Jonathan and David, A Noble Friendship
CLASS 4 ISSUES
Study Scripture: 1 Samuel 18:1 – 4; 20: 16 – 17, 32 – 34, 42;
2 Samuel 1: 26 – 27; 21:7
Background Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:55-58; 18:1-30;
2 Samuel 1: 26 – 27; 21:7
Lesson #3 June 20, 2026
Key Verse
And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.
1 Samuel 20:42
INTRODUCTION
Do you prefer to be alone? Is this by choice or is it because you have had many bad experiences in your relationships? Do modern psychologists say it is good to be alone and if you are a “loner” it is not a good sign of a healthy mind? What does the Bible say about friendships and a lack of good friends/
This Lesson Study examines these and other issues on friendship for this issue is worth examining. It looks at the concept of covenant and what is involved in a covenant relationship. It contrasts a covenant between humans and the covenant God made with His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We will see
- The inevitable consequences of false human choices. These choices are shown to have much more serious and long-lasting effects than one would normally think.
- It therefore makes clear the ways of love and the ways of envy. It therefore contains a powerful message that we had better take heed of these matters as we live our Christian life and profess that we are children of God.
- It introduces us to the dangers of a life of passion.
- It introduces us to the inner conflicts, encouragement, and the guidance of God as He prepares one of His Saints for their future. It is therefore made clear whether we like it or not, that when God calls any of His children, God has a purpose and a plan for spiritual maturity which involves not only the sweet but also the bitter. These conflicts await us all, and the first rule is that we must learn to obey, for the trials that the Sovereign purpose of God brings to us is for our benefit.
- We will now see what friendship means, and what the word “neighbour” means.
The word Covenant means “two or more parties will come together to make a contract, agreeing on promises, stipulations, privileges, and responsibilities. In religious and theological circles….it is used variously in Biblical contexts. In political situations, it can be translated treaty; in a social setting, it means a lifelong friendship agreement; or it can refer to a marriage”.
The Bible comments on how this covenant idea was used:
“When Abimelech and Isaac decided to settle their land dispute, they made a binding agreement, league, or covenant to live in peace. An oath confirmed it (Genesis 26: 26-31). Joshua and the Gibeonites bound themselves, by oath, to live in peace together (Joshua 9: 15), although Yahweh commanded that Israel was not to bind themselves to the people living in the land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:2; Judges 2:2). Solomon and Hiram made a binding agreement to live and work in peace together (1 Kings 5:12). A friendship bond was sealed by oath between David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:3, 1 Samuel 20: 16-17). Marriage is a bond (covenant) for life.
The covenants referred to above were between two equal parties; this means that the covenant relationship was bilateral. That bond was sealed by both parties vowing, often by oath, that each, having equal privileges and responsibilities, would carry out their assigned roles”.
We are now faced with a need that all human beings have, and that is the need for friendship. The Bible therefore has important verses about friendships and the characteristics of friendship, telling us what it means to be a friend to someone.
The Scriptures therefore tell us that biblical friendship is an important part of life and so we are looking at a story today in our Lesson Study which gives us a guide as to how we can build biblical friendships.
We will therefore look at how the friendship of Jonathan and David started and on what it was based, and we will examine the ground, the basis of their friendship. We will also see how these two friends devised a plan to test the intentions of an enemy of David that intended to kill him. This enemy of David turned out to be the father of Jonathan, one of the two men involved in a “covenant of friendship”.
We will for our benefit therefore have to examine the role of intentional friendship in our life based on the fact that we need biblical friendships.
This is very important for every human being because one study in the United States American Sociological Review lamented on the loss in quality and quantity of close friendships. As far back as 1985 the Review stated that 25% of Americans have no close confidants, and the average total number of confidants had dropped from each person from 4 to 2. But since then the situation has gotten much worse and that country as well as others all over the world are in pretty bad shape when it comes to them having someone to depend on during the hard times of life and have someone to share the joys of life with. Some societies are in better shape than the North American society for their culture insist on close family and friendship relationships, but even they report an alarming deterioration in family loyalty, tribal loyalty, and friendships.
So our Study wants you to ask yourself the question as to who you can turn to and who you will be able to trust.
God says that you need friendships and He desires you to have friendships and so you need to give thought about your intentions about building friendships and seeking close confidants.
It will be helpful to see what the Dictionary Wikipedia says friendship should demonstrate and the qualities it should show on a consistent basis.
