296. SAUL'S JEALOUSY AND JONATHAN'S LOVE
"And Jonathan spake good of David unto his father".
The friendship between David and Jonathan is one of the closest revealed in Scripture. Jonathan was attracted to David when he displayed such absolute trust in God in his victory over Goliath. This was the same spirit as he himself had shown on an earlier occasion (1 Sam. 14:6). The basis of their friendship was a common love of Yahweh. Each was zealous for the hope of Israel and so were naturally drawn together. No pride or pettiness marred this friendship; each was willing to sacrifice for the other. In this they were like The Lord Jesus who laid down his life for his friends, whose friends we are if we do as he commanded (John 15:13-15; 1 John 3:16).
On the other hand the very success and popularity of David became a stumbling block to Saul. Success bred envy and the record portrays the pathetic sight of the King of Israel clothing himself with shame as he bends all his energies to shed innocent blood. "A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones" (Prov. 14:30). How dif ficult man finds the commandment, "Be kindly affectioned one toward another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another" (Rom. 12:10).
Our aim in this lesson will be to see a grand practical example of the basis of true friendship.
1 Samuel 18 to 20
DAVID AND JONATHAN DRAWN TOGETHER (1 Sam. 18:1-4).
Despite his princely status and seniority, Jonathan was attracted by David's outstanding faith and love of Yahweh: "The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." The Hebrew word "was knit" is also used to describe the deep af fection Jacob had for Joseph (Gen. 44:30). Even Saul could not help be ing impressed by the comeliness of David and desired that he should re main permanently in his court (v. 2).
Following the defeat of Goliath, Jonathan and David entered into a solemn covenant of friendship. Jonathan stripped himself of the symbols of his high office, his robe, "and his armour, and even his bow and his girdle" (R.S.V.). So it was then that in the midst of the nobility of Saul's court, David was encouraged by the self-effacing love of one who "esteemed other better than himself" (Phil. 2:3). The heir to the throne of Saul acknowledged that God had prepared a man greater than himself to rule His people.
SUCCESS BREEDS ENVY (1 Sam. 18:5-11).
Under God's guiding hand, David went from strength to strength. Ap pointed general over Saul's men of war, he was accepted by the army, the people and Saul's servants. No-one seemed resentful or jealous of him (v. 5). As recorded in 1 Samuel 16:21, "Saul loved him greatly".
But David's growing popularity cast its shadow over Saul's life. As the victorious Israelites led by David returned home triumphant, the women of Israel came out to meet them, dancing and singing, "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands". Saul's jealousy was arous ed. Samuel had made it plain to him that Yahweh would rend the kingdom from him and give it to a neighbour better than him (cp. 13:13-14; 15:28). This dark foreboding which he had nurtured silently for years suddenly became a reality and his jealousy centered itself upon David: "What can he have more BUT THE KINGDOM?" said Saul (v. 8). For years no doubt he would have watched for the successor God said would come. Now he had a growing suspicion that it was David, the peo ple's favourite.
Saul eyed David from that day forward (v. 9). The love he had for David turned into sour hatred. As the fear that David would succeed him grew in his mind, Saul became more erratic. The following day he was very disturbed. As David played the harp to relieve his depression, Saul suddenly lifted up his javelin and twice hurled it at David, intending to pin him with it to the wall. But David weaved aside (vv. 10-11).
SAUL PLOTS FOR DAVID'S DEATH (1 Sam. 18:12-30).
Notwithstanding these threats to his life, David remained at court. Then Saul conceived a plot whereby the Philistines would be his execu tioners. He offered David, Merab, his eldest daughter, to be his wife on the condition that he be valiant and "fight Yahweh'S battles." He sent him from the court to the battlefield, where, instead of being killed, he acquitted himself well € but Saul's marriage arrangement for David was dishonoured (v. 19).
Almost immediately however, another opportunity presented itself. Told that his younger daughter, Michal, was in love with David, Saul once more plotted David's death. Saul would this time give David his daughter, conditional only upon him providing Saul a dowry of 100 foreskins of the Philistines (vv. 20-25). "Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines" (v. 25), but David went forth, slew 200 Philistines, brought back a double dowry to the king and claimed Michal as his wife (vv. 26-27). David was now son-in-law to the king but, more than that, everything he did prospered. Saul's enmity knew no bounds and all the while, even in the most difficult circumstances, "David behav ed himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was precious" (v. 30 mg).
Saul presents a pathetic figure as the victim of his own pride and refusal to accept the appointment of God. He knew that God was with David (vv. 12, 28), but would not grant him the respect and honour this called for. Why? The demon of disguised pride had blinded his eyes, and as such he was the hopeless victim of envy, fear (v. 29), wrath (v. 8) and folly.
PROTECTION FROM JONATHAN (1 Sam. 19:1-7).
The more popular David became, the more intense was Saul's hatred and determination to slay him. He even confided his intention to Jonathan, who immediately revealed this confidence to David and set about protecting him (vv. 2-3). He interceded for him with the king, chiding his father for his injustice. He demanded an end to the persecu tion of David, and extracted from his father an oath before God that David would not be slain (vv. 4-6). It was a most generous action by Jonathan for it could have cost him his own standing before his father. His action revealed the mark of true understanding and love. So David returned and was reinstated in the position he formerly held (v. 7).
DAVID FLEES TO SAMUEL (1 Sam. 19:8-24).
