Jonathan Helps David
- Jonathan was always willing to help his friend David in spite of the cost.
As we go through this lesson, note how frequently the relationship between David and Jonathan was addressed.
1 Samuel 20:1-17 NLT
20:1 David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. “What have I done?” he exclaimed. “What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?”
2 “That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “You’re not going to die. He always tells me everything he’s going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t so!”
3 Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won’t tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?’ But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the Lord and by your own soul!”
4 “Tell me what I can do to help you,” Jonathan exclaimed.
5 David replied, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I’ve always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day. 6 If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice. 7 If he says, ‘Fine!’ you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, you will know he is determined to kill me. 8 Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend—for we made a solemn pact before the Lord—or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!”
9 “Never!” Jonathan exclaimed. “You know that if I had the slightest notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once.”
10 Then David asked, “How will I know whether or not your father is angry?”
11 “Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together. 12 Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know. 13 But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the Lord strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live. May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father. 14 And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, 15 treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.”
16 So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David saying, “May the Lord destroy all your enemies!” 17 And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.
Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 20:1-17 NLT
Jonathan Helps David
- Jonathan was always willing to help his friend David in spite of the cost.
In our previous lesson Saul was pursuing David. He wanted to kill David, but God prevented this from happening.
20:1 David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. “What have I done?” he exclaimed. “What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?”
As he was fleeing from Saul, David found Jonathan.
David wanted to know why Saul was so determined to kill him.
- David was wondering if he had done something wrong that had provoked Saul’s hatred.
We sometimes doubt our own actions.
2 “That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “You’re not going to die. He always tells me everything he’s going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t so!”
- Jonathan was naïve about his father’s intentions.
Jonathan appeared to be convinced that his father was not seeking to kill David.
Jonathan may not have known about Saul’s recent attempts on David’s life (Refer to previous lesson.) or he may have been in a state of denial.
Jonathan was probably remembering his recent conversation with his father. (1 Samuel 19:6 NLT) 6 So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed.”
3 Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won’t tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?’
David took an oath in order to emphasize the seriousness of the situation.
But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the Lord and by your own soul!”
- David knew that Saul wanted to kill him, and wanted to convince Jonathan of the seriousness of Saul’s intentions.
4 “Tell me what I can do to help you,” Jonathan exclaimed.
- As always, Jonathan was committed to helping David.
More about this in verse 8
5 David replied, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival.
The first day of each month, referred to as the New Moon” was celebrated with a sacrificial meal.
Numbers 28:11-15 NLT
The Monthly Offerings (from the community)
11 “On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the Lord of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 12 These must be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram, 13 and two quarts with each lamb. This burnt offering will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 14 You must also present a liquid offering with each sacrifice: two quarts of wine for each bull, a third of a gallon for the ram, and one quart for each lamb. Present this monthly burnt offering on the first day of each month throughout the year.
15 “On the first day of each month, you must also offer one male goat for a sin offering to the Lord. This is in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering.
I’ve always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day.
- David normally celebrated the new moon festival with the king. (11 months out of the year.)
- David believed that Saul would try again to kill him again if showed up at the king’s table.
6 If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice.
Apparently, David’s family held an annual family reunion that coincided with one of the monthly new moon celebrations.
1 Samuel 20:28-29 NLT
28 Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.”
David (and Jonathan) lied about his intensions.
7 If he says, ‘Fine!’ you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, you will know he is determined to kill me.
8 Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend—
Here David appeals to Jonathan as a sworn friend.
David is relying on the faithfulness of a covenant partner.
(The relationship between David and Jonathan is being addressed.)
for we made a solemn pact before the Lord—
1 Samuel 18:1-4 NLT
18:1 After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. 2 From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. 3 And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.
- When David first met Jonathan, there was an immediate bond between the two young men. Now David is referring back to the “solemn pact” that was made at that time.
We discussed this in previous lessons.
Clearly this was a result of God’s intervention.
This bond clearly came from the Lord.
Addition verses about friendships:
Proverbs 20:6 NLT
6 Many will say they are loyal friends,
but who can find one who is truly reliable?
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT
9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
John 15:12-13 NLT
12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Proverbs 17:17 NLT
17 A friend is always loyal,
Proverbs 27:17 NLT
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so a friend sharpens a friend.
- Jonathan was a true friend and true friends are faithful in times of adversity.
Jonathan continues to be David’s best friend, even when he knows David, not him, will be the next king of Israel.
This pact between David and Jonathan appears again in verses 17 & 42:
17 And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.
42 At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.
This solemn pact was repeated in 1 Samuel 23:18
1 Samuel 23:18 NLT
18 So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.
or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!”
David asked Jonathan to kill him, if he had in fact sinned against Saul.
David always recognized Saul as “the Lord’s anointed king” and David never wanted to do anything that would harm the king.
David did not want Jonathan to betray him to Saul.
David wanted to die at the hand of his friend rather than at the hand of his enemy.
- David always recognized Saul as “the Lord’s anointed king”.
- David had temporarily lost sight of God’s promise that he would rule over Israel.
9 “Never!” Jonathan exclaimed. “You know that if I had the slightest notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once.”
10 Then David asked, “How will I know whether or not your father is angry?”
11 “Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together. 12 Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know.
Jonathan then suggested a plan by which he could communicate Saul’s intentions with David without revealing David’s location.
13 But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the Lord strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live.
- By this point in time Jonathan clearly understood the seriousness of this situation.
May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father.
This was amazing insight on Jonathan’s part. Somehow Jonathan knew that David had received the blessing from God that his father once had. It appears that Jonathan knew here what he verbalized in chapter 23:
1 Samuel 23:17 NLT
17 … You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.”
- Jonathan knew that David had received the blessing from God that his father once had.
14 And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, 15 treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.”
Jonathan was reminding David of their loyalty to each other as sworn friends.
In the Old Testament, is was not uncommon for a newly appointed king to kill all of the living relatives of the previous king.
- Jonathan reminded David of their loyalty to each other as sworn friends.
Later in 2 Samuel chapter 9 David demonstrated that he, in fact, would honor Jonathan’s request.
2 Samuel 9 NLT
David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
9:1 One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked.
“Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied.
3 The king then asked him, “Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.”
Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
“In Lo-debar,” Ziba told him, “at the home of Makir son of Ammiel.”
5 So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home. 6 His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, “Greetings, Mephibosheth.”
Mephibosheth replied, “I am your servant.”
7 “Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!”
16 So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David saying, “May the Lord destroy all your enemies!”
This would include Jonathan’s father Saul.
Again, Jonathan was looking out for David’s welfare.
- Jonathan continued to look out for David’s welfare.
17 And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.
Jonathan needed to be reassured that their vow of friendship was still intact.
