So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, saying, “May the Lord destroy all your enemies!” And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. 1 Samuel 20:16-17 NLT
Read 1 Samuel 20.
What a wonderful blessing from the Lord to share life with a good friend!
We have friends on many levels, from surface level acquaintances to the most intimate of heart friends. However, we may not be aware of who our most faithful allies are until we walk through a crisis together. Some who seem to be the dearest friends to us could very well be the ones who desert or betray us in the midst of our pain. On the other hand, we may also underestimate who the most loyal and devoted friends will be.
The true litmus test? We discover who is truly faithful in our times of crisis. May we be the kind of friend to others who stick close as a sister instead of being the one to tuck tail and run at the first sign of difficulty.
David and Jonathan had a special, one-of-kind friendship, and it was about to be tested and proven genuine. They would realize how much they truly did love each other. Their relationship was based on so much more than mere affection and simply enjoying spending time together. Jonathan would prove his loyalty to David on the deepest level.
While David was on the run from Saul who had tried to have him assassinated, he found Jonathan outside of Ramah. He asked Jonathan what in the world he had done wrong to cause the king to want to murder him. Jonathan was in denial at first and could not believe that his father would do such a thing. He and his father had always been close, and Saul had never kept something like this from his son.
David reasoned that because Saul knew about the special friendship his son, Jonathan, shared with David, he would certainly hide such plans from him. Jonathan was in shock and refused to believe such a thing about his father.
David set up a test and asked his friend to prove his loyalty to him. As they were preparing for the new moon festival, David decided to hide out in the field. He had always feasted with the king on this occasion, but this time, he would use his absence as a test to determine the king’s motives toward him. When Saul asks Jonathan where David is, Jonathan is to tell him that David was given permission to go home to Bethlehem and participate in a yearly sacrifice with his family.
Saul’s response would determine his true intentions. If he says, “Fine,” Jonathan will know that everything is OK. However, if Saul loses his temper and goes nuts because of David’s absence, Jonathan would know for sure that his father was bent on murdering his best friend.
Before he left, Jonathan reaffirmed his love for David, and they made a solemn pact together. Jonathan vowed to find out his father’s intentions and either let David know he was safe, or he would warn him so he could escape and live. He asked David to always treat him kindly, with the love of the Lord, and if he dies, to also treat his family with the faithful love of the Lord. He proclaimed to David, “May the Lord destroy all your enemies!”
The time came for the moon festival, and Jonathan was shocked at his father’s reaction. When Saul asked about David’s whereabouts, he went ballistic at Jonathan’s answer. The NLT says that he “boiled with rage.” Saul said horrible things to his son, even cursing him. He called his son a “stupid son of a whore!” (verse 30) He didn’t understand how Jonathan could be so loyal to David when David was going to eventually take his spot in line as the next king.
When Jonathan tried to defend his friend, David, Saul threw a spear at his own son trying to kill him! Jonathan understood for certain at this point that Saul really did intend to slay David and would have no mercy. “…He was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.” (verse 34)
Now it was time to warn David, but he had to be so careful not to betray David’s safety by taking the chance that someone might see them together. He brought a young boy with him to do some target practice with his bow and arrow. He purposely went to the field in the vicinity of David’s hiding place.
The agreed upon signal was that if David was safe, Jonathan would shoot three arrows and tell the young boy that the arrows are on this side of the giant stone near David’s hiding place. However, if David was in danger, Jonathan would tell the boy that the arrows are still ahead of him and to keep going.
After his encounter with his father, Jonathan took the young boy to the field as planned. As Jonathan shot the arrows, he told the boy that the arrows were still ahead of him and to keep going. David knew right away what that meant. His life was in danger. When the boy left. Jonathan and David sadly approached each other. They kissed each other and held each other in a tight embrace while they wept bitterly. They were heartbroken!
However, David knew that God would be with him, and that he had a faithful friend in Jonathan who was willing to risk his life to protect him.
“At last Jonathan said to David, ‘Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.’ Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.” (verse 42)
