A Wondrous Love In A Time Of Weeping

Amen. What a tremendous hymn we're

going to turn in our Bible. The second Samuel.

The second Samuel I'm going to read from the chapter 1.

Find Judges and Ruth. Just keep coming on.

You'll eventually get to first Samuel.

Come to second Samuel, Second Samuel chapter 1, Second Samuel

2 Samuel 1 · chapter mention 2 Samuel 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. We're going to read from verse

13. Let's hear the word of God,

reading of course from the King James Bible, Second Samuel

chapter one, verse 13. And David said unto the young

man that told him, Whence art thy?

And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.

And David said unto him, How was thou not afraid to stretch forth

thine hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?

And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near,

and fall upon them. And he smote him that he died.

And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head, for thy

mouth have testified against thee, saying, I have slain the

Lord's anointed. And David lamented with this

lamentation over soul, and over Jonathan his son also he bade

them teach the children of Judah the use of the bull.

Behold, it is written in the book of Joshua.

The beauty of Israel is slaying upon thy high places.

How are the mighty fallen? Tell it not in Gath, publish it

not in the streets of Ashkelon. Let the daughters of the

Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised

triumph. Ye mountains of Gilboa, let

there be no Jew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor

fields of offerings for there the shield of the mighty is

vilely castaway, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been

anointed with oil from the blood of the slain, from the fat of

the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword

of soil Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely

and pleasant in their lives and in their death.

They were not divided. They were swifter than eagles,

they were stronger than lions. He, daughters of Israel, weep

over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with other delights, who

put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle?

Oh, Jonathan, thou was slain in thy high places.

I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan.

Very pleasant hast thy been unto me.

Thy love to me was wonderful. Passing the love of woman.

How art the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished.

Amen. We know God will stump with His

own divine approval and blessing this reading of His own precious

and infallible word. The My text tonight is taken

from Second Samuel chapter one, verse 26.

David said I'm distressed for thee my brother Jonathan, very

pleasant has thou been unto me. Thy love to me was wonderful.

Passing the love of woman and have entitled this message a

wondrous love in the time of weeping.

These words were spoken by David upon hearing the news of the

death of Jonathan. Jonathan was King Saul's son,

but Jonathan was also one of David's best friend.

And once David discovered this sad news of Jonathan's death, he

was plunged into a moment and a period of deep sorrow and

genuine mourning. His words here, I believe, are

deeply personal. They are painfully honest, but

they're also profoundly helpful. You see, this was a sacred

moment, yet it was also a sorrowful one.

Why was it sacred? Because it speaks of love, a

wonderful love, a true, genuine friendship.

It speaks of Providence. Here it's sorrowful because of

whether it was the wonderful love of a loved one or the

wonderful love of a dear friend, we know and feel the deep winds

of loss. When death comes.

David doesn't hide his grief. He doesn't pretend all is OK.

He speaks clearly and plainly. Think of these words.

I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan.

Isn't it wonderful that the Bible gives permission to

grieve? You see, genuine grief is not

unbelief. Tears are not trivial.

Many people, when a loved one dies, shed tears.

But those are tears of love. And of course, those tears of

love flow freely because that individual or those individuals

are enduring and processing the shock of bodily separation of

their loved one. Saul's son Jonathan would have

normally been expected to be the heir to the throne.

It would normally in the passage of time, he would be the one who

would occupy his father's throne.

David was a shepherd boy, yet he was the one chosen instead of

Jonathan to be king. And even though Jonathan knew

that David was chosen by God to be king, you would have expected

a conflict between these two boys.

But there was no conflict. Rather there was a concourse.

You'd expect fighting between these two boys, The heir to the

throne and a shepherd boy. No, but there was no fighting

between them, but rather one of the greatest displays of

friendship. You see, true friendship is one

of the greatest in human relationships.

I only say 1 because there's others.

Remember, Proverbs 17 and seven says that a friend loveth at all

times, and a brother is born for adversity.

David and Jonathan were true friends, real friends, and they

had a genuine, wondrous love for one another.

