As well as being a model of what will happen to Christ, there are also applications for us as Christian believers from the Lord’s dealings with David. The clearest application from 1 Samuel 23 is the manner in which the Lord will guide us on our earthly pilgrimage. How does the Lord want us to make decisions? 

Living in the time of the new covenant, there is no Urim and a Thummim. We are not living in an old covenant theocracy, and we are not the king of Israel. That which was available to David is not available to us. We cannot ask a specific yes/no question of our pastor and receive a definitive answer from God. What we must do instead is to follow the example of our Lord Jesus. He grew in wisdom and stature before the Lord. How? Well, firstly, before there was any reflection and reasoning, there was the desire in his heart to honour his Father. The desire to please God above all else. His heart dictated his reasoning, and if we are going to grow in godliness, the same holds true. Our hearts need to be captured by the goodness, the love, and the mercy of God. When the Lord is our portion and delight, when his commandments warm our heart as they did for the Psalmist, that is when we are ready to listen and be guided by him. That is when we are ready to reflect on Scripture together with others. That is when we are ready to make decisions that are consistent with his will and thereby have the Spirit inform our decision-making. As the apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, it is in view of God’s mercy that we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice and be transformed by the renewal of our mind (Romans 12:1–2).

Desiring to please God, we must still make daily decisions where it can be hard to correctly apply biblical principles. For example, we face daily decisions in raising our children. Do we homeschool, or send them to a private Christian school or a public school? Do we permit tattoos? What about vaccinations, or the use of IVF for those struggling to conceive? We are also faced with decisions as to which cultural norms and practices we will keep and which we will let go. There are many situations where we would much rather have a coin toss or some other mechanism to save us the hard work of thinking. It would certainly make things easier, but it is not the way in which the Lord seeks to guide us. He has given us a mind to think and reason; he wants us to use it.

On this topic, the way in which we approach questions is important. Typically, because we want to avoid any kind of change or hardship, we tend to begin with our desires and then look for direct contradictions in Scripture. Consider smoking as an example. The normal way to approach that topic is to ask the question, Is it sinful for me to smoke? It is a relevant question, and it results in looking up various Bible verses that might have something to say. Since there is no clear and direct prohibition, many Christians conclude that it is not a sin and thus acceptable. A different way of asking the question, however, is to focus instead on God’s will. How does he want me to look after my body? How does he want me to spend my money? How does he want me to cope with stress and anxiety? When we ask these questions, then God’s will is at the forefront of my thinking rather than that which I hope to justify (smoking).

When we ask questions in a way that focuses on God’s will, it highlights the cost that comes with following Christ. Loyalty to God and his King means denying myself. That is and remains a difficult thing to do throughout our Christian pilgrimage. We need encouragement if we are going to keep doing so over the long haul. Like Jonathan encouraged David with God’s truth, we need our Christian friends to hold out God’s promises to us. Promises about gracious provision. Promises about sovereign control. Promises of life in glory for those who believe. Promises that God’s ways are for our good, even if they require change and are hard to begin with. We must commit to helping each other in this regard. Commit to being a Jonathan for those around us. Quick to remind each other of God’s mercy and grace, while at the same time encouraging serious reflection on God’s will.