As the curtains close on the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer, and as the spotlight moves to the next major battle – Saul against the Amalekites – Jonathan begins to play a much less prominent role in the Scriptural record. Truly, Jonathan’s service to God didn’t end or slow down, but much of his work was more behind the scenes. Every now and again, he appears in the narrative for a brief moment — when he first recognized David as the next king or when he found David in the wood and strengthened his hand in God, but for the most part, Scripture begins to focus on David, the coming king, and Jonathan, the faithful prince, simply plays a supportive role.
Thus, because of his fairly unique appearances, this series of articles is going to take a bit of a turn. Instead of looking at all of the details in Jonathan’s story, it will try to piece together a consistent picture of what he may have been doing — based off of his already demonstrated character and based off of what is explicitly stated of him later in the record. Where was he when during the battle of David and Goliath? What was his involvement in David’s life when David fled from Saul as a fugitive? In this particular article, we’ll look specifically at Jonathan’s role in Saul’s war against Amalek and we will also take note of Saul’s continual downfall. In all of this, the selfless character of Jonathan will truly shine forth — and may his example be one which stands to inspire all of us to the same type of mindset which he had.
A father and a son
For years, the relationship between Saul and Jonathan had been fairly good. Saul had made Jonathan one of the commanders of his army and had given him a large amount of authority amongst the people (1 Sam 13:1-2). It would seem as though Saul truly trusted his son. On Jonathan’s end, he loved his father and didn’t seem to mind that Saul took credit for his destruction of the Philistine garrison (1 Sam 13:3-4). But, on that fateful day of the battle against the Philistine garrison, everything changed. Saul became bitter towards the son who loved him.
Jonathan never would have expected that his father would try to kill him — but it would seem that Samuel’s words didn’t leave the mind of the troubled king. He wondered who it would be that would try to take the throne from him; and in his search, he found a perfect candidate in his eldest son. Jonathan had all of the qualifications — he was a man after God’s own heart, he could do things through his faith that Saul simply couldn’t do, and he had been a captain to the people. Over and over all of the pieces seemed to fit. In Saul’s mind, Jonathan was the one who would try to usurp the throne. Thus, Saul watched him and eyed all of his actions — making sure that his son didn’t try to do anything devious.
On the other hand, Jonathan’s feelings towards Saul were quite different. All throughout his life, he did whatever he could to keep a positive and loyal relationship with His father — because it was commanded by God (Exod 20:12), because it set an example for the nation, and a because it allowed him to try to influence his father for good. Thus, when David told Jonathan that Saul had broken his oath and that he sought David’s life, Jonathan had a difficult time believing that his father had done such a thing (1 Sam 20:2). Again, though Jonathan loved and cherished his friendship with David, he chose to stay at home with Saul rather than run in the wilderness with his friend (1 Sam 20:42). Even in Saul’s final battle upon the mountain of Gilboa — when he was told that he and his sons would die — Jonathan chose not to separate from his father but went with him into the doomed conflict, perhaps knowing that they would die together. When writing the song of the bow, David’s lamentation for Saul and Jonathan, David noted this about the two of them:
“Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions” (2 Sam 1:23).
David spoke of Saul and Jonathan together — because that’s how they often operated. Even as Saul plunged into his darker and more haunting days, Jonathan stood by his side. This was the importance which Jonathan put upon his relationship with Saul. It — aside from his relationship with his God — was of paramount importance. Perhaps this is why the divine record refers to Jonathan as “Saul’s son,’ even when it is already clearly known by the reader who Jonathan was. All the way after David married Michal, five chapters after Jonathan was introduced, he is called “Saul’s son’ — and not only once, but repeatedly:
“And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself there” (1 Sam 19:1).
By this point in the record, Jonathan’s identity and connection to Saul were already quite clear. We know that he is Saul’s son and we know that Saul is his father. Nevertheless, the inspired Word mentions three times in the space of those two verses that Jonathan was Saul’s son or that Saul was his father! Yet why does it make this emphasis? Perhaps because that is how Jonathan saw himself. He was Jonathan Saul’s son. This was a relationship which was extremely important to Jonathan. He was Saul’s son, someone who would respect, honor, and encourage his father in all of the ways that he could. Again, this same wording is used a few chapters later, at a time when Jonathan came to David to encourage him:
“And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth” (1 Sam 23:16-17).
Again, three times in this short passage it is stressed that Jonathan was the son of Saul — when again, that was clearly already known. Once more, that relationship between Jonathan and Saul was being highlighted. Jonathan was Saul’s son.
Though Jonathan loved David and would have longed to be out in the wilderness with him, Jonathan chose to stay with his father. Feeling as though his divine duty was to respect his father, Jonathan chose to stay with Saul — just hoping that somehow he could have a positive influence.
This was the type of relationship that Jonathan tried to cultivate with Saul all throughout his life. As he saw his father fall farther and farther into despair and darkness — even though Saul may have suspected him in the beginning — he became even more resolved to stand beside him and help him through the days of trial. Jonathan was committed to doing whatever he could to help his father come back to the heights from which he had fallen. This desire characterized Jonathan’s feelings towards his father throughout the rest of his life. His willingness to put up with Saul’s false accusations (1 Sam 20:30) and all of the selfishness, pride, and lies truly shows how selfless of a character he had. Jonathan spent the rest of his life with a man who tried to have him killed (cp. 1 Sam 20:33); and not only spent his time with him, but he tried to help him! He gave all that he had — even following Saul to his death — in the hopes that he might have an impact on his father and draw him nearer to salvation. May his example stay with all of us. We can’t just give up on people. Instead, like Jonathan, we have to keep fearlessly working, reminding them of the joys of the truth and of peace with God. Like Jonathan, the results of our efforts may sadly prove to be fruitless — yet on the day of the restitution of all things, we will know that regardless of the result, we earnestly sought to live for God’s principles and that we attempted to fight the good fight. The results of that fight and those efforts to convert are up to the One who can both soften and harden hearts.