And this friendship of David and Jonathan, as we see here, David

mourning the loss of his best friend.

Yet that friendship between David and Jonathan is a pater, I

believe, of the godly friendship between Jesus Christ and his

people. See, true friends are not just

acquaintances. True friends just don't know

each other. True friends are not just united

with a common bond of faith. We can maybe say culture as

well, maybe loving the Lord. No, it's deeper, it's more

personal. Because true friendship is a

life of loving loyalty toward another individual.

In fact, David's and Jonathan's relationship and friendship is

but a shadow of Christ's friendship and relationship with

His people. You see, here's something that I

want you to think about. The Lord Jesus Christ is not

just our prophet, priest, and king.

The Lord Jesus Christ is not just the Redeemer and the

righteous judge, but He's our friend.

Remember what Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 24 tells us?

Proverbs 18 · chapter mention

Proverbs 18 and verse 24, it says this, A man that hath

friends must show himself friendly, and there's a friend,

the stick of closer than a brother, that's the Lord Jesus.

And Solomon, the wisest of kings, spoke of the Lord, and

this is what he said, This is my beloved, and this is my friend.

The Lord Jesus was known as the friend of sinners and publicans.

He often met with individuals, He talked with them, He he

mingled with them, He ate with them.

Remember what he said to his own disciples before He left them in

the upper room? You're my friends if you do

whatsoever I command you. And when I thought of this text

of scripture, thought of funerals, the week that has gone

past, this text came to my mind. A wondrous love in the time of

weeping. Listen to the words again.

And I give you a wee out lying. I am distress for thee, my

brother Jonathan. Very pleasant hast thou been

unto me. Thy love to me was wonderful.

Passing the love of woman now 4 things very quickly.

The painful distress of love. Can you feel the weight of these

words? I am distress for thee, my

brother Jonathan. You see, David is experiencing

here the reality of godly grief. Oh yes, he's a man after God's

own heart. Yet he was a man who knew grief,

a man who wept bitter tears, a man who knew the painful sorrow

of heart. You see, deep love always

results in deep grief. David doesn't hide his sorrow,

he honours it. David is not rebuked for being

sorrowful. No, he is recorded here in the

Bible. The Bible doesn't silence grief,

it sanctifies it. And this pain reminds us of

something very important. Death is an enemy.

Death was never part of God's original creation.

It entered the world because of sin.

Remember we read there in the book of Romans, in Romans

Romans 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5 and in the verse 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 of sin.

Romans 6 and 23 tells us for the wages of sin is death.

Sin pays wages and death, remember?

Whenever it comes, we discover the death of a loved one hurts.

It feels unnatural. It takes us away from all that

we knew and loved, the places we lived, the people we loved, the

possessions we liked. And you see, that's how I feel

this evening about the death of Mr Andy Alexander.

He was my spiritual father. He was a personal friend.

He was a confidant in earlier times.

The death of the Reverend Roy Stewart.

I know exactly how her brother David McCullough feels this

evening. The death of Mr Joe Peyton down

in Tandrige, the death of others.

You see, there's a reminder here.

There's two ways to die. All men will die.

You can die in Christ. Blessed are the dead which die

in the Lord, or you can die without Christ.

Jesus said if you die in your sins, where I am there, you

can't come. But there's not only two ways to

die, but there's two ways to grieve.

See, there is a grief that is without hope and many tonight

don't know and love the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many tonight when they're plunged into death and sorrow

that they know nothing of real gospel victory.

They they know nothing of gospel comfort.

They know nothing of the certainty and the enjoyment that

comes through trusting Christ as Lord and Saviour.

But there's another way to grieve.

There's a grief that flows from a heart of love.

Isn't it wonderful to know if we think of Revelation chapter 14

Revelation 14 · chapter mention

and in the verse 13, a very special verse that says in

Revelation chapter 14 and the verse 13.

Revelation 14 · chapter mention

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, right, blessed

are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.

Yeah, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours

and their works do follow them whenever a loved one dies in

Christ, having professed A genuine love for Christ as Lord

and Saviour, and are anchored in the wonderful promises of God,

what tremendous gospel comfort flows from that to the hearts of

those who feel that hurt and sense that loss.