- The desire for what is best for the other
- Sympathy and empathy
- Honesty or speaking truth even about perceived faults.
- Mutual understanding and compassion.
- Trust in one another’s expressed feelings with fear of being judged
- Having equal “give and take”.
Those qualities sound quite attractive and human history is filled with stories of great friendships. These stories of great friendships are very attractive for the idea of friendship is attractive. We want friends. Several thousand years ago Cicero, a Roman statesman and author tells us of the story of Damon and Pythias. We quote from one writer about this story:
“Pythias was a young statesman in Rome who got into trouble with the government and was condemned to die. While he was awaiting execution, He indicated a desire to go home to his family and bid farewell to them. Is friend, Damon, took his place in prison as security for him while he was gone. The Emperor, Dionysus, was so touched by this display of friendship that he granted them both a pardon, with the proviso that they include him in the secret of their friendship. I think we can understand why Dionysus would feel that way, for we too would like to know the secret of friendship”.
There are of course several different words in Hebrew and in Greek for love and they all have different meanings. We all know about Agape love which translated literally means affection, as in “Greet with affection”. This is an Action word and so the famous philosopher Thomas Aquinas described Agape love as “ to will the good of another”.
This is the word that is used in Christian circles for the love that God has for human beings, but we must note that there are other words for love and affection with each representing a different emotional, psychological, or social connection, and these words try to capture the nuances of human relationships. So in Greek words we find the word Philia, which means ‘ affection in regard, friendship, usually “between equals”. It is a dispassionate virtuous love. In Aristotle’s Nicomachean ethics, philia is expressed variously as loyalty to friends (“brotherly love”), family, and community. It requires virtue, equality, and familiarity”.
In Hebrew, we will often see the word ‘Chesed, often translated as “loving kindness” or “steadfast love”. This describes covenantal love—mercy, unwavering loyalty, and grace.
It is the unconditional promise of faithfulness, frequently used to describe God’s eternal relationship with Israel”, states one Dictionary.
The Context of our Lesson Story tells us that David was somewhat of a country bumpkin who grew up in the rural areas in Israel, and given his situation did not have anything resembling Royal clothing and apparel or even weapons.
He came to fame because he fearlessly faced Goliath the champion of the Philistines, and based on his firm belief in the power of God killed Goliath and saved Israel from military disaster. All the armies of Israel and the king Saul and his son Jonathan were terribly afraid of Goliath but David was not afraid of Goliath and he faced Goliath and defeated him
This affected Jonathan in a very deep way. Jonathan was a mighty warrior and we know that he had several times sneaked off to provoke and fight the enemies of Israel and was successful in doing that. Jonathan was Saul’s son and heir to Saul’s throne. Chapter 13 describes the activities of Jonathan.
The Scriptures use the word “soul” to describe Jonathan’s reaction to David. David was victorious, in a magnificent way and King Saul who had been chosen by the people to lead them was impressed. Not only was Saul impressed but all the people including Saul’s family fell in love with David.
We read in 1 Samuel 18:1-4 no less than three times in three verses the word “soul” is used:
“As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.
Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David,, and his armor and he even his sword and his bow and his belt”..
Note that by giving him those gifts Jonathan, a man who was a powerful soldier who led the armies of Israel, by giving David his robe, his armor, and his weapons, he was symbolically renouncing the right to the throne of his father and granting it to David.
Jonathan was clearly a man of God and he as a proud soldier and defender of Israel knew that Samuel in 1 Samuel 15: 27- 28 had told Saul that the kingdom was being torn from him and was being given to his neighbour.
One writer tells us therefore that Jonathan’s actions represent another tear in the robe of Saul’s kingdom and this led of course to Saul’s hatred of David and a series of events to kill David and thwart the purposes and plans of God.
God had called Samuel and given him several titles such as Judge, a Prophet, a Seer, and a Teacher, and all Israel depended on him to administer justice and reconnect the twelve tribes that had separated from each other during the time of the Judges. Israel recognized that Samuel was God’s spokesman and so Israel came to Samuel and demanded that Samuel give them a King like the other nations had.
Note however that no prophet, priest, pastor or pope in the world can create a King, for God alone directs history, and so it is clear that the elders of Israel were dishonouring the Lord when they treated Samuel as if he were a king- maker. These people could easily see that the nations around them had harsh and generally uncaring rulers and there was chaos for the actions of tyrants are quite predictable. But the elders of Israel foolishly wanted someone like that for themselves, for they thought that a tyrant would offer them security and temporary benefits. Despite God warning the people were being foolish, God directed Samuel to give them what they demanded if they rejected the warning. They would then have to live with the consequences.
