Jonathan comforts David in the wilderness: The Holy Spirit comforts the followers of Christ in the social wilderness.

1 Samuel 23-15-18

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest. Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.” 1 Samuel 23:15-16 

Like David, the followers of Christ can see that this world intends to take the life of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Their purpose is to eliminate belief in God, silence the acknowledgment of the Lord Jesus Christ, scoff at the Holy Spirit, and afflict Christians and Christianity as a whole.

Believers are in a social wilderness created by those who welcome the thing which forms what they think, feel, and do as it enables the image of the beast to live and speak through them. As it lives and speaks through them, they are conformed to their place in life by what they say and do. They are conformed to their mark in life as they are groomed to the mark of the beast. They habitually mock God, run down Jesus Christ, trample on the Holy Spirit, and afflict Christians.

The masses of the “democratic” society despise those who follow the teachings of the Bible as affliction and persecution flow from what they say and do against Christians. Even so, the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, strengthens us in Jesus Christ as we live in this world’s unwelcoming wilderness.

Jesus Christ has sent us a Comforter during these mournful days,

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Set them apart by Your truth. Your word is truth. 

But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 15:15-17 and 14:26-27

“And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.” 1 Samuel 23:17 

Jesus Christ already has the victory over sin and death, which means this world is not a threat to Him and will never be able to defeat Him. God has made Jesus Christ the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords, and He is coming back in complete victory over this world. Because He lives, we will live eternally with Him and be by His side forever, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 Even Satan knows that.

After suffering ravishes this earth, it’s the day that Jesus Christ comes back, and He is crowned King, and we will reign with Him,

“And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Revelation 19:16

“So the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.” 1 Samuel 23:18 

The covenant Jesus made with us is through the blood He shed on the Cross, and this is the covenant which Jesus Christ has made with us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

David stayed in the woods as protection against the persecution of Saul, and Jonathan returned to the safety of his own house. With Jesus Christ, we are set apart from the ways of this world. Jesus stays in the wilderness with us because He wants us to follow the Gospel of peace and not to put ourselves in harm’s way. Persecution and affliction pursue us, but the Holy Spirit causes us to respond with non-aggression. The Spirit of Christ leads us not into conflict and hostility against those who afflict us but leads us into the paths of peace.

I think of the Apostles who suffered persecution and was murdered for bringing the Gospel of Christ to the world. At the same time, the Apostles did all they could to protect the followers of Christ from suffering the same fate as themselves. They wanted their converts to be able to go back to their own house at the end of the day.

Just one example is seen in Acts 20 where Paul willingly puts his life at risk for those remaining in their homes. Paul truly possessed the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ,

“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom  will ever see me again.  Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.  For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.  Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.  Be shepherds of the Church of God, which He bought with His own blood.”

“After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.  Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 

Acts 20:25-28 and also Acts 21:10-12

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11