The Long Arrows.

The Bible gives us an account of a grievance between David and King Saul. Saul had become jealous of David due to David’s successes on the battlefields. And Saul’s jealousy was so strong that he tried to kill David by throwing a spear at him to kill him. (1st Samuel ch18 v10-11). Infact Saul’s jealousy was so inflamed that he also tried to kill his son Jonathan with a spear also. (1st Samuel ch20 v23).

As we go through our christian lives there will be people who want to throw figurative spears at us. And these spears take on many forms. They could be the spears of misinterpreting something that we have said or done. They could be spears of gossip or mis-information. But whatever the reason they will always be thrown out of a mind of jealousy or unreasonableness.

They could even be spears of something that was once very real but the person throwing the allegations had no business in getting involved with them.

And the spears will usually be thrown when we are at our most vulnerable. David was sitting in a room playing songs on a stringed lyre when Saul threw the spear. Jonathan was sitting at the dinner table ready to enjoy a meal when Saul threw the spear at him. But David would never come to understand why King Saul became jealous of him. And Jonathan would never understand why his father, Saul, was so angry at him. But the truth is that the problem didn’t begin with David or Jonathan. It began with Saul. And despite David sparing Saul’s life on two different occasions, David and Saul were never again to be reconciled.

Jonathan had previously arranged with David to get a message to him regarding his own life. This involved arranging a marker stone on the ground close to where were David was watching. Jonathan was to shoot three arrows at the stone. If the arrows landed at the stone then David was safe to return to the palace. If the arrows were shot past the stone then David was to flee. You can read of the account in 1st Samuel ch20 v1-42.

Jonathan then dismissed his servant boy and subsequently met up with David to equip him with supplies for his journey and to say goodbye

1st Samuel ch20 (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. 

Sometimes God shoots arrows out to warn us to flee from the people who would want to harm us. We become uncomfortable with a friendship or a relationship. Our instincts warn us that something is not quite right when an old friend is colder than they were before. Other times, people don’t want to engage in the conversations that you once had.

But, again, the problem is not with us. It is with them.

The spears of derision that are thrown from our past lives have no function in our present lives. Our past failings have no business with our present or our future, except only to remind us of how not to carry out an action or who not to trust. When your past mistakes call out to you do not respond to them. They have nothing to say to you.

As I have said in a previous blog, God is not the author of unfinished business. Our lives are not over yet. God is not done with us yet.

2nd Corinthians Ch5 (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

God’s Holy Spirit is dealing with us day by day. He is using us to interact with others and He is using others to interact with us. For we are continually be improved each day.

As David said in his “Shepherd’s Psalm ”…

Psalm  2 (3) He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. 

Even after so many years, God still leads us in the paths of righteousness so that His name may be glorified. And we are continually being improved and renewed in Christ…

Psalm Ch51 (2) Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. (3) For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. (4) Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight;

So, when the spears of someone else’s anger, suspicion and malice come flying at us we must follow God’s arrows and flee. The spears that Saul threw at David and Jonathan missed their target and fell to the ground. So too will the allegations from our past fall to the ground also. Do not fear the whispers form the past. They have no business in our present, or our future.

My times are in Your hand;
my God, I wish them there!
My life, my friends, my soul, I leave
entirely to Your care.
 
Email - TheseLivelyOracles@hotmail.com
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Location: 1 A1, Belfast BT1 5YE, UK

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