In line with the desires of their flesh which was now clearly leading them to a choice in defiance to the known will of God, God gave the people what can only be called the “People’s Choice”.
Let us therefore remind ourselves of the motivations which lead to the kind of choices that we make in leadership and throughout our Personal life. Maybe we all without exception will learn good lessons from this Study.
So Saul was selected. He was the son of Kish, a very rich and obviously powerful man with all the security that comes with wealth. Saul’s name meant “prayed for” or “desired” and so his father seemed to be somewhat religious for he chose a word which literally meant ‘excellent’. God had blessed Saul for he was the tallest, handsome, most muscular in the nation, and quite rich. He was on appearances a natural leader. The people would easily accept someone like that.
But he had some serious weaknesses for though he looked good we note from the account when we first met him in 1 Samuel 9:3-27 he had been sent off with servants to find some missing donkeys and when they couldn’t find them a servant had to point out to Saul that there was a prophet in Israel named Samuel and they should go to find out from him where the lost donkeys were. Saul was clearly unaware of Samuel’s existence and his role as prophet and so we see that he had some serious spiritual weaknesses. He remained focused on finding the lost animals. His interests and capabilities are obviously quite small. When Samuel introduced him as the chosen king he did not seem to understand what was happening to him and he went and hid himself among the baggage and God had to reveal where he was hiding to the people so that they could run and bring him out for his coronation.
We are not therefore surprised when his judgments proved to be terrible, his policies foolish, and as one writer says
“His attempts at spiritual leadership misguided. Saul couldn’t deal with his own growing jealousy and madness. He couldn’t rule himself; he couldn’t rule his nation; and finally he died at his own hand without honour.
Saul’s failures are familiar. What he was on the inside never matched what he looked like on the outside. He couldn’t live up to the expectations created by his appearance. And Saul knew he was a nobody. He did not have either personal or spiritual ambitions, an ordinary farmer who happened to be tall and good-looking”.
Now as we study this Lesson you might be thinking why God would have given him this assignment that he could not live up to. But we have been told over and over again that this is our condition. It is God’s right and prerogative to give us responsibility even if we do not want it. Even if He puts us in a family that is not great, and which did not teach us how to love and to bear the burdens of life it is His right. All you have to do is to go down on our knees and ask for help. Saul had never done that and had never admitted that he was not the man he appeared to be. There was no humility. There was only brazen behaviour.
So before you get any wrong ideas and blame God we all must note now that God provided remarkably magnificent and powerful help for Saul. So don’t you forget that God has provided magnificent help for you!
God had provided the great prophet and teacher Samuel on which he could have relied for mentoring. God had also provided a remarkable son in Jonathan who was clearly a remarkably strong believer in God and who was so smart and well behaved and a great warrior that the people loved him. Then God provided a remarkable friend in David who clearly loved Saul and who was patient with Saul and respected the anointing he had received from God despite his wicked behaviour. David was a great warrior and willing to fight the battle against Goliath which was clearly a battle that Saul and Jonathan should have fought. David would fight for Saul at every stage.
So note that when God calls you He already knows your weaknesses and He has already provided all the help that you need. He has given you the Holy Spirit, He has given you friends and brethren around you, and His angels have encamped around you.
So now we will look at what friendship really is and how the people of God should love, be friends with each other, and should relate to each other.
With friendships that you form make sure you are not fighting against the will of God or the commandments of God.
Do not be like Saul but be instead like Jonathan and David.
Ask yourself the question, Who is your friend? Why is that person your friend?
What would you like to do with your friends? How do you help your friends?
THE TEXT
1 Samuel 18:1 – 4; 20: 16 – 17, 32 – 34, 42
We must now keep in mind the Providence of God, that is, how God runs His government of the world and all human events.
Also bear in mind the most beautiful and touching song of praise that David addressed Jonathan when Jonathan died.
We should also bear in mind that Saul as well as Jonathan knew that because of Saul’s behaviour he and his descendants would be removed from being Kings in Israel. It was David that was appointed for that role as the new king. Yet Jonathan was the penultimate friend to David to the point that he was willing to give up his rights, or the rights that his father thought he had to protect and nurture David.
