Jonathan had pleaded with Saul and this time, as we saw in our last article, his pleas were unsuccessful. Instead, filled with fury over Saul’s slandering of David, Jonathan left the feast. From there, he knew that he had to tell David his father’s evil intentions.
The arrows
The next morning began exactly as David and Jonathan had planned together.
“And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?” (1 Sam 20:35-37).
Just pause and imagine what this morning would have been like for these two men. Jonathan woke up and the morning was just like any other day, and yet it was about to be tragic. That morning, Jonathan woke up knowing that he had to go out into the field and tell David that it was no longer safe for him to be in Gibeah or even anywhere near Saul. Thus, he went out into the field and brought the little lad with him — shooting the arrows out of his bow, he shot an arrow far out beyond where the lad was standing. “Is not the arrow beyond thee?” he shouted — and how he would have strained his voice to remain strong and unbroken as he said those words. They were the very words which were the signal for David to flee from Saul; when he heard them, he was to get up from where he was and run away. There was no more planned meetings — when David heard the words, that was the sign that it was time for him to flee:
“But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the Lord hath sent thee away” (1 Sam 20:22).
When David heard that the arrows were beyond the lad, he was to pick up and run. That was it. “Go thy way.” Unlike what we might typically picture, the two men did not arrange a meeting together afterwards — the entire point of shooting the arrows was to allow David to run away without anyone realizing what had just taken place. As Jonathan said those words, he must have wondered if he would ever see his friend again.
For David, the morning would have likely been filled with anxiety. This was the day which Jonathan had told him that he would shoot the arrows. For three days, David had been hiding out in the field. He was likely dirty, tired, and still slightly overwhelmed — but it was time for him to move out of his hiding place. From his hiding place in the field, he was to go to his former hiding place in the same field, the place where he had been when Jonathan had pleaded with Saul for David’s life (1 Sam 20:19). As quickly and as quietly as he could, David went over to the stone “Ezel,” or the stone of parting. From there, he waited — until finally he heard the voice of his friend. What a welcome voice it would have been for a fugitive who had been hiding for three days out in a field! As Jonathan began, David heard the first words — “Behold, the arrows…” and his breath would have caught. Then he heard his friend finish “…are beyond thee.” As a wave of sadness and loneliness passed over him, David knew that it was time to run.
“And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. But the lad knew not any thing: only
Jonathan and David knew the matter” (1 Sam 20:38-39).
In a final message to his friend, Jonathan, with welled-up emotion, shouted out “make speed, haste, stay not.” Now was not the time for David to wait around. Saul’s hatred had gone beyond anything Jonathan had ever seen before. His father had openly declared that he would stand against God’s will, and he had even sought to kill Jonathan for getting in his way. David’s quick departure was imperative.
Yet at the same time, out in the field, Jonathan’s lad heard the words of his master — and “the lad knew not any thing.” As providence would have it, it appears as though the lad assumed that the words were meant for him, and quickly gathering up the arrows, he ran back to Jonathan, ready to “stay not.” Perhaps it was at this time that the lad’s expectation to leave and Jonathan’s desire to see David once more overruled his regard for security. Quickly, Jonathan gave his weaponry to the lad, and told him to take them into the city:
“And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city” (1Sam 20:40).
With the lad expecting to leave, Jonathan realized that the two friends could once more see each other before David disappeared into the wilderness. It would appear as though David had been thinking the same thing — not wanting to leave his final friend and his mentor, David saw the opportunity to be alone one final time with Jonathan, and he seized the moment.
A final goodbye
“And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded [or wept the most]” (1 Sam 20:41).
For a brief moment, the two men had thought that they might never see each other again — and now the opportunity had come for a final goodbye. Once David saw the lad depart from Jonathan, it was as though the young man was overcome with emotion, and he rushed out towards his loyal friend and mentor. As he approached Jonathan, he fell down on his face before him — a beautiful act of submission in which David sought to abase himself before the one whom he believed to be greater than himself. Though he was the one who was destined to be king and though Jonathan had consistently acted as though he was David’s servant, the young man sought to show his love and thanks for his mentor by bowing himself down. Words could not express the gratitude which David had for this man — the man who had seen him through his lapse of faith, the man who had pleaded for his life despite the danger that it brought to him, the man who had patiently endured David’s accusation of disloyalty. What more could he do?
