Be Trustworthy 18 May 08
1 SAM 18:1-4 Neither the word for love here, ^ahav (Hebrew), nor the relationship of the two men suggests any abnormality. Today the question is always part of a male to male or female to female relationship. The word ^ahav was a technical term in covenant texts for the bonding together by pacts of loyalty and reciprocal responsibility. It refers, then, to a relationship between two parties who could depend on one another. According to verse 4, Jonathan bestowed his garments and his weapons upon David. This relatively common practice in antiquity indicated transfer of position. Apparently Jonathan acknowledged God's choice of David early in the friendship. By this symbolic transfer of garments and weapons, he demonstrated his own commitment to God's will (1 SAM 20:30).
The background goes further back. A major conflict between Jonathan and his father Saul laid a foundation for Jonathan's actions with David. In 1 Sam 14, Jonathan was almost killed by Saul for breaking a commanded oath Saul had made. Jonathan had not heard of it so when he broke the oath, it was from ignorance concerning it. Saul would have killed Jonathan but the people intervened. That could not have helped their father-son relationship. Further, in 1 Sam 16, God had Samuel anoint David the next king. Note in (1 Sam 16:13 RSV) "Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah." Dr. Herschel H. Hobbs said this meant the Holy Spirit was with him permanently. But the Holy Spirit did not indwell him as he does every Christian today. With and within (indwell) are two separate things.
Jonathan was a military fighter and leader. So they hit it off immediately after David had killed Goliath. This quickly developed into (1 Sam 18:3 RSV) "Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul." The Hebrew here for "love" means brotherly love. Jonathan gave David his own personal war equipment. Saul made David a major officer in the army. David was so successful; he quickly outstripped Saul in military wins. Saul’s response is told in (1 Sam 18:8-9 RSV) "And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; and what more can he have but the kingdom?" {9} And Saul eyed David from that day on." David was now a liability to Saul and his lineage.
1 SAM 19:1-7 Jonathan had known for some time that Saul wanted David dead. (1 Sam 19:1 KJV) "And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David." Also Michal, Saul's second daughter, also knew and helped David to escape Saul.
1 SAM 20:1-7 David and Jonathan met secretly. David asked the timeless question: "Why me?" For some reason, Jonathan said (1 Sam 20:2 KJV) "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 show it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so." Obviously, something had made Jonathan change his mind about Saul from 1 Sam 19:1. We do not know what it might have been. Jonathan made such a strong defense of David that Saul had to stop trying to kill him. He told him that if Saul had changed from this new position (as far as Jonathan knew), Saul would have told him (like he had done in the past). David didn't believe what Jonathan said. It was not that Jonathan lied, but Saul had fooled Jonathan. See 1 Sam 19:9 and 11. So David told him bluntly he was very wrong. The fact was "there is but a step between me and death." Most probably because of the past, Jonathan accepted this and pledged to help David. He trusted David more than his father.
David devised a plan that involved a lie! Jonathan agreed to the lie! Is this an example for us to follow here from the "man after God's own heart?" Most say this does not mean the Lord condones lying, even when it is toward a good end. And they just leave it at that. However, the Law is very specific: (Lev 19:11 RSV) "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another." Once again, David, a man "with the Holy Spirit", sinned and led his best friend to sin. The plan worked, but there were other things they could have done to get Jonathan to see that Saul had been fooling Jonathan. And once again, David flaunted the Law and its application to himself. This is not an example for us! We need to see just what the phrase "man after God's own heart" means. It means that God was David’s only god. David never went after any other god, as most of the future kings did. It does not mean David as a sinless man and God accepted everything David did. David had to be scheming to stay alive not only from Saul but from home and foreign enemies.
1 SAM 20:4-8 Twice David yielded to the secular lawful position of Jonathan as the government's designated future king. This is interesting since David had been anointed by Samuel to be the next king. It is inconceivable that David would not have told Jonathan about this. In fact, the scripture shows later that Jonathan did know. But the issue is David was not yet the designated king, so protocol had Jonathan as the official next king. David honored the position of king. He needed to since when he became king, he would expect the people to do so for him. Dr. Hobbs pointed out that the Hebrew word for "kindly" is hesed which means "covenant loyalty." Strong says it is 2617. checed, kheh'-sed; from H2616; kindness; by impl. (towards God) piety; rarely (by opp.) reproof, or (subject.) beauty:--favour, good deed (-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing. It is used several times in this lesson.
This dialog is again interesting in face of (1 Sam 18:3 KJV) "Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul." "Loved" is brotherly love. Is this "a covenant of the Lord"? These verses do not so state. Yet David certainly seems to be questioning the current nature of their covenant-friendship. Was it still valid? Could David still count on Jonathan? Jonathan was probably surprised by David's apparent doubts. David went so far as to state he believed Jonathan might be in league with Saul to capture him. If this were true, then David would rather die by Jonathan's hand than Saul's hand. That must have shocked Jonathan to the core! Look how David showed his love to Jonathan. But David’s love for his wives is similar.
1 SAM 20:9-10 Jonathan, in the strongest words, denied any such notion or any knowledge that Saul still wanted to kill David.
1 Sam 20:11-13 Again in powerful words, Jonathan promised to tell David the truth, no matter what was exposed about their plan.
1 Sam 20:14-17 Then Jonathan's next words proved he knew David would be the next king. If David really had doubts about their current relationship as friends, this should have dispelled it. Jonathan moved to protect himself and his family once David became king. Jonathan called for continued and renewed hesed, "covenant loyalty." He asked by safety of his descendents. Kings of that day often killed potential rivals. Further David would be a successful king beyond Israel and this would come because of "the LORD [Yahweh]." Jonathan continually uses the name of God, i.e. Yahweh. Yahweh is the definition of Trustworthy. How close are we to be to this? (Mat 5:48 RSV) "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Marvin
Ganote,