Jesus uses the term "all the law and the prophets." This was the way he refers to the Old Testament scriptures. So, we can see this all encompassing law of Jesus reflected in Jonathan and David's relationship.
1. From Randy's message, how was Jonathan self-sacrificial in his relationship with David?
2. How does love God and love for your neighbor fulfill the requirements of the law?
3. What is a relationship in your life right now that challenges you to love another person the way you love yourself? Describe that.
4. What does that look like with someone in your family?
5. How do you do that with someone in your life who is difficult and doesn't respond in kind?
Sunday Set List
WFC Lenexa + WFC Anywhere
I Thank God- Maverick City
Believe For It- CeCe Winans
Too Good To Not Believe- Brandon Lake
God Of Revival- Brian Johnson
WFC Speedway
Holy Water- We The Kingdom
Oceans- Hillsong
King Of My Heart- Bethel Music
Be sure to save our Spotify Worship Playlist, updated weekly with the upcoming Sunday’s set!