Each one of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, are acquainted in some measure with the joy which comes to our hearts when we embrace God’s “WHOSOEVER.” For instance, when we heard the joyful news, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)), we were filled to overflowing, many of us wept for joy. O, what gladness filled our hearts when first we could read our title clear to glory. Doubts forever gone; no longer to sing:
If I could read my title clear,
To mansions in the sky.
No, no, through Jesus and His shed blood we have a TITLE WITHOUT A FLAW and a PROSPECT WITHOUT A CLOUD. We look back to Calvary and see every question settled forever in our adorable Substitute. We look forward with delight to the moment when we shall gaze on His blessed face, and we shall praise Him with full adoring hearts, as none have praised below. All this is glorious; and fills our ruptured hearts with joy.
Between these two moments lies a journey with some, short, others, long, but whether short or long, in it we receive training which fits us – for heaven? O, no, we are already fit for God’s own presence; yea, even now we have boldness to enter into, the holiest by the blood of Jesus (Heb. 10). What then does this training fit us for? Did it ever strike you, fellow believer, that God has a kingdom, and in that kingdom of glory you and I are going to have a place? All that we pass through here, the sorrows and trials of many kinds, are used by Him to give us a sense on the one hand of what He can be to us in these very trials, on the other hand that we may gain experience thereby with God Himself, and thus be fitted to take our place in connection with the administration of the coming universe of bliss.
In this connection how vastly important then is the word which stands at the head of this paper – WHATSOEVER. Jonathan could say to David, “Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee” (1 Sam. 20:44Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. (1 Samuel 20:4)). The king of man’s choice was in power and he sought David’s life (1 Sam. 19:11And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. (1 Samuel 19:1)). Already David was God’s. anointed king (1 Sam. 16:1-31And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. 2And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. 3And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. (1 Samuel 16:1‑3)). At the commencement of David’s time of persecution by Saul, how comforting are the words of Jonathan to him. The first thing we read of Jonathan after he had heard David speak was, “His soul was knit to the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1 Sam. 18:11And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. (1 Samuel 18:1)). Next, everything that distinguished Jonathan and gave him honor in the eyes of men, must go for David (1 Sam. 18:44And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. (1 Samuel 18:4)). Again in 1 Samuel 19:22But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: (1 Samuel 19:2), “Jonathan, Saul’s son delighted much in David.” Then in the verse already quoted he wants to know what David’s soul desireth. Let us consider Him of whom David was a type and figure. He is now outcast and rejected by man. We can say to Jesus, as some said to David, “Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse” (1 Chron. 12:1818Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band. (1 Chronicles 12:18)). We have taken our stand with and for Christ. Let us ask ourselves, Are we acquainted with His desires? What is it the Son of God desires: Has He deep soul longings? Yes; He has, He wants our hearts for Himself. In the coming day of glory He will reign without a rival, but beloved, there is a throne today He values far more than that, He wants to reign in the affections of our hearts, without a rival. This is His one great desire. If He gets this place, the rest will come all right. He too desires our company. Now, yes now, like David He is in rejection. He wants you and me to follow Him. Well you say; This means that I’ll be rejected as He was? Yes; but what a recompense the joy and sweetness of His company.
Look what the three faithful friends of Daniel got for their faithfulness, to Jehovah. The burning furnace? Yes; and in that burning fiery furnace what they would not have missed for all the glory of Babylon thrice told. “The fourth was like unto the Son of God.” Better, far better, be in a fiery furnace with the Son of God than in the palace without Him. No matter what it may cost you, it is better to be where He would have you, than in a coming day look back to your own loss – yea, dear believer, the Lord’s loss too, for He would lose the joy you might have given Him, and also the glory you would have brought to His name by walking in His company. We see a little later where Jonathan took a wrong path (1 Sam. 20:4242And 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. (1 Samuel 20:42)). Look too at the end thereof (1 Sam. 31:22And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons. (1 Samuel 31:2)). Did David feel it Read 2 Samuel 1:7-277And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I. 8And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. 9He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. 10So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord. 11Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: 12And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. 13And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. 14And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord's anointed? 15And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. 16And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord's anointed. 17And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son: 18(Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.) 19The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! 20Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 21Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. 22From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23Saul 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. 24Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. 25How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. 26I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. 27How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished! (2 Samuel 1:7‑27). May the Lord give you and me much prayerful diligence to become more and more acquainted with the WHATSOEVER of His desire till we see His face: Hear Christ, that formed by Him thou mayest be, Think Christ, that more like Him thou mayest be, Live Christ, that all men Him in thee may see, Speak Christ that all may hear of Him through thee.
So shalt thou please the heart of Him who planned, Before were fashioned heaven, sea or land, That thou amongst His many sons should stand. Like Jesus “Chief,” and “Firstborn” of the land.