Havasu Christian Church
Series in I Samuel
September 15, 2024
I Samuel 20:1-42
“David and Jonathan, Best friends forever!”
INTRO: Today is a picture of LOYALTY! The friendship of Jonathan & David is legendary!
Jonathan was willing to give up everything for the sake of his friend David.
- First, we see David as a man on the run.
1 Samuel 20:1 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?”
- Saul wants to kill him…. Again!
- David is perplexed…. Again!
- “What have I done?”
- “What is my iniquity?”
- Iniquity: Personal, willful, and deliberate acts that are contrary to God's moral law and principles.
- Basically, sin.
- “What is my sin before your father?”
- “What is your dad mad at me about?”
- David has a right to be perplexed. He has been doing all the right things!
- To Quote Jonathan, “, “Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very beneficial to you. “For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?”
- From this part of the text today, we are reminded that Evil people will hate, even when you have done nothing to deserve it!
- Saul hates David, even though David has been nothing but a faithful servant of the King.
John 15:18–19 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
If our world hated and hates Jesus, (and it did and does) it will hate those who reflect his light into the dark world.
- Jonathan seems to not believe that Saul would really kill David.
I Samuel 20:2 He said to him, “Far from it, you shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. So why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!”
- Maybe Jonathan just doesn’t want to believe it?
- He makes 2 arguments.
- “Dad doesn’t do anything without consulting me first!”
- “Dad would never hide something like this from me!”
- David answers Jonathan’s arguments.
I Samuel 20:3 Yet David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, or he will be grieved.’ But truly as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is hardly a step between me and death.”
- David reminds Jonathan that Saul knows how close they are.
- David thinks that Saul doesn’t want Jonathan to be prematurely sad.
- “I don’t want him to know what I’m doing UNTIL I kill David!”
- In the strongest possible terms David tells Jonathan that his life is in great danger!
- “As sure as you are alive…”
- “As sure as the Lord is alive…”
- From this part of the text, we should be reminded that we should “keep our eyes and ears open.”
- We should not allow ourselves to be blinded to what’s really going on because of our love for someone.
- David is still trying to give Saul the benefit of the doubt.
I Samuel 20:4-23 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”
5 So David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I ought to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.
6 “If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, because it is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.’
7 “If he says, ‘It is good,’ your servant will be safe; but if he is very angry, know that he has decided on evil.
8 “Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if there is iniquity in me, put me to death yourself; for why then should you bring me to your father?”
9 Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I should indeed learn that evil has been decided by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you about it?”
10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
11 Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” So both of them went out to the field.
12 Then Jonathan said to David, “The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good feeling toward David, shall I not then send to you and make it known to you?
- David asks Jonathan to find out whether his father is truly wanting to kill him.
- Apparently, it was Saul’s habit to have a dinner for his court that David was expected to attend during the new moon festival.
- What was the “New Moon Festival?”
From pjlibrary.org
Rosh Chodesh – Hebrew for “head of the month” – is the monthly holiday that celebrates the arrival of the new moon, marking the start of a new month in the Jewish calendar. Because each lunar month is 29.5 days, the Jewish calendar “splits the difference”: some months are 29 days and others 30. When a month is 29 days, Rosh Chodesh is celebrated for one day – the first day of the new month. When a month is 30 days, Rosh Chodesh is celebrated for two days – the last day of the prior month and the first day of the new month.
- David will be absent. Saul’s reaction will tell David and Jonathan what they need to know.
- If Saul wasn’t upset by David’s absence, they would know things would be alright.
- If Saul was angry about David’s absence, then they would know that David was in danger.
- Jonathan promises to find out whether David will be safe to return or not.
- After the 3 days, Jonathan will come back out to the field to shoot arrows.
- What he says to the boy who gathers his arrows will tell David what he needs to know.
- This is in case it isn’t safe for David to come out of hiding to speak to Jonathan personally.
- From this section of our reading we should see that we as Christians are to look for the best in people.
- We are to do our best to be at peace will all men.
Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
- Not everyone will let us do this… Some will be our enemy regardless of what we do.
- Jonathan makes a covenant with David.
I Samuel 20:13-17 “If it please my father to do you harm, may the LORD do so to Jonathan and more also, if I do not make it known to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And may the LORD be with you as He has been with my father.
14 “If I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of the LORD, that I may not die?
15 “You shall not cut off your lovingkindness from my house forever, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD require it at the hands of David’s enemies.”
17 Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life.
- Jonathan makes a promise to David.
- I will make sure you stay safe.
- If my father hurts you, I expect to be hurt just as badly.
- He also asks God to be part of this promise. “And may the LORD be with you as He has been with my father.”
- Jonathan has seen God working with and through his father, and now his dear friend.
- He is asking God to continue working with David in this way.
- It also seems that he is acknowledging that David is the next rightful King of Israel.
- This is further shown in his request to David. “You shall not cut off your lovingkindness from my house forever, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”
- It was typical in those days that when a dynasty was replaced, everyone in that family was killed.
- Jonathan seems to be asking David not to do this when he becomes king.
- David agrees to the covenant.
