Thursday, September 1, 2005
HATED WITHOUT A CAUSE
Having married Michal, the daughter of King Saul, David was now the king's son-in-law. But King Saul was still jealous of David, and in a jealous rage he ordered his servants, including his own son Jonathan, to put David to death. Saul hated David without a cause.
But Jonathan loved David. Instead of following his father's order to kill David, Jonathan spoke well of David to his father. For the time being Saul listened to his son. He even went so far as to swear that he would not kill David. For the time being he could safely live in the king's presence.
Now we move ahead 1,000 years to the time when the Son of David, our Lord Jesus, walked the earth. David himself foretold those days. In Psalm 69 he wrote concerning His Son, the Messiah: "Those who hate Me without a cause are more than the hairs of My head." Saul hated David without a cause. So also with Jesus. In John's Gospel Jesus told the Jews: "Now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'"
On one of the many occasions when the Jewish leaders threatened to stone Jesus, He brought this to their attention, saying: "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" What have I done to arouse your hatred? I have healed many people. I have taught the truth of God. Why do you want to kill Me? You are hating Me without a cause.
David had done many good things for his people, yet Saul wanted to kill him. Jesus did many good things for His people, yet the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Him. Of course, what Jesus did for His people was way beyond what David did. David killed Goliath, but Jesus defeated Satan, sin, death, and hell by His death in our place and His glorious resurrection. And yet even today people the world over hate Jesus and those who follow Him. Truly, truly they are hating Him without a cause. He has done them and us only good, defeating our enemies, taking away our sins, winning for us an eternal home in heaven. And this is what He wants the whole world to enjoy. Oh, may God keep us from ever hating our best Friend Jesus! May we ever defend Him and speak well of Him, so that others who now hate Him may come to love Him as we do. For no one, not even David, has done so much for His people as Jesus, our Savior.