The extent of that friendship was staggering but it is a friendship that believers must have for each other.
Believers are warned against the terrible sin of envy and jealousy which is altogether too common in the church of God.
Verses 1-2. David had come forward to fight against the enemy Goliath. The king-Saul, his son Jonathan, and the mighty men of Israel including David’s own brothers had been too fearful to defend the honour of God. But David was not afraid of Goliath for he depended on the power of God to work and destroy the enemy. When David defeated Goliath the grateful army of Israel pursued the Philistines and destroyed them. David took the head of Goliath and brought it to Saul and was then properly introduced to King Saul by Abner the commander of the armies of Israel.
Our Lesson in this verse begins, for now the rich and powerful King Saul, the “People’s choice” who had really failed in his duty as king to fight the battles of Israel as the elders of Israel had told the prophet Samuel their desired king would do, met David and had a conversation with him to find out who he really was.
So this tragic figure apparently reacted in a entirely utilitarian fashion to David for his only concern seem to be how he could profit from the military skill and power of David. He did not want to give up David to go back to his father’s house but he now wanted a son to fight for him though this would be a son for whom he felt no affection.
The warning of God through Samuel was now coming to pass. Israel had been warned that the king would take the people’s daughters and sons and property to make himself better off and not necessarily make the people better off.
But while Saul remained aloof and uncaring, the soul of Saul’s son Jonathan was knit or bonded to the soul of David.
It does seem quite instructive that when David said that he would face the giant Philistine warrior Goliath that Saul offered David his armour and weapon to help him in the fight but now after his success there was no real offer of rich royal clothing. He seemed to forget that he had promised that any warrior who killed Goliath would have his eldest daughter’s hand in marriage and that warrior’s family would forever pay no taxes.
We should now ask you the question whether your soul is knit or bonded to the soul of Jesus the son of David!
Verse 3. But it was Jonathan whose soul was knit to the soul of David and who because of this knitting of his own soul to David’s soul because of love thus made a covenant with David.
Now it is to be noted that this is not first time in history we have seen stories of great friendships. We noted above and we repeats this story from the writings of the Roman Cicero of the story of Damon and Pythias where we read of a young statesman in Rome named Pythias who was condemned to die and wanted to go home to his family to bid farewell to them before he died. His great friend Damon took his place in prison as security for Pythias to guarantee his return to face death. The Emperor Dionysus was so impressed by this display of friendship that he pardoned both of them under condition that they include him in the secret of their friendship.
So now we are looking at the story of David and Jonathan which tells us about a very warm and intimate relationship. But it also tells us the secret of their friendship or how they became friends.
After David without fear and with his absolute trust in God took on himself the responsibility to kill Goliath despite the odds, the friendship between David and the mighty swashbuckling warrior Jonathan started with a natural attraction when he heard David talk in his conversation with Saul. Jonathan obviously realized that David thought the same way he did for we know that later on Jonathan displayed that great fearlessness and against great odds would fight the enemy. Read Chapter 14: 1-15 for Jonathan’s fearless exploit.
Both these men were willing to die and with valour entrust themselves to the Lord no matter what it might cost. Jonathan himself had said, “The Lord will deliver, whether by many or by few”.
So the friendship started with some sort of attraction for both of them thought the same way, liked the same things, and recognized that they were both interested in following God and doing God’s will and had the same perspective on life.
Note however that this initial attraction was taken to the next step to sustain friendship for Jonathan committed himself to David.
We know when we say we are friends we do not necessarily have friends for we have not chosen to commit and so the essence of friendship which is “giving” does not exist. We recall that Jesus said,
“Greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life (literally his soul) for his friend”.
One writer discloses for our understanding what is involved here and states:
“The question Jonathan asked was this: “What is the one thing David needs which I can give out of my person?” He wanted to give of himself.
That is the basis of all friendship. Therefore a friendship is not something which necessarily happens to me; it is something which I initiate toward someone else. My friend is not the person who meets my needs; my friend is the person whose needs I meet.
Therefore I can never say I have no friends. When we say that we betray the fact that we do not really understand what a friend is. We tend to think of a friend in terms of someone who will listen to me, someone who will talk to me when I’m lonely, or someone who will look at things my way.
And it is true, if we look at life in this way, that we may never have many friends. What if we see that the key to friendship is giving, and that my friend is the one whose need I meet, then I have no ends of friends. I have hundreds of friends, because there is no end of people who have needs to be met.
