Lesson 9 - 1 Sam. 18:1-5; 20:35-42 - ENDURING FRIENDSHIP
INTRODUCTION: Last week, in 1 Sam. 17:32-40, 48-51, we covered the story of David's-a teen-aged boy at the time-amazing defeat of the Philistine giant, Goliath, in single combat. When David told king Saul he wanted to accept the giants' challenge, it wasn't based on confidence in his personal abilities as a warrior but upon the power of the Living God whose honor had been insulted by this "uncircumcised Philistine," someone completely outside the circle of God's protection and power. We know this story by heart, so I don't need to repeat; so, what relevance does us have to Christians in the 21st Century? Well, just like David, we can be confronted with issues in this life that seem hopeless on a purely human level. When that happens, we need to face these 'giants,' whatever they may be, from a spiritual perspective, completely trusting God and His timing for a solution. And also like David, maintaining a spiritual perspective requires practical faith in God Himself. When we honestly seek God through the promises and power of his Word for wisdom and discernment, He will show us how to deal with the giants in this life.
This week, in 1 Sam. 18:1-5; 20:35-42, we will continue the story of young David as he forms a heart-warming bond of manly friendship with king Saul's son, Jonathan, and develops into one of king Saul's most trusted and successful military leaders. Then in Chapter 19, the story turns dark as Saul becomes increasingly jealous of David's success and popularity and begins to plot against him. Saul's main strategy was to plan things that were certain to get David killed in the campaigns against the Philistines, but it backfired, only adding to David's increasing success and renown as a military leader. Then as Chapter 20 starts, Saul issues orders to have David killed. As today's story ends, we find David in a clandestine meeting with Jonathan, preparing to flee for his life and become a fugitive.
Read 1 Sam. 18:1-5 - JONATHAN MADE A COVENANT WIH DAVID
1 Now it came about, when he had finished speaking to Saul, that Jonathan committed himself to David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. 2 And Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his military gear, including his sword, his bow, and his belt. 5 And David went into battle wherever Saul sent him, and always achieved success; so Saul put him in charge of the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
v. 1a: "Now it came about, when he had finished speaking to Saul," - This conversation with king Saul took place right after David's stunning victory over the Philistine giant, Goliath, reported earlier.
v. 1b: "that Jonathan committed himself to David,." - Jonathan, Saul's son, has already been identified as a man of deep faith and courage (1 Sam. 14:1-15). Scholars believe he was 10 or more years older than David. In David, Jonathan saw him as a true soul brother, a man who was completely committed to glorifying God and seeking His will, even at the expense of his personal safety, as exemplified by his recent encounter against Goliath.
v. 1c: "and Jonathan loved him as himself." - This is a great example of godly love of one man for another man based upon a mutual relationship with God. Some contemporary writers (who are not Bible scholars) have taken this phrase and its repeat in v. 3 totally out of context to insinuate this was homosexual attraction. In a word, that's complete HOGWASH! The word translated "love" here (Heb. aheb) literally means to conspire with or band together with someone in a common cause. The Hebrew word commonly used in the context of having sex is yada, which translates "to know" in English, and is not used here.
v. 2: "And Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house." - 1 Sam. 16:1-23 reports that David initially began serving in Saul's royal court off and on as a musician and as an armor bearer, but this verse tells us that by Saul's order, David has now been appointed to be a permanent member of the kings' staff. He was, after all, now a national hero-good P.R. for Saul.
