I will skip over some of David’s life and actions here, because I want to write about Jonathan and his relationship with David, and nothing is said about this in I Samuel 19:11-23. I will say this much however: Saul was still trying to kill David and even sent his messengers to David’s house to kill David within his own house. Michal, David’s wife, told him of Saul’s plan and sent him away by night to protect him. Then David escaped to Samuel and Saul sent messengers to take him in Ramah where Samuel lived. Here God caused the men of Saul to hear a company of prophets speaking for God, and the Spirit of God came on the messengers and they also prophesied. This happened with three groups of messengers, then Saul himself went and the same thing happened to him.
Now we will get back to the part of David’s story that relates to Jonathan. I Samuel 20:1-4 says, “And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, the he seeketh my life? And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so. And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. Then said Jonathan unto David. Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do for thee.”
Our verses show the confidence that David had in Jonathan, for he went to him when he knew that his life was on the line. It is great that all of us have perhaps a few friends who would stick out their necks for us, even when death could come to them for doing so. This is Jonathan! Jonathan had not believed that Saul would kill David, because his father usually told him everything that he was doing. Here, however, Saul has come to understand the tie between Jonathan and David, therefore he has hidden the truth from Jonathan. When David told Jonathan that he was only a step away from death, Jonathan made an offer that only one’s best friend would make: he said. “I will do anything you want me to do for you.” Not many friends would do this, knowing it might mean death for them!
By J. Briggs King
Evangelist
Rainsville, AL
(678) 451-0921