See, David here's not questioning God.

He is quoting something. He is telling us how he feels.

I am distress for thee. He's expressing his emotion.

Here's the true cost of love in a fallen sinful word.

There's an old preacher one time said true grace doesn't make the

heart less tender. Rather, it makes it more tender.

You see, the closer the friendship, the deeper the

feeling of loss. That's the first point.

The second point, as we go on from the painful distress of

love, is the providential depth of love.

Notice these words my brother Jonathan David calls Jonathan my

brother. Now this is more than sentiment.

You see, I believe it was special.

They were not blood related, they were not blood relatives,

but both men didn't know and love the Lord.

As I've told you, this was not just a friendship.

This was a deep, genuine friendship.

This was a life of loving loyalty to one another, a bond

that was formed providentially by God.

A true covenant friendship is one of the sweetest gifts God

gives us in this life. The Lord in His Providence

brings people together into our lives, not by accident, but by

design. And He uses those very people to

shape us, to show us how to live, to strengthen us.

David and Jonathan had a friendship knit together by God,

not accidentally, but providential, easy and reformed

theology. We believe that God not only

sovereignly orders the great events of history, but also

orders the relationships that shape and strengthen our lives.

The person you meet, the friends that you love, the one that you

helped or helped you, the brother or sister that you

leaned on, those are not just random blessings, but they are

gifts. I believe from the hand of God.

A friend loveth at all times. Such friendship, such care.

They're rare, but when God grants them, they become

instruments of grace. Now.

Now think of how God uses the people that are brought into our

lives on the journey. Think of the individuals that

have pointed us to Christ and showed and taught us our need of

Him. Think of those who have

encouraged us when we were weak and maybe at the point of

despair and wanted to quit and give up.

Think of those who corrected us. We went astray and said, ah,

brother or sister, that's sin. That's wrong.

You need to repent. Think about those who have aided

us and strengthened us in our walk with God.

Think of those who have walked beside us in days of affliction,

in days of adversity, in days of tears.

You see, true, genuine friends are part of the means of grace

to our soul. Let me illustrate very quickly.

I met Andy Alexander when I was 16 years of age.

I started to serve my time as an apprentice Carpenter in a place

called LMA Construction in Coleraine.

Andy was a very quiet man. He went to church 3 times, twice

on the Sunday and once through the week.

He didn't curse, didn't drink, he didn't smoke, he didn't

gamble and he didn't read The Sun newspaper.

I watched his life. This sweet man was different

from everybody else that worked there.

He was happy, he smiled, and when something went wrong at

work, as it often does, he didn't get mad.

He didn't get upset when I screwed up the joiners

workbench, some task he'd give me to do as an apprentice, he

didn't get mad. He then re showed me how the

thing ought to be done. At 18 I spoke to him about

church I I said to him, if the church is the answer, I would

like to come to church. Andy at that time my life was

spiralling out of control. I've already told this, but we

have testimony and remember him leaving down his tools at the

bench and coming and putting his arm around me and he said this.

The church hasn't got the answer, but Christ has.

That was the double Dutch. I didn't know what that meant,

but two weeks later, the Providence of God or thinking

about God's Providence one Friday night.

He invited me to a tent mission in Limavady.

He paid for a pane of glass that I had broken, and on that basis

I went with him to Limavady. That night, for the first time

ever, I heard the Gospel. John 10 and 10.

I'm come that you might have life and that you might have it

more abundantly. I heard this call from the

Reverend Sam Workman, young man, young woman, you're in this

church tonight and you're looking for life.

You're trying to find it in sexual fulfilment out of

marriage. You're trying to find it through

experimentation with drugs and and alcohol.

And, and, and then he said, Nate, you're blocked out of your

head and you, you maybe wake up and you wonder where you're at

or you're you're maybe waking up in the horrors of drink and

you're thinking to yourself, what's life all about?

And, and, and, and, and, and, and this is a rat race.

And he says, come with me tonight, come with me.