This made me think of Audie Murphy, the most decorated American soldier of WWII, a Texas sharecropper who had dropped out of school in the fifth grade. Later became a movie star.
v. 3: "Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself." - This is a significant statement because Jonathan was the crown prince, heir to his father's throne. What we need to see here is that all the initiative here came from Jonathan, not David. The exact terms of the covenant (i.e., agreement) aren't revealed, but it would appear to have been a pledge of mutual loyalty and friendship, which, at the very least, signified that Jonathan considered David to be his equal. At this point in their relationship, Jonathan fully recognized David's special, God-given gifts and had seen God's will working in and through David's life. The love that Jonathan felt for David was the brotherly, fraternal love bond that can uniquely bring men together for a common purpose.
v. 4: "Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his military gear, including his sword, his bow, and his belt." - Bible scholars regard Jonathan's actions in this verse (outside of Christ) to be one of the greatest examples in all of Scripture of self-humbling for the glory of God and the welfare of his people. What you need to see here is that when Jonathan took off his robe, with all his military paraphernalia, and handed it over to David, he was, in effect, abdicating his status as heir to the throne of Israel. Scholars also suggest that Jonathan's selfless actions likewise reflected his agreement and submission to Samuel's prophecy that Saul's dynasty as king was not destined to continue. (see, 1 Sam. 13:13-14). And the fact that Jonathan felt led to do this for man who was his junior by ten or more years makes it all the more remarkable.
v. 5a: "And David went into battle wherever Saul sent him, and always achieved success;" - David's mounting success as a warrior was a direct consequence of his unwavering commitment to serving God and his purposes above all else, as he poetically expressed in Psalm 119:9: "How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word." That says it all. AMEN?
v. 5b: "so Saul put him in charge of the men of war." In addition to David's personal successes in battle, God endowed him with wisdom and discernment which gave him leadership skills far advanced for a person of his age and experience, and his example motivated king Saul to gave him more responsibility and in turn, inspired many others to follow him into battle.
v. 5c: "And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants." - This didn't happen because David was a 'yes man' or 'a people pleaser;' he never used his growing fame as a tool to actively promote himself or seek popularity. In other words, David wasn't a politician. It happened solely because David was, as Paul would later testify, "a man after God's own heart" (Acts 13:22). All those around him, including other leaders at the highest levels, could plainly see the love, wisdom, and peace of God in him.
Synopsis of 1 Sam. 18:10-20:31 (skipped): The same godly virtues that made David popular caused Saul to become jealous and turn against him. On two occasions, Saul threw a javelin at David while he was playing the harp but David escaped both times. To keep a close eye on him, Saul even offered him either of his two daughters as wives, but David declined. Then later, after meeting Saul's bride price, which was actually designed to get David killed, he did actually marry Michal, who loved David in much the same way as Jonathan. Chapter 19 describes Saul's various attempts to get David killed in battles against the Philistines, but all of them failed. Saul sent people to David's home in Bethlehem to kill him, but Michal's intervention and warning allowed him to escape. Finally, in Chapter 20, we see Jonathan make a personal pledge to protect David from Saul's various efforts to kill him. There is where we come into the lesson verses.
Read 1 Sam. 20:35-39 - JONATHAN WENT OUT AT THE TIME AGREED.
35 Now it came about in the morning that Jonathan went out to the field at the time agreed upon with David, and a little boy was with him. 36 He said to his boy, "Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot." The boy ran, and he shot an arrow past him. 37 When the boy reached the location of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, "Is the arrow not beyond you?" 38 Then Jonathan called after the boy, "Hurry, be quick, do not stay!" And Jonathan's boy picked up the arrow and came to his master.
Note: In the verses immediately preceding these, we learn that David is hiding out of sight in a field. At the same time, Jonathan sits down to a meal with his father, king Saul, who demands to know David's where-a-bouts, and Jonathan informs him that he's gone to Bethlehem to see his brothers. Hearing this, Saul explodes in anger, telling him that as long as David lives, he would never be established as the future king. Saul is so enraged that he throws a spear at his own son but misses, at which point Jonathan got up and left. Clearly, Saul has sunk to the position of an unhinged tyrant.