The Old Testament concept of a friend is tied to the idea of a neighbour. As a matter of fact, the two Hebrew words are exactly the same. Your friend is your neighbour. We think of our neighbour as the person who lives next door to us. But that is not a neighbour as the Old Testament understands it.
My neighbour is the next person I meet who has a need. That is why the rich young ruler asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus responded by telling the story of the Good Samaritan, the point of which is that the next person you meet who has a need is your neighbour.
This sets us free from going out and looking for friends everywhere, in the sense that we look for someone to minister to us, and then we feel depressed and sorry for ourselves because we don’t find that kind of friend. In biblical terms, that is not my friend. My friend is a person who has the need, and whose need I can meet by pouring out my soul to him”.
So the covenant was made between Jonathan and David. There was a lot of affection. A bond was created.
Verse 4. What is fundamentally important is that Jonathan stripped himself of his robe and gave it to David. He even gave him his sword, bow, and belt. He knew that this poor shepherd boy from the hills did not have the proper kind of clothes to wear in the royal court and did not have any weapons of his own. So because of love, the bond, and the covenant Jonathan filled the need that David had.
As a result of this David became very successful. When Saul sent him to fight or to do any kind of work he did this wisely. The people came to love him and the Army accepted him. Saul’s servants came to love and respect David.
You can now understand why despite these loyal and efficient works by David Saul’s animosity grew and his hatred and envy multiplied especially when the welcoming women celebrated the death of Goliath and the slaughter of the Philistines by saying
“Saul has slain his thousands ,
And David his ten thousands”.
So Saul looked on David with more and more suspicion and was afraid of David especially when the Lord had departed from Saul because of Saul’s disobedience. Saul now regarded David as the usurper despite the fact that he knew God had removed him and appointed David. Saul still regarded his eldest son Jonathan as the rightful heir to the throne as being careless, and selfless about his own goals and purposes in life, only wanting to magnify David.
The flames of envy now raged, but only in Saul. Hatred and envy which started in the mind developed into murder. Saul wanted David to fight his battles but yet first secretly but then openly he wanted to murder him. But this of course contrasted with the covenant love and friendship of Jonathan which burned brighter and brighter.
Verse 5. Note that David prospered because of the ministry of Jonathan in his life for Jonathan’s friendship and his desire to elevate David and equip him for life in the court was pivotal to his success in life.
The covenant made Jonathan the reconciler mending relations between David and Saul.
He was an intercessor on behalf of David, healing relationships though it would have been easy for him to take his father’s side and be critical of David and remain silent at his father’s criticism.
We should note that when we fall into the same trap it is a shameful thing. We sometimes remain silent in the face of the strong and powerful personalities who criticize the brothers or sisters. When we do that, we know that we are not friends of others and we are not giving to others.
Be careful therefore that your love for friends is not defective. One interesting statement that was made of the typical friendship is,
” They begin to love late, they cease early, they love little”.
1 Samuel 20: 16 – 17, 32 – 34, 42
The Bible in a few places demonstrate what a friendship is like. In this case, between David and Jonathan, this friendship, or brotherhood shows how men who see God as their King, support each other, even over family bonds.
Verse 16 & 17.
Verses 9 to 16 have an interesting dialogue between Jonathan and David. It is common knowledge that in these times when a royal house is replaced by another, the new rulers typically killed all potential rulers from the old royal house. This was the political dynamic that existed between Jonathan’s family and David’s family. This case is different than most as Jonathan knew that the will of God was that David and his family would take the throne of Israel and rule.
He accepted that, but wished that David, if possible, within any power that he had, would not kill or mistreat any of his descendants like those other rulers, as they were friends, perhaps brothers, not of blood, but have chosen to be brothers.
They made a pact between them that they would look after each other. Jonathan agreed to care for David in the face of Saul’s threat and David agreed to care for Jonathan and his family in the future (fulfillment of the promise is seen in 2 Samuel 9:1 – 8 and 21:7).
Jonathan’s request to David to look after his family, his children was one made to a dear friend. It was clear to him that he may not survive to see David advance to the throne, but he trusted David completely, and should he not survive trying to keep David safe, he knew that his earnest appeal to David to oversee the safety of his children would be honoured.
Jonathan swore an oath that he would do his best to safeguard David and his people from his father Saul, on penalty of death if he did not.