He said, young man, I want to introduce you to the giver of

life. We'll see.

That night I come under conviction of sin.

I didn't know what conviction was.

Andy drove me home the 14 miles to Coleraine.

I was to go on with Andy's assistance to Kelly's and

Portrush to meet up with others and I couldn't go.

Cut a Long story short, I went back to church on Sunday.

I haven't been there for five years.

I sat in Sunday's seat, told off left, spoke to the rector after

the service. He said, young man, sorry

there's not much I can do for you. 10:00 PM at night, I'm

walking the streets of Coleraine.

I'm under conviction. I'm afraid I'm thinking I'm

going to go to hell thinking of all the bad things that I have

done. And I wouldn't want to glorify

the devil by telling you some of those things.

But again, you see God in Providence had another man who

also worked in LMA construction and his name was Jackson

Mcvicker and he was in the year a few some days ago.

And we say hello to Jackson and Jean if they're listening in

this evening. He gave me a little tract cut.

Long story short, I took it home bedside of Roman Catholic

lodging house in James, the street in Coleraine and I knelt

down at the side of the bed and I said to the Lord, Lord, I'm a

Sinner. I've done a lot of bad things

and you forgive sin and I'm asking you now in Jesus name, in

the ground of the blood to forgive me my sin.

Get off my knees and went to bed.

Got up on the Monday morning, was at work early.

I'd asked a neighbour for a Bible.

I went and told Andy, I remember he's a quiet man.

He had one word here was the word great.

That was it. Great.

I remember standing up in a workshop bench and testifying

that I would trust with the Lord and no more drink or cigarettes

or cursing or some newspapers for David and they laughed and

mocked. You know what the Reverend Sam

Workman used to say? Friends can laugh you into hell.

They'll never laugh you out of it. 3 weeks later, I then

started attending the Coleraine Congregational Church.

At that time friendships were formed.

I, I named some of the families deliberately, the McFarlane

family, Reverend Colin McFarlane was here.

Who's now in the glory? The McClellan family, related to

the Alexander family. The Alexander family, Oliver,

Andy and the five girls. The Atchison family.

Mr Paul Atchison's the minister over there in the Congregational

Church in Newton Arch. Now the the Norris family.

There's a number of others. The Hare family.

Raymond Hare used to own Hare brothers.

Still have a companion Bible that he gave me.

The Johnston family, 2 dear ladies who were unclaimed

treasures, as they called themselves, called Fanny and

Rachel. And you know, there's a wee

story that I must tell you one day we were in Bally Sally.

All right. That's a way down in Coleraine.

That's a very good. Well, we'll not say nothing more

about Bally Sally housing this date, Right?

And it's a wet morning, Andy and these out in the van.

We're going to do a wee Homer. And he wanted to go home and get

his lunch for he had forgot it all right?

And he was upstairs having a toilet break.

And I'm waiting and Andy standing with the back to the

fire. The fire is not lit, although

it's set. And when I turn around, I see a

picture of my dad and Andy on the mantelpiece.

I didn't really know my dad because my dad died when I was

young like my mother. So I said to him, Andy, that's

my dad there. You and him are standing with

your arm around each other. Oh yes, he says.

We worked together a long time ago.

We shared a lodging house in Belfast when we worked on Samson

and Goliath, setting the blood mats there.

He says, I'm awful proud of that, that I knew your dad.

Well, so am I. You see, that was God in

Providence. I'll tell you another wee thing

that happened in the Coleraine Congregational Church basement

hall. We were working there, Andy and

me. I was his apprentice and there's

another man, Misty Eddie Norris, and he looked at me and he said

I know who you are, son. You're you're Gerry Mclachlan's

son. And I said, Oh yes, but did you

know my dad? No, I'm son.

I was there the night he gave us testimony in Cologne, Orange

Hall in Coleraine. And then he went away to Belfast

by Andy and the both of them backslid.

Think they'd get in there? We better drink, son.

But Andy, come back to the Lord. Now.