v. 35: "Now it came about in the morning that Jonathan went out to the field at the time agreed upon with David, and a little boy was with him." - Previously, David had secretly met with Jonathan to discover why Saul was so intent upon killing him. At the time, David had yet to realize that God was preparing him to eventually succeed Saul as king. He was understandably confused. So, they worked out plan to let David know whether it was safe for him to return to the king's camp. By this time, Jonathan knows that his efforts to heal the breach between David and his father have failed.
v. 36: "He said to his boy, "Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot." The boy ran, and he shot an arrow past him." - Here, Jonathan is proceeding to communicate Saul's intentions to David in the manner they had previously planned.
vv. 37-38: "When the boy reached the location of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, "Is the arrow not beyond you? Then Jonathan called after the boy, "Hurry, be quick, do not stay!" And Jonathan's boy picked up the arrow and came to his master." - He probably used the young boy as his arrow retriever because he wouldn't ask embarrassing questions or understand what was happening. In the background of this, God is allowing David and Jonathan to say goodbye to one another face-to-face. This was the prearranged signal, telling David that Saul's heart had hardened, and it wasn't safe for him to return to the camp.
Read 1 Sam. 20:39-42 - SWORN TO EACH OTHER IN THE NAME OF THE LORD
39 But the boy was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter. 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, "Go, bring them to the city." 41 When the boy was gone, David got up from the south side, then he fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, until David wept immeasurably. 42 Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in safety, since we have sworn to each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.'" So David set out and went on his way, while Jonathan went into the city.
vv. 39-40: "But the boy was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter. 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, "Go, bring them to the city." - The boy, who has no idea what has transpired, is told by Jonathan to take is weapons and return to city. Jonathan is being very careful to conceal his true purpose.
v. 41a: "When the boy was gone, David got up from the south side, then he fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times." - Here, David comes out of hiding and approaches Jonathan for their final meeting. Despite being the LORD's anointed and despite that fact that Jonathan was his closest friend in the world, David fell to the ground and bowed to him out of respect for his position as crown prince. Jonathan had also protected him and steered him away from danger many times.
v. 41b: "And they kissed each other and wept together, until David wept immeasurably." Kissing between men was a common expression of love and affection on both the OT and the NT: Esau kissed Jacob when they reunited (Gen. 33:4) and Joseph kissed all his brothers when they met in Egypt (Gen. 45:14-15); and in 2 Cor. 13:11-12, Paul says to greet both Christian brothers and sisters with a "holy kiss." Anyone who tries to place a sexual connotation on this is completely off the mark. And men in those times-real men-were not afraid to cry, either out of joy or sadness.
v. 42a: "Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in safety, since we have sworn to each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.'" - This is a highly emotional statement: Saul's rebellion against God's will had rendered further face-to-face contact between David and Jonathan impossible. But in spite of this, Jonathan declared they would still be united in the LORD forever.
v. 42b: So David set out and went on his way, while Jonathan went into the city." This chapter reveals that both Saul and Jonathan realized that David was the LORD's anointed and would one day replace Saul. Ironically, their responses to this truth were opposite: Saul wanted to remain in power as king and appoint Jonathan as his successor; while, Jonathan wanted to see God's will done. Jonathan's personal integrity and godly character was so steadfast that he ended up choosing David, his natural rival, in preference over Saul, his natural father. We don't' cover it, but Michal, who married David, made the same choice. Sadly, 1 Sam. 31:6 later reports that Jonathan and his two brothers were killed in a battle against the Philistines, so that David never saw Jonathan again.
APPLICATION-Putting God First:
The example of Jonathan demonstrates the principle that pleasing God is more important than pleasing man. In spite of his position as heir to the throne of Israel and the fact that he was older, Jonathan recognized and accepted early-on in their relationship David that David was a man not only gifted by God, but completely committed to glorifying God and seeking His will, even at the riskl of his own life. Because Jonathan clearly knew that David was God's choice as Israel's future king, he subordinated himself to David's future kingship in one of the most self-effacing acts seen in all of Scripture (1 Sam. 18:3-4).
