Persecution is a common experience
In times of building a new foundation, you must be tried, tested, and persecuted. Persecution is a common experience that all believers must go through in order to build a holy foundation. Most of the time, persecution come from unbelievers but some can also come from some believers who may allow themselves to be used by the devil. However, no matter the source, we must take our stand never to give up our faith or fight back carnally. Romans 8:35-37. One of the reasons why many are not delivered today is because most believers either avoid persecution or fight it carnally and so forfeit the project of building a holy foundation.
What are the consequences of Saul’s sin?
The sin of Saul brought him and his generation into collective captivity. I Samuel 15:22, 23, 26-29, 34, 35. Saul’s rejection of being a king affected his children. His sin against God became an evil investment in his offspring. Right from the day Saul was rejected, the throne became vacant spiritually even though Saul was still occupying the throne, physically (I Samuel 16:1, 2). When Saul discovered the grace of God upon the life of David, he became wroth and displeased. He hated David and tried severally to kill him, but God protected David. He set many traps for David to destroy him, but all of them failed (I Samuel 18:5-30). Saul as a king had all the support he needed to kill David.
Why was Jonathan blessed and elevated?
All his family members consented and began to fight David but Jonathan refused to join them. As soon as Saul hated the Lord’s anointed and planned to kill him, the Lord allowed an evil spirit to trouble him. When a man lays a bad foundation, an evil spirit will be permitted to go and live in that foundation 1 Samuel 18:1, 8-11, 24. While all these plans to kill David were on, only Jonathan openly condemned it. 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:1-2.
The Effect of Jonathan and David’s covenant and friendship
He took sides with David and opposed his father’s plans. Jonathan loved David as his soul and entered into a covenant with him. Because of this single action, Jonathan was moved out of his father’s evil collective captivity spiritually. Jonathan took a risk to expose all his father’s plans to kill David. He preferred to be in covenant with the righteous than to cooperate with the evil spirit in his father’s stronghold. He chose to stand for the truth. 1 Samuel 20:13-17.
Jonathan’s covenant with David made his father hate him and he placed a curse upon him. His father abused him and called him the son of a perverse woman. He called him names, saying that he was a confused person. When he confronted his father for his evil actions, he cast a javelin at him to smite him. Jonathan was angry and refused to eat food till the second day.
“Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city“. I Samuel 20:30-34, 41-42
Jonathan lost his birthright in his family because he stood for righteousness. While he was opposed in his father’s house, the rest of the family members were enjoying. He must have probably been abused by his younger ones. Most of the people who supported David were denied their rights, benefits, and entitlement. Some of them were killed, others were distressed, indebted, and discontented (I Samuel 21:1-15; 22:1, 2). David lost everything and was driven out to live in the cave of Adullam. Ahimelech, the Priest lost his life and 85 others that were in the lineage of the priesthood. Saul slew all that were in the city of the Priests with the edge of the swords, both men, women, children, and suckling (I Samuel 22:3-23). Saul pursued David to Engedi, hunted for his life in Ziph, and chased him into the land of the Philistines. Jonathan was insulted severally and denied a lot of benefits for loving David against his father’s will. By so doing, he was laying a good foundation for himself and his generation yet unborn.
Why you should not compromise
If a believer compromises his faith while building a holy foundation, he will be brought back into collective captivity, that is a faulty foundation. He may still be going to church and can even be ordained as a pastor but he will remain under the old covenant of his ancestors and the collective captivity of his place of birth.
The ancient religious society and the backslidden Pentecostal group hates anyone who walks contrary to the traditions of the elder or backslidden godfathers. Even today, when someone breaks out or questions some evil traditions or satanic activities in the church he will be persecuted and sidelined in the church. But if you compromise, you will enter into collective evil captivity of that church’s faulty foundation. Jonathan stood his ground and he lost his birthright, suffered for a while, and died. Though he died he stepped out of his father’s collective captivity while others remained there.
While Jonathan was building a holy foundation, people saw him as a fool, a rebellious and disobedient child. While he suffered a denial of his birthright, his brethren were enjoying the blessing of their father. They must have received gifts, blessings, and money to send their children to the best schools. They were able to build good houses, had the best property in choicest part of the country. They were honored, praised and accepted nationwide. They were seen to be more prosperous than their elder brother, the prince of the family.