Standing up, the two men said goodbye with a parting kiss, and then began to weep — but David wept most of all (see ESV, NASB). As Jonathan held David, his friend convulsed in sobs; truly there was nothing else to do. David had been driven from his wife. He had been chased to the prophet’s house and had narrowly escaped capture there. Now, he was to leave his best friend and mentor. One by one, his friends were taken from him until he was completely alone. There would no longer be anyone to help him when his faith began to break. There would no longer be anyone with whom he could discuss matters of the kingship. There would no longer be anyone with whom he could think upon the Kingdom of God. They were all taken from him. After this last embrace with Jonathan, he would have no like minded companions.
As he considered his plight, David’s tears would have continued to flow. Where was he going to go now? How was he going to live? Why was God making all of this happen to him?
Go in peace
In this moment of despair, Jonathan once again broke through the anguish of the moment and lifted up the mind of his friend. Through both of their faces were coated with tears, and though David’s tears were still forthcoming, Jonathan again reminded his friend of the promises of the future. Despite the dreariness of the situation around them, the faithful prince could never forget the glories of the future — nor could allow his friend to do so:
“And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, for as much 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 Sam 20:42).
As Jonathan looked upon David’s anguished face, he gave him words of comfort — “go in peace.” Yet at first these words may have seemed entirely useless and even insolent in this situation; how could Jonathan tell David to go in peace, he was a fugitive and hunted by the king? Peace would have nothing to do with the next few years of his life! Nevertheless, while the words may have first shocked David, Jonathan backed them up — David wasn’t to have peace because his situation was filled with tranquility and solitude, no, instead, he was to have peace because he knew that something better was coming. Jonathan’s last words to David were all about the covenant which the two of them had made — the covenant in which Jonathan had caused David to swear that he would protect Jonathan’s seed when he became king! Despite the fear and gloominess that surrounded them, Jonathan reminded David of the covenant which they had made just days prior:
“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).
Just days before, when Jonathan and David had created their plan together, Jonathan had asked David to swear that their covenant would not only be between the two of them, but between their children, and that when David became king, he would look with favor on Jonathan’s seed. It was the request of a man who seemed to calmly acknowledge that there was the possibility that he would die before David came to the throne — and he wanted his friend to preserve his posterity and watch over his children. Not only so, it was the request of a man who confidently believed in God’s promise of David’s kingship. Now, in this final moment before they parted, Jonathan once more lifted David’s mind out of the depths of today’s sadness and quickly brought it forward, reminding him of the covenant which they had made between their two seeds — between “my seed, and thy seed” — the covenant which revolved around David’s future kingship! No matter the depravity of the situation, no matter how much his friend’s eyes were filled with tears, Jonathan refused to let David forget that God would see him through all of the trials and would place him on the throne. God had promised, and Jonathan firmly believed that He would fulfill.
The greater Kingdom to come
But there was even more to Jonathan’s words. When he spoke of the future, he wasn’t merely referring to the future when David would be king. No, his mind reached that point, but it didn’t stop there. Looking far past the tribulation of the moment, and even past the glories of David’s kingdom, Jonathan set his face to an even greater kingdom. Such was the power of the message in Jonathan’s final words — “the Lord between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed forever.” The two of them hadn’t simply made a covenant that would bond the two of them together for the rest of their lives — this was something that was greater. This covenant between them was a promise which was based upon something bigger and more extensive than all of the years in their lives and the years of the lives of their children. It was a covenant which would last forever, a covenant which was based upon an understanding of the hope which was given to Abraham, and which echoed the promise which God made to that patriarch:
“And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee” (Gen 17:7).
The words which God spoke to Abraham laid the foundation for what Jonathan spoke to David! God had made a covenant with Abraham which wouldn’t simply be with him, but it would be made with his entire seed, and it would last forever. Altogether, this covenant with Abraham was focused on the Kingdom of God, which is when it will fully be fulfilled. So it was with the covenant which Jonathan made with David — it wouldn’t merely be between Jonathan and David, but would be between their seeds, and it would last forever. Thus, just as the promises to Abraham were entirely based upon the Kingdom of God, it was the same with this covenant which Jonathan made with David — and Jonathan’s echo back to Genesis was an extra hint which he was giving to his friend in order to help him think about the age to come! Thus, as Jonathan spoke his final words to David, he reminded him that there would be a time when he would king and reign over all Israel, but even more, there would be a time when the two of them, by God’s grace, would never be parted again.
It was a thought which would constantly stay in Jonathan’s mind, and it was a picture which Jonathan would use to continually lift up the thoughts of his friend. May we learn from that example. And so, with that reminder of a glorious time to come, David arose and disappeared into the distance.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One