1 Samuel 20:2 Then David…went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father that he is trying to kill me?”
David knows that Jonathan loves the Lord. He also knows that he can trust Jonathan. (1 Samuel 18:1 speaks of an immediate bond between the two, a knitting together of souls, implying a bond closer than brothers.) In chapter 20, David seems to be checking himself through Jonathan, basically asking Jonathan to help him check his actions and motives—Did I do or say something to justify Saul’s behavior? Am I in the wrong here? Do I need to realign myself with God?
1 Samuel 20:3 But David took an oath and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes….Yet as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”
How wonderful to have a friend you can trust, a friend who loves you enough to tell you hard truths if needed, a friend who loves God, who holds up God’s mirror of truth in your life. We all need people in our lives who love God first, whom we trust enough to ask hard questions about our actions and motives, and whom we trust enough to listen to what they have to say.
1 Samuel 20:4 Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the example of godly friendship between David and Jonathan. Help us to seek out people in our lives who will hold up Your mirror of love and truth for us as we try to make sense of this world. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Samuel 20:13 “But if my father intends to harm you, may the LORD deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace.”
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.