Thy Love To Me Is Wonderful

Thy Love To Me Is Wonderful

Text: 1 Sam. 18:1-4; 2 Sam. 1:26

Intro: Prior to entering the narrative of 1 Sam. 18:1-4, the young man David, has just returned from his triumphant battle with the giant Goliath, the former champion of the Philistines. King Saul’s son, Jonathan, was so moved by David’s courage and faith toward God, that “...the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1 Sam. 18:1).

Throughout the remainder of the book of First Samuel, the love and friendship shared by David and Jonathan is obvious. In addition to the clear examples of love and loyalty shared by two friends, are the spiritual types and pictures evident in the lives of these two men.

For instance, David is an Old Testament picture of Christ, in that he came from his father’s house to fight the great giant, the nemesis of God’s people, Israel. Just as Christ in the New Testament, won the battle over sin, Satan, and death, setting free all who would believe in Him, David won the battle over the giant, setting his people free from bondage.

Likewise, Jonathan is also a picture of Christ, in that he “loved him (David) as his own soul” (1 Sam. 18:1b). That means that Jonathan would have given his life for David. But notice also that after Jonathan and David had entered into a covenant of friendship, Jonathan stripped himself of all that symbolized royalty, and gave it to David. This is a beautiful picture of what Christ did for us, by willingly laying aside the expression of His divine attributes that He might die for our sins. Paul alludes to this idea, when he says of Christ:

Phil. 2:6 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

The love shared by two people is truly a gift from God. David, after Jonathan’s death in battle, said, “...Thy love to me was wonderful...” (2 Sam. 1:26b). However, from this point on, my thoughts will not be of the value of David and Jonathan’s friendship, but with the value of our salvation through Christ’s sacrifice, and the gratitude we should possess in light of it. Surely, from our hearts we should cry out, “Oh Lord Jesus, thy love to me is wonderful!”

God has done so much for us through His blessed Son, Jesus. Oh how wonderful is the love that Christ has shown for all mankind. It is my hope that before this message is over, God’s love for us in Christ Jesus will be burned deeper into our consciousness.

Theme: Can we not truthfully say…

I. “LORD, THY LOVE TO ME IS WONDERFUL, WHEN I THINK OF MY SINFULNESS?”

A. We Are Sinners By Progeny.

1. Man’s first parents sinned.

Gen. 2:16 “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

…………………………………………………….

3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

2. Because of their sin, all mankind became sinners.

Rom. 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

B. We Are Sinners By Practice.

1. All men are sinners from the womb.

Ps. 58:3 “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”

Isa. 48:8b “…for I knew that thou (Israel) wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.”

NOTE: Have you ever noticed that you never have to train a child to do wrong? You will however, always have to teach them how to do right. Why? It’s because we are all sinners from birth.

2. All men have a natural inclination toward sin within.

Eph. 2:3 “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”