1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 20:1

JONATHAN HELPS DAVID ESCAPESaul knew his daughter Michal had deceived him concerning David. He knew Jonathan and David were good friends. Therefore Jonathan had to be wary, careful, and very secretive about communicating with David. That is why he used the method of shooting arrows. David asked the question, “What have I done?” He had never hurt Saul. In fact, he had actually helped him. But Saul was never a king. God knew he was not a king, and he was not God’s choice. The people had wanted a king and they wanted Saul to be that king. God granted their request but, as it was during the time of Moses, He sent leanness to their souls. In the wilderness the children of Israel wanted meat, and He fattened them up with quail. He gave them what they wanted, but it was evident that they were not trusting God. If they had trusted the Lord, they would have been satisfied with manna and would not have cried out for meat, and they would have found joy and peace in their lives. Many Christians today are way ahead of the Lord, begging Him for this, that, and the other thing. They are not willing to rest quietly and let God work things out in their lives. Many times when He grants our requests, we say, “Isn’t it wonderful that He answered my prayer?” Not always. Sometimes we beg Him for something and, after He gives it to us, we realize it is the worst thing that could have happened to us. A wealthy man in Florida told me how he lost his son. He said, “The biggest mistake I ever made was to give him everything he wanted.” Sometimes when we keep after God, He sends us what we are begging for, but the result is leanness to our souls. That was true of the children of Israel who wanted Saul as their king. He certainly is causing a problem for the nation. David is puzzled. He cannot understand why Saul is after him.

1 Samuel 20:2

Jonathan tells David that if his father makes a move to slay him, he will know about it.

1 Samuel 20:3

What a statement!“there is but a step between me and death.” It was not only that way in David’s day, it is also that way today. Whether we drive the freeways of the city or the highways of the country, you and I are within a step of death. Isaiah said that there is only a heartbeat between you and death. Death can come at any time. That is the reason we ought to be ready at any moment to move out into eternity and into the presence of God. How many folk have made every arrangement for this life but none for the next life! Are you a saved individualthat is, are you trusting Christ as Saviorso that if you should die at this moment you would go into the presence of God? Let me caution you not to put off accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior any longer.

1 Samuel 20:4

Jonathan was a real friend to David. It is wonderful to have a friend like that. Pro_18:24 says, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” A brother may sometime let you down, but a real friend never will. A friend, we are told, is one who is born for adversity. A man proves he is your friend when you are in trouble. When David was in trouble, Jonathan proved to be his friend. He would do anything to protect David.

1 Samuel 20:5

David was expected to be at the palace at mealtime, but he was afraid to go. Instead he is asking Jonathan’s permission to disappear for three days.

1 Samuel 20:6

This was the way that David was going to find out the true feelings of Saul.

1 Samuel 20:9

Jonathan realized that David, his brother-in-law, would probably succeed Saul upon the throne. So he requested that when David came into power his own relationship with David’s house might not be forgotten. Plans were made so that these two friends could communicate. Jonathan would be watched to see if they made contact, so they had to be extremely careful. The plan called for Jonathan to shoot with his bow and arrows. No suspicion would be aroused if he went out often for archery because he was a warrior. David would be hiding in the field. Jonathan would go into the field with his armor-bearer and shoot an arrow. If he shot the arrow way beyond David, it meant that evil was determined against him and he should flee. If he shot the arrow closer to David, in front of him instead of beyond him, he would know it was safe to return. On the third day Jonathan went out into the field with his bow. There would be no way for Saul to know that his son was about to deliver a message to David. The word about Saul was not favorable. Saul had made it very clear that he wanted to slay David. The arrow went flying through the air and landed way on the other side of him. That meant he was to flee. Jonathan instructed his armor-bearer to pick up the arrows he had shot and then take his artillery into the city. When the boy is gone, David and Jonathan meet and talk.

1 Samuel 20:42

David is in danger from here on. He is going to flee, but the interesting thing is the covenant that David and Jonathan make. We will find that Jonathan kept his part of the covenant. He was faithful and true to David to the very end of his life. David was also faithful and true to Jonathan and his descendants. Later on, both Saul and Jonathan are slain by the Philistines, and David comes to the throne. The safe thing for him to have done would have been to exterminate every member of the house of Saul. That means that if Jonathan had a son he should have been killed. The fact of the matter is that Jonathan did have a son. We are going to meet him a little later on in the story. His name was Mephibosheth, and he was crippled. When Saul and Jonathan were slain, a servant took the boy and hid him. But David is going to make good his covenant. David found the boy, took him to the palace, put him at his table, fed him, and cared for him. Why? He is making good his covenant with Jonathan because his friend showed him grace. I will have occasion later on to go into more detail concerning this subject, but right now let me call your attention to the wonderful meaning of this story. David showed kindness to Mephibosheth for the sake of Jonathan. God has shown kindness to you and me for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not because of who we are or what we have done that He saved us. Our salvation comes because of who Christ is and what He has done for us. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Joh_3:16). Because His Son died for us, God extends favor to us for Jesus’ sake. After David and Jonathan talked, Jonathan returned to the palace. I think he was a very sad man because he knew that his father was determined to slay his beloved friend.