1 Samuel 20:1-23

 (1) David reminded Jonathan about their covenant

David told Jonathan that his father was seeking his life v.1, but Jonathan just thought that it was impossible for him to not know anything about that v.2.  They decided to do a test to see if Saul dared to kill David v.1-7.

v.7b But if he becomes very angry, be assured that he has decided to harm me.

v.9b If ...my father had decided to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you about it?”

David reminded Jonathan that they had a covenant before the LORD.

20:8 You must be loyal to your servant, for you have made a covenant with your servant in the LORD’s name.

As the covenant keeper, Jonathan vowed to tell David everything he knew about his father's move towards David. Phrases like, "tell you about it"v.9, "send word to you and let you know" v.12, "let you know and send word to you so you can go safely on your way" v.13, suggested that Jonathan was willing to be the spy for David. 

In other words, Jonathan was willing to do something against his own father and turn towards David because of his covenant with David in the LORD's name. 

Reflection: As discussed yesterday, Saul was seeking to kill David even though David was beneficial to him. Sometimes, people was bad to us for no reason. However, we also saw from today's passage that Jonathan was nice to David beyond imagination. He turned his back to his own father and kept his covenant to David. God is good to us and provided us help through some people. They are nice to use without explanation. I thank God in 3CW there are many brothers and sisters who are kind to us. They cooked for us when I was sick. They constantly visit us with texts, vm and bring us food even in the pandemic.

(2) Jonathan reminded David about their covenant

20:14 While I am still alive, extend to me the loyalty of the LORD, or else I will die! 20:15 Don’t ever cut off your loyalty to my family, not even when the LORD has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth 20:16 and called David’s enemies to account.”

Jonathan was certain that David's enemies would be cut off by the LORD and He would call them to account. In other words, God would take vengeance to them (ESV).    

(NAC) ...this section shows that Jonathan, the individual next in the dynastic succession to be king after Saul, was also the one who took responsibility for David’s escape from Saul...this section depicts the establishment of a covenant between the house of David and the house of Jonathan that would later lead David to defy conventional wisdom regarding the elimination of potential rivals to the throne.

Jonathan saw what the LORD's will for the next successor of the throne and he was willing to submit. He did not try to kill David and eliminated him like what Saul tried to do. Instead, he helped him and asked him to keep their covenant. The result:  Jonathan's son was treated nicely by David because of Jonathan's covenant with David 2 Sam 9:7, 10. 

Reflection: Sometimes God's will may not be our will. We may try to resist it like Saul or we can submit to it and change ourselves accordingly like Jonathan.

Audrey

2024

v.1-11

Bright spots

1. David ran to Jonathan when he fled from Saul. He had some certainty btw their friendship or covenant. Otherwise, he would not risk his life to go to Jonathan. But, that was not his first question, in v.1, "“What have I done? What is my offense? How have I sinned before your father, that he is seeking my life?” He wanted to make sure that he was innocent before Jonathan. David did not require a blind faith from Jonathan. 

2. When David got clear with Jonathan he then requested Jonathan to be loyal to him for they have made a covenant in the LORD's name v.8. Jonathan quickly revealed to David that he would be faithful. v.9, "if I were at all aware that my father had decided to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you about it?”

Reflections

Do I have any friend that I will trust like David and Jonathan? Why do I believe in our friendship? Is it because of the LORD? Then I should be faithful to all my b/s. 

Will I reflect myself before I require my friend to be faithful to me? Or do I just ask for a blind faith? 

v.12-23

Bright spots

1. The key verse: May the LORD be with you, as he was with my father v.13. That was a clear statement that Jonathan gave way to David to be the next king of Israel. 

2. Therefore, he made a covenant with David and asked for his his loyalty, not only to him, but also to his family when David was ready to establish his kingdom and had the ability to clear up all those who might endanger him. 

v.14 While I am still alive, extend to me the loyalty of the LORD, or else I will die. 15 Don’t ever cut off your loyalty to my family, not even when the LORD has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth 16 and called David’s enemies to account.”

3. Again, the word, love, or the phrase, love him as much as he did his own life, were related to their covenantal relationship as in 18:1-5

v.16b So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David. 17 Jonathan once again took an oath with David, because he loved him. In fact Jonathan loved him as much as he did his own life.

Reflections

It is hard to imagine to be selfless as Jonathan to give up the highest position of a country. Jonathan might have some ideas that God saved Israel through David when David killed Goliath 19:5, but did he know that David was anointed to be the next Israel king? He probably knew that by now when he said 20:13. 

But Jonathan was also the smartest. If you knew that your friend was going to be the next king, wouldnt you want to make a covenant with him for the best of yourself and your family? The only thing was, do you have faith that he would be the kind. 

From what he observed (and might be also from what he knew) about the future of David, Jonathan treated David this way.  It might be a personal preference or it might not. May I be like Jonathan? See a person from the future lens or from God's lens? Is that person a leader set up by God? I may not like that person, but I need to treat them that way.