By: Zach Collins
Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.” – 1 Samuel 20:18-19
David has received acclaim and praise. Those women had sung his song, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” To David, though, this song became more than a mere song in his life. The praise would soon turn to pursuit. With time, David would be mistreated by the one who, above all, should have been his rescuer and not his persecutor, Saul.
Now, David is trying to outrun the unrighteousness of Saul. In this pursuit, three of David’s friends will protect him from the envy of King Saul, Jonathan (Saul’s son), Michal (Saul’s daughter, David’s wife), and Samuel (God’s prophet). In his retreat, David was expected to appear at the feast of the New Moon, but for fear of his life, he asked Jonathan to intercede on his behalf. Jonathan told David, “…you will be missed because your seat is empty.”
If David’s absence was seen, his presence would be missed.
Did you know? When you choose to allow your seat to be empty in the assembly, you are missed. For a moment, let me provide you with a few reasons why your presence is missed.
- You will be missed because your exhortation will be silenced. When we gather to worship, one of our primary responsibilities is to “exhort one another” (Hebrews 10:25). With our presence we encourage and with our absence, we discourage. When was the last time you regretted receiving encouragement from your brethren?
- You will be missed because your ears will be suppressed. By missing worship, maybe you will be missing a sermon that will help you hold on in a difficult time of life, an encouraging remark from your brethren, or an opportunity to influence another Christian. We lose far more than we gain when we choose to forsake the assembly.
- You will be missed because your good works will be stilled. The Hebrews writer reminds us that, in worship, we stir up “good works” (Hebrews 10:24). In Revelation 14:13, the Bible teaches that, when we die, our good works follow us. When hands are stilled, souls are lost. Have you ever regretted helping in the good works of the church?
- You will be missed because your teaching will be shushed. The greatest sermons ever preached did not come from the pulpit but from the lives of faithful Christians. If you are absent, you cannot teach and admonish one another in song and, most of all, you will preach the wrong sermon. Do not neglect to offer the fruit of your lips (Hebrews 13:15).
- You will be missed because your influence will be squelched. If you are absent, with your lips and actions, you say, “God and His church are not that important to me.” Let us live our lives so that our influence far outlives our lives on Earth.
If your seat is empty today, you will be missed.
Meditate on these things.