Jonathan Realizes Saul’s Anger Is Not Normal

 People had accepted Saul’s uncontrolled rages as fairly normal, not realizing they were the result of demonic influence, and hired David to try to calm him down.  Even David did not take them particularly seriously, until he made a concerted planned effort to kill him, even trying to kill him when surrounded by the priests.  David went back to his friend Jonathan to try to learn why Saul hated him so bad.  Jonathan still didn’t really believe his father would do something like David described without sharing it with his family, as I Samuel 20:1-2 describes.  “And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?  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.”

 

David reminded Jonathan that Saul knew of their friendship and might hide his plans, in I Samuel 20:3.  “And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.”

 

Realizing how concerned David was, Jonathan agreed to help him find out if it was just a spur of the moment outburst or a serious threat, in I Samuel 20:4-8.  “Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.  And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.  If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.  If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.  Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

 

Jonathan suggested  a way of finding out if Saul was serious was serious about killing David and secretly communicating what he learned, in I Samuel 20:9-23.  “And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?  Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?  And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.

 

And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and show it thee; The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will show it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.  And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.  And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.  Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.  And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.  And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.  And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth.  But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.  And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.

 

Jonathan understood that David had been chosen by God to be the next king and made a covenant with him that they would remain friends when David became king.  The plan worked like a charm, with Saul getting angry at Jonathan for taking up for Davidand when Jonathan questioned his anger, attempting to kill him, as Described in I Samuel 20:24-34.  “So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.  And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.  Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.  And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?

 

Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem: And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.  Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?  For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.

 

And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?  And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.   So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.”

 

In his selfishness, Saul didn’t even care if his own son was killed as long as he got his way.  It was a shocking revelation to Jonathan, who stormed away from the table, embarrassed by his father’s abusive behavior.  Even he had not realized how out of control his father was.