He also perhaps knowing some the people who were under David’s command, that at some point they may be tempted to act against Jonathan and his family also made David to swear an oath that he would not let any harm befall them because of King Saul.
This task was possible as the friendship they shared wasn’t based on self of any kind. Each one had the best interests of the other above their own lives. The reason for this loyalty was because of love.
The Bible says that he loved him as he loved his own soul, and therefore Jonathan desired only the best intentions for David.
We can see how true love of a person, more specifically, what real friendship between two men looks like. When public opinion or by decree painted David a villain, causing distress on multiple levels, Jonathan only saw him through the eyes of someone close to his soul, not how his father or others like him might have viewed David. This love between them existed when either one was at a low, or a high in their lives.
With that came honour, respect, loyalty, and devotion. This is important as in cannot go without mention that when they parted in verse 23, Jonathan made a solemn appeal to God saying that let God and God only be the judge between both of the men and their respective families concerning the oath made to each other, Jonathan knowing that God would hold both men accountable.
Verse 32. Context is important to understanding the nature of the relationship between David and Jonathan. In the following verses, especially verses 30 to 34, we see how their love and devotion to each other supersedes that of any family member or whatever evil intentions other friends or family might have for the other.
David, along with many of the close court of individuals was to attend a religious feast in the presence of King Saul. However, it was clear from the start that David was absent. He himself knowing the anger that King Saul had towards him thought it best from the viewpoint of self-preservation good to withdraw from the gathering.
David absent the first day of the feast, was overlooked from King Saul, but the second day of the feast, his suspicions starting to boil up to the surface. This resulted in a confrontation between Jonathan and Saul. Saul was obviously aware of the close relationship between Jonathan and David, which is why he inquired of Jonathan, where David is, as he is a person who would surely know. Jonathan mentions that David is absent from this religious feast to keep it with his brother, building upon their reconciliation with each other, and Jonathan as David’s commanding officer gave permission to do so.
Saul sought this occasion to do harm to David, but a valid excuse and permission set in place by Jonathan, his son denied Saul of that opportunity, and so this is where the anger comes from. This is the focus of verses 32 to 34. One aspect shows the decline and the heart of a murder in the King, one who abuses his position before God to set up evil intents, while the other, looking to discern if it is safe for his friend to set into the light, on his way to acquiring the throne, that might have gone to himself, Jonathan if King Saul had his way.
Saul knew from their friendship that Jonathan might know of the exact whereabouts of David, but his refusal to entertain his father with that knowledge struck a chord with Saul that was unacceptable by his standards. Saul responds to Jonathan by calling him a bastard, a traitor and a fool. Everyone of those labels were only meant to drive a deeper and wider wedge between father and son regarding the matter of David, and God’s decree.
Saul then tries to sway his son to his side reminding Jonathan that he would never be king if he allowed David to live. Jonathan would have given to kingdom to David because that is what their friendship was about, a lack of selfishness and a protection to ones friend. Jonathan was well aware of God’s decree, which could never be thwarted by the designs of men, but he accepted and supported David showing love and respect he had for him.
Jonathan confronts Saul seeing what designs his father had for David, and asked what David had done so that a penalty of death is warranted?
Verse 33 – 34. The answer from Saul was enough. A javelin thrown towards a son, that being Jonathan, showed him that only the death of David would appease his father. Anger is madness, and he that hates his brother is a murderer. Jonathan refused to go down that path for himself, trying to hold onto a kingdom that isn’t promised to him.
Jonathan was very grieved by his father actions and words, and mostly because he had hoped that his father would see reason, but this final sequence of events proved to him that all hope was gone regarding a peaceful resolution to this matter. However, Jonathan still chooses to honour God, and preserve his friendship, his love of David.
The question was not if he would betray his father, as his father had already betrayed God, but how could he ensure that David would prosper and maintain David’s life.
Verse 42. Now before David, Jonathan told him that there was nothing to be done. Saul only intended evil towards David, and no man would stand in his way.
David before Jonathan, showed the reverence of a servant rather than the freedom of a friend when they met each other in the field. This was the respect each man had for one another. One defended his friend against his father and put his life on the line, the other though destined to be king, paid honour to his friend who currently is a prince, knowing what he must have had to do to pass along a message of survival.
David and Jonathan loved each other and had a strong bond of friendship. The transition of kingdoms might have went amicably, but now due to Saul, these friends could no longer see each other, forcing them to weep with each other, knowing this could be the last time they could support each other.
