What if you were Jonathan

1 Samuel 19: 1-10

Do you ever put yourself in the story?  What if you were Jonathan, and this thought came into my mind, you may identify with Jonathan in ways I can’t?  But if I were Jonathan and had a dad like Saul it would be a tough place, especially when ordered by him to kill a man I care for as myself.  Now that I’ve entered the story it requires me to search my heart, how can I honor my dad as commanded and also honor God who tells me not to murder?  And Jonathan did what was correct; he chose God’s commandment over the desire of his dad who was driven by fear, and fear like religion’s end game leads to death.   

Do you recall the encounter Peter and the apostles had with the council on speaking in the name of Jesus found in Acts 5:29? “But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”  That is why Jonathan also decided to obey God and not a man, a sagacious young man, and one of my heroes of the faith.  The reasons are many, but this I’ve come to believe, at any point in our lives we will not have more than 2 or 3 friends, many relationships, but not friends, I know that comes as a shock to all of the Face Book folks.  Tell me how many people you can say this about; “the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”  Now that is an unusual relationship especially for men, but you will know, and the friends will also know and share in it.

With that as the backdrop of the story, King Saul tells Jonathan and the servants he wants David dead, and we would call that taking out a contract or the hiring of a hit on David.  Saul is crafty and understands that if you want a job done well the best way to achieve the goal is do it yourself, and that is what’s going to happen.  Picking up the story in verse two through seven, “And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you.” And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul, his father and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you. For he took his life in his hand and he struck down the Philistine, and the Lord worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?” And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.”  David is back in the King’s house and then war breaks out with the Philistines and David goes out and wins the battle.  Who gets the press, not Saul, but David?  Do you recall when Jonathan went into the Philistine’s camp, and he and his shield bearer had a great victory?  King Saul took the credit and it reminds me of a sissy President that took credit for what the Navy Seals did in battle.

So when David came home, he was playing the harp for Saul and the King tried to pin him to the wall with a spear, with that act David knew it was time to leave the King’s service and run!  Where did you see yourself in the story?  My prayer is that you have a Jonathan in your life, someone willing to risk much to stand in the gap for you.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice