In the previous article (The Tidings, December 2015), we discussed the lie David told when he was supposed to go attend a feast for the new moon with Saul (1 Sam 20). David was clearly struggling. The distress of the last few hours had worn him down, and he didn’t know who he could trust or what to do next. He had a plan, and as we saw in the last article, it revolved Jonathan and his willingness to lie for his friend.
And yet at the same time, there was another issue with the plan — or at least, another issue that David perceived: what if he couldn’t trust Jonathan?
Mistrust
The statement seems so bizarre that it’s difficult to believe. Nevertheless, David’s mistrust of his friend is there in the record. Perhaps it was the suddenness of Saul’s mood swings, or perhaps it was Jonathan’s initial unbelief of the seriousness of David’s circumstance —somehow, David even began to question Jonathan’s love for him. Thus, after revealing the plan to Jonathan, David added a few remarks which would have cut Jonathan to the heart:
“Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee: not withstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?” (1 Sam 20:8).
In these two statements, David again showed the depths of his desperation. Grasping for Jonathan’s support, David reminded the prince that he was bound by an oath to God to treat him well, since the two of them had made a covenant!
And yet, adding to the insult of the first statement, David went even further, saying that regardless of the covenant, if he truly had committed any sin against Saul’s family, then Jonathan should simply kill him himself, and save Saul the time!
How these words would have affected Jonathan, immediately striking him with feelings of sadness and confusion! How could David have come to view him this way? Why would he even feel the need to remind Jonathan of the covenant and his vow of love — had not Jonathan been the one who initiated the oath in the first place, specifically because of his great love for David: “Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul” (1 Sam 18:3)? Yet not only had David thought that he needed to force Jonathan’s love for him, but he had even implied that Jonathan might be in league with his father — seeking to kill David himself! Over and over, he constantly used the term “thy father” to refer to Saul, as though he kept emphasizing the connection that the two men had (1 Sam 20:1, 3, 6, 8, 10). He did not call Saul “the king” nor did he refer to him as his father, though he was Saul’s son in law. Those little insinuations culminated with the accusation: “if there be in me iniquity, slay m thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?”
With what was likely a sober and gravely serious tone, Jonathan reaffirmed his love for God’s anointed:
“And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?” (1 Sam 20:9).
Jonathan could not believe what David had suggested! Never would he kill the one who was called to be king — he loved David, and he had been the one who had spoken on David’s behalf to his father the last time that this had happened! If he had truly known that Saul had planned on breaking his oath, he certainly would have told his dear friend. Nevertheless, David’s response to Jonathan’s remark was still filled with distrust — even if Jonathan went through with their plan, how would he know if Saul answered Jonathan harshly?
“Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?”(1Sam 20:10).
Indeed, there was no way in David’s plan he would find out how Saul responded, except through Jonathan. And perhaps in David’s mind, that was part of the issue: because notice specifically what David asked. He did not ask how he would find out, but who would tell him. There’s an important distinction there, which helps to show that David’s question was likely not a literal question. Jonathan had just told David that he would somehow notify him about Saul’s response, and David’s curt reply was “who will tell me if you father answers me roughly?” (RSV, ESV), almost as though he did not believe that Jonathan truly would.
With this response from David, Jonathan realized how low his friend had really fallen. While he could have argued with him, or while he could simply left because of all of the accusations, Jonathan did something remarkable:
“And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field” (1 Sam 20:11).
Out in the field: Jonathan’s love and encouragement
While it may not seem all that astonishing, Jonathan’s suggestion here truly displays his compassionate character. Recognizing the depth of David’s hurt, Jonathan suggested that the two of them go out into the field — a place where they could be sure that they were alone and could speak to one another in peace. Often throughout Scripture the field was a place where people would go in order to have some time to meditate or be by themselves (Gen 24:63; 1 Kgs 11:29). Such was perhaps Jonathan’s motive — but there was may have been something even deeper. In the midst of David’s distrust, Jonathan brought him to a place that was perhaps familiar. Consider what had happened in “the field” earlier:
“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: and I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee” (1 Sam 19:2-3).
Perhaps in an attempt to remind David of how he had previously risked his life for him, and how he had stood up to his father for David’s sake, Jonathan brought David out into the field — which was likely the same field (see also 1 Sam 20:19, 35)! Surely this would help to reassure David of Jonathan’s love and faithfulness towards him! But Jonathan knew that David needed more than just to be in the same place. He needed solid proof that Jonathan’s friendship and loyalty still existed, and he needed to be spiritually lifted up. Thus, since David had seemed to doubt Jonathan’s allegiance to their previous covenant, Jonathan made a new covenant, but this time it was filled with references to David’s promised kingship:
“And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about tomorrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee; the LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father” (1 Sam 20:12-13).
In the covenant, Jonathan agreed to meet with his father in the hopes of seeing Saul’s disposition towards David. When he learned of his father’s feelings, then he pledged that he would tell his friend. If it was the case that Saul had evil intentions towards David, Jonathan wished him well, and then turned his attention to the future — “the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.” It was a powerful reminder of what David had temporarily forgotten. While David was fearing for his life, Jonathan told him that even though Saul may be seeking his life, David had been anointed as king over Israel — and that promise would be fulfilled regardless of Saul’s intentions. If Saul’s mind was set on killing David, Jonathan reminded his friend that it did not matter. He would be king — and Jonathan’s prayer was that Yahweh would be with David on that throne, just as He had earlier been with Saul. As Jonathan continued the words of the covenant, he continued to express his firm belief in David’s kingship:
“And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David’s enemies” (1 Sam 20:14-16).
As Jonathan went on, the focus of his covenant shifted slightly — surely it was entirely focused upon David’s coming ascent to the throne, but at the same time, it was no longer about what Jonathan would do for David. Instead, it was about what Jonathan wanted David to do for him. With his trust firmly set on the fact that David would be king, Jonathan made David swear to him that he would continue to show steadfast love to both Jonathan and his family. When David had become king over all of the land, Jonathan wanted to be certain that David would not seek to kill off the survivors of the previous dynasty, despite what Saul had sought to do to him.
Just try to imagine what had happened here! David had run to Jonathan, almost certain that he would soon be killed. Even doubting Jonathan’s own loyalty and the covenant which the two of them had made previously, David invited Jonathan to kill him himself. Aware of David’s fragile spiritual state, Jonathan brought David out to the place where he had already pleaded with his father on David’s behalf. In that same field, Jonathan swore another covenant to David, and this time that covenant was focused on the future — all throughout it, Jonathan spoke confidently of David’s kingdom over Israel, as though David was already reigning on the throne! Not only so, but sought to change David’s entire outlook — it was not David who needed to be pleading for his life to Jonathan, but Jonathan needed to be pleading to him, the future king over God’s people!
What an impact these words would have had on the man whose faith was faltering. His spiritual friend took him out of his despair and reminded him that God would protect him —regardless of Saul’s intentions.
What a friend
On top of all of those reassurances, Jonathan sealed the covenant with words which would have assured David of Jonathan’s love and loyalty towards him. If he did not perform what he had sworn to perform, Jonathan stated, “the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan…” Often similar words to these were used when people throughout Bible times sought to show the seriousness of what they had just said. Eli said it when he wanted Samuel to tell him everything that God had spoken to him: “And he said, What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee” (1 Sam 3:17). Saul even said it when he tried to kill Jonathan, after Jonathan had tased honey in violation of Saul’s command: “And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan” (1Sam 14:44). Nevertheless, there was only one other time previously in which someone specifically used God’s covenant name, and used these words to seal their vow of loyalty to someone else. This previous incident would have held a powerful significance for David:
“And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me” (Ruth 1:16-17).
In Ruth’s beautiful vow of faithfulness and loyalty towards Naomi, she demonstrated her sincerity with the words, “the LORD do so to me, and more also…” — the only time before Jonathan’s oath in which this phrase was used to pledge faithfulness to the life of another. Those lines of devotion and promise would have been lines which were familiar to David, since they were the words which brought Ruth into the Promised Land, for she was his great-grandmother: “And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17). They were a vow of loyalty which she meant and to which she held for the rest of her life. Such was the same message which Jonathan sought to convey to David. Thus, as Jonathan spoke these words in a similar circumstance, it would seem likely that his mind was on the words of Ruth. At the same time, as David heard Jonathan’s oath, more than likely he remembered the mighty words which had been spoken by his great-grandmother on the day that she left Moab to live with Naomi.
Truly, Jonathan pledged to David the same type of love — he would do whatever he could for his friend, and he would do everything within his power to raise up David’s thoughts and help him to remember God’s plan.
What a friend!
If only we could be a friend like this — a friend who focuses on the future, and who sees it as though it has already come to pass! What if we could recite Scripture to one another when we’re in desperate circumstances — and really mean what we say!
And perhaps we can — perhaps today, or perhaps this week, we can make a concerted effort to keep Scripture in our mind and to speak it with others. Perhaps we can make a concerted effort to keep that vision strong and real!
And if we do, then indeed, we’ll be one step closer to being a friend like Jonathan — a man who truly shows what it means to give of ourselves, expecting nothing in return.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One