After his point in time, Jonathan and David would only meet once more, and that is shortly before Jonathan’s death. However, they here and now could say to each other depart in peace doing all that they could do for that to be the case.
They agreed to honour each other not only in life, but also to honour each other’s families beyond their own lifetimes.
David’s road now uneasy until the death of Saul was a bleak road, but the path that God would have him walk. David and Jonathan both knew this, but they still remained friends even though apart.
2 Samuel 1: 26 – 27; 21:7
Verse 26 & 27. In these verses David shows honour and respect to his friend, his brother. By this point in the history of Israel, Saul has been slain and so was Jonathan. David weeps for both, but especially his friend, his brother, Jonathan. In the case of Jonathan, he says that he showed unmatched kindness considering each other position to another.
Their situation was unique with one knowing that the other would take the crown from the other, but that it didn’t matter. Jonathan was ever so faithful to his “rival”, that it far surpassed the highest degree of conjugal affection and constancy.
This was a true friendship, that was both good and wise, which at its essence gave as much as it received by way of affection. Their devotion to each other was beyond any aspect of selfishness, as they were faithful to each other to beyond death. One writer comments:
There is not the slightest hint that David and Jonathan expressed their love in a sexual way. They had a deep, godly love for each other — but not a sexual love. Our modern age often finds it difficult to believe that love can be deep and real without it having a sexual aspect. [David Guzik]
2 Samuel 21:7
In this verse we see an oath preserved. Now King David, the reckoning with the house of Saul is taking place. But David remembers Jonathan and the oath made with his friend.
Mephibosheth was the most notable living descendant of Saul, and one would assume a primary person of interest to give to the Gibeonites for execution, but he was not, per the oath sworn to Jonathan. So someone else took his place, so that King David could keep his promise and bless this child of Jonathan.
Later it mentions that David chose seven male descendants of Saul to give over to the Gibeonites and they executed them by public hanging. This method of death was important as it fulfilled the promise of Deut. 21:23 as it applies to Saul and Israel in terms of the sin against the Gibeonites. But Mephibosheth was removed from that curse, due to the friendship of Jonathan and David.
CONCLUSION
A covenant is a promise and it is very important that this promise is followed through for it tells us about friendship. Action is required. Once you trust your friend you work to prove your loyalty or bond to them.
This is no simple matter for we know that God has a covenant with us and therefore we have is similar relationship with Him that Jonathan and David had with each other. In God’s covenant there is love. He first loved us. Because of this He promises us and He follows through on our salvation because He loves us.
Note that we don’t first earn God’s love and this working leads God to covenant with us. We know rather that God loves us before the foundations of the world. Therefore we know that we could not or do anything to deserve God’s love. God’s love is all of grace.
So it is with our friendships and therefore we are to love others because of who they are. One writer comments:
“We love our neighbors, even unbelievers, because they are made in the image of God. And we we love believers even more because of our shared bond of faith in Jesus Christ.
We are to have friends, not for the gifts they give us or the benefit we get from them, but rather we are called by God to love, as He loves us in Jesus Christ”.
So if you want to prove that you are friends with others be prepared to give them the shirt off your back. Your clothes might be expensive and your friend might not have expensive clothes but surely it is an honor that you have granted to give to them.
Remember that giving is a friendly action, and it is better to give than to receive. The nature of friendship is to give. That is why Jesus came and died for us and because of what He did, He says that we are His friends. Remember that Jesus gave His very life for us and so John 15: 13 states categorically,
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.”
One writer reviews our Lesson as follows:
“As Jonathan surrenders his right to be the next king to David, so Christ came not to be served, but to serve.
As Jonathan was a friend, so Christ is a friend.
Jonathan covenants with David, as Christ covenants with us.
Jonathan lays down his life for his friend, as Christ lays down his life for his friends.
So we have an example from Jonathan that shows us something of how to be a friend.
Then we have the knowledge that Christ is our friend.
So even if we fail at the former ( making friends) we already have secured the latter ( the friendship of Christ) because He covenants with us. He loves us and calls us his friend.
That indeed is the profound truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the most important thing we can learn”.
If you say you want friendships, and remember that you need friendship, and you are serious about that, you have to work for friendships, and like Jonathan put in effort.
We advise you therefore to commit yourself to friendship. It is well worth it.