Saul is Angry with Jonathan
January 10, 2022
Commentary
Things happened just as David had predicted as Saul became violently angry when David did not show for the feast of the New Moon. Jonathan tried to reason with his father as he had done a few weeks before (vv. 24-31). Saul, however, hurled his spear, narrowly missing his son. Jonathan knew now that David would never again be safe in Saul’s presence. He left the room in anger because of the way his mother and his best friend had been treated by Saul.
Jonathan fasted in grief over the treatment of David (vv. 32-34). The next morning under the pretext of practicing archery Jonathan went out into the field to keep his appointment with David. A little lad accompanied him. Jonathan carried out the prearranged signal with David because he feared that he might be watched. After the danger signal had been given, however, Jonathan threw caution to the wind. He gave his bow and quiver to the lad and sent him back to the city. David then came out of hiding. Both friends thought that this would be the last time they would ever see one another. David expressed gratitude to Jonathan by bowing three times to the ground. In eastern style the friends kissed one another and wept.
Then David and Jonathan went their separate ways (vv. 35-42). As far as can be determined, David was a young man of no more than 20 when all of this happened. He was forced to leave Saul’s palace and was driven to the wilderness of Judah. It appears that he spent approximately 10 years in this “Robin Hood” type of existence. Historians give this time frame because David was 30 when he began to rule over Judah (II Sam. 5:4), immediately after Saul’s death (II Sam. 2:10,11). During the days he was running from Saul he learned many lessons that would be useful as he became the king. All things were working together to prepare David to be the kind of leader who would glorify God and inspire His people (Rom. 8:28).
Application
What are some things that have been hard for me to go through in my life but have perhaps been preparing me to better serve God? What is my reaction when I have to rely solely upon the Lord, rather than on the schemes of men? Have I thanked Him for these times? And how, am I putting these principles into practice for His glory?
1 Samuel 20:24– 42 (NET)
24 So David hid in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat his meal. 25 The king sat down in his usual place by the wall, with Jonathan opposite him and Abner at his side. But David’s place was vacant. 26 However, Saul said nothing about it that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to make him ceremonially unclean. Yes, he must be unclean.” 27 But the next morning, the second day of the new moon, David’s place was still vacant. So Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why has Jesse’s son not come to the meal yesterday or today?”
28 Jonathan replied to Saul, “David urgently requested that he be allowed to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Permit me to go, for we are having a family sacrifice in the town, and my brother urged me to be there. So now, if I have found favor with you, let me go to see my brothers.’ For that reason he has not come to the king’s table.”
30 Saul became angry with Jonathan and said to him, “You stupid traitor! Don’t I realize that to your own disgrace and to the disgrace of your mother’s nakedness you have chosen this son of Jesse? 31 For as long as this son of Jesse is alive on the earth, you and your kingdom will not be established. Now, send some men and bring him to me. For he is as good as dead!”
32 Jonathan responded to his father Saul, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33 Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan in order to strike him down. So Jonathan was convinced that his father had decided to kill David. 34 Jonathan got up from the table enraged. He did not eat any food on that second day of the new moon, for he was upset that his father had humiliated David.
35 The next morning Jonathan, along with a young servant, went out to the field to meet David. 36 He said to his servant, “Run, find the arrows that I am about to shoot.” As the servant ran, Jonathan shot the arrow beyond him. 37 When the servant came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called out to the servant, “Isn’t the arrow farther beyond you?” 38 Jonathan called out to the servant, “Hurry! Go faster! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s servant retrieved the arrow and came back to his master. 39 (Now the servant did not understand any of this. Only Jonathan and David knew what was going on.) 40 Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him. He said to him, “Go, take these things back to the town.”
41 When the servant had left, David got up from beside the mound, knelt with his face to the ground, and bowed three times. Then they kissed each other and they both wept, especially David. 42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn together in the name of the Lord saying, ‘The Lord will be between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’”