Thus was the situation when the story closed upon Saul, Jonathan, and the people of Israel and their pursuit of the Philistines after Jonathan and his armor bearer had slain the garrison. Saul was burning with envy and suspicion against his son, and yet Jonathan sought to do whatever he could to stay loyal to his father and keep their relationship strong.
War with Amalek
Perhaps it was this focus that explains Jonathan’s role (or lack thereof) in Saul’s next battle. In the chapter following Jonathan’s exploits in the Philistine garrison, Saul was commanded by God to utterly destroy the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:3). When he was finished with them, there was to be nothing left. This was the type of task in which we would be assume that Jonathan would play a large part. In the battle against the Philistines, he had been the instigator and the deliverer of the people. He was one of the generals (1 Sam 13:1-2). When the people were trembling and they couldn’t see a way out of their predicament, he faithfully led them and inspired them.
But that wasn’t the case with the war against Amalek.
In the war with the Amalekites, it appears as though Jonathan didn’t even accompany his father. He is nowhere in the record of the battle. He didn’t lead any troops, he didn’t make any plans, and he didn’t even give any suggestions to Saul. He is entirely absent from the story — as though he wasn’t even there.
This would seem to be a rather odd thing for such a man of faith and such a warrior to do — it would be thought that Jonathan would have been one of the first ones on the battlefield. Yet perhaps his absence can be explained in the idea that he had seen the change in his father. He had seen the way that Saul now looked at him differently and he was a little bit wary after his father’s willingness to kill him. Perhaps Jonathan realized that Saul was now a man who was quite paranoid — and the further he stayed from the battle and allowed Saul to have the glory, the more he could placate his father and prove to him that he wasn’t the one who was going to take the throne.
Nevertheless, while Jonathan possibly stayed back from the battle in order to ease his father’s mind, the results of that battle caused Saul to fall even deeper into darkness. When he again failed to follow God’s instructions regarding the utter destruction of the Amalekites, he was once more told that he would lose the kingdom:
“And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou” (1 Sam 15:28).
It was the same issue as before — Saul tried to worship God in his own way and tried to bring himself riches and fame. Thus, the same punishment was given to him — he would lose the kingdom. But, the terms of punishment were slightly more specific than they had been before — now, a time limit was put on his reign. The kingdom had been torn from his hands that day. His hours as king were numbered — and he only had a short time before the new king came. Even more, the kingdom would be given to “a neighbor” of his. The victor for his throne would be someone whom he knew. It would be someone who was close to him! As Saul heard these words, one can only imagine how his fierce jealousy would have been kindled and how his distrust for the son who loved him would have multiplied.
As time passed and the record continues, the king’s evil state of mind came to be better known. It became clear, at least to a few, that Saul was willing to kill to keep his position — perhaps because they had heard about his earlier attempt to kill Jonathan. Samuel himself expressed this opinion when God commanded him to go down to Bethlehem and anoint the next king. He was certain that if Saul found out what he was doing, Saul would kill him:
“And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord” (1 Sam 16:1-2).
Even Samuel, one of the most respected men in the nation, feared for his life before Saul. Saul’s bitter envy and zeal for his throne were not things with which someone should trifle. If Saul became suspicious, there was the chance that he would try to take the life of the man whom he suspected. However, Saul’s iniquity and bitter hatred would not yet end there. He would continue to fall deeper. His thirst for glory and his desire to make himself a name had brought him to the point at which he would kill anyone who would threaten his honor — and God would take him even further down that path which he chose.
The evil spirit
After David was anointed, the spirit of God departed from Saul and lighted upon the new king. In its place, Saul was given an “evil spirit” from God.
“But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee” (1 Sam 16:14-15).
Saul was taken even deeper into his madness. He had brought it all upon himself — Yahweh didn’t force him into paranoia. Saul had made the choice on his own and now God had reinforced it. Not only was he afraid of the next king coming and overthrowing his dynasty, but this was a thought and a fear which began to consume his life. It became all that he thought about.
Meeting David
It was while Saul was in this type of mental state that the future king was first introduced to him. David was brought into the court as a means of bringing Saul out of his depression and fear. Somehow one of the court servants had heard David’s music before and recommended him highly — and thus the young man stood before the king. Though his music would not have gone to the root of the problem — Saul’s relationship with God — it did serve to have some type of soothing effect. David could calm the mind of the troubled king. He could help him to stop worrying about the next successor and to think about other things which were more pleasant. Because he could help Saul in this way, Saul loved him.
“And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favor in my sight. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” (1 Sam 16:21-23).
David’s music soothed Saul’s tormented mind. Little did he know that the man who stood before him was the one who would later take the throne. Thus, Saul loved him because of that music. He loved him because of what he could do for him — a sad demonstration that Saul’s thinking never changed. Constantly, he was focused on himself and on how he could benefit from others.
It was during this time in Saul’s court that Jonathan likely first met David. Scripture doesn’t ever mention the two coming together in this chapter, but it would seem odd to think that they didn’t at all meet sometime during this period — eventually, David was living in Saul’s house! Yet though they may have met here initially, they never seemed to have the chance to really come to know one another.
Eventually, though, something was about to take place that would knit the men’s souls together forever. Yet that event, Lord willing, will be the subject of our next article.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One