“David fled from Naioth in Ramah” (v1). He had been safe there in the company of Samuel, protected by The Spirit of God. He decided to leave to go speak to his friend Jonathan, Saul’s son. He asked Jonathan, what he had done to cause Saul to still seek his life. Jonathan assured David of his loyalty and that he was not swayed by his father’s lies and that he would protect him by giving him warnings abut what his father was doing. Jonathan expressed surprise that Saul did not tell him that he was going to Naioth and there was no doubt that if he had known he would have told David. David suggested that Saul was hiding things from Jonathan because he knew of Jonathan’s pact with David.
David expressed his fear “…. there is but a step between me and death.” Jonathan reassured David once more that he would support him (v1-4). David even asked Jonathan to kill him if he saw any evil in him (v8) rather than let Saul kill him. David set a plan to test Saul (v5-11). He suggested to Jonathan that by being absent at the feast of New Moon, it would test if Saul was angry with him. Jonathan assured David that if his father was angry with David, he would inform him. David went into hiding in the field until the third day. It seemed that David was wary about Jonathan, after all he was the king’s son. Jonathan assured him that he knew nothing about Saul going to Naioth to get David, but we saw that God protected him.
We might have thought that David wasn’t trusting God. On a human level we can still be afraid of circumstances when really, we should be trusting in Almighty God. God does not always remove us from danger, but He does promise to be with us. David, when penning Psalm 23 said that even when walking through the valley of the shadow of death, the LORD was with him. There are many Christians suffering persecution, even to giving their lives, but we can be assured that even though we may die at the hands of evil men, we are not forsaken by God, and have heaven awaiting us.
Jonathan went out into the field with him and later hatched a plan to keep David informed. Jonathan told David that he would sound out his father, whether he was going to be good towards David or he was planning evil (v12,13). He promised to report to David whether it was good or bad. Jonathan knew that David must go away if Saul’s plans were evil. Jonathan assured David that The LORD was with him, just as He had been with his father. The latter seemed a strange statement, but Jonathan recognised that The LORD had also been with Saul despite his evil ways because he was given ways of repenting and doing the right thing. The LORD was long suffering to Saul, just as He is with us.
Jonathan also asked David to be faithful to him and his family. He knew that one day David would be king, and it was common that a king would kill the household of an opposing ‘royal’ family. David committed himself to a covenant with Jonathan in those terms (v14-17). We can see that David kept the promise see 2 Samuel 9 by caring for Jonathan’s crippled son Mephibosheth.
Jonathan’s plan was to give David a signal which would indicate Saul’s attitude towards him (v18-23). He would shoot three arrows towards the place where David was, where they had made the covenant, and he would call to his boy to go and find the arrows with a coded message, which would indicate whether he was safe from his father, or whether he was in danger and should go away and escape from Saul.
So, David hid in the field at the New Moon feast while Saul entertained his guests, and David was absent. Saul said nothing about his absence because he thought something had happened to him or he was not in a fit state to attend the feast (v24-34). On the second day of the feast Saul asked where David was, and Jonathan said that he had asked to go to visit his family, and Jonathan gave him permission. At this Saul was angry. If he was ceremonially unclean, he could miss one day of the feast but not two. Some might think it was a lie, but possibly not. It was logical that being absent for three days, he could have gone to see his father first, and most commentators would agree with that.
Saul’s reaction showed his intent, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman”. Not the nicest of things to say to his own son, but to Jonathan that was an indication of his intent towards David. We often say things in anger that we may not say when normal. He was furious. Saul told Jonathan that David was going to take his place as king, and he would be nothing and left in shame, therefore, David needed to be put to death. Jonathan, bravely, answered Saul, “Why should he be killed? What has he done? In is anger he threw a spear at Jonathan. Jonathan was angry and left the table and ate no food on that second day. He was grieved for David.
Some might think that Saul was a bad shot because he missed David twice and now his son, Jonathan. Each time Saul was angry, and this must have affected his aim. However, Jonathan clearly knew his father’s intentions, and he was putting his own life on the line for the sake of his friend, David.
In the morning, Jonathan and a young lad went into the field at the appointed time, to fire arrows and told the lad to find them (v35-40). As the lad ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him and called out that it was so. This was a signal to David that his life was in danger. The lad did not know of the plan, and he gathered up the arrows and Jonathan sent him back to the city with his weapons. David now knew that he was no longer welcome at the palace, in the army, nor even at home. He was now a fugitive, on the run from Saul. As soon as the lad had left, David met up with Jonathan. He showed his gratitude by bowing down and they wept together (v41,42). David obviously couldn’t stay so it was a painful separation which was more so for David because he would have to leave.
Fearing that he might never see David again, Jonathan gave David his blessing with his peace because they had agreed a covenant with each other before The LORD to remain faithful to each other and their families. It was not going to be easy for David because he would not return to normality until Saul’s death, and he and Jonathan would only meet once more before Jonathan’s death.
The next twenty years or so would not be easy for David. One might ask the question, ‘Was this God’s will for him?’ There is no simple answer to that. It would certainly be ‘character building’ for David. It would teach him patience and absolute trust in God, waiting His time to bring about his role as the next king. Thus, in one sense it could be said to be God’s will. He passed through many dangerous situations and there would be times when he seemed to step outside of God’s will, but God certainly kept him during this time. It would not be easy, but God would be with him, and he would have to trust in God. He would learn lots of lessons on the journey and would be being trained for kingship.
