Good Fear.
What is good fear? Is it possible? Brian points out that we can have a healthy fear of the Coming King, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Jonathan Pleads With David
In our Bible passage in 1st Samuel, chapter twenty, we see a surprising request from one best friend to another: Jonathan pleading with David for his life.
And Jonathan said, ‘Far be it from you! If I knew that it was determined by my father that harm should come to you, would I not tell you?” If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die.
1st Samuel 20: 9,14
Jonathan will need “steadfast love” when David will be the powerful one and Jonathan the vulnerable one.
Lesson to Learn
What kind of lesson can we take from this scene? I think the big lesson is to realize that our situation links to Jonathan and David’s when we make the link to David’s descendant king, Jesus.
Jonathan acts with a faith that knows that the scorned David will soon be King David. And we take hold by faith when we see today’s dangers, today’s enemies, today’s evil, in the light of the coming kingdom of the royal son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Like Jonathan, we fear that coming King and make our peace with Him – now – while we can. That is a good fear. We love the coming King, but that love grows out of a reverent fear that depends on the goodness of Jesus as King.
The Great Lion
In The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, this is laid out very nicely for us by Susan and Mr. Beaver:
“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe?
I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“Safe?” said Mr Beaver …”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Where to Place Our Fears
Even better than C.S. Lewis, Jesus tells us where to place our fears and our faith:
”Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So, everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
(Matt 10:28-33)
In 1st Samuel 20:32, Jonathan asks his father a question about David’s guilt:
“Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”– “What has he done?”
In 1st Samuel 20:32
What is the factual answer to that? He has done damage to the Philistines. He has “done did” Goliath. He has done Saul’s suicide missions. He has sung away Saul’s depression. He has done nothing worthy of death.
Son of Death
Doesn’t that remind you of Jesus? What did Jesus do to become a “son of death”? Pilate could find no fault in him. Jesus himself said:
But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
(John 15:25)
“The word that is written in their Law” – What was written in their law?
More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause.
(Psalm 69:4)
They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause.
(Psalm 109:3)
When were those words written? One thousand years before Jesus came. Quick quiz: Who wrote those words? David.
What Has Jesus Done?
What sin has Jesus done? Listen to John, Peter and Paul —
John:
In him is no sin.
(1 John 3:5)
Peter:
(He) did no sin.
(1 Peter 1:22)
Paul:
(He) knew no sin.
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
That sinless Jesus now holds out his arms to embrace you . . . That will mean nothing. That will mean nothing if you do not embrace Him. How do you do that?
Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.
(Acts 16:31)
How have the words, “do not fear” helped you? Contact us at HopeStreamRadio
Brian Stapley
Brian Stapley is the husband of Margaret and “Christian-proud” father of Tabitha, Ben, Jeremy and Joel. He has been director of the Boys JIM Club of America since 1981 and a “JIM Clubber” since 1958, the year he became a Christian. The mission statement of the JIM Club is, “Discipling boys to love Jesus deeply and express him vividly.”
He has been an educator since 1970, primarily as a high school English Teacher. (Don’t dangle your participles.) He has been in fellowship at Scottlea Gospel Chapel, St. Catharines, since 1976 and travels to preach about three dozen times a year, in Ontario and New York State. He is a ventriloquist, in company with Casey, Theodore, Dodo, Grumpa, and a menagerie of others. Also, a bit of a magician.
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Why Did Jesus Say “I am the Bread of Life.”
Images Courtesy of:
Milky Way – EvgeniT
King David celebrated – James Tissot
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