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Saul is Angry with Jonathan

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I wonder what would happen if we applied the same standards of loyalty to our Christian activities that we expect from other areas of our lives? If your car starts once every three tries, is it reliable? If the postman skipped delivery every Monday and Thursday, is he trustworthy … More

Loyalty

Things happened just as David had predicted as Saul became violently angry when David did not show for the feast of the New Moon. Jonathan tried to reason with his father as he had done a few weeks before (vv. 24-31). Saul, however, hurled his spear, narrowly missing his son. Jonathan knew now that David would never again be safe in Saul’s presence. He left the room in anger because of the way his mother and his best friend had been treated by Saul.

Jonathan fasted in grief over the treatment of David (vv. 32-34). The next morning under the pretext of practicing archery Jonathan went out into the field to keep his appointment with David. A little lad accompanied him. Jonathan carried out the prearranged signal with David because he feared that he might be watched. After the danger signal had been given, however, Jonathan threw caution to the wind. He gave his bow and quiver to the lad and sent him back to the city. David then came out of hiding. Both friends thought that this would be the last time they would ever see one another. David expressed gratitude to Jonathan by bowing three times to the ground. In eastern style the friends kissed one another and wept.

Then David and Jonathan went their separate ways (vv. 35-42). As far as can be determined, David was a young man of no more than 20 when all of this happened. He was forced to leave Saul’s palace and was driven to the wilderness of Judah. It appears that he spent approximately 10 years in this “Robin Hood” type of existence. Historians give this time frame because David was 30 when he began to rule over Judah (II Sam. 5:4), immediately after Saul’s death (II Sam. 2:10,11). During the days he was running from Saul he learned many lessons that would be useful as he became the king. All things were working together to prepare David to be the kind of leader who would glorify God and inspire His people (Rom. 8:28).

Application

What are some things that have been hard for me to go through in my life but have perhaps been preparing me to better serve God?  What is my reaction when I have to rely solely upon the Lord, rather than on the schemes of men? Have I thanked Him for these times? And how, am I putting these principles into practice for His glory?

I Samuel 20:24-42 (English Standard Version)

So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. The king sat on his seat, as at other times, on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty. Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, "Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean." But on the second day, the day after the new moon, David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?" Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. He said, 'Let me go, for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table." Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die." Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him. In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little boy. And he said to his boy, "Run and find the arrows that I shoot." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?" And Jonathan called after the boy, "Hurry! Be quick! Do not stay!" So Jonathan's boy gathered up the arrows and came to his master. But the boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, "Go and carry them to the city." And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most. Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.'" And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

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