FRIENDSHIP IN GOD

1 Samuel 20:1-17 / Keywords 20:17

And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

 

David and Jonathan

20:1 Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to kill me?”

2 “Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”

3 But David took an oath and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”

4 Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

5 So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. 6 If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’ 7 If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me. 8 As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”

9 “Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”

10 David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

11 “Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.

12 Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? 13 But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father. 14 But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, 15 and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.” 17 And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

1. After staying in Ramah with Samuel, David fled and sought Jonathan to find out why Saul wanted to kill him. Jonathan listened to his appeal and promised to do anything for David. So, David told him a plan to figure out Saul’s reaction to his absence, for the way he reacted would reveal his true intent toward David. Jonathan swore by the LORD that he would inform David about his father’s intentions so that David would know if it would be safe to go back to Saul’s service or not.

 

2. Jonathan and David were real friends in God. Their friendship was pure and was based on their love for God. Jonathan did not covet his father’s throne but valued faithfulness to David more. They made a covenant, swearing an oath to deal faithfully with each other. David kept this oath even after Jonathan’s death. It is a blessing to have such a friend we can trust and rely on in our time of need. Jesus is such a friend to us, for he calls us friends and laid down his life for us.

 

Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you for such a friendship to me, a sinner. Help me to be a trustworthy friend who values faithfulness more than personal gain.

One Word What a friend we have in Jesus!