All this time Saul's insanity was becoming progressively worse. When war once more erupted and David returned victorious, it was too much for the king. This time he sought to transfix David to the wall with his javelin, but David fled from his court (vv. 8-10). David went to his home but Michal advised him to leave immediately. She let him down through a window. She was a cunning woman and devised a stratagem, viz., of hiding an image in David's bed, whereby she could excuse herself when the messenger first came. She pretended that David was sick in bed. When they returned from Saul to take David in bed, she alleged that David had in the meantime threatened her life and so she had no alter native but to let him go (vv. 11-17).
Meanwhile David fled to Samuel in desperation. When Saul learnt of his whereabouts he sent messengers to take David, but the Spirit of God forbad them and turned them from captors into prophets. Three times the hand of God intervened to forestall the intentions of Saul. Then he himself went and the same thing happened. Prophesying he came before Samuel to Naioth in Raman, where he laid down naked "all that day and all that night", an evident token of the folly of his purposes (vv. 18-24).
COMFORT FROM JONATHAN (1 Sam. 20).
David gained a brief respite while Saul prophesied. To whom now could he turn? Only Jonathan. So he returned to Gibeah where he sought Jonathan. Why, he pleaded, did Saul seek his life? It is here that the generous and guileless character of Jonathan shines through, for even now he was unprepared to believe that his father would break his oath and be guilty of a settled plan of destruction against David (vv. 1-3).
The friends agreed upon a plan to test Saul's intentions. The feast of the new moon, at which all close relatives were to be in attendance, was nigh at hand. David was obliged to attend the feast held in Saul's court, but he would absent himself with Jonathan's permission on the basis of keeping a family feast at Bethlehem. He would remain in the field until receiving Jonathan's message, either to flee or to stay, which would be in-dicated by shooting arrows on the near side or far side respectively of the rock Ezel (meaning "departure"). It is notable that David's ultimate triumph was accepted by Jonathan without question. All he asked for was David's continued kindness to himself and his children when he became king, and this was made the subject of a covenant between them (vv. 14-17).
The plan was put into operation. From the outset Scripture records Saul's murderous intentions (vv. 25-26). On the second day, Jonathan's defense of David put his father in a rage. "Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman", said Saul, "Do not I know that thou has chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die" (vv. 30-31).
Jonathan tried to reason with his father but to no avail. Saul was so angry that he cast a javelin at him and Jonathan left, burning with fierce anger, refusing to eat, terribly grieved in heart because his father had disgraced David (cp. v. 34 R.S.V.).
The following morning Jonathan's arrow sped past the stone of "departure" and thereby David was given the pre-arranged signal to flee. So, full of grief, the two friends parted, never to see each other again ex cept for a brief encounter when later Saul pursued David and Jonathan secretly visited him to strengthen him in Yahweh and to renew the cove nant between them (23:16-18).
Jonathan's outstanding loyalty kept him at his father's side. David was now an outcast and sought refuge from his pursuer. During his exile David determined that he would wait patiently upon God, and not under any circumstances lift up his hand against Yahweh's anointed.
THE BASIS OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP.
When later Jonathan was slain by the Philistines, David lamented and said, "Thy love for me was wonderful, passing the love of women" (2 Sam. 1:26). This was so because the basis of true friendship is a common love for the things of God. The two friends had one thing in common € an intense unwavering belief in the God of Israel, to keep and to save all that trust in Him. It was this that surmounted the barriers of age, wealth and rank between them and that made them "one".
The substance of true friendship is the same today. Friends play a big part in our lives and they influence us for good or evil. We should choose friends in the Truth as our companions. Those who love and obey The Lord Jesus are his "friends" and, like Jonathan and David, they will not fail us in times of trouble. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers" (2 Cor. 6:14).
LESSONS FOR US:
€ Jonathan as heir apparent had most to lose by David's succession to the throne of Israel. Yet he willingly stepped aside, pleading the preserva tion of his posterity and the right to serve David personally in the Kingdom.
€ He was a shining example of the love in Christ Jesus commended to the Philippians: "Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves" (Phil. 2:3).
€ Jonathan's love displayed the kindred virtues of faithfulness and loyal ty, hopefulness, generosity, self-forgetfulness, humility and courage (cp. 1 Cor. 13:1-13).
€ In spite of Saul's unreasonable and erratic behaviour, both Jonathan and David respected him as God's anointed.
€ Jealousy unrestrained will eat out the heart of a man so that he becomes consumed by it, just as Saul became consumed by his envy of David (Prov. 6:34).
€ Our friendship should be with those who honour the God of Israel.
REFERENCE LIBRARY:
"The Ways of Providence" (R. Roberts) € Chapter 15.
"The Story of the Bible" (H. P. Mansfield) € Vol. 3, No. 9
"The Man David" (H. Tennant) € Pages 32-45
PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:
1. Why did Saul envy David? What causes envy and how can it be over come?
2. Describe briefly two events in which Saul plotted to have David kill ed.
3. How did Jonathan try to help David when his father sought to kill him?
4. What is the basis of true friendship? How is this illustrated in the case of David and Jonathan?
ESSAY QUESTIONS:
1. Why did Saul seek the death of David? How did he try and bring it about?
2. How can the example of David and Jonathan help us to choose our friends?
3. Write a character study of Jonathan.
4. Contrast the characters of Jonathan and Saul as revealed in their at titude to David.