That was thrilling because you see, God in Providence had

placed me to work alongside a man who was my dad's best friend

in his younger days. And I'm proud to say tonight

from this pulpit that Andy Alexander was a good loyal

friend, not just to me, but a friend to the Reverend Colin

McFarland, a friend to others, a friend who was loving, a friend

who was loyal, and a friend who was life giving of his time, his

talent. You see, the friendship between

David and Jonathan was not by accident.

It was not by chance. It was by divine design.

And that's why I called it there this evening.

As you think about those words, the providential, not just the

painful desire, but the providential depth of that love.

But one final thing. Bear with me.

Think of the pleasant description of love.

Notice what it says in the text. Very pleasant has thou been unto

me. Thy love to me was wonderful.

Now think with me as we wrap this up.

Think of the existence of this love.

Love is the highest form and emotional connection that we can

have in relationships. David and Jonathan had real

moments of joy and laughter. They had fellowship.

David remembered their conversations in the words that

were spoken. David remembered their times of

communion together. He remembered their conquest

together. He remembered their

companionship together. Even going to the House of God.

David recalled it all. It was not overlooked in his

grief. He enjoyed the pleasant memories

of fellowship. He remembered not just the loss

of his dear friend, but he remembered the life.

And that's why at funeral times we have a celebration of the

life because we want to remember the life that was lived,

remember the legacy that was left, remember the shared

experiences for family and friends because when they recall

it, the memory, as David says, very pleasant, has now been unto

me. Now you think also very quickly

here of the expression of this love.

Notice what it says in the text. Thy love to me was wonderful.

We were singing as the love of Jesus, something wonderful.

You see, he was not diminishing other relationships, but he's

delighting in the relationship that he had with Jonathan

because he was delighting in the depth of a faithful purity of

Jonathan's love. It was a special love, a

sacrificial love. It was a sweet love.

It was a steadfast love. You see, this boy, the King's

son, stood by David, supported David, strengthened David, even

when it meant surrendering his own claim to the throne.

I put it to you, this is true covenant love.

Here's a mark of true love. Jeremiah 31 and three.

God says I've loved you with an everlasting love.

You never ever doubt that the Lord loves you.

Sometimes the devil will fill that mine with that thought, but

just remember this, the Bible says.

But God commanded his love toward us, and while we were yet

sinners, Christ died for us. And over there in first John

1 John 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4 and in the verse 10, we read here in his love, not

that we love God, but He loved us and sent the Son to be the

repatiation for our sins. Verse 19 He says we love him

because He first loved us. Is he?

Why did God set his love on us? We were sinners.

We were dead in trespasses and sins.

We were blind to God. We couldn't see spiritual truth

or see that we had a soul and needed to be saved, that we we

were diseased in our affections. We know love or fear or thought

of God and then that state and condition with a heart full of

depravity and a love for sin. Then this wonderful love of God

was revealed to us and I believe tonight all true love as a

reflection of the greatest love of all.

And I'll tell you tonight, there is no love like the love of

Jesus, whether it's the love of two friends in a covenant

relationship like David and Jonathan or the love of true

friends like Andy Alexander that did Colin McFarlane.

We've seen a wee picture of them standing with their arm around

each other. And I was thinking of the love

and I knew the love that they had.

Reverend Colin McFarlane left a special letter that was read

out. It was never read before.

It was given before he died, sealed, and then it was read out

at the funeral and it spoke about my best friend.

But you see all of that, even the love of a man to the woman

it peels into in comparison, when we think of the love of

Jesus, there is no love like the love of Jesus.

Now let me ask as we wrap this up, do you know the love of

Christ tonight is that love of Jesus gripped your heart and

night Peter remember was asked the question love us to me.

Do you love him tonight? Is your heart one with him?

Can you say with Solomon, this is my beloved, this is my

friend. We we love him.

Why because he first loved us gave himself for us.

This little glimpse of the Saviour's love.

We can recall the love of Christ, especially in times of

trouble, especially in times of hardship and distress.

See, even in such times as that your heart and mind can be full

of thankfulness. Nothing can break our heart or

deliver us from coldness or worldliness or waywardness, but

a glimpse and a taste of the love of Jesus.

Surely we can say tonight this we don't meditate on them

enough. Surely we can say this.

We often rush headlong into sin, sinful paths, and sinful ways.

Oftentimes we forget the great urgency to be where Christ is.

That's why it's important to be at morning worship, evening

worship, the prayer meeting, because He is there for two or

three are gathered together. I am there and we're there to

meet with Him. Instead of having closer ties

with the world, we should have closer ties with Him.

Who is the Word? Where's our hunger and thirst

for the Word? See, little or no hunger for the

Word is a sign that we're not filled with a deep sense of the

love of Jesus. We need a sight of Him.

We need a taste of Him very quickly, and our time is gone.

The evidence of this love. See, one day He would come to

live in a palace. He killed Goliath of Gath.

First Samuel 18, verse 4. And whenever he came in, he came

1 Samuel 18:4

in with a shepherd dress. I don't know what it looked

like. We could get an artist's

impression. Just the rags of a shepherd boy.

Imagine him coming to the palace and a lot of tethering going on.

Not on head nod and you know, look at the cut of hem.

Well, do you know what Jonathan the King's son did?

He gave him his clothes, He gave him his royal robes, He gave him

his sword, He gave him his bow, He gave him his girdle, He gave

him his horse. Jonathan gave his royal robes to

David. You see the love that David

experienced. And Jonathan points us again to

Christ. Because the Lord Jesus stripped

off his clothes at the cross, and the Lord Jesus gloved

himself in the garments of our unrighteousness.

He was made sin for us, that is He.

He bore the guilt and punishment of our sin as He died in the

cross in an offer sails. We were not fit to enter into

heaven. We were sinful and unclean.

The Lord Jesus went to the cross after His resurrection.

He stood before the Father's throne, and He stands there

clothed in the garments of righteousness in our room

instead. And because He is there in

heaven, we can enjoy pardon from all sin.

The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all the We

can enjoy the Father's presence because he says, no, I'm with

you always. We can enjoy the Father's

provision. We can enjoy the the the

Father's protection. Jonathan promised to defend

David, to protect David, even when Saul's father wanted to put

David to death. David and Jonathan made a

covenant of friendship that they would not turn on each other,

that they would trust each other.

See, that's the evidence of this love, and it's expressed in

their last meeting. The last meeting I had with Andy

Alexander was in the nursing home in Cornfields.

The last meeting that David and Jonathan had is recorded in

First Samuel chapter 20, verse 41.

1 Samuel 20:41

They could not bear to be parted from one another.

That place was a place of tears. That place was an intimate

embrace. The design, the purposeful

design of love was displayed. I wonder tonight, do you know

Christ? Are you trusting him as he your

Lord, as he your Saviour? I believe that David didn't

fully understand why. Jonathan, his life ended as a

dead, he died in battle. Of course he didn't understand

it. He'd do answers, but he had a

trust in the purposeful sovereignty of God.

The purposeful design of love was displayed here.

He affirms that God is not mistaken.

Job remember said the Lord giveth the Lord of taken away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord. This is not about resignation.

This is about rest and trust. God is not absent in the hours

of grief, in the hours of loss. Our life is not random.

Our lifespan is numbered. Our life bounds are set.

And if we think of those words as we finish, isn't the love of

Jesus something wonderful? Again, I press home this truth.

Do you know Him? Are you trusting Him?

Have you turned from your sin? Have you believed in the Lord

Jesus Christ? It says believe in the Lord

Jesus Christ and as you behave, not try harder, not do better,

but believe Have you believed? Have you put your trust in

Christ? He's entered into heaven on our

behalf. He's praying now with the ground

of the shed blood before his face.

David's love for Jonathan, John, his love for David past the the

love of woman. Can you think of David having

two waves and yet he says both of them together.

Jonathan's love was greater than the love of his wife to him.

A godly life leaves a legacy. A godly life continues to speak.

A godly life touches lives. I trust and pray this evening

that what I've said that the Lord will bless and apply this

truth to our.