- He will spare his friend, and his friend’s family when he becomes king.
- He did carry out this promise when Saul and Jonathan are killed in battle.
- He took care of Jonathan’s son until he died.
- From this part of I Samuel we should learn a great deal about promises.
- People often treat promises as if they are no big deal.
- This should not be so for the Christian.
James 5:12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.
- People make promises to their friends, but don’t keep them.
- People make promises to their kids, but don’t keep them.
- They even make promises to their spouse. “Till death do us part.”
- A promise before God!
- He is a part of that promise.
- Jonathan makes a plan.
I Samuel 20:18-23 Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed because your seat will be empty.
19 “When you have stayed for three days, you shall go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself on that eventful day, and you shall remain by the stone Ezel.
20 “I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target.
21 “And behold, I will send the lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I specifically say to the lad, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,’ then come; for there is safety for you and no harm, as the LORD lives.
22 “But if I say to the youth, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you,’ go, for the LORD has sent you away.
23 “As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever.”
- This plan will keep David out of harm’s way if Jonathan can’t get alone to speak to him directly.
- Jonathan reminds David that their agreement is forever.
- This promise has been made before the Lord!
- He is a part of this promise.
- From this part of the story we learn that we may have to do something to actually fulfill our promises.
- Jonathan comes up with a plan to find out just how much he will have to do to fulfill his promise and protect his friend.
- It isn’t going to be easy!
- The truth comes out!
24 So David hid in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food.
25 The king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan rose up and Abner sat down by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul did not speak anything that day, for he thought, “It is an accident, he is not clean, surely he is not clean.”
27 It came about the next day, the second day of the new moon, that David’s place was empty; so Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”
28 Jonathan then answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem,
29 for he said, ‘Please let me go, since our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to attend. And now, if I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.”
30 Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?
31 “For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die.”
32 But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”
33 Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down; so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death.
- Day 1: Saul keeps his questions to himself.
- David must be ceremonially unclean.
- Day 2: Saul finally asks the question.
- “Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”
- He isn’t very happy about the answer!
- Saul sees through his son’s deceit!
- “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman!”
- You are putting your friend ahead of yourself!
- If he lives, you’ll never be king!
- When Jonathan intercedes for David, Saul throws another spear! But this time it’s at his own son.
- The son that he claims to be concerned about!
- Saul is completely unhinged!
- He has the evil spirit at work in him.
- He has the guilt of doing evil to someone who does not deserve it.
- From this part of the Scripture today, we learn that we need to do what it takes to honor our promises.
- It COST Jonathan a lot to honor his promises.
- It cost him the anger of his father.
- It cost him a kingdom!
- It endangered his life!
- Jonathan keeps his appointment.
34 Then Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat food on the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved over David because his father had dishonored him.
35 Now it came about in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field for the appointment with David, and a little lad was with him.
36 He said to his lad, “Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot.” As the lad was running, he shot an arrow past him.
37 When the lad reached the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the lad and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”
38 And Jonathan called after the lad, “Hurry, be quick, do not stay!” And Jonathan’s lad picked up the arrow and came to his master.
39 But the lad was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter.
40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, “Go, bring them to the city.”
41 When the lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David wept the more.
42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’ ” Then he rose and departed, while Jonathan went into the city.
- Jonathan gives David the signal
- Jonathan sends the “arrow collector” away.
- David comes out of hiding.
- David gets down on his knees and bows to Jonathan 3 times.
- Jonathan has done him a great service, at the cost of his father’s anger.
- Jonathan is still the heir apparent to King Saul and David treats him as such.
- This says something about David’s humility.
- It would have been easy to say “I’m the next king, and Jonathan is my friend. Why should I bow to him?”
- Instead, David shows his respect!
- The friends kiss each other and cry together.
- This seems strange to us, and in our culture it would be.
- In their culture, not so much.
- There is nothing sexual in this, but dear friends who know they probably will never see each other again!
- David is more broken up than Jonathan.
- Jonathan will be able to return to his home once Saul cools off.
- David is going to be on the run from now on.
- Jonathan reminds David again about the covenant between them and their families.
- “This evil by my father isn’t my doing!”
- “When you become king, be good to my family!”
- From this part of I Samuel we see just how deep a friendship can be.
- Jonathan doesn’t even stay for dinner. (Of course, his Father had just thrown a spear at him!)
- His anger is fierce!
- There is no condemnation of his being angry.
- Anger is an emotion. We can’t decide whether to feel it or not.
- We can only decide what we will do with it!
Ephesians 4:26–27 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.
- David honors Jonathan.
- They both kiss each other, and cry together.
- They renew their promise to be friends; not just them, but they promise on behalf of their families.
- This promise was indeed kept!
2 Samuel 9:1–13 Then David said, “Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.”
3 The king said, “Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.”
4 So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.”
5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
6 Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!”
7 David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly.”
8 Again he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?”
9 Then the king called Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson.
10 “You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson may have food; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall eat at my table regularly.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons.
12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth.
13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king’s table regularly. Now he was lame in both feet.
Conclusion: What are we willing to do to keep our promises? What is our word worth to us?
